The longest-serving player on the books for FC Dallas, versatile veteran Bobby Rhine, will be back for a ninth season with the club. The 30-year-old University of Connecticut product comes off a season where he played in 30 games for FCD and scored two goals and two assists, all of those starts on the right side of the back four.
Rhine admits that he had hoped to be re-signed a bit earlier in the offseason, but the important thing is that he remains with FCD.
"The process took a little while longer than I had hoped," he said. "My wife and I took the offseason and thought through all possible scenarios. I'm very happy to be coming back to FC Dallas and to have the opportunity to finish my career where it began."
Last year, Rhine started nearly every game at right back. It was his second full season in the back after he was converted from playing forward just before the start of the 2005 campaign. The 2006 FCD back line was porous at times and also showed little fire, if any, meaning changes were in the works for 2007, especially under new head coach Steve Morrow.
Morrow is looking to remedy that by bringing in more hard-nosed players. He got one in former Houston Dynamo hard man Adrian Serioux, who came to FCD in a trade with Toronto FC involving perennial all-star midfielder Ronnie O'Brien last fall. Then, on draft day, FCD traded veteran center back Greg Vanney to Colorado for a draft pick, a move which changed the complexion of the defense.
Even with the changes and speculation about Rhine's spot in the starting 11 not being secure, the MLS veteran is just ready to begin preaseason.
"The way I view it is that I'm still a starter at this point and it's my spot to lose," he said. "Any player always wants that opportunity to compete and we will have that in our preseason. Our focus will be on mental toughness and the willingness to compete. We will look to develop a stronger mentality. There will be competition at every position. We (myself and Morrow) haven't had a conversation yet (about what my role might be with this year's team)."
Rhine agrees with his new coach that FCD could definitely use a bit more fire, especially in the defensive end of the field.
"I would expect that one of the things that Steve said we were short on was a strong mentality," he said. "You can see that with some of the acquisitions like Adrian Serioux, a guy who is a physical presence on the field who is considered a competitor with a tough mental makeup. The efforts to acquire Edgar Davids show that as well, who is a similar type player, a guy who you would consider a pit bull on the field. They are interested in getting players who will lead and establish that mentality on the field and in the locker room as well.
Steve Hunt is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
