Josh Wolff (born February 25, 1977 in Stone Mountain, Georgia)
is an American soccer player, who currently plays forward for
the Kansas City Wizards of Major League Soccer.
Wolff played three years of college soccer at the University of
South Carolina, where he scored 21 goals and eight assists in 43
games, while playing with another future United States national
team star in Clint Mathis. After his junior season, Wolff signed
with MLS, and was assigned to the Chicago Fire. He would set the
MLS rookie record (together with Jeff Cunningham, since broken
by Damani Ralph) by scoring eight goals, doing so in just 14
games (only four of those starts). Wolff would play the next
four seasons for the Fire, scoring 24 goals, developing a
reputation as one of the league's most explosive offensive
players, but unfortunately also one of its most injury prone.
Before the 2003 MLS Superdraft, Wolff was traded by the Fire in
a cost-cutting move to the Kansas City Wizards in exchange for
the third overall pick, which the Fire would use to select Nate
Jaqua. In 2003, Wolff lived up to his reputation, missing most
of the season due to injuries, but has been very productive for
an excellent Wizards team in 2004, finishing the year with ten
goals and seven assists.
Wolff starred for the US in the 2000 Summer Olympics, scoring
two goals en route to a fourth-place finish. Josh is among the
first-choice forwards for the United States national team, and
has scored seven goals in 25 caps since his debut against
Jamaica on September 8, 1999, but like with his club teams, has
had trouble securing a definite spot because of continual injury
problems. He did play for the United States in the 2002 World
Cup, including a start in the second round win against Mexico.
