just the second time in MLS history that had happened -- as Richie Williams was still in charge of the Red Bulls until after the All-Star break, while Brian Bliss was in his first game in charge of the Wizards after the midweek resignation of Bob Gansler, the longest-tenured head coach in MLS history.
The game's lone goal came in the 25th minute. Marvell Wynne sent Seth Stammler free on the right flank, and drove in a rolling cross where Mike Magee got it ahead of a defender to stab it home inside the near post. It was the third consecutive victory by shutout for New York -- the first time that's happened since the inaugural season of 1996 -- and for the Wizards, a seventh consecutive loss.
Here's Bliss's team (4-4-2): Bo Oshoniyi - Alex Zotinca, Jimmy Conrad, Nick Garcia, Jose Burciaga Jr. (Scott Sealy 77) - Davy Arnaud, Kerry Zavagnin, Sasha Victorine, Dave van den Bergh (Jack Jewsbury 61) - Eddie Johnson, Josh Wolff (Ryan Pore 72). [Substitutes Not Used: Will Hesmer, Stephen Shirley, Shavar Thomas, Lance Watson]
Here Williams' team (4-3-1-2): Jon Conway - Marvell Wynne, Carlos Mendes, Jeff Parke, Todd Dunivant - Seth Stammler, Danny O'Rourke, Chris Henderson (Jerrod Laventure 72) - Amado Guevara - Mike Magee, Edson Buddle (Steve Jolley 90). [Substitutes Not Used: Josmer Altidore, Michael Behonick, Taylor Graham, Elie Ikangu, Joe Vide]KANSAS CITY WIZARDS
The Kansas City Wizards won for the second time in four matches, returning home for a 1-0 victory against FC Dallas on Sunday evening at Arrowhead Stadium. The Wizards are now in fourth place in the Eastern Conference with 29 points from 25 matches, two points behind the second-place tie between the Chicago Fire and New England Revolution and a point ahead of the New York Red Bulls.
LAST MATCH
The Wizards had won just once since June 17 - a span of 13 games in all competitions - while FC Dallas came in riding a two-game losing streak following a four-match winning run.
The Wizards hit for the game's lone goal in the 62th minute through a well-worked goal. Sasha Victorine's angled pass from the left was left to run by Eddie Johnson, and Scott Sealy ran onto it in the box before cracking a shot past FC Dallas 'keeper Dario Sala.
Wizards 'keeper Bo Oshoniyi was called upon to make two fine saves in the dying minutes, including on a point-blank effort from Arturo Alvarez, as the Hoops went scoreless for the third match running in league play.
Wizards interim head coach Brian Bliss made no changes to the team that held on for a 1-1 draw with Chivas USA at The Home Depot Center the previous weekend.
Here's Bliss's team (4-2-1-3): Bo Oshoniyi - Matt Groenwald, Nick Garcia, Shavar Thomas, Jose Burciaga Jr. - Kerry Zavagnin, Sasha Victorine - Davy Arnaud - Scott Sealy (Ryan Pore 78), Eddie Johnson (Jack Jewsbury 94+) Dave van den Bergh. [Substitutes Not Used: Will Hesmer, Yura Movsisyan, Sergei Raad, Brian Roberts, Stephen Shirley]
We need to make the best out of our remaining home games, and away games, but most importantly the home games, Bliss said. "We needed to keep up the pace to stay with the other teams, and we needed to win tonight."TEAM NEWS
With the victory, the Wizards played the first of their final eight games of the season. In the final eight games of last season, the Wizards accumulated only four points on four draws and no victories. The victory against FC Dallas gave Kansas City a big boost toward exceeding that point total in their final eight games this season.
"Tonight we finally got the result. That's the one thing that has been missing is the actual getting points and getting wins," goalkeeper Bo Oshoniyi said. "Whether we haven't been able to score goals or giving up goals late, it's just been a combination that we just haven't been able to get results."
The Wizards also have three shutouts now in their last five matches. "(Goalkeeper) Bo (Oshoniyi) came up big for us. He has been big for us all year," Wizards defender Jose Burciaga Jr. said. "Sometimes we need him to make saves and he did tonight. To me, I think he was our man of match hands down. They had a couple of chances where they could have had easy goals. Bo just did what Bo does all the time."
But the Wizards back line also shut down the dangerous FCD attack duo of Carlos Ruiz and Kenny Cooper, keeping them each to just one shot on goal.
"The whole back line played well. There is an urgency to get the ball, an urgency to clear balls, and an urgency to find guys and lock guys up when services are coming into the box. Whether guys are more committed now than before, it's tough to say, but they are doing a better job of it," Bliss said. "It's kind of disappointing that we did let some chances in at the end of the game where we fell asleep on a guy or two and let them get in on us. Bo [Oshoniyi] was there to rescue a couple plays that went awry for us."
The Wizards are undefeated at home (2-0-1) since Bliss became interim coach. They have four of their final seven games at home.
It was a fourth consecutive game where Bliss has run out his three-pronged attack of Sealy, Johnson and van den Bergh, with Arnaud underneath in an attacking midfield role. The Wizards have won two of those games, with one draw.
