Wizards Announce 2009 Roster
March 19, 2009 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Sporting Kansas City News Release
The Kansas City Wizards announced Thursday that the team has finalized its roster for the start of the 2009 Major League Soccer season. Kansas City begins the 2009 campaign this Saturday, March 21, at 7:30 p.m. CT against Toronto FC at CommunityAmerica Ballpark. Midfielder Graham Zusi, a 2nd round selection in the MLS SuperDraft, has signed a senior-roster contract. Argentine midfielder Santiago Hirsig has also received his P-1 Visa and is eligible for selection. The Wizards enter the season with 24 players on the active roster and two players on the Disabled List.
"We are pleased with the roster we have put together heading into the 2009 season," Technical Director Peter Vermes said. "We have a good mixture of veterans with experience and young players with athleticism and technical ability. We are always looking for ways to improve the roster for the present and future. Our goal is to create a talented core of players that have a unified philosophy about the game that will allow us to be consistently competitive."
Hirsig, 31, started his professional career in 1999 with Atlanta of the Argentinean second division. In 2001, he was transferred to Platense of the second division, where he played for two years before moving to the top flight. Hirsig played for Huracán in 2002, but the team was relegated after the season. Hirsig then joined Arsenal de Sarandi, where he became a prominent player in the Argentine first division. At Arsenal, he was instrumental in the team that qualified for Copa Sudamericana 2004, the first international tournament in the club's history. Hirsig stayed at Arsenal until 2006, before transferring to Argentine power San Lorenzo de Almagro. He was a key component at San Lorenzo and won the Argentinean tournament in 2007 and got to the finals of the Argentine Torneo Apertura in 2008.
Kansas City drafted Zusi, 22, in the 2nd round of the 2009 MLS SuperDraft after a standout career at the University of Maryland. Zusi helped lead the Terrapins to the 2009 NCAA National Championship with game-winning goals in both the semifinal game and the National Championship match. Zusi had a strong preseason for the Wizards, scoring three goals and adding four assists.
Two players begin the 2009 season on Kansas City's Disabled List. Goalkeeper Eric Kronberg underwent off-season shoulder surgery and will be out through June. Second-year defender Chance Myers broke his 5th metatarsal (toe) in February and will be out 8-10 more weeks. By going on the Disabled List, these players must miss at least six games. The Wizards may replace them on the 24-man roster until they recover from their injury.
Kansas City begins the 2009 Major League Soccer season this Saturday, March 21 at 7:30 p.m. CT against Toronto FC at CommunityAmerica Ballpark. A limited number of single-game tickets for the Home Opener are still available, as are season ticket packages for 2009 that start as low as $180. Contact the Wizards at (913) 387-3400 for tickets or visit www.kcwizards.com. For individual tickets, contact Ticketmaster via phone at (816) 931-3330 or online at Ticketmaster.com.
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