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About the Wizards
THE KANSAS CITY WIZARDS enter their thirteenth season in Major League Soccer looking to continue the attacking mentality brought to the team in 2007 and playing for the first time outside of Arrowhead Stadium, at CommunityAmerica Ballpark in Kansas City, KS. Going into 2008, the team continues the new direction of both the business side and the soccer side of the team under Technical Director Peter Vermes, Head Coach Curt Onalfo and OnGoal LLC. Kansas City was introduced as one of the 10 charter members of MLS on June 6, 1995. Four months later, the League unveiled the nicknames, logos and uniform designs for the franchises, setting the stage for the unveiling of Kansas City’s newest professional sports team — the Kansas City Wiz. In April 1996, the Wiz began play under Head Coach Ron Newman. Led by star midfielder Preki, who earned his first of four career MLS Best XI selections, the club’s inaugural season ended with a losing effort in the Western Conference finals. The team also officially extended its name to “Wizards” following the 1996 season, ending the short but memorable life of the “Wiz” moniker. In 1997, the re-christened Wizards finished 21-11 and atop the Western Conference, but, surprisingly, bowed out in the first round of the playoffs. Preki led MLS in scoring with 41 points and was named League MVP. He was also joined on the MLS Best XI squad by teammates Mark Chung (midfielder) and Richard Gough (defender). The 1998 and 1999 seasons were rough ones for Wizards fans, missing the playoffs both years. During the 1999 season, Head Coach Ron Newman was replaced by former U.S. National Team Head Coach Bob Gansler. The Wizards ushered in a new era prior to the 2000 season, as the team offices and training site moved to Arrowhead Stadium. Also, adidas, the official outfitter of MLS, unveiled a shade of blue as the team’s primary color, which sat alongside white as the organization’s official colors. The team’s roster underwent an extensive overhaul in that off-season as well. Kansas City acquired midfielder Matt McKeon, defender Peter Vermes, defender Nick Garcia, midfielder Kerry Zavagnin and goalkeeper Tony Meola returned from an injury that kept him out for most of the 1999. Preki, as usual, provided imagination, and Mo Johnston was the stalwart heading the attack. Chris Henderson and Chris Klein comprised the best outside midfield tandem in the league. The final piece of the puzzle was Miklos Molnar, a Danish goal-scoring friend of Henderson’s from his time in Germany, who was looking for a new challenge in America. The Wizards got off to an amazing 10-0-2 start and went on to win both the Supporters’ Shield (regular season champion) and the 2000 MLS Cup in what was undoubtedly the greatest season in team history. The route to MLS Cup included what most long-time Wizards fans will name as the most memorable match in club history, a 1-0 victory over the Los Angeles Galaxy in the Western Conference final, followed by a 1-0 golden goal victory in the “mini-game” immediately following regulation that broke the overall series tie and sent the Wizards on to the Cup. The players and staff themselves were showered with individual accolades commensurate with the team’s success. Tony Meola was named MLS Cup MVP, League MVP, Goalkeeper of the Year, and Comeback Player of the Year. Peter Vermes won MLS Defender of the Year and Bob Gansler was named MLS Coach of the Year. Both Vermes and Meola were named to the MLS Best XI; only Molnar’s extended mid-season absence due to his participation for Denmark in the European Championships kept him off the list. Each of the next three seasons saw the team advance to the postseason, but no silverware was added to the trophy case. 2003 will be most remembered for Preki’s remarkable season at age 40 that garnered him his second league MVP award. In 2004, though, the Wizards won another of U.S. Soccer’s most coveted trophies, claiming the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup with an overtime win versus the Chicago Fire at Arrowhead with Mr. Hunt in attendance. The Wizards also returned to the MLS Cup final in 2004, where they fell 3-2 in dramatic fashion to D.C. United. 2005 was a season of change. Prior to the season, Lamar Hunt announced his intent to sell the team. Wizards fans, community leaders and corporate interests all mobilized to help keep the team in town, though it would be a long time before their efforts bore fruit. Missing the playoffs on the last day of the season for a second consecutive year was a disappointment, but 2006 will not be remembered for events on the field. On August 31, 2006 the Wizards began a new era as Kansas City-based OnGoal, LLC, purchased the club from the Hunt Sports Group. New ownership brought in a change on the soccer side as well as the business. Former Wizards great Peter Vermes was brought in as the Technical Director, and he hired Curt Onalfo as the Head Coach. They quickly announced their emphasis on playing attacking, exciting soccer. 2007 marked a return to the playoffs, as the Wizards qualified after a rough mid-season patch. The organization’s new commitment to attack showed itself immediately, as the Wizards led the league in shots by a wide margin. Matched up against Chivas USA in, oddly, the Western Conference playoffs, the Wizards won at home and drew at the Home Depot Center, sending Preki and his Western Conference-winning club to an early exit. A showdown in Houston for the right to go to MLS Cup ended, unfortunately, 2-0 in favor of the Dynamo, and the Wizards fell short of their third MLS Cup final. In the offseason, star forward Eddie Johnson was transferred to Fulham of theEnglish Premier League in Englan, marking the quality of the players in MLS and on the Wizards. Long-time stalwart Nick Garcia was traded to the expansion San Jose Earthquakes for the #1 overall pick in the MLS SuperDraft, which the Wizards used to take Chance Myers, a midfielder/defender from UCLA and the USA U-23 national team. Myers and his teammates will also be wearing a new shade of blue in 2008, as the club’s primary color evolved to cobalt blue from the Wizards Royal that debuted in 2000. OnGoal’s commitment to the Wizards and to Kansas City first showed itself in June 2007 when a new, world-class training center opened in Swope Park. The search for a permanent home continues, as OnGoal and its partners seek to build a world-class soccer facility in the Kansas City metro area. However, it appears that that search is near an end, and construction will hopefully begin soon — in time for an April 2010 opening. Front Office/Staff Media Info Sponsors Contact Us |
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