NEW YORK RED BULLS v KANSAS CITY WIZARDS
GIANTS STADIUM, E. Rutherford, N.J.
6:30 p.m. ET (MetroSports)
June 16, 2007 (WEEK 11) / MLS Game #68
It's another top-of-the-table clash in the Eastern Conference as the New York Red Bulls and Kansas City Wizards - separated by just a point - meet for the second time in three weekends at Giants Stadium. The Wizards haven't played since that last meeting, a 3-2 win at Arrowhead Stadium highlighted by Eddie Johnson's second consecutive hat trick, an MLS record. The Red Bulls continued their week-long road trip from there, coming from behind for a 2-1 win at Toronto FC before falling 4-2 last weekend at D.C. United to yet another hat trick, this one from D.C.'s Ben Olsen.
REFEREE: Abbey Okulaja. SAR (bench): Adam Wienckowski; JAR (opposite): Peter Balciunas; 4th: Jorge Gonzalez
MLS Career: 61 games; FC/gm: 30.4; Y/gm: 3.6; R: 5; pens: 17
Games involving Red Bulls: P14 W8 L1 T5; FC/gm: 31.2; Y/gm: 3.4; R: 1; pens: 7
Games involving Wizards: P12 W3 L4 T5; FC/gm: 30.0; Y/gm: 3.1; R: 2; pens: 2
INJURY REPORT: NEW YORK RED BULLS - OUT: DF Hunter Freeman (L ankle sprain); FW Mike Magee (R knee surgery recovery); PROBABLE: DF Todd Dunivant (R quadriceps strain); DF Jeff Parke (L hamstring tightness) ... KANSAS CITY WIZARDS - OUT: DF Matt Groenwald (blood clots); MF Ryan McMahen (torn ACL); QUESTIONABLE: FW Ryan Pore (quadricep strain), MF Sasha Victorine (MCL sprain); PROBABLE: DF Jose Burciaga (shoulder sprain); DF Jimmy Conrad (hamstring strain); DF Nick Garcia (abdominal strain); FW Scott Sealy (ankle sprain); MF Kerry Zavagnin (adductor strain)
SUSPENDED: none
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: none
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: NY: Jozy Altidore ... KC: Jose Burciaga Jr., Kerry Zavagnin
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: KC: Eddie Johnson (USA; CONCACAF Gold Cup)
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (33 meetings): Red Bulls 13 wins (2 shootout), 42 goals ... Wizards 13 wins (2 shootout), 45 goals ... Draws 7
AT NEW YORK: (14 meetings): Red Bulls 7 wins (1 shootout), 21 goals ... Wizards 2 wins (0 shootout), 14 goals ... Draws 5
• This is the second of three meetings between the teams this season, the first of two at Giants Stadium - and for the Wizards, the back end of a home-and-home series. The Red Bulls have played twice since their June 2 meeting in Kansas City; the season series concludes Oct. 13 at the Meadowlands.
• A year ago, the Red Bulls won the season series, winning both games at Giants Stadium while playing to draws in both games at Arrowhead Stadium. The teams met on the final day of the season with the winner securing a place in the MLS Cup Playoffs; New York claimed the fourth spot from the Eastern Conference behind an Amado Guevara hat trick.
• The Wizards victory in the first meeting this year was their first in the series in seven matches. Their last previous home win had come on May 25, 2005.
• The Wizards haven't won in East Rutherford since April 19, 2000, a span of nine matches. Since that 2-1 K.C. win, the New York team has won four matches, with five played to draws.
• Coaches record: Bruce Arena v KC: P11 W4 L6 D1 ... Curt Onalfo vs. NY: P1 W1 L0 D0
LAST MEETING
6/2: KC 3, NY 2 (Johnson 46, 59, 85 - Angel 8; Kovalenko 88)
• On June 2 at Arrowhead Stadium, Eddie Johnson hit for a record-making hat trick as the Wizards claimed a 3-2 victory.
• The Red Bulls took an early lead, thanks once again to Colombian striker Juan Pablo Angel. Claudio Reyna flighted in a cross from the right side, and John Wolyniec flicked it on with a header. Angel came sliding in from behind and volleyed it home for his fourth league goal and fifth in all competitions since joining the Red Bulls in early May.
• But the game changed in the 35th minute. Hassled in midfield by Kerry Zavagnin, Clint Mathis threw out his elbow trying to hold off the Kansas City defender, and referee Jair Marrufo immediately sent him off.
• With the man advantage, the Wizards leveled the score almost immediately after the break. Michael Harrington dropped a ball in behind the Red Bulls defense and Johnson caught up with it first, looping a shot over New York 'keeper Jon Conway. Johnson then doubled the advantage in the 59th minute, after he calmly side-footed home a low, driven cross by Jose Burciaga Jr. from the left flank.
