Onalfo to Work Magic with the Wizards

In August, The Wizards organization underwent major changes. Lamar Hunt sold his Kansas City franchise to OnGoal LLC an owernship group interested in keeping the team in its birthplace.

The move has already proven somewhat costly to The Wizards. The team lost its homefield after being sold by Hunt. Arrowhead Stadium housed The Wizards for years, but the facility is owned and operated by Hunt. With their depature from the Hunt family organization, the team effectively had to pack up and ship out.

The new ownership made clear their intentions of building a championship organization as the sale of the team depended on American phenom, Eddie Johnson, remaining on The Wizards' roster. Johnson stayed with The Wizards through the end of the 2006 campaign but fell far short of expectations.

The hat trick hero from the U.S. match againt Panama only managed to score twice during this last MLS season. His counterpart for the Wizards and U.S. National Team, Josh Wolff, also came up empty with a mere 5 goals.

An injury to Jimmy Conrad dealt the new owners another heavy blow. Conrad's experiences with the U.S. National Team turned the centerback into an anchor for Kansas City, but he only made 15 appearances for the team.

In the final weeks of the season, the Wizards slipped behind the New York Red Bulls and in a repeat of last season failed retake the fourth and final position in the Eastern Conference post-season.

A few days ago, OnGoal announced that Curt Onalfo would direct the team in the 2007 season.

Onalfo will take the reigns at the young age of 37. The San Jose Clash signed Onalfo in 1997 during the Supplemental Draft, but it remains to be seen if this former player is ready for the responsibility of directing 11 players on the pitch.

"We're going to be a team that's aggressive and sends numbers forward," Onalfo said. "We're going to be a team that this community is excited about."

Although Onalfo's statements are upbeat, the team may lose both Josh Wolff and Eddie Johnson during the off-season.

Wolff spent a few weeks with Munich 1860 in the Bundesliga 2. According to numerous reports, the American entered negotiations with the German side. Wolff provides much of the offense for the Wizards having tallied 26 goals in 76 appearances.

There are also rumors that Spanish club, Real Sociedad remain interested in Eddie Johnson. The La Liga team attempted to sign the forward on a season loan. Major League Soccer rejected the proposal keeping Johnson in Kansas City.

Johnson also spent his Thanksgiving in England. The young American gun practiced with Reading of the Premier League. Reading is already home to Americans, Bobby Convey and Marcus Hahnemann. With the team's desire to sign young Americans, Johnson's future abroad looks bright.

If both forwards transfer out this winter, Onalfo will need to devise a new plan for victory. Scott Sealy will likely play a prominent in Onalfo's strategy. The young striker from Trinidad and Tobago scored 10 goals in 29 games last season. For this team to have success, it will need to be built around feeding the ball to the capable Soca Warrior.