Jimmy Conrad and Josh Wolff will be called to lead in 2010 for KC. (WVH Photo Correspondent Brian Stevens)

We’re continuing on today with our look at each Major League Soccer club’s pre-season outlook of what players they have on board and where they need to go next before the new season kicks off. So far we’ve covered nearly half of the league with Chicago, Colorado, Chivas, Columbus, DC, Dallas, Houston and Philadelphia all already looked at here.

Today we go to the middle of the country to take a look at the Kansas City Wizards and what coach/technical director Peter Vermes is doing with his club.

The Wizards had a shaky season in 2009 but they hope a few changes around their roster will be enough to stay with the top of the pack in an already tough eastern conference.

So let’s see what the Wizards have done with their winter and where they need to go from here. Continue Reading…

Kevin Hartman is looking for a new home. (Getty Images)

Kevin Hartman’s time in Kansas City looks to be over. The Kansas City Star this morning has quotes from Peter Vermes that suggest the Wizards are looking to move on saying that Hartman is no longer in the teams plans.

It does appear the club did offer Hartman a new contract so they will retain his player rights for two years unless the new CBA has any sort of free agency in it. If that happens it will allow Hartman to move freely in MLS, if it doesn’t however a team will once again have to work out a deal with the Wizards to get his rights.

From this news it appears the signing of Danish goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen are indeed true. From the report Nielsen is on the books for one year with the Wizards.

So where could Hartman end up in MLS? A couple places come to mind right away include New York. I could see him take on a backup role in places like New England, San Jose, Chivas, or even LA for a year and then catch on with an expansion team in 2011 when Portland and Vancouver join the mix. We could easily see Hartman go to USSF Div II like Steve Ralston did, I can’t imagine too many clubs in that league passing on Hartman here, especially AC St. Louis since they are still building a team from scratch.

I had a feeling going into this winter that we’d see a change in goal for Kansas City. The Wizards were looking for a change to shake some things up and this is one that I expected to happen. Hartman is still a quality keeper so let’s not make this out to be something that it isn’t where Hartman is done and worthless here. No, he’s still got a few years left in the tank. But the Wizards needed to retool in some way to get into the playoffs this year. Sadly enough for those who like Hartman this was something that probably needed to happen.

Peter Vermes is now the head coach of the Kansas City Wizards. (Getty Images)

I guess Peter Vermes liked coaching enough after all. Today the Kansas City Wizards are set to remove the interim tag from Vermes title and name him their full time head coach.

The Wizards will formally announce Vermes as the club’s head coach at a press conference later today at the Wizards Swope Park Training Complex. No word yet if Vermes will keep his other position as the team’s technical director.

The Wizards posted a 3-6-3 record under Vermes, but did close out the year going 3-3-3 in their final nine matches.

Seeing Kansas City lock up their coaching issues should put some pressure on Toronto, DC and New York to do the same in a matter of time. New York may take the longest of the three as they are still trying to figure out some other things before they hire a new coach.

I do like that KC decided to make this move before the expansion draft but still I don’t know if Vermes is the right guy for the job. He’s been with this club for three years now as their TD and to be honest we haven’t seen this club progress all that much with him as TD. He needs to act quickly in getting some fresh talent to this roster to get things going in the right direction.

From time to time I have a few links that I come across and want to discuss but never get to because I just don’t want to spend the time on writing a full post about it. Well hopefully I can change that a little bit and provide a quick thought and the link for you all to see. I’m trying to add new stuff to the site, little by little here, so this is an attempt.

I don’t have a fancy name for any of this yet but feel free to come up with one if you’d like.

Reuter’s Soccer Blog Interview with The Don

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First of all I didn’t even realize Reuter’s had their own soccer blog. Secondly, this is a pretty decent interview with MLS commissioner Don Garber. Of course they go over the usual stuff of how the league is trying to attract those causal fans that attended all those games this summer and what not. Then the usual expansion news. Nothing really new of note there but from the quotes it sounds like Montreal is a sure bet while Miami or somewhere down in the south isn’t too far off if things present themselves correctly for the league.

