FRISCO, Texas -- When FC Dallas and center back Duilio Davino parted ways in the offseason, it didn't just mean that the Hoops would have to find a replacement for him in the back line, it also signified that FCD would have to find a new captain for 2009.
Head coach Schellas Hyndman admitted after his team's first training session of 2009 on Wednesday that he already had some candidates for the position and would quickly reach a decision.
"I have three people in mind and I think all three would be very good," he said. "What I would like to do is look at the three through the next week of training. Then, it will be my decision and my decision only to select the player that I think would be the best representative of this team."
Hyndman's expectations for that individual are simple.
"To be able to carry the armband is a simple job for any captain," he said. "You put it on and you get recognition. But there are a lot of things that I need to ask the captains to do. I thought last year, there were some issues on the team that if we had the right leader or right person wearing the armband with the communication ability and the respect of the players, some of those issues might never have developed."
Last season, then-head coach Steve Morrow waited until just before the start of the regular season to name his captain when he tabbed Davino. It appears that Hyndman has adopted a different methodology.
"I don't know if there's a right or wrong way," he said. "The sooner you have a captain, the sooner that captain can have an influence on the team and players. One of the responsibilities of a captain is to work and be a mediator for the coach. Not all players are going to be happy all the time. I think it's important that we get some leadership sooner rather than later."
Hyndman wouldn't name the three candidates but he did say that veteran midfielder Pablo Ricchetti was one player under consideration. The FCD boss added that any ill will over the Argentinean asking for a new contract after last season was well past.
"Everything is great," Hyndman said. "I think Pablo has been fantastic. He was a valuable player for us last year and had a good year. But at the same time, the team didn't have a good year and didn't get into the playoffs. I think he likes Dallas, this team and the ownership. To leave that would have been a mistake on his part but he had to make that decision. He's really glad to be here and will do everything he possibly can to find success for the team."
Other candidates include defender Drew Moor, recently acquired midfielder Dave van den Bergh and defender Adrian Serioux.
Along with Aaron Pitchkolan, Moor is FCD's longest-tenured player, having been with the club since 2005. The 25-year-old defender wore the armband in place of Davino on several occasions last season and would embrace the role should it come his way.
"I think no matter who Schellas gives the armband to, I still see myself as somewhat of a leader on this team," Moor said. "It's definitely a role that I would love to take. I would take a lot of pride with it. But we don't know who he's going to give it to. Whoever he gives it to will be the right choice. If he gives it to me, I will be happy with it. If not, I'll continue to be a leader without the armband."
Another possibility is van den Bergh, who was recently acquired in a trade with New York. However, the 32-year-old Dutch international is more focused on adjusting to his new surroundings instead of whether or not he could be named captain.
"I haven't thought about it," van den Bergh said. "There are some guys that have been here for a while now and we've got some veterans in the locker room. My coach hasn't talked about it either. We'll see what he's got in mind. I'd be very honored but there is more than one leader in the locker room."
Serioux is another possibility. The 29-year-old Canadian international just completed his second season with FCD and third in MLS, a member of Houston's 2006 MLS Cup championship team.
No matter which player he chooses, Hyndman has specific criteria in place for that individual.
"I think it's somebody who has to have the leadership qualities that the team will look at and say that they respect this guy," Hyndman said. "He's not only telling us what we should be doing, he's doing it himself. He has to be a person of influence, who can have influence on a player that is disgruntled to look at things in a positive mentality. He also has to be someone the coach can trust to say the right things when the coach isn't around. It's somebody who will take the place of the coach on the field and have the respect of their teammates. I think we have three people who can fill those qualities."
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