MLS notes

Chicago sends Wolff to Wizards to complete salary purge; Twellman gets new deal in New England.

Josh Wolff's Major League Soccer career in Chicago ended when the Fire's salary cap problems forced the club to trade him to the Kansas city Wizards.-- Photo by Jonathan Daniel\Chicago Fire. --

CHICAGO (Tuesday, January 7, 2003) -- The Chicago sent prolific, if often injured striker Josh Wolff to the Kansas City Wizards today for the third overall pick in Major League Soccer's January 17 draft.

The Fire's third trade in two weeks perhaps ended a roster purge necessitated by salary cap pressures.

Wolff "earned his new contract, which is great for Josh, but it also caused the Fire to make some difficult (financial) decisions," Chicago general manager Peter Wilt said in a press release.

Wolff signed a four-year contract extension before the World Cup, reportedly for more than $1 million with league options through 2008. The salary cap for each MLS team is apprximately $1.7 million with some exceptions.

Last Thursday, Chicago dumped starting midfielder Dema Kovalenko to D.C. United for teen midfielder Justin Mapp, a great long-term prospect whose ability to contribute in the short-term in questionable. On the next day, Fire captain Peter Nowak was dispatched to the New England Revolution for a conditional 2004 draft pick.

Wolff scored five goals and added five assists for 15 points in 14 appearances during the 2002 season. An abbreviated campaign because of his participation with the United States in the World Cup, ended August 14 when he tore his right anterior cruciate ligament in a game against Kansas City.

Overall, Wolff made 84 regular-season appearances for the Fire, recording 32 goals and 15 assists for 79 points. He was held scoreless in six playoff matches.

He was a part of the Fire 1998 MLS championship team and Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup titlists of 1998 and 2000, registering six goals and two assists in the 2000 Open Cup.

Wolff appeared in two 2002 World Cup games, contributing the assist on Brian McBride's decisive goal June 17 in the 2-0 second-round victory over Mexico.

"I enjoyed my five years in Chicago," Wolff was quoted in the press release. "I was able to play in the Olympics and in the World Cup, and I know that would not have been possible if I wasn't in Chicago. . . I'm looking forward to this new era."

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- New England Revolution striker Taylor Twellman, who led MLS in scoring as a rookie while being paid the league minimum of $24,000, has agreed to a new contract.

Twellman, whose 23 goals trailed Los Angeles Galaxy forward Carlos Ruiz by one, added six assists for 52 points and the scoring title. He added two goals in the Revolutions playoff run to a 1-0 setback to the Los Angeles Galaxy in MLS Cup 2002.

Twellman, 23, had three years left on the contract he signed after he returned from Germany where he played for one season and part of another for 1860 Munich reserve team.

A University of Maryland All-American for two seasons before heading to Germany, Twellman's new pact is for five seasons. "We basically have an outline for an agreement that has to be put down on paper,'' Twellman's agent, Craig Sharon told the Boston Herald. "Both sides made significant concessions to bridge a significant gap. We conceded more in the early years of the contract and they conceded more in the latter years so that Taylor has a chance to earn a fair amount if he continues to perform."

Sharon told the Herald that Twellman received a significant adjustment in his base salary and bonuses for each goal scored, total points, for becoming a league All-Star and for being named to the League's Best 11, two honors he earned in 2002.

Twellman, a St. Louis native, will earn additional income for any appearances with the U.S. national team as well as from Nike.

The new contract "doesn't really change anything," Revolution coach Steve Nicol told the Herald. "We always knew we'd have him back. If he's happy, then we're happy."

DENVER -- Defender Gilles Grimandi, 32, will become the first Frenchman ever in MLS after agreeing to a two-year contract with an additional option year to play for the Colorado Rapids.

Grimandi, who comes from Aresnal of England's Premier League, is expected to arrive in Denver by the end of the month.