A look at the big questions surrounding the Kansas City Wizards for the 2006 season and looking ahead to the 2007 campaign:
WHAT DO THE WIZARDS NEED TO DO TO REACH THE MLS CUP PLAYOFFS IN '07?
"We need to be more committed as a group, not committed as individuals," Wizards interim coach Brian Bliss said.
One of the areas where the Wizards need to improve as a group is in defending. Bliss believes that defending is an 11-man project.
"We need to make some improvements on the defensive end of the field," Bliss said. "Not goalkeeping or anything else. We need to strike to a better balance in offense and defense."
WHAT WAS THE TEAM'S BEST MOMENT IN '06?
It was as if all the planets and stars aligned for the Wizards' Sept. 9 game against Colorado at Arrowhead Stadium. It was the first home game for the club under the new ownership, which was announced on Aug. 31.
Seconds after the kickoff, the Wizards worked the ball into the Rapids' penalty area and Alex Zotinca blasted a right-footed shot at Colorado goalkeeper Joe Cannon.P
Cannon parried the shot, but the ball fell to Scott Sealy, who tapped it into the net with just more than 30 seconds played, the second-fastest goal in Wizards history.
Colorado tied the game in the 11th minute, but the Wizards picked up the pace again in the second half.
Dave van den Bergh scored in the 54th minute, his first MLS goal. Davy Arnaud added two more goals to complete the 4-1 victory.
The Wizards hit all three club giveaways during the game with the goals, earning prizes for the 12,337 fans in attendance, the third-largest crowd of the season (surpassed only by each of the final two home games).
WHO MADE THE MOST IMPROVEMENT OVER THE COURSE OF THE SEASON?
The biggest improvement came from the youngest Wizard, 19-year-old forward Yura Movsisyan, the Wizards' first pick in the 2006 MLS SuperDraft and the fourth pick overall.
"When we got home in February (from training in Florida) we put him into a couple of games," Bliss said.
But Movsisyan did not perform well. And he was not making strides in training, either. Part of the problem was attitude.
"He had difficulty in training and difficulty in reserve games," Bliss said. "But at the end of the year you could see the overall improvements in his game and improvement in attitude."
That translated into goals. Movsisyan scored five goals in eight reserve division games, but all five came in three of the final four games of the schedule.
Movsisyan's best performance was, without a doubt, the reserve division game Sept. 24 against New England. In a 5-2 victory, Movsisyan scored three goals, assisted on one and was fouled in the penalty area, leading to a penalty kick goal.
WHAT RESERVES ARE MOST READY TO MOVE INTO THE TEAM?
"It's probably a tie between Ryan Pore and Yura," Bliss said.
Pore, a forward, completed his second year with the Wizards and was once again the Wizards' top goal scorer in reserve division play.
Pore and Movsisyan, added to Josh Wolff, Eddie Johnson, Scott Sealy, Davy Arnaud and Dave van den Bergh, make the Wizards rich in players who can play forward and score goals.
"(Pore), for me, is our most pure finisher of the ball," Bliss said, "from accuracy standpoint, power standpoint and a calmness and coolness standpoint. His improvement needs to come on the fighting end. That he can improve on with work."
WHAT AREA OF THE TEAM NEEDS THE MOST IMPROVEMENT?
Bliss said the Wizards could use more speed when attacking wide.
"Usually, when you get (better players in) wide positions, you are going to have speed," Bliss said.
The Wizards also lacked a creative midfielder in the mold of a Carlos Valderrama. Still, the Wizards were slightly above the league average in goals scored.
Bliss said that having that creative, playmaking midfielder who cracks defenses with a single pass might be overrated. He pointed to Western Conference regular season champions FC Dallas as an example of a team that does not have such a player, but had success.
"But if you take (Christian) Gomez away from D.C. United, it hurts their team," Bliss said. "Maybe (the Wizards need) not somebody who is an out-and-out playmaker, but somebody who can give the final pass."
Robert Whitman is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
