Shortly after beginning his second stint as the U.S. Men’s National Team head coach in November, Bruce Arena gave Sporting KC Manager Peter Vermes a phone call.
Arena was interested in bringing multiple Sporting KC players into January Camp. One of which was Graham Zusi, a U.S. MNT veteran who predominantly featured as a wide midfielder during Jurgen Klinsmann’s tenure as head coach.
But Arena had different ideas for the Sporting KC winger.
When Arena’s LA Galaxy visited Children’s Mercy Park for a pair of regular season matches last year, Zusi was deployed as a right back. Arena was impressed by what he saw, but he wanted to make sure that using Zusi as a right back in the national team setup wouldn’t hinder the player’s situation at Sporting KC. After all, Zusi has almost exclusively been a winger in Vermes’ 4-3-3 setup over the last three seasons.
Vermes, however, had no objections. In fact, he didn’t rule out the possibility of Zusi returning to the right back spot in Sporting blue.
“I’ve always said that Graham has an incredible ability to play multiple positions on the field,” Vermes said during a press conference on Friday. “He just added another one.”
Zusi was one of Major League Soccer’s most prolific playmakers not too long ago, becoming the only player to record at least five goals and eight assists every season from 2011-2014. His production dipped in 2015 and 2016, but Vermes still views him as an invaluable asset to the squad — in large part due to his versatility.
“He’s in our plans, that’s why he’s here,” Vermes said. “We’ll figure out over the course of the season where his skills will lend themselves the best for our team.”
Interestingly enough, Vermes’ own progression as a player saw him compete as a forward across Europe before ending his career as a defender in MLS, including a three-year stint with Kansas City. Having experienced that transition himself, Vermes is confident that Zusi has the right skill set and mentality to make the switch.
There will be a learning curve, of course, but that will be aided by repetitions on the training ground and extensive film sessions. Nothing, Vermes says, the nine-year MLS veteran can’t handle.
“The one thing we look for in guys we bring in is having a really good attitude — an open mind — and Graham has that,” Vermes said. “He’s not only become a top professional, but more importantly, this is the second national team coach that is bringing him in, and I think he’s bringing him in because he also sees that openness in Graham.”
