Photo by ISIphotos.com
The Kansas City Wizards may have found the cure for their terrible offense, or at least they hope so.
The Wizards have signed Josh Wolff, who makes his return to MLS after spending two seasons with German club 1860 Munich.
Wolff joins a KC offense that has managed just 11 goals all season, second-fewest in MLS this season (second only to San Jose).
KC coach Curt Onalfo will be hoping Wolff can duplicate his goal-scoring success from his first stint with the Wizards, when he netted 27 goals in four seasons with the Wizards, including a pair of 10-goal seasons (2004-2005). Wolff compiled 59 goals and 35 assists over the course of nine seasons spent with the Chicago Fire and Wizards.
Is Wolff the answer to the Wizards’ offensive problems? Those who watched Wolff struggle mightily for the U.S. national team in friendlies against England and Spain would probably disagree.
What do I think? I don’t think Wolff alone is going to help Kansas City’s offensive woes. He is 31 and has lost a step that he probably couldn’t afford to lose. He will help the team somewhat, but he alone isn’t going to turn KC’s offense into a dangerous unit.
What do you think of the signing? Share your thoughts below.
HomeyBoehme writes: “@William the Terror and Jon E – I’m sure you guys have the same respect and feelings of nostalgia for Claudio Reyna? I’m sure you guys tell everyone to lay off Reyna and remember the glory years?”
—-
Yes and no. Yes, as in I get a little queasy reading all these people screaming about how much Reyna sucks and how he was never all that good. Obviously, Reyna used to be one of America’s best players. He’s arguably had the best career abroad of any American field player. So, yeah, I do think a lot of people’s comments about him are spiteful and childish.
Moreover, I think the comments are especially embarrassing coming from people who–odds are–have never done anything at as high a level as Wolff or Reyna _currently_ play soccer, much less as well as they did at their peaks. All of the “hahahahaha” comments from teenagers and/or people who are obviously frustrated enough with their own lives to vent spleen on a soccer blog are sorta sad.
That said, I have no problem with anybody’s saying that Reyna hasn’t been very useful to the Red Bulls and that signing him as a DP has turned out to be a pretty serious mistake. To say that a player is no longer contributing is different from saying that a player never had any talent.
Ives,
There is a lot of confusion to the allocation rules. Please clear up. Was Josh Wolff allocated? John says he isn’t because he was a free transfer to Germany. Then how come Conor Casey was allocated to Toronto. Casey never played in the MLS to the best of my knowledge. Colorado had to trade to get him. Ted says the MLS team owns their rights for two years, which is why McBride is allocated. This doesn’t make sense, because Donovan was gone for a few months and was allocated to Dallas not San Jose. LA (or the league) sent Ruiz to Dallas to get him. Frankly, I think it is an outdated rule that not too many people really understand.
@homey
Frankly, YES, i do still respect what Claudio Reyna did in the mid 90’s through about 2004 or 5. He is the only American ever to be named to a WC all tournament team. How can you not respect that?
But, I also remember him being stripped of the ball against Ghana at the 06 WC and watching helplessly as Ghana scored their first goal. I also readily acknowledge that since about 05 he is injury prone and a shadow of his former self and that he is contributing nothing to RBNY and is a waste of a DP slot. It is time for him to hang up the spikes and move on to the next phase of life. The fact that he is a broken old warhorse, however, still does nothing to diminish my respect for his prior contributions to the MNT.
Wolff, on the other hand, does not appear to be coming back to MLS as a DP. Further, he has yet to play a game for KC, so to compare him to Reyna right now is a bit premature, don’t you think?? Wait and see if he’s a bust before you criticize the signing.
David Berger:
You only agree with one of my posts? How can David Berger disagree with Aristotle? Surely you are aware of my infinite wisdom? 🙂
Hey, are you the guy who won the MLS Fantasy league a couple of times and was on TV?
I am glad to see that not many people are impressed about Wolf returning to the MLS after a couple of unsuccesful years in the german second division. While the MLS should always welcome back any former US player that has some gas left in the tank to play club football, the MLS should also strive to be in a position to say no thanks to older players who no longer have a place in lower division leagues in Europe.
@William the Terror and Jon E –
I’m sure you guys have the same respect and feelings of nostalgia for Claudio Reyna? I’m sure you guys tell everyone to lay off Reyna and remember the glory years?
Yeah, and if you want to watch England’s nats, you’re stuck with friendlies and WC qualifying since they didn’t qualify for Euro. 🙂 Small, petty…yes I am.
Wow. We have some pretty high standards among American soccer fans if suddenly Josh Wolff is trash. Sure he’s over the hill for the nats as I saw in person at Wembley, but have some respect fellows. This guy when healthy was one of our top choice strikers for many years. Who can ever forget the spark he gave chicago as a rookie in 1998 to do the double? Or the goal against Mexico in 2001? Or the great set up for McBride in the 2002 World Cup against Mexico?
