In last Thursday's matchup with the Los Angeles Galaxy, Kansas City Wizards head coach Curt Onalfo flip-flopped the roles of regular left back Jose Burciaga Jr. and regular left midfielder Michael Harrington in the team's 4-4-2 setup. It's a late-season tweaking that is conceived to have two benefits.
"It's a combination of things. With the way we play and send so many numbers forward, we feel like we want to add somebody in the back (in Harrington) who gives us a bit more athleticism, a little more recovery speed," said Onalfo. "Jose has very good attacking tendencies, and he stepped in and did a good job."
Burciaga, a member of MLS's Best XI last season largely because of his eight goals and eight assists from the left back spot, understands the logic behind the move.
"[Onalfo] came to me last week and asked what the things [were that] I bring to this team, and I told him my passing ability and my crossing ability from a wide position," Burciaga said. "Sometimes I have to send too far of crosses [from left back] ... we're just trying to add a little bit more pressure as far as being able to get the ball wide and get crosses in."
Although Burciaga is unsure if the change is permanent, he's ready to bring his lethal left foot to forward more often and bear the significant defensive responsibilities inherent in left midfield.
"I played in the midfield before. It's just a little bit more work to tuck in and help Kerry [Zavagnin] and be connected with Mike behind me now," said Burciaga.
Harrington, a candidate for MLS's rookie of the year, fits well at left back where he played at the University of North Carolina in his junior and senior years.
"We put enormous pressure on our defense in terms of having to mark one-v-one at times and having [Harrington's] extra recovery speed helps us. We were very good defensively in the [Galaxy] game," said Onalfo, even though the Wizards fell 1-0, giving up a goal in the 80th minute on the Galaxy's only shot on goal of the game.
Burciaga and Harrington's swapping is not the only change in the midfield for the Wizards in recent games, as Sasha Victorine's absence in the starting 11 has been conspicuous. The seven-year MLS veteran has started 23 matches this season, but his last came more than a month ago, on Sept. 1 in a 1-1 tie with Houston.
"One of the problems that Sasha does have, and he's actually admitted to this, is that he has ups and downs during the season, and the biggest time it happens is somewhere in the summertime," said Wizards technical director Peter Vermes. "He gets depleted physically and drops off in his form. But [Curt and I] had a great meeting with him and talked about it. ... He responded very well from that conversation and was playing very well."
Yet, said Vermes, the biggest issue has been the variety of strange injuries to afflict Victorine over the course of the year.
"I started out having stitches in my forehead, then I got hit in the shin in practice and split my shin open -- the bigger issue is the confidence to go into tackles and not being afraid that people are going to hit it, and have to come right out of the game because of it," said Victorine. "Now I've had my tooth broken in half, [so] again it's getting my confidence back to go up in the air and not worry about challenging for balls. And I've picked up an injury with my hip flexor, so that's been a problem trying to get my leg right to run be able to run and do what I need to do to get up to full speed."
"It's been unfortunate," said Onalfo of Victorine's laundry list of ailments and incidents. "We're just trying to take precautions to get him through it so he can be available to start for us."
Victorine also believes that his lack of starts and recent role of late-game substitute is related to competition within the Wizards roster.
"There's a lot of guys out there competing for jobs. There are also guys like Carlos Marinelli. When he's on the field, he has the ability to create different things, so that and playing two or three different positions means I'm competing against multiple guys to get into the starting lineup," said the 29-year-old Victorine. "Both of those factors have made it hard. But confidence-wise, I feel that when I'm healthy and at 100 percent, I can be on the field and help the team."
Victorine tied for the club lead in assists with Burciaga a year ago when he dished out a career-high eight for the season. With the Wizards finishing woes -- only one goal in their last two games despite 22 shots, seven on goal -- Victorine could provide a necessary ingredient once he gets on the field more.
"I'm definitely one of those guys who can find guys the ball who need it in the spot they need it at," he said. "I definitely train on that and try to get other people involved into the game."
With usual right midfielder Davy Arnaud forced out of the Wizards' hosting of D.C. United on Friday at Arrowhead stadium after being sent off against the Galaxy, the K.C. midfield will experience more shifting. Victorine, if healthy, could take Arnaud's spot. But there are other possibilities, especially if forward Scott Sealy is recovered from his quadriceps strain. If so, Eloy Colombano could fill the right side with Burciaga on the left or reserve squad players Kurt Morsink or Will John could fit the bill as well.