Vermes Introduced as Interim Coach in KC

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It is never easy to fire a guy in the middle of the season and improve from it. Chicago nearly did it a couple years ago when they booted Dave Sarachan and replaced him with Juan Carlos Osorio. I just don’t see that sort of thing happening in KC this year. Good on KC to at least keep the interim hire in-house a bit with Vermes. Who can KC go after for the full time gig though is the main question. Honestly it may be time to go after someone like Paul Merinar from New England or John Spensor in Houston. No doubt their names will be thrown out in the next couple of months like they always are this time of year.

Cooper’s Dad Blasts MLS

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What can you say, its a dad protecting his son in some ways and calling out what he sees that is wrong. I can’t blame him in the least bit for feeling this way. Kenny Cooper senior helps represent his son and I know a year ago he wanted this move for Kenny.

“I still have difficulty understanding in this league, as I expressed to the commissioner in Toronto last July, I can’t understand when you have young American players who can play anywhere in the world and they’re somewhat punished because they’re Americans,” he says. “As someone who’s been in the league and the country as a coach, and the system for 38 years, I think that this league at times would rather reward a proven failure than unlimited potential.”

A lot of folks still worry about this that the league is letting go of quality young Americans for over priced and over the hill foreign players. The league does need to find a better way to keep young home grown talent, that’s for sure. I’m sure it will be something addressed down the road but in the meantime we will continue to lose quality players from the league like Cooper. I think the biggest hit will come when/if Landon Donovan heads back to Europe for good. Garber sees Donovan as the poster child for American players in the league (as he should) and losing him would be killer to the league’s image.

From PDL to EPL

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This is a story I should have discussed a while back but missed when family was in town I suppose. Wake Forest product Cody Arnoux signed a one year deal with EPL side Everton. The one-year deal is basically a trail with the reserve squad but still even that isn’t bad at all.

Arnoux was an NCAA All-American last season and was projected to be a top pick in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft if he had finished his final season at Wake Forest and declared for the MLS draft. Instead he went the Marcus Tracy route to Europe, bypassed MLS for a European contract.

Another guy that would have been a big deal in MLS. Hell two guys if you count Tracy. Things gotta change here.

Ideas for Portland

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The Nation writer Dave Zirin lays out financial dealings in Portland for Timbers owner Merritt Paulson to rebuild PGE Park for entrance into MLS. He offers up alternatives to the current deal. I guess this is more of things to come from the Rose City. Folks not quite for what’s going on presenting their opinions and what not.

More on Montreal Expansion

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I’m probably a day late on this article but oh well, basically it is more of the same from our friends to the north on the Montreal expansion. From what some are saying we could know something regarding a team for either the 2011 or 2012 season by the end of the summer. Honestly, I expect an announcement around MLS Cup time.

Not even a few short weeks after turning down an offer to become the general manager with the LA Galaxy, Peter Vermes has turned down another job in Major League Soccer. A

According to SBI, Vermes has now turned down a head coaching position with next year’s expansion club, Seattle Sounders FC.

According to sources, Seattle has already reached out to three different coaching candidates, including Vermes and at least one current MLS head coach. Current Seattle Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer had been believed to be the front-runner for the Sounders FC position when the club was formed, but it has become clear that Henderson is looking for a head coach with MLS experience. Schmetzer was recently identified as a candidate for the job by Seattle general manager Adrian Hanauer.

From what I’ve heard up in Seattle, Schmetzer seems the most likely candidate to take the position. He is familiar with everything Seattle and having Chris Henderson (a former MLS player) as the club’s technical director will help him out in the MLS aspect of the job. But don’t be shocked to see them go after Sigi Schmid here either in the off season.

But why is Vermes not moving away from Kansas City at the moment? He’s helped build this club to where it is at today. They went from a veteran lead club to a very young club through the draft over the last couple season and probably even into next year with the amount of picks they will have again in the draft. Some also believe he is eager to take a position with thew new Philadephia club in 2010 (he’s from that area originally).

I like Vermes, but for some reason I just don’t see him as a head coach in this league though I am willing to hold out my judgment until that day comes. He seems fit to figure things out in the front office with being a technical director or a general manager. Sure his moves with the Wizards haven’t been great yet but that club is still moving in a positive direction. Anytime you have a heavy flavor of youth on a club there is always going to be growing pains.

Was this the right move for Vermes? What’s better a club with tons of youth in KC or building an expansion club? Some like the expansion challenge and others don’t.