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February 5, 2010
WAITING GAME FOR VAN DEN BERGH
Dallas winger on outside looking in
By Michael Lewis
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Dave van den Bergh had plenty to cheer about last season--a new team, 11 assists and 3 goals in an effort that just missed the MLS playoffs. Now he is waiting to find another team, or make a delayed return to FCD.
Photo by Michael Stephens |
EDITOR’S NOTE: Michael Lewis knows full well the value a player such as Dave van den Bergh brings to a team. Lewis, BigAppleSoccer.com editor, watched van den Bergh lift the Red Bulls in a memorable stretch drive to the MLS Championship game in a year they did not figure to make the playoffs. Then the Dutchman came to Dallas the next season, in 2009 and pumped in 11 assists, best on the team and third in the MLS, plus scored three goals. Despite that output, Bergh is on the outs with FC Dallas Head Coach Schellas Hyndman and not in the team’s pre-season camp. Lewis talked to van den Bergh in this interview. ,
One of the best, if not the best left midfielder in MLS, isn't training with a club at the moment.
Dave van den Bergh, a key performer on the Red Bulls team two years ago and who finished third in MLS assists last year, is out of contract with FC Dallas. He hasn't been invited to pre-season training by the team and would love to play with another MLS team.
Van den Bergh said finding a team wasn't a "problem at this point. It's just a matter of my former team getting to an agreement I guess and coming to personal terms with the new team. I know that some teams have showed interest, but haven't come close to a deal."
Van den Bergh earned $227,000 last year. It wouldn't be surprising if Dallas wanted to renegotiate his contract to a lower amount, even with his excellent product.
Dallas began pre-season training at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas Monday.
"I think the situation is, we didn't pick up his option and he's out of contract. We'll just have to wait and see if he fits into our plans," Dallas coach Schellas Hyndman told MLSnet.com Tuesday.
Van den Bergh was credited with 11 assists last season, behind only league leaders Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo) and Omar Cummings (Colorado), who finished with an even dozen apiece.
Asked if he was surprised that Dallas did not pick up his option, the Dutch-born van den Bergh replied, "That's a tricky question. I was and I was not surprised. I'll keep it at that. I was surprised since I had a very good year. I was not surprised given the fact that sometimes during the course of the season me and the coach didn't always agree on every single aspect of the game. I mean, I never let any of that interfere with my game, so I think I've shown once more than I'm a true professional. Maybe he had an different opinion about how players should be at that point. I haven't talked about him about it."
Van den Bergh, 33, said he is far from ready to retire. He scored seven goals, several of their key tallies as the Dutchman was a vital factor in the Red Bulls march to the MLS Cup in 2008.
"I'm not ready to retire and nor do I think should at this point of my life," he said in a phone interview from Texas earlier this week. "I played 30 out of 30 games last season and i am still running with guys -- I don't want to say half my age -- but its coming damn near close to it. I'm running with guys 10 years younger than me. so when I can keep up, there's no problem. We thank God for being smart and taking care of my body all these years. I have not been very injury prone, which is part luck and part doing my part at home in the off season."
He figured he has at least two years left as a player.
But like it or not, when a player gets to the other side of the big 3-0, many coaches become wary of players' longevity and productivity. Van den Bergh, however, said to look at his injury history or lack of it through the years.
"The problem with that is that they might," he said of the age question. "I don't know if they do that. I know that a common thing around in sports to look at a number and draw conclusions from it. I don't agree with this, to be honest with you. First of all, there have been guys on teams that I have played on that have been far more injured than I have ever been and I'm 33 and these guys are in their early 20s.
"If you look at my track record at the last 3 1/2 years that I have played in this league and the six years before that that I played in Holland before that, missed a game and half a season. That is a time span of 10 years that I have missed 10 games due to injury. Last year I didn't miss one and the year before that I missed two games because of a sports hernia and I think it was largely had to do with the fact I played on turf for two years. Two games in two years and the year before that under Bruce [Arena, former Red Bulls coach].
"I know it's different case to case. You've got guys who peak early. You've got guys who peak late and you've got guys who just stay solid for a long time and you've got guys that are forced to retire at 27."
Instead of playing soccer, van den Bergh is playing the waiting game instead of playing soccer.
"It's just a waiting game," he said. "I think the teams are waiting to see what the new CBA brings, what the new salary cap is going to be. I don't think it has been very easy to deal with my former team [Dallas] at his point."
MLS and the MLS players union are negotiating a new Collective Bargaining Agreement, which expired Jan. 31, although talks have been extended through Feb. 12.
As the days and weeks go by, van den Bergh admitted it would be difficult to be patient as the start of the season grows closer.
"I don't know about that," he said. "I've played in Europe for a long time. I've got a very good resume and name there. I'm willing to wait a little bit, obviously. But I also have a family to think of. When push comes to shove, I need to take care of them. So, I can't wait forever with the chance of teams filling up. At some point A need to sit down and need draw the line and say, like 'OK, this is it. Another opportunity is coming along and I need to take it.' "
Asked if playing in Europe was a possibility, van den Bergh replied, "I didn't come here to go back at this point. But, like I said, I have a family to think of. I'm still too fit to contemplate retirement. It wouldn't be my first option at this point, my first choice, let me put it that way. But if I'm going to be in a position where I'm going to have to make a decision between that and possibly waiting longer or no job at all here, I would definitely take it, obviously."
But Vandy is optimistic will be find a team in MLS.
"You'll see something pop up," he said.
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