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MLS Sporting Kansas City

Wizards Sign Dutch Star van den Bergh

June 2, 2006 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Sporting Kansas City News Release


KANSAS CITY, MO (Friday, May 28, 2006) - General Manager Curt Johnson announced today that the Kansas City Wizards have acquired Dutch standout Dave van den Bergh from Dutch premier division (Eredivisie) club FC Utrecht. Per Major League Soccer rules, details of the contract will not be disclosed.

van den Bergh comes to Major League Soccer after spending six seasons with FC Utrecht where he helped guide them to four consecutive UEFA Cup Tournaments, the all European tournament that pits the top teams from the top leagues throughout Europe, including the English Premier League and La Liga. A native of Holland, van den Bergh has also appeared multiple times for the Dutch National Team, currently ranked No. 3 in the World, starting a pair of matches in 2004/2005.

"I am thrilled," van den Bergh said in regards to signing with the Wizards, "we [MLS, the Wizards, and himself] have been working on it for almost six months. I am very happy to be coming to play for the Kansas City Wizards."

The left-footer began his professional career with famed Dutch club Ajax at the age of 19 playing alongside some of the top players in Holland. While with Ajax, van den Bergh helped the club to the Champions League Finals in his first season and the semifinals in his second.

Splitting time with Marc Overmars, then considered one of the Netherlands' top strikers, for two seasons at Ajax, van den Bergh moved onto Spanish second division team Rayo Vallecano in Madrid where he was a teammate of U.S. World Cup goalkeeper Kasey Keller. He appeared in 47 matches with Rayo helping ascend the club into the first division in just his second season. Rayo held the top spot in the first division for a portion of his third year with the club.

van den Bergh returned to the Eredivisie for the 2001/2002 season where he joined Utrecht for the first of six seasons. This past season the striker helped the team to a sixth place finish in the league, the club's highest finish during his tenure, nearly qualifying the team for the UEFA Cup. While with FC Utrecht the team appeared in four straight UEFA Cups in his first four seasons, in which he played a total of 12 games, scoring two goals.

In his six seasons at Utrecht he appeared in a total of 158 games, making the start in all but 10 of them. In those 158 games he tallied 24 career goals, including the game-winner in the 2004 Amstel Cup Finals over FC Twente. The Amstel Cup is the Netherlands' national knockout tournament, similar to England's FA Cup and the United States' U.S. Open Cup.

"I had six great years [with FC Utrecht] that have been very good, but I thought that it was time for a new challenge," said van den Bergh. "This [playing in America] has been a long time wish and now I get to do that with the Wizards."

van den Bergh, born May 7, 1976, will arrive in Kansas City in mid-June and is expected to be cleared to play on July 22nd at Red Bull New York once the secondary European transfer window opens.

"We welcome Dave to the Wizards and look forward to getting him on the field in July," said Johnson. "We are very pleased to add a left-footed attacking player to compliment the players we already have. What he brings to the organization both on and off the field will be of great importance as we compete for our second MLS and U.S. Open Cup titles."

The Wizards play that same RBNY team tomorrow evening, June 3rd, at 7:30 p.m. in Arrowhead Stadium.

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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