Wow, this is tough. What do we do know? Do we keep this core and make a run next year or do we blow up the team and move into a new era? Hear me out on the latter before you call me crazy. Do you really think that if next year with a healthy Meola and Klein (I really think Preki should retire) we could take the same players and win it all? Well, I don't think so. A lot of the 2004 Wizards had career years. Oshoniyi, Conrad, Gutierezz, Zavagnin, and Klein may never be as good again as they were in 2004. For example look at the 2000 Peter Vermes compared to the post-2000 Peter Vermes. Maybe that could be the same case for Conrad. You know how it is in MLS: one season you can be 'Best XI' and the next season not even in the starting eleven. I think the era of the Kansas City Wizards that won it in 2000 and lost in 2004 is over. Meola, Preki, Klein, Gutierrez, Zavaganin and company won't be forgotten, but I think the likes of Thomas, Zotinca, Burciagra, Stephenson, Arnaud, and company could lead us to a title sooner.
This team had a great year but seriously need some dependable off the bench production. 5 key players will be gone and I just don't see the FO being smart enought to replace anyone with good talent. They will be players who are cheap and hopefully can fill a role. Worst thing about our orginazation is the FO and there lack of ability to find good players.
And next year the FO will have more opportunity to mess up with roster moves as roster size increases, and we are allowed another SI slot.
I agree somewhat, especially in light of Garcia and Zags possibly not returning and Taylor's loss to Chivas. I would also point out that any time a team in is the last two several guys have "career years". Klein was on one also before his injury. No reason that the majority (or even a minority) will follow Vermes' path to retirement. Also remember that in sport there are only 2 things of a constantly high motivational value for all in pro sport - final years of a contract and losing a final. To Preki: Anyone that can still pass, see, and think like that, straight off the IR to boot, will have a place as long as he can run. If so, he'll sub in at minimum. I hope KC is either good enough that starting him becomes out of the question or Preki truly is a god, small g. To Bo: Hopefully he will not have to be as good with a healthy Tony. BTW, he would have to be better as a starter as his limitations on distribution contributed greatly to the Cup loss. Teams will repeat that program every time he's in net in the future. The larger roster and "Reserve League" will be a better fit for KC's '05 season regradless of schedule. More players will be available to overcome the summer congestion made worse by KC's inclusion in the CCC. In the Gansler era only this last August was anything above putrid. It can't hurt. DTs setting in...need a home game
Well, Kerry Jose Nick, and Diego G. were/are out of contract, and 3 of those four (Zags, Jr., and Nick) have expressed interest in trying abroad and I believe the 5th is Tony I think those are the 5 that could be gone, I don't know if those are the 5 that WILL be gone, but I know those 5 had expressed an interest in going somewhere else, except for maybe Diego
i expect us to use a 3-5-2 next year with kz/gut/jewsbury at the two holding mid spots. the major shift that would need to take place for this 3-5-2 comes from the fact that burciaga is a HORRIBLE 1v1 defender, so he would need to be moved to left wing. he's had a lot more experience playing there anyway than in the back. so now we're missing a wing back, but that opens up a starting role for shavar. despite the fact that gansler doesn't like his speed matchup against donovan, shavar is WAY too good to have on the bench. if we made it to mls cup last year, imagine this lineup. wolff-arnaud burciaga-ekelund-klein gut/kz garcia-conrad-shavar anybody except bo this leaves legit backups in jewsbury, preki, zotinca, and stephenson.
If Bob goes back to a 3-5-2, then I will be watching other teams. He doesn't have the personnel in the back to pull it off. And if Preki is a sub, why use that formation when you could have a very strong midfield with a 4-4-2. Lineup: GK [New? Bo? Hesmer?] Zotinca - Thomas - Conrad - Burciaga Klein - Gutierrez - Jewsbury - Arnaud Woff - F [New Target Man] Subs: GK, Preki, Graham, [Jay Alberts?], Simutenkov Just my opinion.
the problems with this lineup: it only has 10 guys, arnaud/wolff combinations are 80% of our offense since we don't score much on set pieces with all of our short guys, and wolff can't hold the ball near as well as arnaud.
You're leaving Garcia out of the lineup. Until I hear and see positive proof that he's not here next season, he's still in the starting 11. Same with KZ, until there is proof him moving, I don't leave him out of the lineup. I do like your idea of dropping Davy into the midfield again, and getting a target forward that can hold the ball up and drop it back to guys like Wolff and Davy. pb, the problem with your lineup, is that there is no way that Shavar is an outside back, he's too slow to play outside back, especially the way Gansler had the outside backs push into the offense this past season. He showed that he even had trouble in the center back position when dealing with the top strikers in the league. I can't see him as a starting outside back next season. Also, when has Jose gotten more experience on the wing? He's played defense for us his entire career except for a few games, and if I remember correctly he also played back for youth national teams. When has he gained so much experience there?
He's got 11 as he believes the Wizards will/should acquire a target forward just like you believe we'll acquire Ekelund. I prefer hartley's lineup myself, although I'd be tempted to put Igor behind Wolff and play 4-2-3-1. I am also inclined to think that in terms of Garcia and KZ, we'll lose at least one of them.
so, anybody hear anything about any sort of jersey change? every year we get a new 1st or 2nd uni. we've had our blue uni's for two years now and i would assume they'd be tweaking it a little. when did we normally hear about these types of things in years previous? just throwing this out there... it just popped into my head as i was looking at the shop.
yeah, I know that we're supposed to have a change in the home jersey, but probably keep the road for another year. I think it's supposed to be in the new master Adidas cataloge, but I haven't seen it yet. Chad (Merlin) and I found out where the Wizards get the "Kansas City" lettering from the front of the jersey, so if for some reason Adidas screws us again this year and sells them without the lettering, we can put them on ourselves.
Exactly. Matt Benben told me after the final that the team would be getting a new home kit next season. Like Jace said, it's supposedly in the new adidas winter catalog, though i haven't gotten my hands on a copy yet to double check that... He said it would be a plain blue again this year... no white under-sleeve (supposedly the Wizards wanted the all-blue all along, but adidas wanted to show off their new technology)
#I kmnow the sotre My uncle owns gets the Adidas catologue,...he says the new home uni is pretty weet. I f i can i'll post a pic as soon as i get back from the UK.
did anyone hear that the wizards are making a big annocenment tomorrow? i wounder what it could be about.
Could it be the announcement of the partnerships with the soccer associations? Just a guess, I haven't been in KC so I don't know if that has been announced properly yet or not. If it's not that I have no clue.
It's at 3:30 ET tomorrow My guess is the big announcement is Preki retires and the Wizards get an allocation. Either that or they want to play up the move to the East.
Just to let you know. Adidas doesn't provide the lettering for the Crew on the front of their jersey either. If you want one with the "Columbus Crew" across the front you have to talk with the FO and they'll do it for a marginal cost with their machine at the practice facility. I am hoping this is just one of the little things that'll change with the full Adidas sponsorship deal for MLS.