Maybe some of you are simply euro snobs who’d rather watch England’s national team anyhow.
Good morning, always nice to wake up and agree with Aristotle.
I agree with aristotle’s post at July 01, 2008 at 12:42 AM. His previous post though I very much disagree with.
Also, totally agree with aristotle.
I look forward to seeing him play again.
greg:
Apparently there’s “a very big drop in level” in intelligence from the average SBI poster to you. I don’t know who you think you’re fooling. I’m a little concerned about MLS right now, but even I understand that a mediocre German second division team is NOT “a very strong league” in comparison to MLS.
‘Reality check: most top division teams in Norway and Denmark, and especially squads in regional German divisions are NOT up to par with today’s MLS side. Sorry Eurosnobs.’
ditto
Reality check: most top division teams in Norway and Denmark, and especially squads in regional German divisions are NOT up to par with today’s MLS side. Sorry Eurosnobs.
For those bashing the move, you obviously don’t know how truly awful the Wizards attack has been.
@John
I could be wrong, but it seems to me there’s a stipulation in the allocation rule that states MLS does not have to follow the list if they feel a player placement is in the best benefit for the league and/or the team.
As for Wolff, I hope the best for him, but to me he has always been like a Ben Olsen type of player. Great talent held back by injury. From the KC point of view, I definitely agree that he’d be worth the gamble.
Wolf is going from a very strong league to the MLS, that’s a very big drop in level. He will do well but I’m still surprised he didn’t shoot a little higher than coming back to MLS. He could have gone to a lower German league or Norway or Denmark and made more money and been in an area of the world to be seen.
Shocking!
Give your offense a spark with a striker who can’t score. Way to go MLS.
Who holds what rights, and what they can get for them, depends entirely on what Ivan Gazidis reads in the Magic 8-Ball …
1. Yep, pretty much a failure in Germany. Like Landon Donovan and especially Taylor Twellman (who could never get off the reserves).
2. And yes, he’s not NT material anymore. In fact, I’d argue that Taylor Twellman isn’t good enough for the NT. But is there a team in MLS that wouldn’t mind having Twellman on their side?
Here’s the deal with Wolff. He’s not a brilliant talent, he was injury prone, I don’t think he came cheap, and he’s not a great goal scorer. But Onalfo has coached him before, he WANTS to be in KC (can’t be said of a lot of potential impact players) and he could be a good role player. Wolff since his first year in the league has always been excellent at moving off the ball. I think he’ll combine well with Lopez. And a step slower for him still means he’s faster than Angel, Cooper and definitely Moreno.
I think it’s a good addition. Many foreign signings don’t work out or end up backing out at the last minute (just look at how many foreign signings the Red Bulls have had this year). With Wolff, there are only two potential downsides:
–maybe he gets hurt
–maybe they could have gotten someone better (and unless you know they either didn’t look or decided to bypass the next Luciano Emilio, you can’t make that claim).
Since they spent their DP on Lopez, you know they can’t go out and sign some big name from Europe. So Wolff is probably the best option they had.
One last point–I thought the deal was that returning USMNT players were required to use an allocation on. The exception is if the entire league passes on the player (which is how NE got Joe Max Moore back from Everton and Columbus got Frankie Hejduk).
I should clarify that 90mins thing by saying he’s starting and playing 90mins/game for pretty much every game all year at right mid in a 4-5-1. Thats not bench warmer to start a game and play 65+ mins 95% of every game last season for 1860. Besides, running a 4-5-1 you ought to know that its not like he had many defensive duties. Thats why you have the holding mid and the 4 backs. Either way, its a semantics arguement and he is on the down side of a modest career.
Good move by the Wiz. While he is not the player he was when he left the league he should fill in well for the Wiz. Certainly helps that he will finally give C Lopez some help up front.
Tbisgrove:
10 games in a row means nothing, he was a rotation player and mostly came off the bench for the year and a half he was there, regardless of the ten games you looked at. Not to mention that he wasn’t deployed as a striker.
I’m not saying anything about his scoring potential. You said he was a starting striker, I said he was a bench right-sided midfielder.
HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA.
Seriously, HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA,HA.
The expansion has hardly begun and already the league’s quality is going backwards fast. Lose two or three stars in the league, then replace them with one or two rejects. Ironically, I find myself more and more just wanting to watch L.A.’s games. (You know, the so called laughing stock of the league.) It seems like all other games in the league by comparison are extremely boring. This really needs to change, fast.
Ted, check the team website. Its in german mind you, but if you look at the line ups for the last dozen games for 1860, it has him starting and playing 90 mins, so I would say thats piss poor scoring potential out of a guy who has had declining goals each year and is injury prone.
“And anyway, a team could sign Messi and 50% of the comments here would be negative (90% on bigsoccer).”
