The Kansas City Wizards and Colorado Rapids played an intense, 2-2 draw Sunday in a game mired by eight cautions and one ejection. Star forward Eddie Johnson scored two first-half goals for the Wizards sandwiched around a Jovan Kirovski penalty kick.
Colorado came out of the chute beginning in the 7th minute when Nico Hernandez let fly with a right-footed shot from 23 yards out. The Argentinean collected a cleared corner kick and immediately shot toward goalkeeper Kevin Hartman's goal only to see the ball sail high and wide of the mark.
In the 12th minute, Colorado forward Herculez Gomez showed off some footwork inside the Wizards penalty area, beating a defender and then firing just high and wide of the upper right corner.
Gomez nearly caused problems again in the 21st minute when he took a quick throw in to a streaking Kirovski. Kirovski had gotten behind the last two defenders, but his right-footed shot from close range was smothered by a sprawling Kevin Hartman to keep the game level 0-0.
Kansas City jumped on top in the 24th minute through MLS leading goal scorer Eddie Johnson and brilliant passing up the right flank. Midfielder Sasha Victorine began the play, sending a first-touch pass into space for forward Davy Arnaud. Arnaud touched the ball around a defender and played a low, right-footed cross into the penalty area for streaking Johnson with his next touch. Johnson, after cutting inside his defender put the ball away inside the near post on the first touch to give him 11 on the season and the Wizards a 1-0 lead.
The Wizards nearly doubled the lead in the 29th minute when rookie winger Michael Harrington worked a nifty give-and-go with Arnaud and found himself open along the right flank. Harrington carried the ball 20 yards then sent a low ball into the penalty area in the direction of Victorine and attacking midfielder Carlos Marinelli. Victorine stepped over the ball, allowing Marinelli to take his chance, but the Argentinean playmaker could not reach the hard-hit cross and the ball rolled toward the corner flag without troubling Colorado goalkeeper Bouna Coundoul.
Colorado drew even in the 42nd minute after a penalty kick called in the 39th minute on Wizards captain Jimmy Conrad. Gomez and Conrad were racing toward a long ball that Hartman scooped up cleanly. Referee Tim Weyland called Conrad for pushing Gomez in the penalty area and awarded the fifth penalty kick against the Wizards this season.
Kirovski stepped up and sent the ball directly down the middle past a diving Hartman for his 3rd goal of the season. Two of his three have come on penalty kicks against the Wizards.
Kansas City wasted no time getting back on the scoresheet, however, as Johnson collected his 2nd goal of the night just one minute later. Holding midfielder Kerry Zavagnin intercepted the ball in the middle third of the field and played a ball ahead for Arnaud. Arnaud then beat two defenders into the penalty area and fired a left-footed shot from 12 yards out that beat Coundoul only to hit the right post. Johnson, who had completed a run into the middle of the pitch, was in the correct place and tapped home the rebound for his 12th goal of the season.
Johnson is now tied for the league lead in multi-goal games (3) on the season and has already equaled his previous career high of 12 goals in 2004 with the then Dallas Burn. He leads MLS in goal scoring the year ahead of D.C. United's Luciano Emilio (10) and New York's Juan Pablo Angel (9).
The Wizards nearly doubled the lead in the 46+ minute through quick passing by Arnaud, Johnson and Victorine. Arnaud spun a ball to the right flank for Johnson who one-touched it back toward the middle for Victorine who was running the channels. Victorine brought the ball down and took a right-footed shot from the top of the penalty area that was pushed wide by Coundoul.
Colorado had one more chance in the opening half, as Jose Cancela took a free kick in the 49+ minute. Cancela's effort found the head of Kirovski who directed it toward the back post. Hartman dove to palm the ball wide and defender Jack Jewsbury cleared it out of danger.
The Rapids had the first scoring opportunity of the second half, as Cancela took a right-footed free kick from 25 yards out that Hartman easily covered while moving to his left along the goal line.
Johnson nearly recorded his third hat trick of the season in the 59th minute as Marinelli threaded a through ball ahead for the speedy striker. Johnson completed the play, beating Coundoul on the breakaway with his right foot, but the play was flagged for offside.
