to be more particular, a mystery-thriller, one in which the Wizards proved to be ultimately triumphant.
The preseason saw a new coaching staff, led by head coach Curt Onalfo, take the helm by introducing a free-flowing, attacking style to the team. The young staff, filled out by MLS veterans Chris Henderson and Kris Kelderman and goalkeeper/fitness coach Dave Tenney, invigorated the squad with their exuberance and supportive environment. Confidence spread quickly throughout the players. A goal to reach the playoffs after a two-year absence was set as the first full season under the ownership of OnGoal, LLC began.
And what a beginning. Using high pressure to force host D.C. United into mistakes and their speed-heavy lineup to immediately capitalize, the Wizards won a 4-2 victory against a United team that eventually ended as the Supporters' Shield winners.
"To beat what everyone was calling the favorite to win the league [was terrific]. Starting with a new organization with an attacking mentality and winning 4-2 on the road was a big deal," Onalfo said. "I kept telling these guys that we're a good team, we're going to play a certain way, and we know how to beat D.C. United, so let's go and do it."
From then until June 2, Kansas City rose up the Eastern Conference table through nine goals from resurgent forward Eddie Johnson, the addition of Argentinean attacking midfielder Carlos Marinelli and a solid supporting cast. Through the opening third of the season, the Wizards thrilled fans and observers alike in recording six wins, two draws and only two losses, good enough for second place in the East.
From there, the plot mysteriously flattened. Johnson and captain and defensive leader Jimmy Conrad left for international duty, and when they returned little could be done. A summer swoon set in and the Wizards created only two more wins through August 21. A drop to fourth place accompanied. The attack averaged only a goal per match in the 10-game stretch, allowing 14.
"We were playing really well; we just weren't getting the results. So all of a sudden, what you were confident about and how you were playing changes because you have no results to back it up. Your confidence wavers a little bit ...," said Conrad. "'How are we going to win now if we play the best we can and still don't get results?' Not too long after that, we just weren't playing well."
The Wizards 3-2 victory on Aug. 22, against conference rival Chicago, was met with relief as it staved off a drop out of playoff contention. But little more followed as the Wizards continued to leak goals, many on set pieces.
The crucial stretch run of eight games saw K.C. allow 14 goals and resulted in a sole win, but it was a critical one. After losing a 1-0 lead against the visiting Columbus Crew on Sept. 15, the Wizards stormed back to tie through a Johnson penalty conversion, his 15th and last goal of the season. Then, nary a minute later, forward Scott Sealy completed the comeback with a classic header. It was a landmark win and only the third time in MLS history that a team won after trailing at the 90th minute.
"It was a crucial game; we needed points. ... We squandered a lead, and then we found a way. It showed our resilience, that we never give up, that we have enormous character. That's indicative of the owners all the way down to the technical director and coaching staff and into the players," said Onalfo.
Still, the Wizards would endure a repeat of the past two seasons -- having to win in their last regular season game to assure a spot in the playoffs.
Any good story, though, has a worthwhile ending. A bold stand at Pizza Hut Park against FC Dallas resulted in a 2-0 win and a fulfillment of the season-long goal -- a playoff berth. Strangely enough, a twist came with the win -- as the fifth team in the Eastern Conference to qualify, the Wizards would cross over to be the fourth seed in the Western Conference bracket.
Despite their sub-.500 record, mirrored by scoring 45 goals and allowing 45 goals during the regular season, the Wizards had a chance to have the ending all 13 MLS teams dream of -- an MLS Cup title. Facing an injury-riddled Chivas USA, the No. 1 seed in the West, in the conference semifinals, the Wizards took advantage with a 1-0 win at Arrowhead Stadium through a Davy Arnaud set-piece goal and held on in the second leg, recording another shutout in a 0-0 draw for an upset series win.
Kansas City was now on the brink of the club's third MLS Cup appearance. But defending champion Houston Dynamo blocked the road, scoring first off a corner kick, and eliminated the Wizards with a 2-0 victory at Dynamo's Robertson Stadium. Being eliminated just one step from the title match is always tough, but the Wizards had vaulted over many past hindrances.
"It was an extremely successful season. ... Anytime you inherit a team that hadn't made the playoffs and then you make the playoffs, that's a success," said Onalfo. "If you look at the teams that didn't make the playoffs last year, we were the only team that did."
And the triumphs bode well for the future. "We've positioned ourselves -- by creating a very good environment -- to be successful for future years," Onalfo said. "It was a success. One of the final four teams is a great accomplishment in the first year."
The season was a good one, but the story left a longing for more and a few loose ends.
Can Eddie Johnson return to the form he showed in the first half of the season -- despite finishing fourth in the league in goals and winning MLS Comeback Player of the Year honors, just five came after the All-Star break. Is the team defense the one that packed away opponents with three shutouts at crunch time or the one that allowed 1.5 goals per game during the regular season?
"The positive of everything is we showed what we can do, and now it's just a matter of once teams have adjusted to us, can we re-adjust and still play the way we want to play?" Conrad said.
Off the field, the Wizards are preparing to enter a new home for the next two seasons as the political process churns towards a hopeful approval of Lane4 Property Group's proposal for a permanent Wizards' home in South Kansas City, Mo. CommunityAmerica Ballpark, across the state line in Kansas. will undergo temporary modification to hold close to 10,000 fans in what will be a much more intimate atmosphere for home games than 78,000-seat Arrowhead.
"It creates a buzz because there is going to be a lack of tickets for people who want to come to our games. That's going to make our game more of a destination ..." said Conrad. "When you play in an environment like that, you know that everybody's behind you and they are going to boo and heckle the other team like we just faced in Houston. It makes a big difference. We're all very, very excited as players, and coaches too, to play in that [intimate atmosphere]."
The offseason ahead for Kansas City should be an interesting one.
Bob Rusert is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
