Pascarella Leaves Sporting for Des Moines Menace

For the first time in a while, Sporting KC will have to replace a member of their coaching staff. Today it was announced that assistant coach, John Pascarella, was departing the club, taking the head coaching position with the Des Moines Menace of the PDL. Pascarella departs after spending eight years with the club under two different head coaches. Pascarella joined the club in 2009 after a stint as head coach of the Northern Virginia Royals of the PDL. After initially serving as the club's goalkeeping and fitness coach, he became an assistant coach in 2011.

Pascarella has worked with two of the better goalkeepers in the club's history, Kevin Hartman and Jimmy Nielsen and had spent time working with KC's current crop of goalkeepers. Replacing him will be interesting to see what direction KC goes. If they go with an internal hire, do they look at Swope Park Rangers goalkeeper coach, Alec Dufty, who also has academy coaching duties, or Andy Gruenebaum, who is also an academy goalkeeping coach and is no longer one of KC's on air personalities for game days. They could also look outside the organization if they wanted to, some fans have already thrown out another Sporting KC goalkeeping legend, Tony Meola. Meola had last been head coach of the Jacksonville Armada before being fired in early August, just nine months into his first stint as a head coach.

Pascarella Suspended

Most Sporting KC fans thought, and felt that Wizards coach, Peter Vermes would get a fine and or suspension for his comments after the game against Seattle where he said:

"We have been under this so many times this season — red cards or non-calls on penalty kicks — at some point, it has to change. As much as players are responsible and coaches are responsible when things don't go well — they either don’t play or get released — the referees seem to keep coming back.

"But bad performances should not constitute the opportunity to come back on the field and referee a professional game. If you're not good, you're not, and you shouldn't be out there. You need to go back down somewhere else, just like we do with players sometimes when we send them off to a lower division."

But it looks like Vermes' comments may have been just vague enough to avoid a fine/suspension for scrutinizing Jair Marrufo. Sporting KC goalkeeper coach, John Pascarella, was not so lucky though. For his actions and comments after KC's 2-1 loss to Seattle a week and a half ago, Pascarella was handed a 3 game suspension. Pascarella will not be on the sidelines for the next 3 home games against Portland, DC, and Dallas. Having seen Pascarella in practice, he's certainly not a guy that is going to hold back his opinions.

Onalfo GONE!

Thad over at The Back Post has the breaking news, with the press release coming soon, that Coach Onalfo has been dismissed by the Wizards. The move comes after the Wizards embarrassing 6-0 loss to Dallas on Sunday. Along with Onalfo being let go, assistant coach, Kris Kelderman was also let go. That leaves Kerry Zavagnin and John Pascarella as the two remaining coaches.

The interim coach will not be announced until the team has been informed following Monday's off day, but you have to think Zavagnin and Pascarella are the leaders to be the interim coach. My guess is it would be Zavagnin in the interim role and potentially see Paul Rideout step up as an assistant to help out.

I'm shocked that this move happened so quickly. The last 2 months without a win have been frustrating and it's finally come to a head. I thought that this move could be coming after Saturday, but not this soon. Good for OnGoal for stepping up, seeing there was a problem, and working to fix it.

Thanks to what Onalfo has brought, he at least got us back to the playoffs finally, but the team has not improved under him in the last 2 and a half years, we are still a boarderline playoff team.

Vermes Interview

Thad over at The Back Post recently had a phone interview with the Wizards Technical Director, Peter Vermes. He had to divide the interview into three posts, but you can see Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 on his blog. Part 1 deals mainly with new players. The team is looking at a couple players, and 1-2 may join the team for training down in Florida. Vermes confirmed that the team looked at Carlo Costly, but he wasn't someone they were trying to sign. Overall Vermes is happy with the team currently, and as he mentioned to me at the draft, the team is strong, and they are looking to fill a few holes and add depth.

Part 2 deals with the rookies and exhibitions. Vermes mentions that the team has already released 3rd round draft pick, Neal Kitson. Fourth round pick Akeem Priestley is trying his luck abroad first. Matt Besler and Doug DeMartin are already in camp, while Graham Zusi will join the team in Florida. He also mentions that they are currently working on their game schedule for the trip to Mexico, and there may be one preseason game in town as well.

Part 3 has to do with the new coaches, Kerry Zavagnin and John Pascarella, who played with Coach Onalfo when they were with LA, and he played with Vermes in their youth. Also, in Part 3, as Vermes says, "Nothing in the fire for a jersey sponsor".

Check out the interviews.

Wizards New Coach

The Wizards have replaced goalkeeping/fitness coach, David Tenney who left the team to take the fitness coach position with Seattle. The new coach, is John Pascarella, who leaves the North Virginia Royals of the PDL to take the position. Pascarella had been the Royals head coach along with being a Region 1 Olympic Development Program camp coach and the coach of the Virginia '90 ODP team. Pascarella had been a player for the Royals back in 98-99 as a goalkeeper.