As darkness falls on the MLS soccer year, the status of the Kansas City Wizards remains unclear. But one thing appears for certain: the club's 2005 MVP will remain to help bring the team to brighter times beginning in January 2006.
After leading the Wizards in scoring with 10 goals and 10 assists and putting away a well-placed penalty in the USA's 1-1 draw with Scotland in a friendly in Glasgow last Saturday, striker Josh Wolff was rumored to have been headed to English Premier League side Everton when the international transfer window opens in January.
Yet according to Wizards general manager Curt Johnson, nothing unusual is afoot regarding the 28-year-old offensive catalyst's visit with the Toffees, who currently sit 16th in the 20-team table.
"[Training with Everton] is something he came to me and asked permission to do. He was already over there for the Scotland game," Johnson said. "And because of his desire to stay sharp and be prepared not only for the January national team camp but also for the beginning of the Wizards season, we were willing, for a variety of reasons, to grant him the opportunity to do it. Our season ended earlier than we wanted; it's too much time not to be training."
Wolff took some time off from training after the season to fully recover from "bumps and bruises," according to Johnson. That was also around the time the Kansas City Star reported Wolff had sold his home, certainly leading to some of the talk. But Johnson has no worries in letting Wolff experience another pasture where he might be wooed for a transfer.
"I would think that after his play against Scotland a lot of teams would want to sign him if for some reason they had their head under a rock and had never seen him play," said Johnson. "The bottom line is he has stated his intent to stay here and, obviously, contractually we have him under contract [for three more seasons]. I don't think it's an issue in that regard."
Johnson and head coach Bob Gansler are planning for the 2006 season and have some tools at their disposal to reconfigure a team whose encore to their 2004 MLS Cup runner-up campaign was disappointing to say the least.
Due to the Wizards' failure to qualify for the playoffs and Preki hanging up his boots after playing nine of his 10 seasons in Kansas City, they have been given two allocations by MLS to get some on-field assistance.
"An allocation is money that is above and beyond our salary cap that gives us an asset to go after a player who requires a transfer fee. In essence, that's what it is. It's a pool of money," Johnson said.
Finnish forward Antti Sumiala has already been let go to allow him to try and add to his resume of European clubs he's played for. But K.C.'s other late-season acquisition, Jamaican midfielder Jermaine Hue, who played in only one match, is still on the books.
"Our plan is, right now, to have [Hue] back," said Johnson.
For Jamaica, Hue plays the role many fans desire Johnson and Gansler to beef up in the Wizards' makeup - a central midfielder who possesses strong ball skills and playmaking ability.
"[I have] no real comment in the sense that, sure, if that player is Ronaldinho, then that is a player the Wizards need. If you get too focused on one type of player, one position, then you're never going to get anybody because in the world market, this is not a huge amount of money," said Johnson.
"What we have to do is look at the pool of players available between now and March and find someone that fits our needs, and that could be in a lot of positions. We obviously need to get better. I can understand from a fan's perspective that they can think that way. I can't blame them for thinking that way," he said.
"We're going to keep our options open. The right player could be a goalkeeper; he could be a defender; he could be a midfielder; he could be a forward. We just have to see how the trade processes go, the draft, and see what we need and what comes available."
While the still-cloudy future of the club in K.C. is a potential hindrance, Johnson said there also remains the possibility the team can trade for an established player who has been around and knows the MLS ropes.
"We did that in 2000 when we acquired Peter Vermes and Matt McKeon, so if we are able make a trade like that, then we would certainly do it again," Johnson said.
Robert Rusert is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