• The seventh-year striker cemented his place in history in the 85th minute. On the counter, Sasha Victorine came forward before releasing Johnson between defenders with a classic through ball, and Johnson banged it home. It also gave him the league lead with nine goals on the campaign.
• The Red Bulls still had some fight left, pulling a goal back just three minutes later. A clearance from a ball lofted into the area came out to Dema Kovalenko, and his long-range effort through the crowded goalmouth found its way into the back of the net, but New York couldn't find their way all the way back.
• Here's Onalfo's team (4-4-1-1): Kevin Hartman - Jack Jewsbury, Jimmy Conrad, Nick Garcia, Jose Burciaga Jr. (Scott Sealy 72) - Davy Arnaud, Kerry Zavagnin, Sasha Victorine, Michael Harrington - Carlos Marinelli (Kurt Morsink 83) - Eddie Johnson. Substitutes Not Used: Aaron Hohlbein, Eric Kronberg, Ryan Pore, Ryan Raybould, Tyson Wahl
• Here's Arena's team (4-4-2): Jon Conway - Dema Kovalenko, Carlos Mendes, Jeff Parke (Taylor Graham 46), Seth Stammler (Jozy Altidore 81) - Dane Richards, Claudio Reyna, Clint Mathis, Dave van den Bergh - John Wolyniec (Sinisa Ubiparipovic 55), Juan Pablo Angel. Substitutes Not Used: Sal Caccavale, Danny Cepero, Tim Regan, Markus Schopp
NEW YORK RED BULLS
The New York Red Bulls lost for the third time in the last four games, concluding their week-long road run with a 4-2 loss to D.C. United at RFK Stadium. The Red Bulls still sit atop the Eastern Conference with 20 points from 11 matches, a point ahead of the Kansas City Wizards and two ahead of the New England Revolution.
LAST MATCH
• D.C. United had seen their three-game winning run come to an end, but still kept a clean sheet for the first time on the campaign, with a scoreless draw against the Los Angeles Galaxy the week before. The Red Bulls were in the last match of a three-game, eight-day road swing, having come back to defeat Toronto FC at midweek.
• The teams traded goals three minutes apart in the early going. Josh Gros flighted in a cross from the left flank and Olsen slipped in at the back post before diving to head home to give United a 15th-minute lead. But Dema Kovalenko latched onto the ball some 25 yards straight out from goal and hammered home a dipping drive to pull the Red Bulls level.
• Four minutes after the break, Luciano Emilio put United ahead. Fellow Brazilian Fred put Emilio in behind the drawn-up New York back line, and he raced into the area before slotting home the go-ahead goal.
• United went a man down in the 60th minute when center back Bobby Boswell was sent for a second bookable offense, but Olsen took over the match. First, in the 72nd minute, he came haring up the right side to get onto the end of a flowing move that started on the United left, cutting back around a defender in the area before bouncing a shot past Red Bulls 'keeper Ronald Waterreus.
• Then in the 84th minute, he took a pass well out from goal and struck a wicked blast that sailed into the upper right corner for his first professional hat trick. It came on the heels of back-to-back hat tricks by Kansas City's Eddie Johnson on May 26 and June 2.
• Juan Pablo Angel finished off the scoring with a cool finish from close range from a cross that was flicked on by Jozy Altidore. For Angel, it was his seventh goal in the last five games, and his five-game goal-scoring streak is two away from the MLS record.
• Red Bulls manager Bruce Arena made two changes to the team that came back to defeat Toronto FC 2-1 at midweek. Ronald Waterreus made his first start after missing five games to injury, coming in for Jon Conway, while Clint Mathis returned from suspension, coming back in for Jozy Altidore.
• Here's Arena's team (4-4-1-1): Ronald Waterreus - Markus Schopp (Jeff Parke 66), Taylor Graham (Sinisa Ubiparipovic 73), Carlos Mendes, Seth Stammler - Dane Richards, Dema Kovalenko, Claudio Reyna, Dave van den Bergh (Jozy Altidore 57) - Clint Mathis - Juan Pablo Angel. Substitutes Not Used: Sal Caccavale, Jon Conway, Tim Regan, John Wolyniec
TEAM NEWS
• The game concluded a three-game road swing for the Red Bulls that started with the 3-2 loss to the Wizards in Kansas City, then saw a 2-1 come-from-behind win against Toronto FC at BMO Field, and finished with the heavy reversal in D.C.
• "I think it was a poor performance on our part. Maybe fatigue played a role maybe not. Whoever knows with these things. We looked like a tired team early in the second half. But, give D.C. United credit, they played well," Arena said.
• After playing with a 4-4-2 with Jozy Altidore partnering Juan Pablo Angel in attack, Arena brought back Clint Mathis playing as an underneath forward. "I thought Jozy did well. Maybe it was a mistake not starting him. If I had to do it over again, I probably would have started Jozy ahead of (Clint) Mathis."
