Wizards aim to end RSL streak
Kansas City hopes home-field advantage will subdue red-hot Real
Related
COMMUNITYAMERICA BALLPARK, Kansas City, Kan.
June 28, 2008 | 7 p.m. CT (MetroSports; KSL-NBC)
WEEK # 14 | GAME # 96
This time, the Kansas City Wizards hope the homecoming has the right effect - but it will come at the expense of one of the league's hottest teams, as Real Salt Lake make their first visit to CommunityAmerica Ballpark. The Wizards haven't won since mid-April, their winless streak now seven games, including six on the road. RSL comes to Kansas City riding a club-record five-game unbeaten run, with wins in three of those. The teams met just three weeks ago, playing to a scoreless draw in Salt Lake City in the last of K.C.'s six-game road run.
REFEREE: Alex Prus. SAR (bench): Thomas Supple; JAR (opposite): Jeff Muschik; 4th: Doug Wolff
MLS Career: 130 games; FC/gm: 29.8; Y/gm: 3.4; R: 31; pens: 41
INJURY REPORT: KANSAS CITY WIZARDS -OUT: MF Kevin Souter (MCL sprain), QUESTIONABLE: MF Kerry Zavagnin (foot strain); PROBABLE: FW Ivan Trujillo (ankle sprain) ... REAL SALT LAKE - OUT: MF Nathan Sturgis (L hamstring strain); FW Fabian Espíndola (L knee contusion); QUESTIONABLE: FW Yura Movsisyan (R meniscus surgery); FW Robbie Findley (concussion)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
SUSPENDED: KC: Roger Espinoza (through June 29)
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: RSL: Dema Kovalenko, Jamison Olave
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: KC: Jack Jewsbury, Kerry Zavagnin ... RSL: Kyle Beckerman, Kenny Deuchar
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (7 meetings): Wizards 3 wins, 13 goals ... Real Salt Lake 2 wins, 12 goals ... Ties 2
AT KANSAS CITY (3 meetings): Wizards 2 wins, 7 goals ... Real Salt Lake 0 wins, 5 goals ... Ties 1
• This is the second of two meetings between the clubs this season, both occurring in three weeks' time, Real's first trip ever to CommunityAmerica Ballpark.
• The teams split their season series last year, each winning on their own home ground.
• RSL are now unbeaten in the last three meetings at Rice-Eccles Stadium, winning 3-1 last year, and posting a 2-1 victory on May 20, 2006. That was RSL's first victory ever against Kansas City; the Wizards won both meetings in Real's inaugural season, 3-2 at Arrowhead Stadium and 4-2 in Utah.
• The Wizards have never lost to Real at home, winning in 2005 and 2007, and snatching a late 3-3 draw in their 2006 encounter.
• Coaches record: Curt Onalfo v RSL: P3 W1 L1 D1 ... Jason Kreis vs. KC: P3 W1 L1 D1
LAST MEETING (MLS):
6/7: RSL 0, KC 0
• The Wizards finally saw their long road odyssey come to an end, playing to a scoreless draw with Real Salt Lake at Rice-Eccles Stadium on June 7.
• Real had the advantage in play, recording 19 shots in all and putting seven on target, but getting nothing past Kansas City goalkeeper Kevin Hartman.
• The Wizards nearly grabbed a vital early goal on the road, but Davy Arnaud saw his blast strike the underside of the crossbar and bound away to safety after just seven minutes.
• Here's Kreis's team (4-3-1-2): Nick Rimando - Tony Beltran, Nat Borchers, Jamison Olave, Chris Wingert - Andy Williams (Matias Cordoba 70), Dema Kovalenko, Kyle Beckerman - Javier Morales - Kenny Deuchar (Tino Nunez 76), Robbie Findley. Substitutes Not Used: Kenny Cutler, David Horst, Ian Joy, Alex Nimo, Chris Seitz
• Here's Onalfo's team (4-4-2): Kevin Hartman - Jonathan Leathers, Jimmy Conrad, Aaron Hohlbein, Michael Harrington - Davy Arnaud, Jack Jewsbury (Kurt Morsink 56), Kerry Zavagnin, Ryan Pore (Carlos Marinelli 76) - Ivan Trujillo (Sasha Victorine 46), Claudio Lopez. Substitutes Not Used: Eloy Colombano, Eric Kronberg, Chance Myers, Tyson Wahl
KANSAS CITY WIZARDS
The Kansas City Wizards saw their winless run reach seven games, going back on the road but coming away with a scoreless draw from Toronto FC on Saturday afternoon at BMO Field. The Wizards have 13 points from 12 matches, sitting in seventh place in the Eastern Conference, six points behind the fourth-place tie between New York, D.C. United and Chicago.
