With a U.S. Open Cup match so early in the season, and coming in the middle of a hectic period of scheduling (with five games in 15 days), the Kansas City Wizards could have easily rested their first team for their play-in match at Real Salt Lake on Wednesday night.
However, new Wizards head coach Curt Onalfo had no intentions of treating the non-league match as a training session and getting his reserves playing time.
"The objective was to get three points, and we didn't get three points," said Onalfo. "That's disappointing. Having said that, being down most of the game and scoring a goal right at the end ... to put it into overtime showed a lot of character."
After falling behind early on a penalty scored by Jeff Cunningham in the 12th minute, Kansas City gradually took control of the game from Salt Lake and pulled level just before the end of regulation on a Sasha Victorine goal. An Andy Williams goal in extra time gave Real the win.
The speed of the artificial surface at Rice-Eccles Stadium was amplified by an afternoon of slushy snow that fell just before the game. The Wizards coach was pleased with how his team adjusted to the conditions.
"For us, because we're not used to playing on the surface and certainly being wet, I thought we started out very, very slow," said Onalfo. "As the sun came out and the field dried up, our game got a lot better."
While Victorine knew of the hazards the surface brought, he also saw the benefits.
"The good thing about it is that the ball moves quick, and you can play balls quick, and it gets to people fast," said Victorine. "It speeds the game up and makes it look faster."
Kansas City team captain Jimmy Conrad was also quick to point out the adjustments that were made on the field.
"I think it took us 15-20 minutes to really get adjusted, and once we did I thought we got a grip of the game," said Conrad. "Once we got a little more confidence, and guys got in better spots to support each other, then I thought the game was pretty much on our end."
The second half was indeed nearly all Kansas City, as the Wizards outshot their hosts 10-1 during the period. The difference for Victorine was when his team started playing more through the midfield rather than lumping high balls quickly to the forwards.
"A lot of the time in the first half we were leaning on hitting long balls, trying to find our forwards," said Victorine. "In the second half we started finding the gaps.
"I think that helped us, once we got the ball in the middle of the field we were able to combine with our forwards, hold a little bit more, and create some more stuff."
That "stuff" that the Wizards created led to Victorine bagging the equalizer in the 88th minute. After a scramble in front of the net, Victorine crushed a loose ball that rolled free from the grip of RSL goalkeeper Chris Seitz.
Conrad felt that as time went on, the Wizards' crossing became more dangerous, leading to the tying goal.
"[In the second half] I thought we did a better job at swinging some crosses in," said Conrad, "When we did that, we were dangerous. And we got rewarded with Sasha scoring."
Even though their tenacious offensive pressure pushed the game into overtime, Williams fired a shot past Kevin Hartman, and through the heart of Kansas City's 2007 Open Cup run, in the 109th minute to get the win for Salt Lake.
It was a result that might have not been ideal for the Wizards, but the players saw the bigger picture and are pleased with the progress that is being made in the young season.
"No one is happy with losing, but I think everyone is happy with the ability we showed with holding the ball at the end and creating opportunities," said Victorine. "And this is all away from home. That same mentality of going at people and playing with confidence and have a little bit of a swagger, I think that's the kind of mentality we're trying to have."
Scott McAllister is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
