MLS Sporting Kansas City

Kansas City Wizards Weekly Update

Published on November 24, 2008 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Sporting Kansas City News Release


Missouri Development Finance Board Approves Tax Credits For The Trails Development

The Missouri Development Finance Board (MDFB) approved tax credits last Thursday toward The Trails development in Southeast Kansas City, a project proposed by local real estate company LANE4 Property Group that would include a soccer-specific stadium for the Kansas City Wizards.

"We are very appreciative of the Board coming to this conclusion," Robb Heineman, CEO of Wizards ownership group OnGoal, said. "Our goal would be to start demolition as soon as possible. Obviously our economic situation is improved in a new stadium, so we have every incentive to move the project forward."

Wizards Announce 11 Protected Players in Advance of Wednesday's Expansion Draft for Seattle Sounders FC

Monday, the Wizards announced the group of 11 players protected from selection in Wednesday's expansion draft by Seattle Sounders FC. Seattle will select ten players off the rosters of the 14 current MLS clubs. Sounders FC can select no more than one player from each team, so ten existing MLS teams will lose one player, and four teams will be unaffected. Current Generation adidas players are exempt from the expansion draft process, so 2008 team Rookie of the Year Roger Espinoza and midfielder/defender Chance Myers will also remain on the Wizards roster.

Seattle Sounders FC will enter Major League Soccer as the League's 15th team for the 2009 season. The 10-round MLS Expansion Draft will take place on Wednesday, November 26 at 12 p.m. CT.

Protected Players

M Davy Arnaud

F Adam Cristman

D Jimmy Conrad

M Herculez Gomez

D Michael Harrington

M Jack Jewsbury

D Jonathan Leathers

F Claudio Lopez

M Carlos Marinelli

M Kevin Souter

F Josh Wolff

MLS Expansion Draft Rules

Senior Roster

Teams may protect 11 players between their Senior and their Developmental Roster.

If the Player's contract expires at the end of 2008, he will still be considered part of the team's Senior Roster.

If a team protects a player, it is not obligated to exercise the player's option. The team may renegotiate a new budget number for the player as in previous years.

If a player retires, he will not be a part of the Senior Roster, but his team will lose its right of first refusal to him should he ultimately decide to play.

Developmental Roster

Players on a team's Developmental Roster, other than Generation adidas players who have not been graduated at the end of the 2008 season, may be left unprotected and are eligible may be selected by Seattle in the expansion draft.

Generation adidas players who have not been graduated at the end of the 2008 season are automatically protected (teams do not have to protect them).

If Seattle Sounders FC select a Developmental Player they must offer him a Senior Roster position and he must be on Seattle's Senior Roster as of Roster Compliance Date.

International Players

Teams are restricted in the number of international player(s) that they may make available per the table set forth below.

For purposes of this expansion process, for U.S.-based teams, any non-domestic U.S. player would count as an International and for Toronto FC, any non-domestic U.S. player or non-domestic Canadian player would count as an International.

Designated Players

Designated Players do not have to be protected unless the player has a no trade clause in which case he must be protected.

Maximum Player Loss

Once a player has been claimed from a team's non-protected roster, that team is eliminated from the expansion draft and may not lose any further players.

Right to Renegotiate

Seattle will have the right to renegotiate a drafted player's salary (either up or down) without having to place such player on waivers or giving his previous Team a right of first refusal.

Priority

On the first day of the Discovery/Allocation Period, Seattle will have priority over players who played professionally in the USL First or Second Division in 2008, subject to another MLS team's right of first refusal.

Rounds

The expansion draft will be 10 rounds.

INTERNATIONAL PLAYER PROTECTION REQUIREMENT

Teams may make available a number of international players equal to their total number of international players minus 3, provided that if a team has 3 or less international players it may make available not more than 1.

Kansas City Wizards Acquire Forward Adam Cristman from New England Revolution

23-Year-Old was Finalist for 2007 Gatorade Rookie of the Year Award, Won New England's U.S. Soccer Foundation Humanitarian of the Year Award in 2008

Kansas City acquired striker Adam Cristman from the New England Revolution Monday for allocation money and Kansas City's natural 3rd round selection in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft. Cristman, 23, has 10 career goals and five assists through two MLS seasons. Cristman was a finalist for the 2007 Gatorade Rookie of the Year award. This season, he finished 3rd on the Revolution with six goals in MLS regular-season play, though he played in only 18 games (16 starts). Cristman also appeared twice in SuperLiga competition and once in Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup play.

