Will John was already home when he got the news that he would be going home.
Although he had just completed his first season in Major League Soccer with the Chicago Fire, John got together with some Kansas City Wizards players for some informal, offseason training on an early January day. There was nothing unusual about John hanging around the Kansas City area during the offseason. The 20-year-old midfielder/forward grew up in Overland Park, Kan., a Kansas City suburb.
When they finished working out, John had a message on his cell phone from Fire coach Dave Sarachan asking for a return call. When John called back, Sarachan told him he had been traded to the Wizards for veteran midfielder Diego Gutierrez. Ironically, Gutierrez had played high school soccer at nearby Blue Springs (Mo.) High School.
"It was a surprise, but a good surprise," John said.
So there was no need for John to return to the Fire, which made him the 18th pick in the 2005 SuperDraft, for the start of the preseason training.
But in an effort to upgrade a team that missed the 2005 MLS Cup Playoffs on the final day of the season, the Wizards could use the kind of player John represents, a versatile attacking player. Kansas City was in the middle of the pack in goals scored last season (tied for fifth).
John could pop in nearly any attacking role in the Wizards lineup this season. John sees the versatility as a plus in terms of getting playing time.
"I think it's something good from my standpoint that I can be used in pretty much any of the attacking areas," John said. "Injuries happen over the course of the season so if you play more than one position, there is more of an opportunity for you to start in certain positions."
Another likely scenario sees holes in the lineup due to national team call-ups. Forwards Josh Wolff and Eddie Johnson are possible selections for the United States team that has qualified for World Cup 2006 this summer. Forward Scott Sealy is another possible selection for Trinidad & Tobago.
Wizards coach Bob Gansler has seen John develop as a player since John's days at Rockhurst High School, where John was a four-year starter.
"We obviously had the opportunity to see Will," Gansler said. "I think we saw Will his whole high school career and some sessions when he would come out and work with us. From day one he impresses you. He is, technically, a very gifted individual."
But like nearly every other 20-year-old player, Gansler said John still has some work to do.
"Where he has to step it up is in the physical realm and the psychological realm," Gansler said. "Because this is not only a technical tete-a-tete out there, it's also a battle."
John played two seasons at Saint Louis University after high school before entering the 2005 SuperDraft. John was a semifinalist for the M.A.C. Hermann Trophy in 2004, his sophomore season.
If he had stayed at Saint Louis, he might be a leading candidate for this year's Hermann Trophy. John's father, Dr. Emilio John, was the runner-up for the Hermann Trophy in 1977 when he played at Quincy College in Illinois.
Along the way, John was selected for the U.S. Under-20 national team that qualified for and played in last year's FIFA World Youth Championships in the Netherlands.
"Basically he coming out of college right now, he is a rookie," Gansler said. "He is a little ahead of the other guys coming in because he has had a year with Chicago. He has also had some additional experience with the U-20 team."
Players who have that national team experience bring a little bit extra into their clubs, Gansler said.
"We're looking for him to put it all together," Gansler said. "For sure he's gifted enough in many areas of the game but he also has work to do."
One big question is John's physical build, 145 pounds on a 5-foot-9 frame. But for Gansler, that's something that can compensate for with his technical skill and ability to read the game. He does not plan to send John to the weight room to bulk up.
"How many times did Preki get wiped out in his 10-year career? You could count them on one hand," Gansler said. "He was aware enough and wily enough to get out of the way and how to protect himself.
"(John must) find a way that he can be an impact player with the goods he has and improve the areas in which he is not up to snuff yet. And he knows that because he is a bright kid."
So far, John has shown at least the potential to succeed in MLS. In his debut with the Fire on July 13, 2005, he scored two goals and assisted on a third goal in the Fire's 3-1 victory over Western Mass. Pioneers in the third round of the U.S. Open Cup.
John is still young enough in his career to dream of a more glamorous role with the Wizards, the role of two of his heroes -- Ronaldinho and Diego Maradona -- both creative, attacking midfielders.
"I trust he is dreaming about that, when things will be built around him again like they were when he was at Rockhurst or Saint Louis U.," Gansler said. "But that's down the road.
"There are a lot places for Will's package of attributes to be used and he got to get himself ready for that. He's not a guy, right now, that you build it around. He's got to fit in with the guys you build it around."
John studies as well as he trains. He has access to every soccer game on television and has studied many classic games from tapes.
"It's a great position because it gives you a lot of freedom," John said. "I like that position because I like to attack and create of lot of opportunities for my teammates."
Robert Whitman is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
