After Months of Talks, Bravo Deal Done

Week after week, the rumors persisted, but Kansas City stayed silent.

By the time Robb Heineman took to Twitter last Thursday night to announce Omar Bravo had signed with the club, the courtship had lasted all of two months and the Wizards president was just glad the entire process was over.

“It was a relief frankly,” Heineman said in a phone interview. “It took us obviously much longer to get the deal done than we had hoped originally, but, in the end, I think it all worked out for the best.”

Manager Peter Vermes and OnGoal Chief Operating Officer Greg Cotton juggled multiple moving parts and competing parties – Kansas City, Chivas, MLS and Bravo himself – to work out a deal that made sense for all interests involved.

The Mexican international will become Major League Soccer’s newest Designated Player, joining the team for the 2011 preseason. The deal stipulates that the Wizards loan the striker back to Chivas for the remainder of the Apertura season and the second leg of the Copa Libertadores final on Wednesday in Brazil. Kansas City and Chivas have also agreed to play home-and-home friendlies at their new stadiums in 2011 as part of the loan agreement.

“I am very happy about joining Kansas City in 2011 and staying with Chivas through the finals of Libertadores and the Apertura,” Bravo said in a statement. “I want to win two more trophies for Chivas and then focus on bringing championships to Kansas City in Major League Soccer.”

Before that, though, Bravo has an opportunity to end his time in Mexico as the Goat’s all-time leading scorer, while the Wizards can rest easy knowing they’ve secured the signature of a talented, marketable centerpiece to build around as they move into their new stadium in 2011.

“I think everyone walks away from this very happy,” Vermes said. “Even though Chivas wanted to keep him for the long term, they still get the chance to have him for the rest of the season. We get to bring him here, execute the deal and know that we have him for next year starting out at the beginning of preseason.”

Bravo, who will be 31-years-old when the 2011 season begins, joins Rafa Marquez (New York) and Nery Castillo (Chicago) as recent Mexican national team standouts to join the league in addition to other high-profile DPs such as David Beckham, Thierry Henry and Freddy Ljungberg.

“It’s very evident that this is a place to be as a soccer player,” Vermes said. “I think everybody realizes what the league is becoming. I also think Omar likes the vision and plan that we have moving forward with our new stadium and all the other things.”

Part and parcel in the opening of that new stadium is the increased income the Wizards will enjoy with increased capacity and more control over other revenue sources. Heineman said those funds will help pay for the addition of a DP, making Bravo’s loan agreement a much more attractive option for the club.

Kansas City is not announcing the terms of the deal yet, but Heineman said that will likely change once Bravo’s loan spell in Chivas comes to an end. Either way, the Wizards believe they have the right player to help reignite their brand and improve the product on the field come 2011.

“We have a very vibrant and growing Latino community in Kansas City,” Heineman said. “Omar comes into Kansas City, which, in my opinion, is going to have the most beautiful American soccer stadium, and he’ll be the star of that show.”

Now comes the hard part, waiting for that show to begin.