CARSON, Calif. -- In any game there are several turning points, and within the confines of the full 90 minutes, just about anything can happen. But despite heading into the locker room trailing by 3-1 at halftime of MLS Cup 2004, the mood of the Kansas City Wizards wasn't one of desperation.
Trailing in the playoffs wasn't anything new for the Wizards this year. They trailed San Jose 2-0 after Game One of the conference semifinal series -- and that was something that coach Bob Gansler was quick to remind his team.
"We said that we had two short halves to play. Let's get one early, and chase the other," he said. "We got the first part done."
The Wizards' defense had stood tough all season long, and as a team felt that it was their errors that led to the halftime deficit. K.C. 'keeper Bo Oshoniyi echoed those sentiments after the game.
"We gave them goals," Oshoniyi said. "There was a 15-minute stretch where we couldn't get a grip of the game."
Nick Garcia was victimized by Alecko Eskandarian on the first D.C. United goal. Yet he, like his teammates, wasn't disheartened.
"We knew we were chasing the game," said Garcia. "All together everyone had a good attitude heading into the second half."
Josh Wolff, who struggled to get any real service up top throughout the game, was one player who knew the second half was going to be an uphill battle.
"Certainly there was a sense of urgency," Wolff said. "My mentality was that the next goal was the most important goal."
That goal would come in the 58th minute. After a mad scramble in front of the net, United midfielder Dema Kovalenko was called for a handball on the goal line after Jimmy Conrad pounded a rebound goalward. The result would be a penalty kick for the Wizards, and a red card ejection for Kovalenko.
Wolff calmly stepped up to the penalty spot and bury his kick to bring Kansas City to within one. The tide seemed to be turning in favor of the Wizards, who now had a man advantage with more than 30 minutes left in the game.
"Our spirits were lifted," Wolff said.
The man advantage, however, didn't produce the results the Wizards were looking for however.
"You see it time and time again when a team goes down a man," coach Gansler said. "Their adrenaline starts to flow. The 50-50 balls become 60-40 balls in their favor."
Still, Kansas City began to sense they could take the game to United.
"It was easier after the red card," Garcia said. "We all said, 'Let's ride this horse and take it to 'em.'"
Creating several more chances, and threatening the DC goal throughout the second half, United was forced to weather the storm. But while Gansler's offensive substitutions over the final half provided a spark, his side wasn't able to find the back of the net. Momentum began to die towards the end of the game, as the wind seemed to be let out of the sails of the Wizards.
"We got the second goal we needed," Wolff said. "We had 20-25 minutes to get a third. In the end we didn't do it."
Greg Daurio is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
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