The game was swung back in Colorado's favor in the 67th minute after Burciaga was ejected for violent conduct.
Colorado picked up the intensity slightly after the play and gained the equalizer in the 77th minute off a well-taken Terry Cooke corner kick. After the Wizards cleared away the first Colorado corner, the Rapids converted on the second. Cooke played an in-swinging ball to the near post that defender Facundo Erpen rose and redirected toward the back post with his head. Hartman had come out to try and clear the initial ball and could not stop Erpen's first goal of the season.
Colorado then had two long-range chances in the subsequent five minutes. First in the 78th minute, Cancela fired wide left off a diagonal Cooke pass to the top of the penalty area. Then in the 82nd minute, Ballouchy missed wide left off a Kirovski back pass.
Arnaud had the final two chances to deliver Kansas City three points in the closing minutes. In the 87th, Arnaud intercepted a Colorado clearance in the middle of the pitch. He worked around two defenders before lining up a right-footed shot that went just wide of the left post.
Then in second half stoppage time, Arnaud took a well-timed pass at the top of the arc from rookie midfielder Kurt Morsink. Arnaud then beat two defenders with neat footwork in the penalty area, but his left-footed, breakaway shot was saved by Coundoul.
Kansas City next plays Sunday, July 29 against Chivas USA at 6 p.m. CT at Arrowhead Stadium. The game marks the return of Kansas City's all-time leading goal and assist man Preki, who is currently the head coach of Chivas USA.
Complete box score >
Notables:
• Following the match, Kansas City sits 7-5-5 (27 pts.) in 3rd place in the competitive Eastern Conference, just one point behind leaders New England Revolution and New York Red Bulls. New England tied Houston Dynamo Sunday 3-3 while New York defeated D.C. United 1-0.
•Kansas City is now 4-3-2 at home and 5-0-3 when scoring the first goal and 4-0-2 when leading at the half.
Kansas City is now 1-2-3 versus the Western Conference.
•Colorado right back Brandon Prideaux returned to Kansas City to face the squad he spent three seasons with. Prideaux played in 69 games for the Wizards, contributing two assists and solid defensive play.
•Kansas City is now 12-24-2 all-time on Sundays. The Wizards have scored 53 goals and allowed 75 all-time.
•The Wizards last win on a Sunday came against the same Colorado Rapids on August 19, 2001. Kansas City beat the Rapids 3-2 that day at Arrowhead Stadium.
•The Wizards are now 18-15-8 all time vs. Colorado and 14-3-3 against the club at home. In the series they have given up 56 goals (21 at home) while scoring 74 (48 at home).
•The Wizards and Colorado have tied twice this year 1-1 on May 19 and 2-2 tonight.
•Eddie Johnson has scored at least one goal in four straight games (three goals on May 26, three goals on June 2, one goal on July 14, and two tonight). He also has had either a goal or an assist in the last five games. He has nine goals and one assist during his streak.
•Johnson has a league-leading 12 goals in 11 games (1.09 GPG).
•The Wizards are now 6-0-1 when Johnson scores and 7-2-2 when he starts (2.09 points per game).
•With assists tonight on Johnson's first goal, Arnaud and Victorine are now tied for the team lead with five apiece. They are now also tied for 5th in MLS.
•Kirovski's goal was his second penalty kick goal of the season against the Wizards. Kansas City has surrendered a league-high five penalty kicks in 2007.
•Over 200 teddy bears were raised at tonight's game for Children's Mercy Hospital. The Cauldron members showed their creativity by designing bears after the Wizards players at Build-A-Bear. The Kansas City Wizards Players' Wives Club sponsored the drive and will deliver the bears in the next week to children and Children's Mercy.
•Next week's match vs. Chivas USA will be at 6 p.m. CT and will be broadcasted on Metro Sports.
•Midfielder Sasha Victorine left at halftime with an injured clavicle after receiving an elbow from Colorado's Mehdi Ballouchy in first-half stoppage time. Ballouchy was shown a yellow on the play.
•The Wizards and Rapids Reserves play tomorrow at 10 a.m. CT at the Kansas City Wizards new Swope Park Training Facility. The game is open to the public.