LAST MATCH
• Toronto FC was aiming to lengthen its home unbeaten streak -- the Reds' last loss in Toronto came Sept. 22, 2007. The Wizards were trying to put the skids to a seven-game winless run that had seen them sink to the bottom of the Eastern Conference table.
• Both teams came close down the stretch. Sasha Victorine beat TFC goalkeeper Brian Edwards with an angled shot from the left, but defender Marvell Wynne was perfectly placed to clear off the line. Then in stoppage time, Danny Dichio did find the back of the net when he volleyed home an Amado Guevara free kick, but the linesman's flag was up for offside.
• The Wizards ended the game with 10 men after Roger Espinoza was sent off with a straight red card, his second of his rookie season, deep into added time.
• Wizards head coach Curt Onalfo made two changes to the team that lost 3-0 at home to the Columbus Crew the previous weekend. Sasha Victorine came into the midfield along with Roger Espinoza, as Jack Jewsbury went to the back four and Jonathan Leathers and Carlos Marinelli went to the substitutes' bench.
• Here's Onalfo's team (4-4-2): Kevin Hartman - Jack Jewsbury, Jimmy Conrad, Aaron Hohlbein, Michael Harrington - Davy Arnaud, Sasha Victorine, Kerry Zavagnin (Kurt Morsink 65), Roger Espinoza - Claudio Lopez (Jonathan Leathers 88), Scott Sealy (Ryan Pore 77). Substitutes Not Used: Eric Kronberg, Carlos Marinelli, Chance Myers, Tyson Wahl
• "I thought for the most part it was very well played from our team, we created enough chances to win the game. We came into a very difficult place to play and I thought for a good portion we dictated the pace of the game. Disappointed we didn't get three points today but happy with getting a point in a very difficult place to play," Onalfo said.
TEAM NEWS
• Onalfo was pleased with how his team responded to the 3-0 loss to Columbus the week before, the Wizards' first game at home in more than two months.
• "We were disappointed at the result last week in every aspect," Onalfo said. "We were totally outplayed by Columbus in every part of the game. The most disappointing part of that game was that we didn't win any individual battles, and I thought today we did. I thought we played well, dictated the pace of the game."
• The draw extended the Wizards' winless streak to seven games (0-4-3), a streak that began in another game in Toronto on April 26. K.C. outshot Toronto 11-7 overall, with a 5-4 advantage in shots on goal. It was a positive attacking performance for a team with just 10 goals scored this season, tied for fewest in the league with San Jose.
• "You know it's difficult to always pinpoint exactly why you're not scoring, but like I said today we created enough quality chances," said midfielder Kerry Zavagnin. "These weren't half-chances that we were hoping would go in. These were ones that once we get one or two hopefully they're going to keep falling for us and we're going to start getting three points instead of one."
• The draw improved Kansas City's record to 1-3-3 in seven road games this season, good for a respectable six points away from home, sitting right in the middle of the league's overall performance. All seven of those road games have come over K.C.'s last eight matches.
• "For whatever reason we had gotten away from [consistent attacking], so we talk a lot about how we want to have an aggressive approach and try to be dangerous and I think for good portions of the game we were," Onalfo said. "But we still weren't able to put on in the back of the net, so we have to keep plugging away and make sure we get better."
• After starting with four home games and then playing six in a row on the road, the Wizards' next 12 games alternate between home and away. The Columbus and Toronto matches were the first two of the quick turnarounds, but it will be a long while before the Wizards can get a chance to build momentum at home.
• "If we (had) a win (in Toronto) or in the next game we play on the road, then we'd have [more] points than we have road games," Hartman said. "We'll be in pretty decent shape if we get a win pretty soon. That's a good way to look at that, but we have to make CommunityAmerica Ballpark similar to what TFC has here."
