The Kansas City Wizards will name general manager Peter Vermes as the team's interim head coach today, setting the stage for the former U.S. national team standout to help turn around a Wizards squad sitting in sixth place in the Eastern Conference.
According to sources, the decision to fire Curt Onalfo as Wizards head coach was made before Saturday's ill-fated 6-0 loss to FC Dallas, with the defeat making the decision a much easier one to follow through with. While Onalfo did help turn things around in Kansas City (the club made the playoffs in 2007 and 2008 after having missed the postseason the previous two seasons), the Wizards were never considered one of the league's top teams during Onalfo's close to three years with the club. The squad hovered around the .500 mark and also struggled to score goals for much of Onalfo's tenure, factors that didn't sit well with an ownership group banking some serious money on a new stadium project.
The decision leaves the club in the hands of Vermes, who previously coached the U.S. Under-20 national team before joining the Wizards front office. One of the most sought-after coaching candidates in the league over the past two seasons, Vermes will now have a chance to show just how good a coach he can be, and whether the Wizards will need to bother bringing in a new coach for 2010.
Vermes won't have an easy first test. The Wizards return to action on Aug. 16 at home against the Chicago Fire, the team with the best road record in MLS.
Here are some other news tidbits to get your day going:
Lescott ready to request transfer
After weeks and weeks of being sought after by big-spending Manchester City, Everton defender Joleon Lescott finally appears ready to join the Blues as reports are surfacing that Lescott is ready to hand in a transfer request.
Everton insists that it won't sell Lescott, but the Toffees appear to be preparing contingency plans, with former Arsenal and AC Milan defender Philippe Senderos a possible replacement if Lescott leaves.
Delph chooses Villa over Man City
Highly-regarded young winger Fabian Delph turned down a potential move to Manchester City and has joined Aston Villa on a £6million move.
Villa is staying busy in the transfer market, with a potential move for Portuguese midfielder Miguel Veloso also still in the works. One possible transfer that could impact the playing time for American right back Eric Lichaj is a potential move for Newcastle right back Habib Beye.
They said it
Aston VIlla manager Martin O'Neill had some praise for American goalkeeper Brad Guzan, who helped Villa win the Peace Cup, but O'Neill also had a nice jab for Guzan, who was the team's penalty shootout hero on Sunday.
“Brad was wonderful. He had a fantastic tournament,” O'Neill said. "“Saying that, I think even I could have saved Alessandro Del Piero’s penalty."
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What do you think of the above stories? Think Vermes can turn things around in KC? Feel Curt Onalfo was fired too soon? Is Manchester City a legitimate title contender if it can add Lescott to Kolo Toure in central defense? Are you starting to see Aston Villa as a serious player this upcoming EPL season?
Share your thoughts below.