OMG MESSI? Jesus, he’s so injurty proebn. GAH We need a CAM not a RW or a RF or a CF. Stupid Lalas! Jeez he sucks so bad he loses like 20 points if we put him at LWB and like 30 if we put him at LB. Gah, bad signing. We should have goten McBride or Cristiando Ronalldinho.
Who knows, maybe he’ll be just what the Wizards need.
He’s an excellent passer of the ball, and one of the smarter players out there. He’s never been the finest finisher, but would have made a terrific right sided midfielder had injuries not robbed him of his pace.
For those who just want to dismiss him as a player who “sucks” etc, well go right ahead. I think he’ll help the Wizards turn right around. Lord knows they have plenty of talent in place already.
There are a lot of teams that could use a player with a 2.8:1 lifetime strike rate in MLS, which isn’t bad at all.
And anyway, a team could sign Messi and 50% of the comments here would be negative (90% on bigsoccer).
“Hmmm, 1 goal every 17 games as a starting striker in 2ND DIVISION BUNDESLIGA…”
He played mostly as a right sided midfielder off the bench but whatever, as long as you have your facts straight.
Hmmm, 1 goal every 17 games as a starting striker in 2ND DIVISION BUNDESLIGA… Yeah, thats a scoring machine right there. Let’s just hope KC didn’t have to use a DP slot for him like that waste of space Reyna did for NYRB…
The Wizards were able to avoid the allocation process because they still hold Wolff’s MLS rights.
When a player is sold outside the league, the team that sells him keeps his MLS rights for a certain amount of time, I believe two years. Because Wolff joined 1860 Munich in January 2007, the Wizards still hold his rights.
The situation is different from McBride’s because McBride has been out of the league for four years, and his MLS rights have expired.
Good for Wolff. I hope he’s able to have a few more productive years in MLS.
I know I’m getting old cause it seems like yesterday I was watching Wolff break into the Nats setup. But even with such warm feelings of nostalgia, no way should he be called back to the Nats.
i’m w/ kpugs , pretty good post. i’d say the same.
Is it just me or are there lots of cynical and negative comments in these comments sections. Probably just a sign of immaturity and that is directed at nobody in particular.
As for Josh Wolff, his return is good for KC and good for MLS regardless of his inability to play out wide right for the USMNT. I’m sure he picked up a few things during his stint in Munich that he can pass along and will be a good influence on the younger Wizards players.
Finally, I had read that the Wizards somehow retained his MLS rights since he left for 1860. I don’t have any more details than that.
I agree with William–Wolff will likely be useful for KC, and he did enough in his day for the MNT that people who call themselves US fans ought to show some respect. And for everybody posting snide comments about Wolff: what in your lives have you done as well as he’s played soccer?
hahahahaha he couldnt cut it in the second division in Germany so he might as well just come back to MLS.
One should never forget Josh’s goal against Mexico in “La Guerra Fria” WC Qualifier! Good luck with the Wizards except whenyou play the Red Bulls!
JW blows. It’s over buddy. Why are MLS teams dragging in players from the past instead of featuring young guns? In the last 3 games JW played for the nats, he couldn’t even trap the ball. I swear, this guy had a few good games during qualifying including the one against Jamaica in 2002. But that’s it. They should start some up-and-comer from their reserves.
Slick Willy, very good points. While he is not the caliber of Nat’l team, he is a very good MLS player and still has a few good years left.
Please all future hatred, direct towards Bob Arena, lets face it if any of you were called to the Nat’l team you would show up too.
Always nice to see USMNT guys come home
hopefully he can replicate his National team form for his club…
womp wommmmmmp
What do you mean by only if MLS sold the rights? Can you give a more detailed explanation? I’m not understanding why Wolff doesn’t go through the allocation process.
@Mike
You only go through the allocation process if MLS sold the rights to the player.
Will Wolff be available for KC’s US Open Cup match against Carolina tomorrow night? Or would Onalfo leave him on the bench anyway, since he’s planning on fielding a reserve side and ditching the Open Cup as fast as he can?
Sure, he’s 31 and he’s lost a step, but I think he can still play in the MLS. As to the people who are disgusted with his performance in the recent friendlies, I repeat — he’s 31 and he’s lost a step. I agree that Bradley should not have called him in to camp and that he is no longer of use to the MNT. That being said, I also remember his play (him and Clint Mathis) in the 2002 WC qualififiers and 2002 WC and I have nothing but fond memories and respect for his service to the program. I would suggest that those of you who are angry now direct your anger at Bob Bradley and not a Wolff — who was once a valuable member of the MNT.
How did they get him? Was there not a team who should not have any rights to him holding him for a ramsom like McBride? He is good MLS player when he is healthy.
i bet they got him on the cheap. He’s a servicable player in MLS. With that said i dont want him within 50 feet of our national team bench
Hahahahaha, Josh Wolff spark an offense?
Heck, 1 goal every 2.8 MLS games. In this league? Not exactly a scoring machine. Good luck K.C.
Can’t hurt them at all