The Kansas City Wizards allowed the first goal of the game for the fifth consecutive match, but rallied to a win or a tie for the fourth time during that stretch, thanks in large part to 19-year-old forward Yura Movsisyan's first career multi-goal game. Kansas City came back against a first-place team for the third consecutive game, keeping itself within one point of the MLS lead. First-place New York has played one more game than the Wizards.
For the fifth straight match, the Wizards allowed the first goal. For the second straight match, New York striker Juan Pablo Angel was the culprit.
Angel converted for his 8th goal of the year in the 6th minute off a cross to the back post from former Wizards midfielder Dave van den Bergh. Angel rose over a defender and flicked the ball a full 15 yards to the back post and out of the reach of goalkeeper Kevin Hartman for the early 1-0 lead.
Kansas City nearly drew level just five minutes later when rookie midfielder Michael Harrington worked a nifty give-and-go with midfielder Carlos Marinelli on the left side of the pitch. Harrington then cut toward the center of the field and laid a ball off for forward Scott Sealy who fired just wide of the target from the top of the penalty area.
In the 15th minute, midfielder Clint Mathis, sent off in the 36th minute for elbowing Wizards midfielder Kerry Zavagnin on June 2, gave New York a two-goal lead with a sliding finish from 10 yards out.
New York completed a nice run of play up the right side of midfield. Midfielder Seth Stammler gave the ball to speedy rookie winger Dane Richards who worked into the Wizards penalty area at pace and slid a ball between two defenders. Mathis took advantage, sliding to beat Hartman to the loose ball and roll the bar into an open net.
The Wizards picked up the offensive output for the rest of the half, collecting six quality scoring opportunities to the Red Bulls one and drawing within one goal through midfielder Kerry Zavagnin just before halftime.
In the 27th minute, midfielder Davy Arnaud took a shot destined for the upper portion of the goal from 20 yards out. Goalkeeper Ronald Waterreus was there, however, to palm the ball over the bar. On the ensuing corner kick, midfielder Sasha Victorine connected with the Marinelli cross, but his header was deflected just wide of goal.
Just two minutes later, Marinelli drove a shot from 22 yards out on the left side at goal, but Waterreus again parried the ball clear to save a sure tally.
New York's last major chance of the first half came in the 32nd minute when Hartman denied van den Bergh's wide-open effort from seven yards out after Angel had flicked the ball back off the end line for the Dutch midfielder.
Kansas City forced two quality saves from Waterreus in the 33rd and 38th minutes off the feet of midfielders Sasha Victorine and Marinelli. Arnaud then fired just wide of goal off a Marinelli feed in the 41st minute.
Zavagnin then recorded the Wizards first goal of the match, taking a spectacular back heel from Marinelli and depositing the ball with his right foot into the upper portion of the goal past Waterreus who had ventured too far off his goal line. It was Zavagnin's second goal of the season and the second of his career against the New York club he spent parts of two seasons with early in his MLS career. Marinelli now has assists in three straight matches.
The Wizards kept up the intensity in the second half, nearly drawing level three minutes in. Defender Jose Luis Burciaga Jr. swung a ball into the area for Victorine who was completing a lengthy run through the midfield. Victorine settled the ball and took a shot, but it was blocked out of bounds by a Red Bulls defender.
New York generated a pair of chances in the next five minutes, first from midfielder Seth Stammler whose drive from distance in the 52nd minute was saved by a sliding Hartman. Just one minute later, Richards fed Mathis in space again at the top of the penalty area, but Mathis fired over the bar.
Kansas City nearly tied the match in the 67th minute when Marinelli's drive from 16 yards out beat Waterreus only to bang squarely off the inside of the left upright. Arnaud started the play, working down the right flank at pace and playing a diagonal ball back toward the center of the penalty area along the ground. Victorine made a great fake, stepping over the ball and drawing the attention of the Red Bull defense to leave Marinelli open in the penalty area. His left-footed drive froze Waterreus but narrowly missed tying the match.
