Five Former KC Players Up for Hall of Fame - Former SKC Wizards Update

US Soccer has released ballots for this year's hall of fame induction. On the two ballots (players and veterans) there are a combined five former Kansas City players that are eligible for selection. On the players ballot there are two players, former player and assistant coach, Chris Henderson, and former another former midfielder, Chris Klein is also available in his first year of eligibility. On the veterans ballot there are three players, Mike Burns, Frank Klopas, and Mike Sorber. All five of the players are all currently, or have recently been in coaching or MLS front office position since their retirement as a player.

In other news, former defender Yann Songo'o has a new club, at least temporarily. Songo'o has left Blackburn, going on loan to SPL side, Ross County for the rest of the season. Here's the rest of this week's update.

Active without a club or unknown
Jamar Beasley
Jose Burciaga
Julio Cesar
Edson Elcock
Brian Fekete
Aaron Hohlbein
Mike Jones
Scott Sealy
Khari Stephenson
Ivan Trujillo
Michael Thomas
Shavar Thomas
Diego Walsh
Konrad Warzycha

MLS
Davy Arnaud - DC - Offseason.
Bobby Convey - New York - Offseason.
Luis Gil - Salt Lake - Offseason.
Michael Harrington - Portland - Offseason.
Jack Jewsbury - Portland - Offseason.
Eddie Johnson - DC - Offseason.
Chris Konopka - Toronto - Offseason
Rauwshan McKenzie - Portland - Offseason.
Tyson Wahl - Columbus - Offseason

NASL
Stefan Antonijevic - Fort Lauderdale - Offseason.

USL
Cyprian Hedrick - Phoenix - Offseason.
Neal Kitson - Phoenix - Offseason.
Nelson Pizarro - Los Angeles - Offseason.
Mike Reidy - Rochester - Offseason.
Yomby William - Richmond - Offseason.
John Wilson - Charleston - Offseason.

PDL
Scott Angevine - Des Moines - Offseason

Other
Birahim Diop - New England Force

Indoor
Pat Healey - Baltimore - Played in Baltimore's 14-2 win over St. Louis. Scored a goal in Baltimore's 9-8 loss to Syracuse.

International
Korede Aiyegbusi - FC Haka - Finland - Offseason.
Vicente Arze - Sporting Charleroi - Did not dress in Charleroi's 2-0 win over Oh Leuven.
Omar Bravo - Chivas - Mexico - Started and played 90 minutes in Chivas' 1-1 draw with Veracruz. Did not dress in Chivas' 1-0 Copa Mexico win over Universidad Guadalajara.
Mitchell Cardenas - Atlético Coatzacoalcos - Mexico - Lost 1-0 to Veracruz II.
Sunil Chhetri - Bengaluru - India - Started and played 90 minutes in Bengaluru's 1-1 draw with Rangdajied. Started and played 90 minutes in Bengaluru's 2-0 loss to East Bengal.
Eloy Colombano - UAI Urquiza - Argentina - No game until 1/24
Daneil Cyrus - W Connection - Trinidad - Did not play in either of W Connection's games.
Pablo Escobar - Cúcuta Deportivo - Colombia - Next game 1/24
Roger Espinoza - Wigan - England - Came off the bench and played 10 minutes in Wigan's 3-0 loss to Doncaster.
Herculez Gomez - Tijuana - Mexico - Started and played 90 minutes in Tijuana's 2-1 loss to Pachuca.
Jermaine Hue - Harbour View - Jamaica - Suspended
Jeferson - Boavista - Brazil - Started and played 80 minutes in Boavista's 1-1 draw with Vasco da Gama. Did not dress in Boavista's 1-0 win over Madureira.
Will John - AZAL - Azerbaijan - No game until 2/1
Kei Kamara - Middlesbrough - England - Came off the bench and played 2 minutes in Middlesbrough's 1-0 win over Charlton.
Igor Kostrov - Slavia - Belarus - Offseason.
Carlos Marinelli - Universidad San Martin - Peru - Offseason.
Neven Markovic - Servette FC - Switzerland - No game until 2/2
Yura Movsisyan - Spartak Moscow - Russia - No game til March.
Michal Mravec - Zilina - Slovakia - No games until February.
Akeem Priestly - RoPS - Finland - Offseason.
Pablo Punyed - Fylkir - Iceland - Offseason.
Yann Songo'o - Ross County (Blackburn) - Scotland (England) - Started and played 90 minutes in Ross County's 3-0 win over Dundee United.
Milos Stojcev - Atyrau - Kazakhstan - Offseason.
Matt Taylor - Preußen Münster - Germany - No game until 1/25.