"All season we have been flip-flopping the forward and midfield lines which is tough to get the right combination of guys. With Josh Wolff out, we have been able to get a steady three guys in the attack as forwards," Sealy said. "It is working out and tonight they were able to find me for the goal. It's all about playing together and forming a relationship."NEW YORK RED BULLS
The New York Red Bulls gave Bruce Arena his first victory since taking over the club, thrashing Real Salt Lake 6-0 at Giants Stadium on Saturday evening. The Red Bulls are still in fifth place in the Eastern Conference with 28 points from 23 matches, a point behind the Kansas City Wizards, three out of second place and now five points ahead of sixth-place Columbus Crew.
LAST MATCH
The Red Bulls had a tie and two losses in Bruce Arena's first three official matches in charge, while Real Salt Lake came in on a four-game winning streak, the longest in club history.
But the match turned quickly: RSL defender Jack Stewart was sent off after just eight minutes when he took down John Wolyniec from behind.
Red Bulls striker Edson Buddle, who did not start, having not scored since July 1, came on at halftime as the match was still scoreless, despite New York's man advantage. But he took just 27 minutes to put the game away with his second career hat trick.
The sixth-year striker - who scored four goals in a game against the then-MetroStars on Sept. 18, 2004 - brought the deadlock when he got onto the end of an early cross from the left and chipped a shot over RSL 'keeper Jay Nolly and just over the line from the right corner of the six-yard box.
Then seven minutes later Buddle headed home a cross from Marvell Wynne on the right from the penalty spot, then in the 72th minute, he picked up low, deflected centering pass and spun to his left foot before driving him a low shot inside the far corner.
That started a stretch of three goals in eight minutes. Jordan Cila made it 4-0 in the 77th minute when he banged home an Amado Guevara corner from the edge of the area, then two minutes later, Todd Dunivant finished off an odd-man counter when he knocked home a Wolyniec pass from close range.
Wolyniec then scored his first goal since being reacquired by the New York club in the 86th minute, pouncing on a cross that wasn't cleared and knocking past the 'keeper to complete the rout. The six goals in a half were tied the MLS record, set in the season finale in 2004 when Columbus scored six goals in the second half of a 6-2 win against Chicago.
Arena made two changes to the team that lost 1-0 late to the Columbus Crew the weekend before at Crew Stadium. Danny O'Rourke came back into the team for Seth Stammler in midfield, while John Wolyniec started in place of Edson Buddle in attack.
Here's Arena's team (4-3-1-2): Tony Meola - Marvell Wynne, Carlos Mendes, Jeff Parke, Todd Dunivant (Steve Jolley 80) - Dema Kovalenko, Danny O'Rourke, Chris Henderson (Edson Buddle 46) - Amado Guevara - Youri Djorkaeff (Jordan Cila 76), John Wolyniec. [Substitutes Not Used: Blake Camp, Jon Conway, Taylor Graham, Joe Vide]
"Well, it's one of those nights certainly [when] the ball bounced in our favor. Obviously, the early red card was the story of the game. I think it was the right decision by the referee," Arena said. "I think once we got the first goal, it took the wind out of their sails and gave our team some confidence. I think the second half certainly, [was] mentally a better performance on our part. I think we're really pleased tonight with the performance and the result."TEAM NEWS
The win equaled the club record for most goals scored in a game, also with the biggest victory in club history. The Red Bulls scored all six goals in a span of 32 minutes, the fastest six goals ever scored by one team in an MLS match. The previous record was 41 minutes by the Crew in a 6-2 win over the Fire in 2003.
"I think we were too anxious to try to make the one pass that would win the game. We needed to be a little bit more patient, play more balls [to] feet," Arena said. "I just think our approach to playing with an extra player in the first half was pretty poor. I didn't think we responded well in the first half and [we didn't] figure out what we needed to do."
The first of Buddle's goals snapped his scoreless streak of 754 minutes, the longest of his MLS career. It also snapped the Red Bulls' scoreless streak at 256 minutes, including shutouts in both of Bruce Arena's first two games with the team.
"I think just getting a little bit of pressure off of him helps. I think it's a perfect situation for him to come into a game like that, be able to stay in front of the goal and get some service," Arena said. "Hopefully that's something that gives him confidence as we move forward."
Said Buddle: "I just made the most of it today. There are times where I've had some chances, especially early on in the year, and it didn't quite go my way, but tonight, the service was there and I was able to put it away. I think everyone here knew I was eager to score, I was trying to get after it."
The Red Bulls played 233 minutes before scoring their first goal for Arena, exceeding by far the longest scoreless streak that D.C. United suffered in its three seasons under Arena (1996-1998). United's longest scoring drought during those three seasons was 188 minutes in September 1996.
"I could write a book on my experiences on coming back to MLS for three weeks. I think we have a lot of young players, they're learning as they go," Arena said. I think without having a preseason with this team and a lot of other things, I think it's clearly going to be a work in progress."
The Red Bulls extended their league home unbeaten streak to seven (4-0-3), in their last Giants Stadium match until Sept. 16. "I really think from the games I've had here from the Barcelona exhibition (on Aug. 12) through this, I think we've made some progress every game. ... Certainly we never anticipated a margin like that tonight, but I think it's something that we're probably not going to see here for a while."
