For weeks, it seemed as though the World Cup break would arrive in Kansas City as more of a burden than a much-needed break.
An eight-game winless streak sucked confidence from a Wizards team struggling to replicate its early form, and as the missed opportunities mounted, the World Cup steadily approached.
But after finally breaking the streak with a 2-0 victory against the Philadelphia Union in their final opportunity before South Africa captured the world’s attention, the faces in the Wizards locker room made it clear the next 16 days wouldn’t weight on them.
This was a team re-energized. This was a team that would be able to relax and focus on the future rather than dwelling on a disappointing stretch that took Kansas City from the top of the Easter Conference to the bottom.
“You go with a clear head,” coach Peter Vermes said about the effect two consecutive results had on World Cup break. “You can feel good about yourself as you recharge the battery. It also gives everybody – the players and coaching staff – a chance to evaluate what’s happened thus far and individually what we have done.”
The time to reflect has been especially important in Kansas City, where nearly half the team is made up of new faces. In truth, Vermes and the rest of the coaching staff are still finding out the complete set of attributes and limitations each player brings to the table.
But even though a week off from training and more than two weeks away from the playing field has recharged a group that has been together since training camp started in February, not all the players were overjoyed by the timing.
On one hand, midfielder Ryan Smith was glad to have the chance to return to his native London. On the other, he said it was unfortunate that the Wizards didn’t get the opportunity to build on their streak-ending victory against Philadelphia
“I feel like that momentum has kind of been stopped,” Smith said. “The wheels were going, and we were going good, so it’s kind of like having to take a pit stop.”
Others weren’t so sure about that. Kei Kamara, already a Major League Soccer veteran at the tender age of 25, said he is treating this almost like the start of a new season with a fresh mental and physical approach.
“Everybody else had that break,” Kamara said, “whether some people lost games in that week or not. We are just looking at it as we just have to come out and start fresh again.”
For the handful of Wizards nursing nagging injuries, the break represented a fresh start as well. Smith’s return to England to see his family gave his injured ankle, which has bothered his since the campaign’s opening game against D.C. United and was aggravated against the Union, some much needed time to heal.
Stephane Auvray, who had arthroscopic surgery on his knee after only two months on the field, is back on the practice field as well, playing 30 minutes on Wednesday in a reserve game against the Kansas City Brass.
And even though Smith was disappointed to walk away after an encouraging pair of results, the Wizards know that this break and the chance to get their bodies right will be important as they approach the rough slog ahead during the grueling summer months.
“Now that we are back, obviously you’ve seen that it’s really hot out here,” Kamara said. “It’s about being smart for the next couple months and getting some results when it’s really needed.”
