Fans might debate his talents, but they can’t argue his record. Richie Williams is the most decorated American player in modern history with 13 national and international titles.

Everybody has an opinion about Richie Williams. Among fans of the U.S. national team and MLS teams who play against him, those opinions are rarely positive. Among MLS coaches, however, those opinions are quite complimentary.

Should Bruce Arena choose the gritty defensive midfielder on his 23-man roster for the World Cup in Korea, it will be one of his most hotly debated selections.

Fans on chat rooms have labeled the 5-foot-5 Williams “ankle-biter” and other derogatory terms. In a recent Soccer America poll, only 24 of 2,552 fans picked Williams in their ideal starting lineup for the national team. But one might ask the rest who they would choose to bring on in the 75th minute if the United States were clinging to a 1-0 lead against Portugal.

MetroStars coach Octavio Zambrano, who traded for Williams before last season, then dealt him back to D.C. at this year’s SuperDraft, considers the ex-Virginia standout second only to Chris Armas among American players when it comes to purely defensive tasks in midfield.

“Richie works better when he has somebody in front of him to take care of the offensive side of things, but he’s excellent at what he does – getting the ball for the team,” Zambrano says. “We had no issues with Richie, we just felt we were soft on the left side, and the chance to get a proven pro like Brian Kamler was something we could not pass up.”

THERE AND BACK AGAIN. Williams’ stint in New York taught him to shrug off the whims of fans. MetroStars fans loathed him, then lauded him and now may go back to loathing him, for all he knows.

“I think it’s great that people are talking about soccer, so I could care less,” Williams says. “They can say I’m the worst player in the world, they can say I’m the best. I just think it’s good for soccer that people care enough to talk about it. You hope it’s more positive than negative, but I know what kind of player I am, and I have confidence in my abilities. … You’re never going to please everybody. When I went up to New York, they told me the fans hated me because I played for D.C. United and the way I played, but then they grew to support me. It’s just fans being fans. They’re pretty fickle, and they want to root for their team.”

One of new D.C. coach Ray Hudson’s first big decisions was to bring Williams back to United, largely because of the intangibles he brings to the team. Last season, the team never found the proper foil for Marco Etcheverry, and no player should know how to fill that role better than Williams, who was El Diablo’s deputy for five seasons.

“He’s still got that fire and brimstone in him that he wants to be the finger in everybody’s chest, to say, ‘This where we need to get back to.’ That alone was worth the trade,” Hudson said. “This club needed that. I thought there was a noticeable lack of personality and spit in the team. Richie brings that. The fact that he’s a very good, compact, industrious footballer just adds to the whole package.”

THIRTEEN CHAMPIONSHIPS. Few players can boast the kind of winning rÄsumÄ Williams has compiled: two McGuire Cup (U-19) championships, two NCAA championships, one USISL Premiership title, three MLS Cups, two U.S. Open Cups, one CONCACAF Champions Cup, one Inter-American Cup and one Gold Cup.

Throughout his career, Williams has been a starter and a vital cog, yet he is comfortable being a reserve on the national team.

“Everyone who’s there wants to be on the field – and I want to be on the field as much as the next guy – but obviously I’m not a starter on the national team, and I accept that role,” Williams says. “I love being with the national team – I think it’s a great honor every time I go into camp and every time I get to play. … To me, every person who goes into the national team camp has to feel privileged to take that opportunity like it could be your last.”

Arena values that attitude and says Williams plays a position that not many other Americans know how to play.

“He’s done a pretty solid job with us every time he’s been in camp,” Arena says. “As we continue to move forward, we’re going to look at other options there. Obviously, we have to make a decision about how many players we want to slip in our roster that solely play that position, but Richie hasn’t hurt himself at all. He’s done well. It’s just going to come down to a question of where the roster stands and where he fits in the overall 23. He’s certainly going to be in contention for one of those spots.”

AGE IS NO FACTOR. Williams knows there is not much left for him to prove in the early part of the MLS season. He turns 32 two days before the U.S. team’s first-round game against Portugal but doesn’t think his age will be a factor.

“Right now, I feel pretty strong,” Williams says. “I think as you get older, you get wiser. When I was younger, I had a lot of energy and sometimes maybe ran too much. Now you see situations where you can conserve a little bit so that you can give more in an important area.”

Hudson is anxious to see Williams in games.

“In the working week, he looks absolutely as good as ever,” Hudson said. “There’s still an awful lot left in the tank, that’s for sure.”

Whether it’s in Korea or D.C., Williams is sure to keep his nose to the grindstone in practice and games, making the most of his limited physical tools.

“I believe that you go out, play hard and do your job, so I do that, and at the end of the day, it’s Bruce’s decision. That’s why we have a coach,” Williams says. “It’s everybody’s dream to go to the World Cup, so I’m hoping that it works out.”

by Soccer America Senior Editor Will Kuhns