Ryan Cochrane needed a fresh start.
After watching his career stall over the past two seasons, the experienced Houston Dynamo defender approached stage two of the Re-Entry Process as a possibility to revive his fortunes with a new club.
The outcome could not have unfolded more kindly for Cochrane after the New England Revolution—one of the clubs on his short list of preferred destinations—plucked him with the fourth overall selection.
For the 27-year-old centerback, the opportunity to join the Revolution organization represents more than a shift to a new employer and a new home. The move also offers Cochrane a chance to rebuild a career derailed from a promising course charted during the Dynamo's MLS Cup-winning campaigns in 2006 and 2007.
“To be completely honest, I feel like I'm coming in with a chip on my shoulder,” Cochrane told MLSsoccer.com recently. “I feel like I'm coming in with a lot to prove to a lot of people around the league and to myself.”
Cochrane's descent from his Houston highs started with the lingering ankle concerns that drove him out of San Jose in 2009. After missing time during preseason, Cochrane underwent extensive ankle surgery in April to rectify the problem.
By August 2009, the Earthquakes had cut bait on Cochrane—who had joined San Jose in the 2007 Expansion Draft and started 17 matches for the club during the 2008 season—by returning him to Houston in exchange for an international player slot.
The move placed Cochrane in a rather difficult bind. As he worked his way back to full fitness from his surgery, he needed to find a way into a back four that eventually conceded a league-low 29 goals en route to a second-place finish in the Western Conference that season.
“Going back to Houston was a tough situation,” Cochrane said. “I was going back to a team that was already in first place. They had two centerbacks—Bobby Boswell and Geoff Cameron—who were playing all of the time. Eddie Robinson was also coming back from injury, so breaking through those three guys, who are obviously great defenders in MLS, it was always going to be a difficult situation for me.”
The circumstances proved too difficult for Cochrane to overcome even as he returned to full health in 2010. The former starter operated primarily as cover and featured just 12 times during the Dynamo's disappointing campaign.
Given the size of Cochrane's contract option for 2011 and his prospects for future playing time, the status quo simply wasn't an option for either party heading into the offseason. Cochrane parted ways with the Dynamo—an organization he had served for six of his seven years in the league—to pave the way for a new chapter in his career.
“I'm thankful for all of the opportunities that Dom Kinnear and Houston gave me, but I think at this point, moving on is the best thing for me,” Cochrane said.
Swapping Houston for New England means Cochrane will now join the foe he vanquished at the pinnacle of his career back in 2006 and 2007, when the Dynamo beat the Revs in two straight MLS Cup finals. Those hearty championship battles forged Cochrane's respect for the Revs and coach Steve Nicol and laid the foundation for this eventual move.
As he plots his future in New England, Cochrane said he can take advantage of this new beginning in order to contribute to the Revolution's return to prominence and recapture his best form.
“I know that I have a lot to prove,” Cochrane said. “I know that I have a lot left in the tank and I have the desire to keep playing for a long time. I'm thankful for the opportunity to come to New England and get a fair shot. I'm going to do my best to take advantage of it.”
