The Kansas City Wizards are heading into their last three matches of the regular season on a two-game losing streak -- not exactly the way a team wants to begin their stretch run into the playoffs.
The 2-1 loss to Chivas USA in Los Angeles on Sept. 22 and a 1-0 loss to the Los Angeles Galaxy at home on Sept. 27 did nothing to raise the Wizards in the standings, but they did support the team's season-long focus of performing well as they generally outplayed their opponents, providing a foundation for Friday's vital clash with D.C. United at Arrowhead Stadium.
"We're building on what we felt were two really good performances although we didn't win. That sometimes how the ball bounces," said Wizards head coach Curt Onalfo. "We're going in confidently. We know we are playing a very, very good team in D.C. United, and we're looking to take the game to them and try and get three points at home."
Neither the lack of positive results lately nor their explosive opponent deters the Wizards' belief in their ability to gain their eighth home win in what will be the final regular season home game this year.
"We match up very well with D.C. ... If we defend and play up to our potential, I don't think there's any team that can beat us," said Jose Burciaga Jr.
Most certainly, Onalfo and the Wizards desire to get plenty out of their last three contests. Chief among that is turning strong performances into victories.
"If you look at the last couple of games, we have created very good chances, but we have not finished them off. So we want to be more precise in front of goal and continue to be better defensively," Onalfo said.
"We've possessed the ball very well; we've switched it up, and gotten at teams in transition. So we've been very unpredictable in our attack. We just have to continue with that theme, and if we can do that and get the points necessary, it makes us look good going into the playoffs."
Against the Galaxy, the Wizards passed and combined with precision and interchanged frequently while holding Landon Donovan and company to only one shot on goal. Yet they moved no closer to assuring themselves of a playoff date, actually risking their seventh place position in the postseason race. The situation brought some scoreboard watching this past weekend as the teams chasing the Wizards -- Chicago, Columbus, Colorado, and Los Angeles -- all took to the field.
"We can't worry too much about it ... we've been kind of lucky with other teams -- when we lose, they have either lost or not caught so much ground on us. We just need to close [clinching the playoffs] out," Burciaga said.
And what a relief assuring their playoff destiny would be for a club that has missed the postseason each of the past two seasons and has preached belief all year.
"Like we said all along, we want to be playing our best soccer at the end of the year. We think we're playing well, but now we have to combine playing well with getting results," said Onalfo.
But getting a positive result Friday is complicated by the suspension of team captain and center back Jimmy Conrad and midfielder Davy Arnaud, a result of red cards earned last Thursday.
"Even though we're going to miss two important keys to our team, we're going to be fine because of the depth on this team," Burciaga said.
Tyson Wahl will fill in at center back for the fourth time this season as a starter while the replacement for Arnaud will come from two or three options. Additionally, forward Scott Sealy could return to the lineup after missing the last two matches with an injured quadricep.
"Scott is questionable. I'm optimistic. It all depends on how he feels in the next two days of training, but I'm optimistic he'll be available," said Onalfo.
First-year coach Onalfo, his staff, the Wizards players, and technical director Peter Vermes have been uniform in their mindset and their mission all season, and their fate still lies in their own hands. The results must now come.
"The one thing that we are very, very pleased about is that we have a very strong style of play, and we feel that our players understand how we want them to play. ... At the end of the season when you really need results, you can't always win by sheer fight, want, and will. You have to have play -- you can motivate people and get them fired up to put heart and everything else in there, but you have to have developed play over the course of a season. We feel that we've done that," said Vermes.
Bob Rusert is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
