Scoring help is on the way for the Wizards.
The team announced the signing of forward Josh Wolff, who scored 27 goals and added 20 assists in 80 MLS regular-season games for the Wizards from 2003-06, to a contract that runs through the 2009 season, with two option years after that.
“It was a bit of a process, but it’s done,” Wolff said over the phone from his home in the Atlanta area. “Now, we’re just moving forward.”
Wolff, 31, battled injuries in his first season with the Wizards in 2003 after arriving in Kansas City through a trade with the Chicago Fire. But he scored in double digits and led the club in the 2004 and ’05 seasons, scoring 10 goals and seven assists in ’04 and going 10 and 10 in those categories in ’05.
After completion of his MLS contract at the end of the ’06 season, Wolff decided to pursue his dream of playing in Europe and signed with 1860 Munich in Germany’s second division. His contract there expired after the spring season and with his wife, Angela, expecting their third son in September, Wolff decided to return to the United States.
“It was a great experience,” Wolff said of his time in Munich. “The team was very good, the setup was good. There were ups and downs; that’s part of the game. When it came to the end, though, you knew it.
“I’m excited to come back to Kansas City. (The Wizards) have had a rough stretch. But when you have quality like they have in Claudio Lopez and others, it takes some time to adjust.
“I’m excited to come back and play with the old guard like Jimmy Conrad, Davy Arnaud and Kerry Zavagnin.”
Indeed, the Wizards certainly could use some of the firepower Wolff should be able to provide. The team hasn’t had a goal scored by one of its players for four consecutive games, even though they did defeat Real Salt Lake 1-0 on an own goal last Saturday at CommunityAmerica Ballpark.
The Wizards have scored the second-fewest goals in MLS.
“His change of pace and speed will be advantageous to us,” Wizards technical director Peter Vermes said. “More than that, he’s a good soccer player, a smart soccer player.
“And, he’s an honest guy. He’s not afraid to point out to teammates if he thinks they’re not pulling their own weight. And that’s good.”
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