After a productive four-game homestand where they dropped only one decision, followed by a 1-0 triumph at Chicago, and then consecutive losses on the road, the Kansas City Wizards have a bye week to recoup.
One would think four days of training and a weekend off would be welcomed. Well, yes ... and no.
"Yes, because it gives us time off to get three of our starters back to health -- [Davy] Arnaud, [Sasha] Victorine and [Carlos] Marinelli," said Kansas City head coach Curt Onalfo. "No, because anytime you have a loss, you want to get back out there as quickly as possible -- you have two weeks until you can redeem yourself."
Added midfielder Jack Jewsbury: "We wouldn't mind getting out there this weekend and get another "W" to get [last Saturday's 2-1 loss at league-leading Columbus] off our minds for sure."
The attitude towards losing is not a new one, certainly, yet the attitude does imply a slightly different focus for the 2008 Wizards. In his first season at the helm in 2007, Onalfo repeatedly preached performance, not results, when discussing the team's progress. Seven games into year two, a more results-oriented Onalfo is emerging.
"I'm still focused on the performance of the group and getting better; if you're constantly getting better with your performance, the results are going to come. [But] we are a little bit more focused on results this year; our expectations are higher this year," he said. "But we're probably the only team in MLS that is playing as many young players as we're playing."
The increased focus on results and then playing younger players is seemingly a paradox. And even though the situation is a tribute to the talents of defenders Tyson Wahl, Michael Harrington and rookie Chance Myers and midfielders Kurt Morsink and rookie Roger Espinoza, the situation is also a necessity.
"The reason why we have a lot of younger players playing is partly our philosophy of developing players. But more so that we have three starters that aren't currently playing, which gives us [time to those guys]," said Onalfo. "It's a real positive ... you're developing depth."
Even when a match like the one in Columbus transpires in which some "youthful errors" were made, positives can occur.
Just four minutes in, the Wizards went down a goal as Crew midfielder Adam Moffat leapt over goalkeeper Kevin Hartman and Jewsbury in the box to nod the ball into the net off a set piece. Thirty minutes later, the Crew went up two when Hartman and Myers failed to sweep away a ball between them as Robbie Rogers of the Crew got a decisive foot in. The downward spiral continued two minutes later when rookie Roger Espinoza was ejected for putting an elbow toward Frankie Hejduk.
"When you have a youthful team, you're going to have youthful errors," said Onalfo. "We made some youthful errors against Columbus. Having said that, we responded extremely well from the adversity, and I was very pleased with how we finished the game."
"From that point on, it's a real character check on this team," said Jewsbury of being two goals and a man down. "We won the second half with 10 guys. You have to be happy with the way everyone reacted to the situation."
The introduction of Argentinean playmaker Marinelli, still hobbled by a groin strain, helped the Wizards gain possession and attacking thrust as they closed in on the Crew with a 79th-minute penalty kick goal converted by Lopez.
"Carlos started the season very, very well. He has passes in him that change the outcome of the game, and when he's on the field, Lopez plays a bit further up the field for us. We're just a better team going forward," said Onalfo. "When you lose a guy of that caliber [to a lingering injury], you lose some of those final passes."
Other chances created by the resurgent Wizards attack went wanting, but Kansas City had rediscovered their game.
Further recovery in technique and tactics will come in training -- and in a return to health for Marinelli, Victorine (groin strain) and Arnaud (hamstring strain), who will be hopefully fit enough to be reserves against New York in a week's time.
Bob Rusert is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