"There are a lot of good players on Kansas City's roster," Cristman said. "I look forward to learning the system, settling in and making an impact. I am from Virginia and have always lived in coastal towns, but my wife and I look forward to experiencing new things in Kansas City."

Kansas City and New England completed the trade this morning during a half-day trade window before the deadline for MLS teams to submit their list of protected players for the upcoming expansion draft. Wednesday, Seattle Sounders FC will select ten players from existing MLS rosters to help stock their team for their inaugural MLS campaign in 2009. Each of the 14 existing MLS teams protected 11 players between their senior and developmental rosters. Generation adidas players are exempt from the expansion-draft process. No team will lose more than one player to Seattle.

New England drafted Cristman in the 4th round of the 2007 MLS SuperDraft after he completed four standout years at the University of Virginia. Cristman quickly became an impact player for the Revolution, playing 28 matches in his first MLS season and making 14 starts at forward. Cristman finished 2nd among all rookies in 2007 in both goals (4) and assists (4) and was a finalist for the Gatorade Rookie of the Year Award won by U.S. international Maurice Edu. Cristman was named New England's Humanitarian of the Year in 2008 for his community involvement.

During his collegiate career, Cristman scored 34 goals and added 15 assists as a four-year starter for the Cavaliers. In 2006, Cristman led Virginia to their first NCAA College Cup appearance since 1997. He was twice named to NSCAA All-South-Atlantic teams and twice to All-ACC teams. Cristman has two career appearances for the United States U-23 team and appeared multiple times for U.S. U-18 teams.

Transaction: Kansas City Wizards acquire forward Adam Cristman from New England Revolution for 3rd round selection in 2009 MLS SuperDraft and allocation money.

Vitals:

Adam Cristman

Forward

Height: 6-0

Weight: 180

Born: January 8, 1985

Hometown: Glen Allen, Virginia

Birthplace: Washington, D.C.

Citizenship: USA

Last Club: New England Revolution (MLS)

Career Stats:

YEAR TEAM GP GS MIN G A SHT SOG FC FS OFF CK C E

2007 New England 28 14 1421 4 4 40 16 41 51 10 0 1 0

2008 New England 18 16 1300 6 1 39 24 25 20 5 0 0 0

Totals 46 30 2721 10 5 79 40 66 71 15 0 1 0

YEAR POSTSEASON GP GS MIN G A SHT SOG FC FS OFF CK C E

2007 New England 3 0 22 0 0 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 0

Kansas City Qualifies for SuperLiga™ for 1st Time

The Kansas City Wizards have qualified as one of four teams that will represent Major League Soccer in SuperLiga 2009 under new regulations for qualification, revealed by MLS Commissioner Don Garber in his annual State of the League address last Friday in Los Angeles ahead of MLS Cup 2008. SuperLiga™, a premier tournament that pits the best of the United States against the best of Mexico, will return with its third edition.

In 2008, the tournament included a group phase and a knockout phase with all games held in U.S. venues. Eight clubs - four each from the top-flight leagues of the United States and Mexico - played to determine a singular champion of North America. The New England Revolution (MLS) defeated the Houston Dynamo (MLS) and took home $1 million in prize money, the largest purse in North American soccer history.

For more information, please click on: http://www.superliga2008.com/

Qualification for SuperLiga 2009 will be as follows:

The top four teams, based on regular season record, who are not competing in CONCACAF Champions League in 2009, will qualify for SuperLiga 2009. Given these criteria, Chicago Fire, New England Revolution, Kansas City Wizards, and Chivas USA have qualified for SuperLiga 2009 based on their records in 2008.

Defender Jimmy Conrad Named to MLS Best XI

Kansas City Wizards defender Jimmy Conrad was voted to the 2008 Major League Soccer Best XI team. The Best XI is voted on by the league's general managers, coaches, players and media. This is Conrad's fourth Best XI selection, breaking the Wizards all-time team mark (Preki -3). Conrad, who came to Kansas City via a trade with San Jose in 2003, also made the MLS Best XI from 2004-2006.

Conrad, a 10-year veteran, had arguably the best season of his MLS career. He played every minute of the Wizards 30-games this year and was one of only six players to play all 2,700 minutes during the regular season. Conrad finished second on the team in goals with a career-high six (five headers), which ranks as the second most ever in MLS for a central defender. Conrad was also named this season to the Sierra Mist MLS All-Star team and was a Visa Defender of the Year finalist.

"It is always an honor to be recognized with post-season awards," Conrad said. "Soccer is, however, the consummate team sport and it was exciting to see how we grew as a team toward the end of the season and we are all very excited to start preparation for 2009. Looking at who made the MLS Best XI and the quality of players named is something the League and fans should be proud of."

