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'A real magician' K.C. midfielder Preki looks set to join Miami Fusion
Updated: Thursday March 01, 2001 6:19 PM
By Jeff Green, CNNSI.com ATLANTA (CNNSI.com) -- Kansas City Wizards midfielder Preki will likely be traded to the Miami Fusion in the near future, according to a source who confirmed a report in the Palm Beach Post. Preki, 37, whose full name is Preki Radosavljevic, was league MVP in 1997 with 12 goals and 17 assists, but he has seen his role diminish since then. He had three goals and 15 assists in 31 matches for the Wizards in their championship run last year. A native of Belgrade, Yugoslavia, Preki gained his U.S. citizenship and became eligible for the U.S. team in 1996. He went on to make 26 appearances with the national team, scoring four goals and playing against his native country in a 1-0 World Cup loss. Having been asked to accept a lesser role in Kansas City, Preki signed a new MLS contract this week, according to Soccer America. He has not practiced with the Wizards and did not travel with the team to Portugal while negotiating his new deal. San Jose and Colorado have also reportedly expressed interest in Preki. Fusion coach Ray Hudson declined to comment on the identity of a pending MLS acquisition. He did say the team is hoping to acquire Honduran midfielder/forward Alex Pineda Chacon, who would team with Colombian Diego Serna in the attack, and Manchester City midfielder Ian Bishop, who would act as a more withdrawn midfielder. To make room for Chacon and Bishop, the Fusion would have to unload two foreign players -- forwards Welton and Andy Williams, who has been seeking a move to England. "We've got another player identified from within the MLS that will play just behind [Chacon and Serna] that is a real magician and can really pull rabbits out of hats," Hudson said. "He has been a real headache for defenses and teams ever since the MLS started. "We feel as if we're close to getting the player at a price that we feel we can afford, and that he's absolutely worth it," he added. "It could happen by the end of this week."
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