MLS Preview: Kansas City Wizards

Today’s season preview comes from Travis, our Kansas City Wizards blogger. You can check out his insightful insights at our Kansas City Wizards Offside blog, and also at the MLS Offside page.

Nuts and/or Bolts:

Kansas City in 2007 finished strong. They advanced to the semifinals after sneaking into the playoffs with the last seed. A win over Chivas USA in the first round proved to be all they could muster, as they went down to the eventual champs in the semifinals.

It had been an up and down season for the Wizards, as the streaky play of Eddie Johnson made winning look easy at times. His back to back hat tricks of last season might not be seen again in the MLS for a long time.

With the offseason, the Wizards bid adieu to EJ as he left for Fulham. The biggest question facing the team at that point was “where are the goals going to come from?” EJ notched an impressive 14 last season, and it’s no easy task. The Wizards reached out to a familiar country in Argentina. They brought in Claudio Lopez and Ivan Trujillo, two attacking forwards that will look to replace the void left by Johnson.

But the team goes beyond just those few names. A lot of returning veterans will be pushed by a healthy number of draft picks. The Wizards dealt away Nick Garcia for the number one pick in the draft, using it to select wing back Chance Myers. He is already a favorite of the coaches who envision him in a Frankie Hejduk-like role.

The team’s strength lies in the midfield, as it boasts a number of well-seasoned veterans, including Kerry Zavagnin, Davy Arnaud, and Sasha Victorine. Victorine hasn’t appeared at all in the preseason, so while questions linger about his future with the club, the other vetreans mix in well with a group of younger players. Kurt Morsink, Carlos Marinelli, and Myers add depth to the player pool.

The star:

On reputation alone, Lopez would fit the bill. However, he has yet to hit the pitch and hasn’t played a minute in the MLS. So let’s go elsewhere. Jimmy Conrad. The central defender is known for both his tough play and comical musings that can be found on the internets. He will play a crucial role this season as he is not only the team’s captain, but will also shore up the backline as it possibly switches to a 3-5-2 formation.

DP or not?:

Yes please. Er, Claudio is the DP. See below for more on that.

Incoming players:

-Claudio Lopez: signed as the Designated Player.
-Ivan Trujillo: signed on loan from La Equidad.
-Chance Myers: drafted with the #1 pick out of UCLA.
-Roger Espinoza: drafted out of Ohio State.
-Yombe Williams: drafted out of Old Dominion.
-Jonathan Leathers: drafted out of Furman.
-Raushawn MacKenzie: drafted out of Michigan State.
-Matt Marquess: drafted out of Santa Clara

Notable Players lost:

-Eddie Johnson: transferred to Fulham.
-Jose Burciaga Jr: traded to Colorado Rapids.
-Nick Garcia: traded to San Jose.

Keep an eye on:

This one is pretty simple. The addition of El Piojo (Claudio Lopez) puts everyone in the league on notice. There are a number of questions that can only be answered once he gets some playing time. Simply go to Youtube and type in his name to see what the MLS could feature this season.

We’ll win the league if…?

We score more goals than everyone else and keep the ball out of our own net. Just kidding. Kind of. If Lopez and Trujillo more than adaquetly replace Eddie Johnson, and Conrad shores up a solid backline, the potential for this team to run deep into the playoffs is extremely high.

With six draft picks the team added depth, and the improvement should be evident when the season gets underway. The coaches have also shown their willingness to bring in new players to push the old ones. Complacency doesn’t sit will on the Wizards.

We’ll be in trouble if…?

No one scores any goals. If Lopez is a dud and Trujillo can’t find the net, the offense may struggle. Placing all the blame on them wouldn’t be fair, as there are other forwards to fill the void.

Injuries are another potential problem. Davy Arnaud is already set to miss the beginning of the season. So far during the preseason the team has managed to stay relatively injury free.

The switch to a 3-5-2 could prove to be an issue. Details on it are sketchy, but the unknown formation may lead to confusion and leave the backline unorganized.

Five other players you may not know…

Scott Sealy: Forward from Trinidad & Tobago. In line for one of the starting spots and if he can bring in goals early on in the season, things will be looking good.
Kurt Morsink: In his second year out of James Madison University, looking to increase both his playing time and role in the midfield.
Jack Jewsbury: 28 appearances last season. Along with Conrad, will be a key piece to the defensive puzzle.
Carlos Marinelli: Attacking midfielder that tied for the team lead in goals during the preseason.
Eloy Colombano: Argentinian midfielder/forward. 10 appearances last year and is in competition for more playing time this year.

Other fun facts!

The Wizards have two different fan groups. The first, and more popular (at least visible on the Internet) is “The Cauldron.” That’s a solid name for a supporters’ group if I’ve ever heard one. Their other is “El Dolce,” meaning something in Spanish that I don’t want to look up.

The team is switching stadiums this season, moving from Arrowhead Stadium to Community America Ballpark. Should provide for a better atmosphere as the small cofines will increase crowd noise. On the other hand, playing on the patched together field may not be the best experience.

The bottom line is…

Kansas City has a good mix of youth and experience to contend for the MLS Cup. In a year that seems just as wide open as any, if the ball bounces the right way for the Wizards, they could find themselves in the thick of thing come playoff time. At the same time, injuries and poor play could pull them down to the bottom of the league. It’s kind of a crap shoot to make a prediction, but I’ll say that they’ll finish 3rd in the Eastern Conference and lose in the semifinals once again.

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Category: World Football