As the Sporting Kansas City franchise enacted a rebrand in late 2010, coach Peter Vermes developed a wish list of players to implement a grittier on-the-field product. At the top of the list, he labeled Paulo Nagamura an ideal fit, and during the following offseason, Vermes swung a trade to acquire the veteran midfielder.
Five years later, that perfect match came to a close Monday.
Well, sort of.
Nagamura used his social media accounts to announce his retirement from his playing career, but he as accepted an assistant coaching role with the Swope Park Rangers, Sporting KC’s development team.