KANSAS CITY, Kan. – The rumors are flying, but the Wizards are still staying mum when it comes to Omar Bravo.
Reports out of Mexico last week suggested the Chivas de Guadalajara striker would sign with Kansas City as a Designated Player then be loaned back to the Goats for the Apertura season.
Nevertheless, manager Peter Vermes had nothing new to report following the game Saturday, and the official word remains that no deal is in place.
“We are working diligently on that aspect,” Vermes said. “We are trying like crazy. You know how it is—it’s a tough game.”
The Wizards have an open roster spot to work with after loaning center back Aaron Hohlbein to USSF D2 side Miami FC last week. And although it seems clear that Bravo is being actively pursued by the team and Major League Soccer, Vermes said no announcement would come unless a deal was in place.
Hohlbein goes the distance for Miami
Defender Hohbein played 90 minutes in his Miami FC debut on Saturday in a 1-1 draw against the Puerto Rico Islanders.
Kansas City loaned the 24-year-old central defender to the second division side for the remainder of the season. Hohlbein appeared in only two games this season for the team after starting 22 times last season. The Wizardsn have added veterans Shavar Thomas and Nick Kounenakis in the last month-and-a-half to shore up the position.
“[Miami] contacted me to see if there were any players we would be willing to loan out,” Vermes said. “I thought it was a good thing for him to go get games in [Division 2]. His time was going to dwindle down here with the influx of new guys, so it was just a good opportunity to get him out there.”
Vermes said he expects Hohlbein to get significant minutes for a Miami side that has given up 33 goals in 21 games this season, the worst defensive record in the USSF D2. KC assistant coach Kerry Zavagnin, who spent time in the second division before breaking into MLS, said it wouldn’t have benefited Hohlbein to stay in an environment in which he was unlikely to get significant playing time.
“It’s tough how sometimes it’s viewed where people think of it as a demotion or a drop into a lower level of play,” said. “The fact of the matter is for players, especially younger players, to improve they need to be playing on a weekly basis.”
