Striker Abe Thompson understands that, and scoring goals, is the part he is to play with his new side.
"Where he can help us the most is keeping the ball in possession going forward. Hopefully, he can fit that role and help us this weekend," said midfielder Jack Jewsbury, who will likely be feeding Thompson from center midfield Saturday afternoon as the Wizards play host to the Los Angeles Galaxy.
The 26-year-old Virginia native was acquired from FC Dallas last Friday in exchange for allocation money in the Wizards' second move to bolster their attack in as many days, first obtaining Herculez Gomez from Colorado.
"I understand the reason they brought me in was because I'm a striker and my job, first and foremost, is to score goals and that's something they felt like they needed help with," said Thompson. "That's why they brought me in here: to score goals and to help other guys score goals. I'm going to enjoy the challenge, and, hopefully, it will prove to be a savvy move."
And although integration into a new side takes time, Thompson played the whole second half in last Saturday's 3-1 loss at Houston despite a surely dizzying turn of events. Now having more time to adjust to a new coach, teammates and city, Thompson says he's "into the rhythm of things."
The sentiment couldn't be more true. After all, with FC Dallas, Thompson was in the same situation as the Wizards: needing to gain major points to grab a playoff spot. At the moment, both teams share identical 6-9-8 records, seven points from one of the two wild card playoff spots.
"I know exactly what their mentality is right now and what they are fighting for. [Having been] in a similar situation will only help," Thompson said.
Thompson recorded three goals and one assists in 13 appearances with FC Dallas before the trade. The best of his three seasons in MLS came last year where in 25 appearances he put away five goals and served up four assists. He is excited for his new challenge and sees the same wherever he looks in Kansas City.
"Everybody's upbeat, trying to stay positive. It's a tough situation to be in, but it's also a challenge. We wouldn't be playing the game if we didn't want to challenge ourselves," Thompson said. "[Head coach] Curt [Onalfo] and the coaches have kept practice pretty light as far as mood goes -- cracking jokes here and there. ... We want to be able to play and embrace the challenge and have fun with it."
Thompson's current four-year contract expires at the end of the season, but the Wizards surely hope he can be the missing ingredient in their attack for now and the long term.
"Just watching him in practice, he's very good at getting in front of the goal and finishing opportunities," said midfielder Sasha Victorine. "What we need is somebody who can put the ball in the back of the net. Hopefully, with his and Herculez's contributions, that will happen."
Wizards look to make move in West
Conrad relishes time up front
Salgado: Robinho Can Do More
