who minutes earlier had a shot cleared off the line -- knocked home a deflected Jack Jewsbury cross for the match-winner.
• Wizards manager Curt Onalfo made no changes to the team that defeated D.C. United to open the season.
• Here's Onalfo's team (4-3-1-2): Kevin Hartman - Jonathan Leathers, Jimmy Conrad, Tyson Wahl (Eloy Colombano 83), Michael Harrington - Jack Jewsbury, Kerry Zavagnin, Ryan Pore (Kurt Morsink 46) - Carlos Marinelli - Claudio Lopez, Ivan Trujillo (Scott Sealy 71). Substitutes Not Used: Roger Espinoza, Aaron Hohlbein, Eric Kronberg, Chance Myers
• "We kind of expected a game where there would be a lot of numbers put behind the ball. I was very happy that we scored on two set pieces, we weren't good on those last year. I was really disappointed in the fact that we gave up goals, especially the second goal off of a set piece," Onalfo said.
TEAM NEWS
• Before the season began, the Wizards made a point of saying their new home needed to be turned into a fortress. Onalfo showed commitment to the plan at the end of the Rapids game, bringing off defender Tyson Wahl and putting on forward Eloy Colombano as he went to a 3-4-3 in search of the winning goal.
• "It was risky, but in my mind, playing at home, it's worth the risk because we now have six points when we could have only had four," said Onalfo. Said Jack Jewsbury: "That's our motto. We're going to attack and go at you. What's one point when you can try to get three?"
• A year ago, the Wizards did not score a single goal off a corner kick. Two of their 32 goals came on headers from free kicks swung into the area; after two games this season, Kansas City has already matched that total.
• "We didn't score off of many set pieces last year. So to get two in one game, we could call that a borderline miracle. It's nice to be on the end of that," Conrad said. "I can't remember the last time I scored two goals ... maybe high school? Those were good days."
• In the first match, it was the pair of South American imports of Claudio Lopez and Ivan Trujillo that got the Wizards goals. While a third import - Carlos Marinelli - sent in the service that led to K.C.'s first two goals against Colorado, it was Scott Sealy who came off the bench to score the winner.
• "To come off the bench is tough, but it's a team effort. And if coming into games is what Coach [Curt Onalfo] wants me to do right now, then that's what I'm going to do," said Sealy. "I'm going to bring the energy coming off the bench, try and get my goals if I can, and help the team win." Said Onalfo: "We talked to him about how it was important for him to come in and do the things he did. I was very proud of his effort."
• After making 28 and 29 appearances in the previous two seasons, that number dropped to 18 a year ago, though Sealy was still second on the club with seven goals. But he moved down the depth chart with the addition of Lopez and Trujillo.
• "[Scott's] a good pro," said Onalfo. "Good players, when they have competition, rise to the top, and that was an indication of what he did [Saturday]." Said Sealy: "Goals do that for forwards. Goals always lift your spirits, always give you that extra confidence, and hopefully next game I continue to push and produce."
NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION
After an impressive 3-0 win to start the season, a 10-man New England Revolution went down to a heavy defeat, losing 4-0 to the Chicago Fire on MLS Primetime Thursday at Toyota Park. The Revolution are tied for third place in the Eastern Conference with three points, one of four teams in the division with a win and a loss on the season.
LAST MATCH
• It was a rematch of last year's Eastern Conference Championship. The Revolution opened their new season with an impressive 3-0 victory against Houston in a rematch of MLS Cup 2008, while the Fire got a late equalizer from Cuauhtemoc Blanco for a 1-1 road draw with Real Salt Lake.
• Just four minutes into the game, the Fire had the lead. Justin Mapp was set free down the left and picked out Chad Barrett with a rolling cross, and the fourth-year striker turned the ball home first-time.
• Then three minutes later the game turned upside down, Revolution midfielder Jeff Larentowicz shown a straight red card by referee Baldomero Toledo for a tackle on Chicago's Brandon Prideaux.
• The home side then exploded for three goals before the half was out. Barrett was able to round the Revolution on the endline, and after the Revolution were unable to clear a loose ball, Tomasz Frankowski poked home from close range for his first MLS goal (22).
• Blanco made it 3-0 when he converted a penalty kick after Sainey Nyassi tripped up Justin Mapp when the Fire winger made a surging run into the area. Then two minutes later the rout was complete, Blanco swinging a long cross-field ball to Barrett, who knocked it back into the mixer for Frankowski and he banged the ball into the net on the turn for his second on the night.
• With Steve Ralston out for a lengthy spell after suffering a shoulder injury in the win against the Dynamo, Khano Smith returned to the left of midfield after playing for Bermuda in a World Cup qualifier the weekend before, and Mauricio Castro slotted into Ralston's central midfield role.
• Here's Nicol's team (3-4-1-2): Matt Reis - Chris Albright, Michael Parkhurst, Jay Heaps - Sainey Nyassi, Shalrie Joseph, Jeff Larentowicz, Mauricio Castro - Khano Smith (Gary Flood 12) - Adam Cristman (Kheli Dube 72), Kenny Mansally (Chase Hilgenbrinck 39). Substitutes Not Used: Sam Brill, Amaechi Igwe, Rob Valentino, Doug Warren
TEAM NEWS
• Certainly, Nicol was upset by the Larentowicz sending off just seven minutes into the match. "The sending off completely spoils the game," Nicol said. "If they are going to start sending people off for things like that, there will be nobody left at the end of the season."
• But he was also concerned by the Fire's second goal, when the ball bounced around between a pair of defenders and goalkeeper Matt Reis and wasn't cleared, allowing Frankowski to poke it home.
• "The second goal was a poor goal. It was just poor decision making. Even though we were one-nil down and 10 men, we still think we have a decent team. The second goal was just a very bad goal to give up. It really put us up against it."
• After a stunning goal to close out his first MLS start, Sainey Nyassi conceded a penalty in his second, tripping up Justin Mapp midway through the first half.
• "I think he did a lot of good things," Nicol said of his young midfielder. "Young players will always make mistakes but they learn from experience. The penalty was unlucky."
• After the third goal, Chase Hilgenbrinck was brought on for his MLS debut, replacing striker Kenny Mansally. After the sending off some 20 minutes earlier, Nicol brought on wide midfielder Gary Flood in place of Khano Smith.
• "You're always learning. I think next time if we have a similar situation arises, I think we'll change it [the defense] a bit quicker," Nicol said. "So, we've learned something tonight. We still had intentions of saving the situation and probably should have just consolidated a bit more rather than straight away trying to save the situation."
• With the wind in the second half, the Revolution had two shots on goal after the break. The Fire rarely threatened. "We didn't want to give up any more goals, to stop the bleeding. Then we wanted to get one or two back off set pieces, and we were pretty close," Michael Parkhurst said. " ... We kept them out the second half, we got forward a little bit. We'll take that out of it. But hopefully that game Wednesday will come real quick because we still have a lot to prove."
• After Larentowicz was suspended, things didn't get better for him the following day. In a 3-0 reserve loss to the Chicago reserves, he was forced off injured after just 39 minutes. He is listed as probable with a right ankle sprain.
