Steady Hirsig making KC contenders
Midfielder key cog in Wizards' postseason push
For the Kansas City Wizards, the February signing of Argentinean midfielder Santiago Hirsig has been a large part of their equation. The Buenos Aires native has played in all but one of the Wizards 16 games, starting 13, recording one assist.
"Santiago has been solid for us. Like any foreign player who comes into league, there is always a little bit of an adjustment period," said Kansas City coach Curt Onalfo. "Credit to him, it took him four of five games to adjust to the league, and he's progressively gotten better with each game."
Hirsig's steadiness and importance to the Wizards is evidenced by his suffering the third most fouls in the league -- 36 -- placing him among highly regarded attackers such as Seattle Sounders FC's Fredy Montero and Freddie Ljungberg.
"He's good. His attributes include keeping the ball; he's very comfortable on the ball. And he has a bit of a bite to him that sometimes you don't get from those guys," added midfield cohort Jack Jewsbury. "So it's good to see that, and he's incorporated very well into the team."
Indeed, adding the skill, physicality, and experience of the 31-year-old veteran of the Argentinean leagues has strengthened the all-important middle of the Wizards lineup -- Hartman, Conrad, Hirsig, Arnaud and Lopez. But, as Kansas City battles to stay in the playoff hunt during the last half of the season, even more is needed from Hirsig.
"He still needs to see things a little quicker for us and play that earlier ball forward," Onalfo said. "That's a big point of emphasis we've had with him the last couple of weeks."
Touted as slightly more of an attacking than defensive midfielder by technical director Peter Vermes when first signed, Hirsig knows that he needs to push the attack more.
"At times, I need to step into the offensive third and be a danger," said Hirsig via teammate and interpreter Herculez Gomez. "In my position and the way the coach wants me to play, my job is to balance out the team and be good for us defensively and keep that equilibrium."
In 276 games with San Lorenzo, Arsenal de Sarandi and Huracan of Argentina's Primera Division, as well as Atlanta and Club Atletico Platense in the second division, Hirsig scored 18 goals. Goals would be nice, but making the pass that penetrates the back four, launches a quick and lethal counterattack, or making that final pass that leads to a goal is likely good enough.
And Onalfo and Hirsig himself believe Wizards fans have yet to see the midfielder's top form, even in what can be a grueling season as the summer's heat and humidity hits hard.
"He's physically very gifted, and he's had enough time where physically he should hold up real well and actually should get stronger as the season progresses," said Onalfo of Hirsig's fitness. "I'm, overall, pleased with how he's been so far and am looking for him to, in the last half of the season, really continue to progress and continue to get better with each game."
"I really didn't have much of a preseason, so the first five games I didn't really feel too well physically," Hirsig said. "But in the last two months, I've been feeling great and feel I'm ready to go and ready to help the team."
At 20 points on five wins and five draws to go with six losses, the Wizards are currently four points out of playoff contention.
"We're five points out of first place with one game in hand. Having said that, we're sitting in fifth place. Objectively, we've had fairly good road form -- we need to continue with that -- and we have to be better at home," Onalfo said. "We have a .500 record at home, so that's not good enough. Our point of emphasis is, as we go into the last half of the season, can we accumulate more points at home, because we need those, and continue with our strong road form?"
Besides finishing more chances, as the Wizards are currently tied for ninth in goals scored, Hirsig believes the Wizards are a fine line from big success.
"We need to minimize the amount of errors we have upon us... It's just those small things, an attention to detail, that are costing us right now," he said. "Once we get on that, we'll be a better team."
That better will also come with a more refined, a more adjusted Hirsig. A Hirsig who, after the Wizards July 4 match, was seen taking in the holiday fireworks display outside the locker room donning just a towel.
"More than anything, I was just enjoying the fireworks. Even though we lost [1-0 to Houston Dynamo], I still wanted to come out and see what it was all about," said Hirsig, who has "embraced the [U.S.] culture" according to Gomez.
Hopefully it will be Hirsig's play that will ignite the Wizards the rest of the way in MLS's 14th season.
Bob Rusert is a contributor to MLSnet.com
