KANSAS CITY - In day after day of training, Wizards coach Bob Gansler divides his players into various teams for a variety of scrimmages, sometimes small-sided, sometimes on a shortened field. But until every combination on the squad is used, situations such Wednesday's 2-1 victory against the Des Moines Menace in the third round of the U.S. Open Cup might occur again.
Most of the Wizards starting 11 against the Menace have seen little action with the first team. Players such as forward Scott Sealy, defenders Matt Groenwald and Shavar Thomas and midfielder Jack Jewsbury have played in most of the Wizards games. The rest of the starting 11 play mostly in reserve division games.
"When you put a team out there like we did tonight, they are not used to playing with each other," Gansler said. "We got the job done. Sometimes workmanlike victories are all you are going to get."
The Wizards dominated possession against the Menace, which plays in the Premier Development League, the fourth division of soccer in the USA. Good scoring chances, though, eluded the Wizards until the second half.
Indeed, the game-winning goal from Sealy came in second-half stoppage time, seconds before the final whistle. The victory was a good boost for the Wizards, who have lost five consecutive league games.
"I think it was a good sign because we've been the ones giving up the late goals," Wizards midfielder Jack Jewsbury said. "It's good to be on the other side."
The Menace were caught by a Wizards counterattack for Sealy's goal. After Kansas City had gone ahead on Ryan Pore's goal in the 63rd minute, Brad Whitsitt tied the game for Des Moines in the 72nd minute. As the game went into stoppage time, the Menace emerged from their defensive shell and mounted a last-second effort to grab another Open Cup victory over a higher division foe.
But Sergei Raad stole a pass in the midfield and played an early ball to Jewsbury. Sealy patiently held up his run until the right moment, then took a pass from Jewsbury on the left wing, cut inside past one defender and shot past Menace goalkeeper Jake Settle.
"I guess after they tied it up, they had the confidence to go forward," Sealy said.
Sealy had spent 90 minutes and stoppage time going against a Menace team that packed nine players and a goalkeeper behind the ball when Kansas City attacked. So Sealy could be forgiven for being a little impatient as the play that led to the goal unfolded.
And Sealy admitted that he got excited as the play unfolded. But he had one distinct advantage.
"I already had my mind made up," Sealy said. "I knew where I was going and what I wanted to do."
And because the Menace did not stop Sealy's goal, the Wizards advance to the fourth round and will play the Chicago Fire on Aug. 2.
But the Wizards did have to fight to defeat the Menace. Whitsitt's goal came on a glancing header from a corner kick.
"We were not sharp enough to pick up our responsibility on the restart and gave one away," Gansler said.
The Wizards did rebound from the tying goal with better quality scoring opportunities that ended with Sealy's goal.
"Obviously we were a little frustrated," Jewsbury said of the Menace goal. "We had some chances after they scored. We just had to trust our skill."
Trusting their skill may be difficult lately for the Wizards, who have lost five league games in a row and have been shutout in four of them. The Wizards are a team looking for a boost and the victory against the Menace is a boost, Sealy said. The Wizards return to league play Saturday with a home game against Houston.
"If you look at the guys out there tonight, it will not be the guys who will play on Saturday," Sealy said. "The first-team guys have to step it up on Saturday."
Robert Whitman is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