• In addition, Arena brought back goalkeeper Ronald Waterreus, a decision he was second-guessing. "Maybe that's a mistake on my part by bringing him back too early. He has to get back in and that's the problem we have with a lot of players right now," Arena said. "We are trying to bring them in and put players back on the field. They're not in their best form and it shows. So, we are going to struggle for a couple of games until we get players back and obviously our back line is very disjointed with the injuries we have."
• Angel extended his goalscoring streak to five games, but it took until very late in the match to hit for his seventh goal over that time. The streak is two away from the league record held by Raul Diaz Arce (DC, 1997), Wolde Harris (NE, 2000) and Carlos Ruiz (DAL, 2006); a six-game streak has been accomplished 10 times.
• "I didn't feel comfortable today in general. I think in general the team didn't feel comfortable during the course of the game. We didn't pass the ball as well as we normally do. We weren't creative at all and we made mistakes at the end that they took," said Angel. "It's difficult to come back when you concede that many goals away from home, but we have to keep working and keep going."
• Said Claudio Reyna: "We were trying to get Clint [Mathis] a little closer to him. They did a good job. It was quite difficult to find him in the right spots. He still scored a goal for us and was dangerous and creative for us. We got a lot of crosses in in the first half, especially from Dane Richards, but they marked him really well. They were aggressive. They have been watching him play so they knew to be all over him."
• After allowing just four goals over their first eight games, the Red Bulls have now conceded 11 goals in their last four. They've also lost three of their last four after losing just once in those opening eight contests.
• "We need to get back to the basics. I think we made some little mistakes around the field both offensively and defensively. Defensively, we lost runners at times. We lost the ball too easily, going forward," Reyna said. "We need to improve as a team. We have bounced back before from a tough defeat against Kansas City, at Toronto. We have the experience and the quality. We're not a bad team overnight. We still feel like we have the ability. We just have to play better, that's all."
KANSAS CITY WIZARDS
The Kansas City Wizards return to action for the first time since their June 2 home win against the Red Bulls, a 3-2 victory. The Wizards have 19 points from nine matches and took over the lead in the Eastern Conference with that win, but the Red Bulls have since nosed back in front in the division by a point.
TEAM NEWS
• Wizards head coach Curt Onalfo once again had nearly his entire first-choice lineup to call upon. Jimmy Conrad and Nick Garcia returned from injury to form the central defense partnership, in place of Aaron Hohlbein and Tyson Wahl. Jose Burciaga Jr. returned to complete the back four at left back and Carlos Marinelli made his first start since April 28, as Kurt Morsink and Ryan Pore returned to the substitutes' bench.
• "We talked it at halftime that a big key to the game is to be patient," said Onalfo. "To our guys' credit, we didn't get flustered and kept plugging away. We knew with the one-man advantage we didn't want to take the foot off the gas, and that's what we did."
• Onalfo will certainly have to roll out a different team in the rematch at the Meadowlands, with Eddie Johnson away on national team duty for the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
• "Eddie has had a great attitude. He has done well keeping his head and just focusing on the things that matter which are being dangerous and getting shots to the net. He is playing with a huge amount of confidence right now. Eddie is playing his best right now and will be hard to stop if he keeps it up," Onalfo said.
• All three goals were nearly identical as the Wizards went racing in behind the Red Bulls back line. "We wanted to hold the ball up in the midfield to give the forwards time to run. We knew if we made lots of runs they would have to cover us. That would spread them out and create big holes to pass through," said Sasha Victorine. "I think that Eddie did a great job finishing again tonight and his runs gave us great lanes to get him the ball."
• Said Kerry Zavagnin: "You have to take what the other team gives you. They are a team that plays a very high line and like to get numbers around the ball. With the speed that we have, it's in our benefit to get our forwards running at the goal. It was great for us that they stepped up so high because we had multiple opportunities to get behind them."
• It was a second consecutive victory against a team atop the Eastern Conference for the Wizards, the gauntlet beginning with a 3-2 victory against the New England Revolution in Foxborough. It now continues with the return trip to East Rutherford with the Red Bulls once again atop the division.
• "We need to keep things in perspective," said Wizards' goalkeeper Kevin Hartman. "They played the majority of the game tonight with 10 men. We have to make sure we're excited about the win and excited about the result, but at the same time we have to make sure that we understand they definitely didn't play the match at full strength."
• The first of the games was won without starting defenders Nick Garcia, Jimmy Conrad and Jose Burciaga Jr., though all three returned for the Red Bulls match.
• "I played 90 minutes for the first time in three weeks so that was a bit of adjustment, but our team needed us (the defenders) and we got a good result," Garcia said. " ... It was a huge boost of confidence we wanted to end on a good note against a great team. The challenge for us was to come out strong against a good team. We accomplished the mental goals we came out and did what we needed to get a win."
