Canales Daily: Cooper on Cloud Nine

By Andrea Canales

Kenny Cooper was positively bubbling over with optimism and contentment at Major League Soccer's promotional events during the MLS Cup.

He willingly participated in a number of events leading up to the final, even though his club team, FC Dallas failed to even make it to the league playoffs. At a charity event with schoolchildren, Cooper got paint on his expensive designer jeans after helping the kids with a creative project. He laughed off the stains. At the formal MLS Gala, a number of players looked uncomfortable or obligated to appear in their formalwear, but Cooper happily accepted his MLS Comeback Player of the Year award and seemed to relish the moment.

There's no doubt that missing a good part of last season with a broken leg probably put Cooper in the mind to enjoy his healthy return to action.

Still, Cooper has other things to be grateful for this past Thanksgiving. First off, not only did he have a generally injury-free season, but he also played well, lighting up the league scoring charts and finishing second only to Landon Donovan in the Golden Boot race.

That performance triggered a long-awaited return to the national team ranks. Though the pressure was off because the U.S. team had already qualified, Cooper performed well in the victory against Guatemala, scoring a goal off an assist from Jozy Altidore.

"Jozy is so incredible." Cooper lauded his young teammate. "He put the ball on the dime for me. You couldn't ask for better service."

Obviously his injury played a large role in Cooper's absence from the national team ranks, but he hoped that was in the past. Cooper was clearly thrilled to be part of the U.S. squad's recent youth movement.  

"It was really exciting," Cooper explained. "Guys like Sacha (Kljestan) and Jozy have so much talent, so it was fun to be on the same team with them."

It wasn't just the season accolades and a return to the national team that had the tall, rangy forward in a cheery mood.

His future appears very bright. Cooper's performance has garnered renewed interest from organizations abroad. A number of Bundesliga teams and at least two English clubs have expressed interest in his services.

"I'm openminded - but I'm contracted to Dallas," said Cooper of his future.

Because of Cooper's English heritage, he carries a European passport, which makes the transition to a squad on the continent nearly seamless.

Yet Cooper was also grateful to how MLS had given his game a boost. Though he had spent time in the reserve ranks of Manchester United and had a brief loan to Academica Coimbra of Portugal, Cooper's play really blossomed in the domestic U.S. league.

"I've developed a lot in Europe, but at the same time, I've also learned a lot here," Cooper reflected. "I've developed in both places."

Cooper has typically been pegged as a target forward with surprisingly good feet and feel for the ball. However, his timing on runs has improved and he has a knack for getting into the perfect position in front of the goal.

Now Cooper and his FC Dallas team are at a crossroads. FC Dallas has turned down offers for him before, but the team may feel that failing to make the playoff necessitates an overhaul of the squad. Additionally, the team may not be ready to invest in the large salary raise that Cooper is due.

However, Cooper does seem to have a good relationship with the new FC Dallas coach Schellas Hyndman. At one point, Cooper was set to play college soccer for Hyndman, but detoured to Manchester United instead. Now, though he has the benefit of Hyndman's tutelage at FC Dallas.

"He's a great man," Cooper said. "I always feel that I'm enlightened by him. In Dallas, we're really lucky to have him. Schellas has brought discipline to the team."

Coaches generally like to restructure a team around players they know and trust. While Cooper may be one of these, Hyndman has gone out of his way before to bring in players he especially appreciates, like Bruno Guarda. The transition period for Dallas to really gell as a team and for Hyndman to have the complete roster he wishes, however could lead to another year where the Texas team comes up a little short.

Recent reports show that other players besides Cooper are weighing a return to FC Dallas. Pablo Richetti, the team's vice-captain, has not committed to another year with the Toros. A salary issue has left the midfielder indicating he would like to play elsewhere.

There's no question that under the terms of the salary cap, giving Cooper a star salary along the lines of designated players like Juan Pablo Angel and David Beckham would leave the club scrambling to meet the payroll requests of others.

Cooper seemed confident that things would work out for the best. Whether that would result in a splashy transfer abroad or a promotion to DP status as the main man in Dallas remains to be seen.

"There's 11 guys out there," said a philosophic Cooper about whether DP status would make him feel ultimately responsible for the results of FC Dallas. "We have a lot of talent. It's a team game."

Andrea Canales is Chief Editor of Goal.com USA