This Week with the Wizards - Headlines for Week of July 12th:
• Wizards Take Seven Game Unbeaten Streak on the Road This Weekend Against Dallas Burn
• Coach's Bar & Grill to Host Watch Party for Saturday's Match at 7:30 p.m. CT
• Kansas City Begins Play in U.S. Open Cup Against Atlanta Silverbacks on Tuesday, July 20th
• Sign Up for the Wizards 101 Soccer Clinic with Proceeds benefiting Newhouse Shelter
• Wizards to Host High School All-Star Games July 14th
• This Week with the Wizards
Wizards Take Seven Game Unbeaten Streak on the Road This Weekend Against Dallas Burn
The Kansas City Wizards will take their seven game-unbeaten streak on the road this weekend when they face the Dallas Burn on Saturday, July 17th at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, TX. The Western Conference battle will kickoff at 7:30 p.m. CT and will be broadcast live on HDNet. Saturday's match will mark the fourth and final meeting between the two sides this season, with still three months remaining in the MLS regular season.
The Wizards (8-4-4, 28 points) currently sit in second place in the West and just two points behind the first place Los Angeles Galaxy. Dallas (5-5-5, 20 points) is currently in fourth place, trailing the Wizards by eight points in the standings. The Wizards current seven game unbeaten streak going into Saturday's match is tied for the second longest streak in team history. The Wizards went unbeaten for 12 consecutive matches in 2000 and have reached seven games unbeaten on three occasions prior to the 2004 season.
Burn forward Jason Kreis, who scored his MLS record 89th career goal on June 26th against D.C. United enters Saturday's match trailing Wizards midfielder Preki by 21 points in the all-time MLS Scoring Charts. Preki, the League's all-time leading scorer, has 264 career points (77g, 110) while Kreis has 243 career points (90g, 63a).
Dallas goalkeeper Jeff Cassar will get another shot at the Wizards this weekend, just two weeks removed from allowing five goals to Kansas City at Arrowhead Stadium on July 3rd. This time, however, Cassar will enter the match as the reigning MLS Player of the Week after a stoppage time save of a penalty kick against San Jose last Wednesday followed by his first shutout of the season against Columbus over the weekend.
Coach's Bar & Grill to Host Watch Party for Saturday's Match at 7:30 p.m. CT
The Kansas City Wizards and Coach's Bar & Grill will host a Watch Party on Saturday, July 17th for the Wizards match against the Dallas Burn. The game will be broadcast live on HDNet beginning at 7:30 p.m. CT.
The Wizards Watch Party will take place at Coach's Bar & Grill in South Kansas City, located at 414 W. 103rd St., just off 103rd and Wornall. Remember to wear blue and cheer on your Wizards as they take on the Dallas Burn. For directions, call Coach's Bar & Grill at 816-941-2286 or log on to www.coach-s.com.
Kansas City Begins Play in U.S. Open Cup Against Atlanta Silverbacks on Tuesday, July 20th
The Kansas City Wizards will begin play in the 2004 U.S. Open Cup on Tuesday, July 20th, when they enter the prestigious tournament in the 4th round. Kansas City will face the Atlanta Silverbacks (A-League) at DeKalb Stadium in Clarkston, GA with a 6:45 p.m. CT kickoff scheduled. Atlanta advanced to the 4th round with a 3-2 win over the Carolina Dynamos (PDL) last Wednesday.
The road match on July 20th will mark the sixth time in eight years the Wizards have began play in the tournament on the road and will be the eighth road game in 11 overall matches they have played in the U.S. Open Cup since 1996. Last season, the Wizards were knocked out of the tournament in the fourth round after falling to the Colorado Rapids 3-2 in Colorado on August 8, 2003.
Dating back to 1914, the 90-year-old U.S. Open Cup is the oldest soccer cup competition in the United States and is among the oldest in the world. The tournament is open to affiliated amateur and professional teams in the United States, and is single-elimination format. Pairings, dates and kickoff times for the Quarterfinals will be announced at a later date. Log on to www.kcwizards.com or www.ussoccer.com for the latest scores and information on the 2004 U.S. Open Cup.
Sign Up for the Wizards 101 Soccer Clinic with Proceeds Benefiting Newhouse Shelter
The Kansas City Wizards will host the 5th Annual Wizards 101 Soccer Clinic for Moms and kids presented by the Midwest Dairy Council and Kohl's on Wednesday, July 14, 2004. The soccer clinic, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., will kickoff in the Pavilion at Arrowhead.
Wizards defender Nick Garcia along with Assistant Coach Brian Bliss, defenders Taylor Graham and Shavar Thomas, midfielder Jack Jewsbury and forward Matt Taylor will host the instructional soccer clinic. The cost of the clinic is $10.00 for Moms and $5.00 for kids. The cost includes dinner provided by Papa John's Pizza, '3-A-Day of Dairy' nutrition activities and milk mustache photos. All clinic proceeds benefit Newhouse Shelter for battered women and their children To sign up visit the Wizards website at www.kcwizards.com or call the Wizards office at 816-920-9300 for a registration form.</p>
Newhouse provides a 24-hour-a-day, fully-staffed, 10-week residential program for battered women and their children. Services include battered women's support groups, educational workshops, legal issues, medical care, education, job training and employment. The Newhouse mission is to break the cycle of domestic violence by providing the tools that allow women to make positive choices and lead self-sufficient lives.</p>
Wizards to Host High School All-Star Games July 14th
The Kansas City Wizards will be host the Kansas vs. Missouri Senior All-Star Games on Wednesday, July 14th at Arrowhead Stadium. The Girls All-Star game will kickoff at 5:15 p.m. CT, followed by the Boys All-Star game at 7:00 p.m. The games will feature 100 recently graduated players from 36 Kansas City area high schools with most of the All-Star players slated to appear on college rosters this upcoming Fall.
Tickets for the two All-Star games can be purchased on the day of game at Gate D2 at Arrowhead Stadium. The High School All-Star game ticket will be good for both All-Star games and can also be used for the July 24th Wizards home game against the Los Angeles Galaxy. For more information on the High School All-Star games, contact Jefferson Roblee at 816-920-4795.</p>
This Week with the Wizards:
Graham Visits North Kansas City Library
On Tuesday, July 13th, Wizards defender Taylor Graham will visit North Kansas City Public Library for a read along and autographs. Graham will be at the library at 1:30 p.m. CT. For more information call 816-221-8298. NKC Public Library is located at 2251 Howell St., NKC, MO 64116.
Wizards ACE Injury/Absence Report
Out:
M - Preki, Fractured Fibula/Dislocated Ankle (L)
F - Igor Simutenkov, Torn Achilles Tendon (L)