MLS 2008 Best XI:

GOALKEEPER (1): Jon Busch (Chicago Fire)

DEFENDERS (3): Jimmy Conrad (Kansas City Wizards), Bakary Soumare (Chicago Fire), Chad Marshall (Columbus Crew)

MIDFIELDERS (5): Cuauhtémoc Blanco (Chicago Fire), Guillermo Barros Schelotto (Columbus Crew), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew), Shalrie Joseph (New England Revolution), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA)

FORWARDS (2): Kenny Cooper (FC Dallas), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy)

Conrad, Hartman Busy at MLS Cup Festivities Last Weekend

Wizards captain and defender Jimmy Conrad and goalkeeper Kevin Hartman were two of the Major League Soccer players not competing in MLS Cup 2008 who were busy off the field. Each participated in multiple events with League partners and fans to enhance the overall MLS Cup experience of everyone on hand.

Jimmy Conrad and Kevin Hartman

- VISA Chalk Talk - Jimmy and Hartman signed autographs and talked about soccer strategy with VISA signature customers.

Jimmy Conrad

LA Auto Show - Jimmy Conrad signed autographs and posed for pictures at one of LA's biggest car shows. League partner Volkswagen had a large presence at the show.

Adi youth tournament with XBox - Conrad played video games and interacted with local youth soccer players who took part in the adidas showcase.

Kevin Hartman

Fantasy Soccer - Kevin Hartman and other MLS players played against VIP MLS Partners for a friendly afternoon soccer tournament Saturday.

'Wizards Wonderland' Select-a-Seat Event Coming Dec. 13

The Kansas City Wizards will host their select-a-seat event for the 2009 MLS season Saturday, Dec. 13 from 1-5 p.m. CT. "Wizards Wonderland" will provide an opportunity for Wizards fans interested in 2009 season tickets to see seating options up close at CommunityAmerica Ballpark. As part of the event, the Wizards will also make games, door prizes, merchandise and light refreshments available. Santa Claus will also be on hand to entertain children. More details will be available later this week.

Kansas City Wizards Lower Season Ticket Prices for 2009 Season

The Kansas City Wizards have lowered prices for season ticket holders from their 2008 rates and will continue to offer free parking at all events. Kansas City also introduced two exciting new seating options: All-You-Can-Eat Seats and Full-Service Terrace Table Seats. Wizards fans who put down a new season ticket deposit for the 2009 season will receive a free season ticket holder scarf. To purchase season tickets for 2009, call the Wizards at (913) 387-3400.

In addition to their existing seating categories, the Wizards are adding All-You-Can-Eat Seats and Full-Service Terrace Tables for fans who enjoy premium entertainment options. All-You-Can-Eat Seats will be located in section 106 behind the West goal and allow patrons unlimited food and drink during the game. Full-Service Terrace Tables are high-tops around the stadium and will include unlimited drinks during each match.

The Wizards also offer a free bus to groups of 50 from within the Kansas City metro area. Contact a Wizards sales rep at (913) 387-3400 for more information about bringing your group outing to a Kansas City Wizards match via bus. Alcohol, excluding kegs, is allowed on buses to the stadium.

2009 Season-Ticket Prices (All packages for 18 games)

Savings

2009

2009

2009

2009

(per seat

Season Ticket

18 Game STH

Location

Gate Price

STH Price

per game)

Savings (%)

Price (per seat)

Field Side Reserved

$ 120.00

$ 100.00

$ 20.00

17%

$ 1,800.00

Stadium Reserved

$ 25.00

$ 22.00

$ 3.00

12%

$ 396.00

Cauldron

$ 20.00

$ 14.00

$ 6.00

30%

$ 252.00

Bleacher

$ 20.00

$ 18.00

$ 2.00

10%

$ 324.00

Grass Berm/GA*

$ 15.00

$ 10.00

$ 5.00

33%

$ 180.00

*GA now includes sections 100-103

New 2009 Seating Option Prices (All packages for 18 games)

Savings

2009

2009

2009

2009

(per seat

Season Ticket

18 Game STH

Location

Gate Price

STH Price

per game)

Savings (%)

Price (per seat)

All You Can Eat Seats

$ 35.00

$ 30.00

$ 5.00

14%

$ 540.00

Terrace Tables

$ 60.00

$ 50.00

$ 10.00

17%

$ 3,600.00

(4 seats per table)

Check out the Sporting Kansas City Statistics

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Major League Soccer Stories from November 24, 2008


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