When the 2020 Major League Soccer season kicks off, it will do so without a player from India competing in the league. Although several Indian players have had opportunities to impress clubs in MLS, it has been a decade since the Indian national team's all-time leading scorer Sunil Chhetri graced the first division of United States and Canadian soccer. Chhetri's time in MLS with the Kansas City Wizards (later renamed Sporting KC) was brief and ended almost as quickly as it began. Fans of Indian soccer can get the latest promo codes and tips from this website and wager on the teams they believe will win each weekend this season. Chhetri is in his fourth season with Indian Super League team Bengaluru where he is under contract until 2021. Looking back on his time 10 years ago in MLS, it is easy to think of what could have been for the striker and Indian soccer.
A Kansas City Wizard
Chhetri joined the Kansas City Wizards after a successful trial with the club. Manager Peter Vermes was greatly impressed with Chhetri's technical ability and believed the striker could be a significant part of the team's future. The Indian Super League is in the midst of an exciting season and fans can use the latest William Hill promo code before wagering on the next round of soccer games. The striker signed a four-year contract with the Wizards in 2010 and Vermes gushed over Chhetri in the club's official press release following the announcement of the signing. ?One thing we really like about Sunil is that he's a crafty player,? Vermes said. ?Technically he's very sharp, and he's a guy that has good attacking tendencies.?
It was stated in the same press release that Chhetri had drawn interest from big clubs in Scotland and England prior to joining the Wizards. A contract offer from English Championship side Queens Park Rangers was ultimately withdrawn when Chhetri didn't meet the British Home Office's criteria to sign from abroad. Otherwise, he would have joined QPR and taken a different professional soccer pathway. The signing of Chhetri not only gave the Wizards a potential goal scorer, but it allowed them to gain a player from India, a country with immense capabilities when it came to marketing the team. But just as Chhetri's signing with Kansas City was announced, it wasn't long until he was gone.
A Frustrating Season
Despite the praise of his manager, Chhetri never played an MLS league game for the Wizards. Although he did appear for the team in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup as the Wizards lost 2-1, the striker couldn't get a game for Vermes in the league. In fact, Chhetri struggled to make the 18-man gameday roster for the team. Four months into his MLS career, Chhetri had yet to make the bench for a league fixture. Perhaps telling as to why Vermes didn't fancy Chhetri was the US Open Cup loss the Wizards suffered against the Colorado Rapids. Chhetri started the game but was pulled after the opening 45 minutes after making little impact. He did go on play an international friendly for the Wizards against Manchester United competing in the final 21 minutes of the match, but that would be the extent of his MLS career.
At 5ft 7in, Chhetri revealed in an interview that he lacked the physicality of MLS. Meanwhile, Kansas City's coaching staff attempted to work with the striker to get him to contribute more to the defensive side of the game. Something he hadn't done previously. Less than one year after joining the club, Chhetri was released from his contract. His one cup game and friendly performance against Manchester United were the only appearances made for Kansas City. He logged a total of 66 minutes for the team. Chhetri's mere signing with the Wizards made him just the second Indian player to ever join a football club abroad. Despite it not being a success, Chhetri may have broken down barriers for Indian players in the future. Of course, only time will tell if an MLS team will take a punt on a player from India once more.