There is always one on every team.
There is always a player that gets credit for selfless play, an enduring disposition and the ability to accept change even if that change means less playing time or a diminished role.
For the defending champion Houston Dynamo, that player is defensive midfielder Richard Mulrooney.
Or is it right back? Or is it center back?
In Mulrooney's case, well, it is all of the above.
The 31-year-old MLS veteran is now in his second campaign with the Dynamo after being traded from Toronto FC early in the 2006 season for Kevin Goldthwaite and a first-round pick in this year's SuperDraft.
After the trade to Houston, Mulrooney played in every game for the remainder of the season and recorded a team-high tying five assists. When the Dynamo came from behind to beat the New England Revolution in the MLS Cup Final, he became an league champion for the third time, the first two coming while the club was located in San Jose.
This year, he is part of a team still looking for its first win as Houston is the only winless team in MLS heading into Saturday's match at the Columbus Crew. But Mulrooney has gone above and beyond to earn that first "W".
"He has done a little bit over everything for us and his attitude has really been fantastic," said Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear. "He is a selfless individual and the really good thing about him is that he is a fantastic soccer player. Because of that, he could really play any position on the field if needed."
In 229 career games (216 starts) Mulrooney has seven goals and 60 assists. Those numbers aren't flashy by any stretch, but he is a responsible player that rarely makes a deadly mistake.
Last year, he had a great stretch where he recorded four assists in a five-game stretch between Sept. 8 and Oct. 15. Three of the four assists came on set pieces converted by defenders. That was a great close to another steady regular season and Mulrooney said his success and longevity is just a product of the people that have been around him.
"I have always been around a good group of quality guys," said Mulrooney. "I can attribute (the longevity) more to my teammates, both past and present, and my coaches more than anything. If you try to do it yourself, you are going to get worn down quickly and obviously I have been fortunate to be in this league long enough to realize that it is more teammates than anything individual."
In four league games and two Champions' Cup matches this year, Mulrooney has played right back, defensive midfield, center back and wide on the right of midfield. The only defensive position he has not played in all Dynamo matches this fall are left back and goalkeeper.
The versatility, he says, comes from years of experience playing where he has been needed.
"Growing up, that is kind of how it always played out for me," Mulrooney said. "I played in the middle out wide, I played right back for the national team, so that is where that experience comes from.
"Obviously I recognize how important that is now. But more or less it is just about being put out there with the rest of the guys. And I am just fortunate enough, and happy enough to help out this team any way that I can."
Andrew J. Ferraro is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