REAL SALT LAKE
Real Salt Lake equaled a club record, going a fifth game without a loss in coming back for a 2-1 victory against the New England Revolution last Saturday evening at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Real now have 19 points from 14 games, entering the week sitting in second place in the division, trailing the LA Galaxy by two points and just a point ahead of the Houston Dynamo.
LAST MATCH
• Both teams were coming off midweek draws, RSL going a fourth consecutive game without a loss in a scoreless draw with San Jose, and New England extending their unbeaten string to seven games in coming back for a 1-1 home draw with the New York Red Bulls.
• The Revolution scored an opportunistic opener in the eighth minute. A long clearance from Matt Reis sailed over everyone, and as RSL defender Nat Borchers and goalkeeper Nick Rimando hesitated as the ball bounced high in the air, Adam Cristman snuck in to head the ball over Rimando from the top of the area.
• But RSL pulled level just three minutes later. Javier Morales whipped in a free kick from outside the left of the area, and in challenging Robbie Findley to win the ball in the goalmouth scrum, New England defender Jay Heaps headed the ball past Reis.
• Real took the lead on the hour. Morales again was the instigator, aiming a shot goalward from outside the area. The ball took a couple of deflections and fell to Tino Nunez inside the box, and the rookie slotted the ball inside the far post for his first professional goal in extending RSL's unbeaten streak to five games, tying the club record.
• RSL head coach Jason Kreis made one change to the team that played to a scoreless draw with the San Jose Earthquakes at midweek. Andy Williams was back from international duty, and came in for Matias Cordoba in the midfield.
• Here's Kreis's team (4-3-1-2): Nick Rimando - Tony Beltran, Jamison Olave, Nat Borchers, Chris Wingert - Andy Williams (Matias Cordoba 84), Dema Kovalenko, Kyle Beckerman - Javier Morales - Robbie Findley (Tino Nunez 41), Kenny Deuchar (Kenny Cutler 71). Substitutes Not Used: Ian Joy, Matias Mantilla, Alex Nimo, Kyle Reynish
• "What's most pleasing about the win tonight was the way we handled ourselves when we had the one-goal lead," Kreis said. "It shows that we're learning and we're improving. We finished that game off the way a good team does."
TEAM NEWS
• While RSL's tying goal was technically an own goal, it did as a result of a free kick. Other than the Dema Kovalenko penalty on May 31, it was the first RSL goal that didn't come from open play since April 26, and just the third of the year from a standard situation.
• "That was hugely important that we had a quick turnaround there, because if it had dragged on a lot longer until halftime it would have been a difficult thing to come back from mentally for the guys," Kreis said. "It's the first time that we've scored off a corner kick or free kick in awhile, and I think we need to be more dangerous on those so it was very good to see that happen tonight."
• The victory extended the RSL unbeaten streak to five games, matching the club record set twice, July 26-Aug. 19, 2006, and Sept. 30, 2006-April 14, 2007. In addition, Real extended their shutout streak to 283 minutes before the Revolution scored - a new club record, surpassing the mark of 278 minutes set a year ago.
• "I believed for a long time, and I think everybody in that locker room believed and has believed for a long time, and I think we're beginning to see the fruit from all of our work and talk. I think tonight we saw an improved team in a couple of areas."
• The game-winning goal came from Nuñez, a rookie out of California-Santa Barbara who was buried in the depth chart behind Kenny Deuchar, Robbie Findley, Fabian Espindola and Yura Movsisyan. But injuries to Espindola and Movsisyan opened up valuable playing time. When Findley went down with a mild concussion shortly before halftime, Nuñez had his chance.
• "I'm very, very happy for Tino. I thought his performance was fantastic again. He's just a guy that gets in there and works really hard and takes a lot of pride in the way he holds the ball up for the rest of the team. He did that well tonight and it was nice to see him rewarded with a goal," Kreis said.
• Nuñez was the fourth forward to find the back of the net for RSL this season. Espindola and Findley each have three goals, while Deuchar has two, his last coming May 3, eight games ago.
• "I'm getting on the end of things, and that's the most important for me. I thought it was going in and when it hits the post, you hope it bounces into the goal rather than come back out, and that's unfortunate. If I keep getting possessions and the ball keeps coming in, then that's good, and if we win the games, then it's fine," Deuchar said. "But it's when you start losing games to goals, that comes back to haunt you. If I keep getting in the possessions, then the goals will come."
