Central midfielders Ronnie Ekelund and Richard Mulrooney receive little acclaim, but they played mammoth roles in San Jose’s success.
One did not score during the regular season and five playoff games. The other scored one goal in that span. Neither was among the six San Jose players chosen for the All-Star Game. In statistics and fame, Ronnie Ekelund and Richard Mulrooney took a backseat to many of the central midfielders in MLS this season. But when it all had ended, the duo proved to be a quiet force, effective enough to deliver San Jose a championship.
Ekelund, who spent half his career outside of his native Denmark, left the English League after a series of injuries to try life in the United States. His resume showed up on Frank Yallop’s desk and the new Earthquakes coach recognized the name from his days at Ipswich Town, so he extended an invitation to preseason training. Ekelund, 29, made an impression.
“I said right away, ‘The guy can play,'” Yallop said. “He was exactly what I was looking for. I didn’t want a guy who was dribbling around, losing the ball every three seconds. I wanted a guy to move the ball for us.”
Ekelund signed with MLS as a discovery player, but visa complications prevented him from playing for the team until its fourth match of the season. He missed 13 other games with injuries.
Mulrooney, a native of Memphis, Tenn., starred at Creighton University before being taken third overall in the 1999 draft by the Earthquakes. The 24-year-old earned team MVP honors in 2000 as a utility player, starting in five different positions during the season – right, left and defensive midfielder, right and left defender.
Despite the sharp contrast in their backgrounds, the players used similar language when recalling their first days together in training camp.
Said Ekelund: “I think Richie and I clicked pretty quickly. We sort of think the same way about how things should be done in the central midfield.”
Said Mulrooney: “Even in that first practice, I remember we just clicked. … He’s a simple player, likes to play early, one-touch, and that’s what I like to do, too.”
Ball possession keyed the Earthquakes’ success, and the epicenter of that possession was clean, consistent distribution from Ekelund and Mulrooney.
Unlike many MLS teams, which pair a creator with a worker in midfield, San Jose essentially asked both to be defensive midfielders while adding flair in moderation.
Mulrooney’s skills always earned him an attacking role in his college career, yet the commitment to defense came easily.
“I never had to talk to Rich [about getting back],” defender Jeff Agoos said. “All I had to say was ‘There’s a guy left’ or ‘There’s a guy right.’ Rich works twice as hard as anybody on the field. He’s a gnat out there.”
Mulrooney enjoyed the personal challenge of shutting down the league’s top playmakers, such as Peter Nowak, Preki, Carlos Valderrama and Mauricio Cienfuegos.
“That’s what drove me throughout the season,” he said. “At the point where I had to sprint back and chase somebody down, I didn’t get tired because I loved it.”
Ekelund, who spent a season at Barcelona in the mid-’90s and was called up once for the Danish national team but didn’t play, also sacrificed his offensive game to fulfill Yallop’s plans.
“I haven’t scored a single goal the whole season, but I’m happy,” Ekelund said. “My coach values what I do, and I hope that other people see that what I put into the team is valuable.”
After seeing his league-best offense shut out twice in the playoffs by San Jose, Miami coach Ray Hudson attributed the Earthquakes’ defensive strength to its midfield.
Very few public accolades come to Ekelund or Mulrooney.
“One thing I respect about [Ekelund] is that as I was getting a lot of press because of what I have accomplished this year, Ronnie has never been bitter about that,” said defender Troy Dayak. “He’s always been supportive … he’s just a great guy. He’s the unsung hero of this team, for sure.”
During MLS Cup, Ekelund and Mulrooney did their usual dirty work, but in the absence of flanker Manny Lagos, each set up a goal with a crucial pass. If those contributions went unnoticed while Landon Donovan and Dwayne DeRosario shared the spotlight, the players know differently. San Jose went 13-2-4 when both Ekelund and Mulrooney were in the lineup, 5-6-2 in the rest of their games.
“They’re very unselfish players,” Galaxy midfielder Pete Vagenas said. “I know Rich as a person, and he’s one of the nicest people in the league. They complement each other well. They don’t complicate the game at all. They do the simple things, they give the ball to the people that need it. … Those two guys in the middle, they don’t get enough credit, I guess, for that team. But they do their jobs and they have rings now, so …”
by Soccer America Associate Editor Will Kuhns in Columbus