Five Former KC Players Up for Hall of Fame

US Soccer came out with their list of players eligible for election to the US Soccer Hall of Fame.  On the main list and the veteran ballot, there is a total of five former Wizards on the ballot.  On the main ballot there are two players.  Chris Henderson and Roy Lassiter.  Henderson, who is currently the technical director in Seattle spent the 1999 and 2000 season with Kansas City before being traded to Miami.  He returned to Kansas City as an assistant coach in 2007 before moving into his role in Seattle.  Lassiter spent the 2001 and part of the 2002 season in Kansas City before being traded away.  He'd been brought in to help replace Miklos Molnar's goals but was unable to.

On the veterans ballot there are three more former KC players.  Mike Burns ended his playing career in Kansas City, playing the 2001 and 2002 seasons with Kansas City.  He's currently the director of soccer for the New England Revolution.  Mike Sorber was the then KC Wiz's first allocated player back in 1996.  He only spent the one season in KC before being traded to New York.  After his playing days he's spent time as an assist with the US national team and Montreal Impact.  The final KC player up for election is the team's current coach and technical director, Peter Vermes.  Vermes spent the 2000 through 2002 season in Kansas City before retiring. 

Vermes, Zavagnin, and Six Other Former Wizards Up for Hall of Fame

Today, US Soccer came out with their list of candidates available for selection to the US Soccer Hall of Fame. On that list are two current coaches of Sporting KC. Head coach and technical director, Peter Vermes is on the list again, as is assistant coach, Kerry Zavagnin, in his first year of eligibility. Vermes is in the final year on the "player ballot", should he not be elected to the Hall of Fame this year, he will move to the veteran ballot next year.

Vermes and Zavagnin are joined by five other former Wizards players on the players ballot, and one other is available on the veterans ballot. Two other former Wizards are like Zavagnin and in their first year of eligibility. Joining Zavagnin is Jose Burciaga Jr. and Tony Meola in their first year of eligibility. The other 3 former Wizards players available are Mike Burns, Chris Henderson, and Roy Lassiter. Burns, like Vermes is in his final year of being eligible for election on the player's ballot. Should he not be elected, he'll join Vermes and Mike Sorber on the veterans ballot. Sorber joined the veterans ballot a few years ago.

Of the former Wizards players up for election, I think Meola is probably the leading candidate to get elected on this ballot. Meola was the starter for the US in the 1990 and 1994 World Cups and has 100 caps for the US national team.

Four Former Wizards Up for Hall of Fame

Today US Soccer announced the nominees up for the US Soccer Hall of Fame. On the list are four former Wizards players. Included in the list is one current member of the Wizards staff, technical director and head coach Peter Vermes. Vermes played in eastern Europe and MLS during his playing career at both forward and defender. He started his career as a forward before moving to defense and winning defender of the year in 2000 with the Wizards. He appeared 67 times for the national team scoring 11 goals.

Also nominated are Mike Burns, Chris Henderson, and Roy Lassiter. All three players spent two seasons in KC, Burns and Lassiter for the 2001 and 2002 season while Henderson was on the team in the 1999 and 2000 season. Henderson played the most, appearing in 61 games for the Wizards and appearing 73 times for the national team. Burns appeared in 43 games for KC and 75 times for the national team. Lassiter appeared 25 times for KC and 30 for the US.

Good luck to the four on their potential election.

Former Wizards Up for Hall of Fame

The US National Soccer Hall of Fame has come out with their 24 finalists for this years induction into the Hall of Fame. Six former Wizards are on the list this year, as Mike Burns, Chris Henderson, Roy Lassister, Preki, Mike Sorber, and Peter Vermes are all up for induction. Sorber, the Wizards first allocation back in 1996 is in his final year of eligibility before being moved to the veterans ballot along with Thomas Dooley, John Doyle, and Dominic Kinnear. The Wizards 2000 leader in points, Chris Henderson, is in his first year of eligibility with John O'Brien and Eduardo Hurtado.

