Revolution's Ralston to Join Dynamo

Houston - Chris Canetti, Houston Dynamo chief operating officer, told FOX 26 Sports Tuesday New England Revolution star midfielder Steve Ralston will join his team as an assistant coach.

Ralston is playing for the Revolution Tuesday in a SuperLiga match and then will announce his retirement.

"We have reached a verbal agreement with Steve and we are trying to get a contract signed," Canetti said. "We shared a draft of it with him and his agent (Tuesday) afternoon and we are waiting for them to review it."

Ralston will replace John Spencer who recently left the club for personal reasons. However, it's been speculated he will return to MLS as a head coach, perhaps with the 2011 expansion franchise in Portland.

Spencer had been Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear's assistant since the franchise relocated to Houston from San Jose, Calif. in 2006.

Ralston is the career leader in MLS in games, starts, minutes and assists. He has been with MLS since it began play in 1996 and is wrapping up an eight-year stint with New England.

Ralston began the 2010 season with USSF Division 2 AC St. Louis, where he also served as an assistant coach, but when the franchise ran into financial trouble he returned to the Revolution.

Ralston was MLS's first Rookie of the Year in 1996 when he played for the then-Tampa Bay Mutiny.

Ralston also played for the United States national team 36 times during an 11-year span and he scored 4 international goals.

"Steve is someone Dom has known for a long time," Canetti said. "Everybody knows what he's meant to the league on the field as a tremendous player and everybody says he's an even better person."