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Zavagnin
Only, these remembrances had nothing to do with the Wizards’ winning their only MLS Cup championship.
“Can you guys remember what it looked like around here in 2000?” Zavagnin asked a group of reporters gathered for the club’s weekly news conference Thursday. “There was one field. I remember something like a seat out of an old Volkswagen van was the only thing we had to sit on (in the locker room). That, and some metal folding chairs.
“It’s incredible the difference between now and then.”
Zavagnin has seen quite a lot in his eight-plus seasons with the Wizards. The highs — winning that MLS Cup in his first year as well as a U.S. Open Cup title in ’04 — and lows — the club being put up for sale by founder Lamar Hunt and subsequent decline in operations in ’05 and ’06.
He’s been there every step of the way, starting most of the games as the team’s holding (or defensive) midfielder. In fact, as of a couple weekends ago, Zavagnin has played more games in a Wizards uniform than any other player.
His start April 20 against the Fire in Chicago marked his 225th game in Wizards blue, breaking the record held by former teammate Nick Garcia, who played in 224 during 2000-2007 before being traded to the San Jose Earthquakes last offseason.
“I play a position where we don’t score too many goals,” said Zavagnin, who actually scored a career-high three last year. “To have this kind of honor … it’s more important to me than it would be for a guy who scores a lot of goals.”
With Garcia’s departure, Zavagnin, 33 and the second-oldest player on the Wizards’ roster (behind goalkeeper Kevin Hartman), also is the last remaining member of the 2000 champions still on the team.
What’s ironic is, Zavagnin’s MLS career started in a way that suggested he was a career journeyman more than a stalwart deeply rooted to one organization.
He began his career in 1997 with the MetroStars in New York (now Red Bulls), but after two struggling campaigns headed to the ‘A’ League, where he might have stayed had it not been for then-Wizards coach Bob Gansler.
“Kansas City was the only team that was willing to give me a shot,” Zavagnin said. “I called every coach in the league, and (Gansler) was the only one to say yes. This was a place I wasn’t very familiar with, but it was a good fit.”
Zavagnin said he arrived here with three specific goals — to become a starter, to start on a winning team and win a championship. He accomplished all three in his first season and hasn’t left the Wizards’ midfield since.
Second-year coach Curt Onalfo and technical director Peter Vermes rebuilt much of the lineup this season but held on to Zavagnin, Hartman and defender Jimmy Conrad as the team’s veteran leaders.
“Kerry is an unbelievably great pro,” Onalfo said. “He’s kept himself extremely fit. He’s an excellent leader. It’s a tribute to his work ethic that’s he’s been able to stick in this league for so long with one team.”
Perhaps in no season has Zavagnin’s veteran experience and leadership been more valuable than this season. Other than Conrad, the Wizards’ defensive back line is young, with rookie Chance Myers, second-year defender Michael Harrington and Tyson Wahl, who had just 16 games under his belt coming into the season.
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