Real Salt Lake General Manager Steve Pastorino and Head Coach John Ellinger announced Wednesday the acquisition of defender Brian Dunseth, a former U.S. Olympic Team captain and seven-year Major League Soccer veteran who returns to the league following the 2004 season with Bodens BK in the Swedish Supperettan, the nation's second division. Dunseth was acquired from FC Dallas in exchange for the RSL's natural fourth-round pick in the 2007 MLS SuperDraft.
"Brian is a very experienced, solid defender and fierce competitor who gives us another solid central defender, one with several years of MLS experience," Ellinger said. "You need somebody in the central defense like Brian who is an excellent communicator and has a wide array of experience, someone who has great leadership abilities."
Dunseth, a 6'1", 180-lb defender, played for Ellinger as part of the 2000 U.S. Olympic team in Sydney, Australia and is known throughout the league for his aggressive, tenacious defense. He spent the 2004 season in the Swedish Supperatten, the country's second division, where he was named the Most Valuable Player by Norrbotten, the leading local newspaper.
A native of Upland, California, Dunseth has played for four Major League Soccer teams during his eight-year professional career. Dunseth was drafted by the New England Revolution in 1997, playing in Foxboro for five years before being traded to the Miami Fusion on May 20, 2001. In 2002, Dunseth appeared in 27 matches for the Columbus Crew, starting 26 and helping the Crew to the playoffs and U.S. Open Cup Championship. On August 21, 2003, he was traded to the Dallas Burn, where he started all nine games for which he was available.
