Wizards hail Hirsig signing as coup

KANSAS CITY -- The Kansas City Wizards feel like they pulled off a bit of a coup on Wednesday in agreeing to contractual terms with Argentinean midfielder Santiago Hirsig.

Wizards technical director Peter Vermes said the club wanted to obtain the 31-year-old in the past, but didn't want to pay the substantial transfer fee. But letting the hard-working and skilled midfielder play out his contract with San Lorenzo in Argentina's Primera Division was a bit of a risk as a "major club" in Greece nearly nicked him away, making a "very significant offer [for Hirsig]," said Vermes.

"He knows a lot about our team, our organization, our training facility, and what our vision is, so I think that [knowledge] had a lot to do with [him signing with us]," he said. An eight-year veteran of the Argentinean top flight, Hirsig has notched 18 goals in 276 professional appearances. The Wizards got their man, and in doing so, came one step closer to becoming the team Vermes and head coach Curt Onalfo envision. Hirsig will join the team upon receipt of his international transfer certificate and completion of his visa paperwork.

"We felt that we needed to get stronger in the midfield still," Vermes said. "We needed someone who could play a couple of positions. He can play in the middle or on the right."

The Wizards' midfield group now includes: Davy Arnaud and Jack Jewsbury, who are both on U.S. national team head coach Bob Bradley's radar; apprentices Kevin Souter and Kurt Morsink; young Honduran international Roger Espinoza; and Hirsig.

"We wanted a guy who could go both ways from 18 to 18 and has that creative ability as well. I would label [Hirsig] as a 60-40 guy in the midfield -- he goes forward more than he defends," Vermes said. "[The addition of Santiago] gives us another really good soccer player that we can, if we need to, move people around. We have so many guys now who can play multiple positions and play them very well."

Hirsig joins fellow Argentinean Claudio Lopez on a Wizards roster that also has, on paper, more punch upfront than last year's attack. Former U.S. international Josh Wolff, Lopez, the recently obtained Adam Cristman, Abe Thompson, Arnaud and Herculez Gomez provide a variety of potentially dangerous combinations.

"We have to have a very strong roster to participate in the three competitions we're in this year," said Vermes, referring to Superliga, the U.S. Open Cup, and MLS league play.

Now, Kansas City can field a solid side each match without putting a fitness burden on its roster.

Though Vermes and Onalfo are still looking at various trialists, including 26-year-old Hungarian striker Ferenc Tomas Beres, there will likely be no further significant moves, Vermes said.

Meanwhile, Gomez's rehab from surgery performed on a lateral meniscal tear suffered during the first week of preseason is going very well according to Vermes. The versatile attacker who sparked the Wizards in their playoff run after being obtained late last season from Colorado will require no other surgeries and will travel to Guadalajara, Mexico, as the Wizards continue their preseason training there through March 4.