Soccer: Striker Vlahos adds new piece to Kingz jigsaw

By TERRY MADDAFORD

Andy Vlahos will be the new Football Kingz attacking spearhead, but incoming coach Mike Petersen is determined he will not be a one-man band.

In announcing the two-year deal with Vlahos - for whom the Auckland-based club paid a $A25,000 ($31,000) transfer fee to Greek club Panathinaikos - Kingz general manager Chris Turner also confirmed that All Whites striker Paul Urlovic had re-signed for another season.

Also signed yesterday were 29-year-old goalscoring South Melbourne midfielder Con Boutsianis - regarded as a world-class "dead ball" specialist - and All Whites utility player Gerard Davis, who has a new two-year contract.

Vlahos, 25, began his Australian National Soccer League career with Heidelberg and later played with Carlton before going to Greece, where he struggled to command a regular first-team place.

He then returned to Australia and played on loan for a season and a half at South Melbourne. Vlahos scored 13 goals last season to finish ninth on the NSL goalscoring list - one goal and two places behind Boutsianis.

The pair will play a significant role in a team who have struggled to score heavily and are now without their leading goalscorers from their first two seasons.

Chilean Aaron Silva, who led the Kingz' attack in their first season, has been released and Dennis Ibrahim - top scorer last season - is set to play his first game with his new Austrian first division club, Admira Wacker Moedling, tomorrow, ending speculation of a switch to NSL club Parramatta Power.

Also out of the reckoning is All Whites midfielder Jeff Campbell, who has signed with NSL club Adelaide City.

Vlahos and Boutsianis were in Auckland last week and, in a statement yesterday, said: "We have been in Auckland and have seen the potential of this club. It is an exciting time for everyone involved and whoever wants to see good football must come and see this team of the future. We look forward to seeing and meeting everyone soon."

The pair bring the Kingz' signings to nine.

Confirmed for the new season are Jonathan Perry, Che Bunce, Harry Ngata, Levent Osman and Sean Douglas (all for the second year of two-year deals), Urlovic, Davis, Vlahos and Boutsianis.

Turner said other signings would be confirmed before planned pre-season training starts on August 1.

Wynton Rufer remains an option, but he is in Australia on holiday until next Monday. If Mark Burton does not sign with Scottish club Aberdeen, Turner said, the Kingz would be interested in talking to him.

All Whites captain Chris Zoricich has signed a new two-year contract with Newcastle.