When FC Dallas play host to the Kansas City Wizards on Saturday night at Pizza Hut Park, the match will feature two teams at opposite ends of the playoff spectrum. The Hoops locked up their spot in the 2007 MLS Cup Playoffs nearly two weeks ago and are just looking to do some fine tuning heading into the postseason.
But the Wizards' postseason status is not so certain. They head into Saturday's affair with just one win in their last seven matches and need a win to guarantee a spot in the postseason (a tie can do it, but they would need help). It's the third straight year that K.C. heads into its regular season finale needing a win to extend their season, and the Wizards are seeking their first playoff berth since 2004, when they reached the MLS Cup Final.
Even though their spot in the playoffs is secure, FCD is treating this match as anything but meaningless.
"It's got a lot of meaning for us," said FCD head coach Steve Morrow. "I told the boys that we need to focus on playing well. It's an important game for us and we need to forget about any playoff scenarios and focus on preparing for the playoffs."
This year marks the second time in three seasons that the Wizards and Hoops have met in their respective regular season finales. On October 15, 2005, the sides met in Frisco in similar circumstances with K.C. needing a win to make the postseason. But the match ended in a 2-2 draw despite a valiant comeback by Kansas City and they missed the playoffs after the MetroStars won their game.
"I wouldn't say that for us, it's meaningless," said FCD midfielder Arturo Alvarez. "It's a very important game because we want to go into the playoffs knowing that we finished the season off with a win. That's really important for us. We're playing at home as well and want to get a good result at home to give our fans a good win."
FCD hasn't won a season finale since Oct. 25, 2003, when the club beat Colorado 4-3 at the Cotton Bowl. The Hoops are clearly seeking a better result than they got in their 2006 sendoff, a 5-2 loss to the Los Angeles Galaxy at The Home Depot Center that proved to be a harbinger of bad things to come for FCD as Colorado bounced them from the playoffs for the second consedcutive season.
"It's a positive for us," forward Abe Thompson said. "They're going to come in here fighting, so we can't afford to take them lightly. It will be a good test for us going into the playoffs because every team is going to be fighting just like in the postseason."
The sides met on May 12 at Arrowhead Stadium and FCD prevailed 2-1 for their first win on the Wizards' home field since 1999. Hoops goalkeeper Dario Sala made his 2007 debut after missing the first six matches while on suspension and the match also marked the debut of defensive midfielder Pablo Ricchetti for FCD.
"We've played them already this season and played well up there in Kansas," Morrow said. "This is a very different game and their focus is on getting something out of it. They will be fighting very hard for every ball and that's something that is great preparation for us heading into the playoffs. They have a couple of good players and speed up top. They also have good ball movement in the midfield and get good crosses in."
Defender Drew Moor sees the game as a playoff dress rehearsal for the host side.
"They're going to come in to win the game," he said. "They haven't been playing as well here at the end of the season as they did at the start, which means they're going to come in here fighting. We're already in the playoffs but we're looking at this as a playoff game to get our mindset right. It's extremely important that we come in and play the way we expect to play for the rest of the season."
FCD will likely get several starters back from injury. Ricchetti's groin injury looks to be healed and he could return to the midfield. In the back, center back Clarence Goodson looks healed from an injured hamstring and could also return while fellow center back Alex Yi continues to experience back spasms and will likely sit this one out.
Morrow has a decision to make in goal. Sala, the starter for much of the year, has been bothered by a lingering knee injury and missed last Thursday's match with Chivas USA. Second-year 'keeper Ray Burse started in his place in the scoreless draw and only faced one shot on frame the entire night but still played well.
After the conclusion of Saturday's game in Frisco, all eyes will be turned west to The Home Depot Center where Houston and Chivas USA meet. A Houston win means FCD will face Chivas in the first round of the playoffs while any other result will see the Hoops square off with their in-state rivals in the postseason.
Steve Hunt is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