The Wizards, however, finally got the equalizer just three minutes later through a great combination of two second-half substitutes. Defender Ryan Raybould, just on in the 69th minute, overlapped Arnaud on the right. His first-time cross found the right boot of streaking Yura Movsisyan who redirected it past Waterreus and into the far-side netting from inside the goal area. It was the second goal of the season and the career for Movsisyan.
Within ten minutes, Movsisyan had found his first-career multi goal game and given the Wizards a one-goal lead. In the 79th minute, Movsisyan was through on goal after a magnificent long ball from Victorine out of the Wizards defensive third. Movsisyan carried the ball a full 30 yards, cut inside a defender 24 yards from goal and lofted the ball with his left foot up and over Waterreus who had come out to cut off Movsisyan's angle. It was Victorine's fourth assist of the season and third in the last three games.
Kansas City nearly sealed the victory in the 83rd minute, as Marinelli found Arnaud 16 yards from goal. His right-footed effort was parried wide by Waterreus to keep New York within one.
That save became a difference maker in the 90th minute, when Angel tied the game and the MLS goal-scoring race. Second-half substitute John Wolyniec and Burciaga got tangled in the penalty area on a high ball toward the Wizards goal and a penalty kick was awarded for New York. Angel stepped to the spot and buried the ball into the lower left corner of the goal even though Hartman guessed correctly and tipped the ball slightly. Angel is now tied with Wizards striker Eddie Johnson with nine league goals. Johnson is currently unavailable for Kansas City due to national team duty.
The Wizards have little time off before their next match, traveling to face the Columbus Crew Wednesday June 20 at 6:30 p.m. CT on Metro Sports. Kansas City won the first meeting of the season 1-0 on a 90th minute goal from defender Jose Luis Burciaga Jr. May 5. Columbus tied New England 3-3 in Foxborough Saturday.
Wizards Notables:
• The United States Men's National Team also played Saturday as Bob Bradley's squad defeated Panama 2-1 to advance to the Gold Cup semifinals against Canada June 21 in Chicago.
• Kansas City and New York are now 13-13-8 all-time. Kansas City has outscored New York 48-45.
• The Wizards are 5-1-2 in their last eight matches.
• Neither team has won consecutive games in the series since 2004.
• Kansas City and New York have now both allowed 15 goals on the season. The Wizards have allowed 11 goals in the first half and four in the second half. The Red Bulls have allowed four goals in the first half and 11 in the second half.
• Each team has now scored seven goals in the final 15 minutes of matches this season.
• After Mathis' goal in the 15th minute, New York had scored four goals on their last five shots against Kansas City.
• New York had only allowed one goal at home through five games. Kansas City scored three Saturday.
• New York is now 22-0-6 all-time when Clint Mathis scores a goal.
• Yura Movsisyan's two-goal performance gives him three career MLS goals.
• Ryan Raybould recorded his second career assist on Movsisyan's 70th minute goal.
• The goal was the second-career assist for Raybould and the second career goal for Movsisyan.
• Both players entered the game as second-half substitutes.
• Juan Pablo Angel of New York became the first player to record two goals against Kansas City this season. He now has three multi-goal games to lead MLS.
• The Wizards have now faced four penalty kicks this season to lead MLS. Opponents have converted all four penalty opportunities.
• Wizards midfielder Sasha Victorine and Carlos Marinelli have each recorded one assist in the last three matches.
• Midfielder Davy Arnaud and Victorine now have four assists each. They are now in a third-place tie on the MLS assist list.
• Kansas City now has five players with three or more assists. Victorine and Arnaud have four. Marinelli, Eddie Johnson and Michael Harrington each has three.
• Arnaud is now tied with teammate Kerry Zavagnin and former forward Josh Wolff on the Wizards all-time assists list with 20 career assists.
• Zavagnin's goal was his 2nd of the season and the 7th of his career. He has now tied his career high in goals, which was set in the Wizards 2000 MLS Cup Championship season.
• Forward Scott Sealy started his first game since the season opener April 14 at D.C. United when he scored a goal and recorded an assist. Sealy played the first 55 minutes of the game.
