FRISCO, Texas -- Since last summer, Bryant Rueckner has been a regular in and around Pizza Hut Park. The 21-year-old goalkeeper, who last played at Cal-Santa Barbara in 2007, trained with FCD for a big part of 2008. He is doing so again but this time as one of the MLS pool goalkeepers, meaning he is soccer's answer to a doctor that is always on call.
"Whatever team needs me, I could go to them," he said. "I'm just based out of Dallas. I'm not on the roster but Dallas is giving me some free practices. It's been fun. I just started in September and the season was almost over. This year, I'm looking to see some action."
Being based in Dallas allows the "league employee" to hang out with former teammate and close friend, Eric Avila, now a second-year midfielder with FCD.
"We knew each other from club," Rueckner said. "We both went to residency at the same time and got to know each other there. I was going to UCLA and changed my mind after Avi convinced me to go to Santa Barbara because he liked it over there. I was good friends with them, so I decided to go there. We did everything together and he was my best friend there."
After leaving USCB last year, Avila was one of the first people he called.
"I called him since John Ellinger was our head coach back in residency and is the assistant coach here (with FC Dallas)," Rueckner said. "I asked him (Ellinger) if I could come out, train and get ready for the combine. Avi helped me out. He did everything and got everything together. Since then, we live not even a mile away now and hang out every day."
Avila agrees it's good to have his close friend around.
"Having him around is great because I've known him since I was 15 or 16," Avila said. "I basically grew up with him. He was in residency with me and from there he took off to college at Santa Barbara with me. He roomed with me there and everything. At the beginning of the year, when he was staying here, he roomed with me. Now he has his own spot but he's still close."
After redshirting in 2006, when UCSB won the national title, Rueckner made his debut for the Gauchos in 2007. He posted a 13-4-4 record in 21 games with a 1.04 goals-against-average and six clean sheets in his only season of collegiate play.
He remembers when the thought of being a pool 'keeper first entered his mind.
"When I was over here (last summer), FC Dallas had a reserve game against Colorado," he said. "I think Preston Burpo was playing the first half and another pool 'keeper was playing the second half. He was in and then, he got hurt in the first few minutes of the second half. Burpo couldn't play the second half because he had already played the game before. So they asked me to play because I was the only other available goalie that was here. It took me five minutes to sign the contract and all that so I could play."
Rueckner admits he doesn't really know what to expect from this experience, but he is heading into it with an open mind.
"I don't really know how it works yet," he said. "I think you've just got to train your butt off here and wait for someone to call you when they need you. If you're not up to it, then that would be your fault. You need to do all you can here so you can be ready for when someone calls me. It's kind of like being on call every minute."
So at least for now, he will be content working out with FCD, where he trains with a talented group of 'keepers including starter Dario Sala, backup Ray Burse, second-year player Josh Lambo and goalkeeping coach Drew Keeshan.
"They're great guys," Rueckner said. "I knew Josh from residency too. I've gotten used to Drew and Dario. Dario is great and it's the same with Ray. It's been cool. Drew used to come to Bradenton for the coaching clinic in residency when I was there."
Already in this preseason, he has accompanied FCD on a weeklong trip to Florida, which the team just returned from on Sunday. On Wednesday, Rueckner will be among the traveling party heading to Brazil for some 10 days to train with South American partner, Clube Atletico Paranaense.
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