For me, Preki is the only surefire Hall of Famer in the list of former Wizards that are up for election with Sorber and Vermes being the next two most likely. The other 3 I think have very minimal chances. Voters can select up to 10 names of players on their ballot, if I had a vote, here'd be my ballot: Preki, Thomas Dooley, Earnie Stewart, Shannon MacMillan, and Joe-Max Moore.

Former Wizards Up for Hall of Fame

This year's list of players up for induction into the US Soccer Hall of Fame is out. And like last year, there is a good number of former Wizards that are up for induction into the US Soccer Hall of Fame. Included in the list is former Wizards great Preki, along with the team's current Technical Director, Peter Vermes. The rest of the former Wizards didn't have that big of a career here in Kansas City. They include; Mike Burns, Frank Klopas, Roy Lassiter, and Mike Sorber. Of the 6 up for induction, the one most likely to get into the Hall of Fame in my opinion is Preki, for his contribution to not only the Wizards, but for the US Men's National team, including scoring the winning goal against Brazil in the US' only win over the soccer superpower.

Wizards Fantasy Draft Rounds 13 & 14

Rounds 13 and 14 are now completed.

Previous Rounds
1 & 2
3 & 4
5 & 6
7 & 8
9 & 10
11 & 12

13(1). Team Shook - Francisco Gomez - Despite his poor finishing ability (referenced in our write up for number 1 pick Preki), and the fact he never quite lived up to all of the hype surrounding the him as a younger player; 'Cisco carved out a solid niche for himself in six seasons for the Wizards appearing in 114 games at multiple positions in the midfield. Francisco's best season for the Wizards came in 2001, when he replaced the briefly departed Preki at attacking midfielder, scoring 4 goals and 6 assists. For Team Shook Gomez figures to be a late game sub/backup with his flexibility to play all of the midfield positions.

13(2). Team DTB - Stephen Armstrong - Traded to KC before the 2002 season, Armstrong brought some experience to the Wizards team. He continues to fit with the way Team DTB is lining up, with players that can play in multiple positions on the field. In 49 MLS games for the Wizards, Armstrong had 5 goals for the team and provided needed depth during the Wizards run to the semifinals of both the US Open Cup and the CONCACAF Champions Cup.

13(3). Bravado FC - Frank Klopas - One of two original allocations to the Wiz, Klopas appeared in 49 matches in MLS competition for the Wizards, scoring seven goals and 11 assists, better than half of his career production in the league. He also scored the lone goal for the Wizards in the 1997 U.S. Open Cup, as the Wizards bowed out after their first contest, a 2-1 loss to the San Francisco Seals.

14(1). Bravado FC - Steve Pittman - Another Kansas City player who made his name in the indoor game, "Stevie" logged better than 2,000 minutes for the Wizards after being acquired in a trade with Tampa Bay. He started 23 of his 26 MLS appearances for the Wizards, committing just 26 fouls on the campaign. He was also tabbed in the first XI for the Wizards' Open Cup match in 1997.

14(2). Team DTB - Scott Vermillion - The first local product the Wizards signed that actually played considerable minutes for the club. Vermillion was the team's second Project 40/Generation Adidas signing. He played in 52 games for the Wizards on the back line before being traded to CO before the 2000 season.

14(3). Team Shook - Mike Burns - Burns played the final two seasons of his illustrious career with the Wizards in 2001 and 2002, manning the back-line and earning an All-Star nod in 2002. During Burn's career he appeared in 75 games for the USA and played in many major tournaments including the U-16 and U-20 World Cups, the 1992 Olympics, and the 1994 and 1998 World Cups. Despite being on the decline during his time with the Wizards, Burns provides Team Shook with an experienced back-up defender and an additional veteran presence in the locker-room.

Preki Misses Hall of Fame

Preki was the closest of numerous former Wizards players up for election to the US Soccer Hall of Fame this year. Candidates need to be named on at least 75% of the 128 ballots to be elected to the Hall. Preki was named on 87 of them (68%). He was the highest finishing player along with Joy Fawcett. Other former Wizards, included current technical director, Peter Vermes (28%). Brian Bliss and Mike Burns (13%). Frank Klopas and Mike Sorber (11%). Roy Lassiter (8.5%). Mark Chung at only 2.3% is dropped from the eligibility for appearing on less then 5% of the ballots.

Former Wizards coach, Bob Gansler was almost elected on the "Builders" ballot, falling 3 votes shy of the 50% required by for "builders." Anson Dorrance was the only member elected person from the builders group. Hugo Perez was elected by the veterans committee.