From the beginning of the 2007 campaign, the Kansas City Wizards have been focused on making the playoffs this season, and with eight games left, they're not going to take their minds off the goal now. But, even with a new organization, past is prologue, and leaders Davy Arnaud and Jimmy Conrad know the value of those experienced in what has transpired.
"[Leadership] is key. We want to lean on the guys who have experience and have been here before. What has to happen with our team is just to get over what's happened in the past -- this is the time of year where we don't get results, we struggle for points, blah, blah, blah," said Conrad, referring to the Wizards' stretch run failures over the last two years.
"At some point we have to step up and say, 'Today we're going to take care of business. We want to make the playoffs. We want to make a stand and go from there.' It's kind of a mental block. We're such a different team than we were the last two years that there's no real reason for us to go there."
Since losing out on the playoffs in the last game of the season last October, the Wizards have gained a new coaching staff, began a new season with new owners, added some valuable players to their roster, and, through their cumulative influence, taken on a new attitude. That attitude has manifested a top offensive team that is also capable of shutting down an opposing team's weapons, no matter how abundant.
Currently, the Wizards are comfortably in seventh place in the race for the MLS Cup Playoffs. The top eight teams in the overall table qualify; the Wizards are five points ahead of the Colorado Rapids and Columbus Crew and six points in front of the Chicago Fire, who have a game in hand.
To navigate the rest of the regular season, Conrad knows that he and the other veterans must readjust their leadership tactics. It's certainly expected by head coach Curt Onalfo.
"These are the times in the season where [the leaders] need to really step up and assure that we continue to do our things well and that we're playing good soccer at the end of the season," Conrad said.
"You just have to be more vocal ... making sure that everybody knows what it takes to win. That's what guys with experience, myself included, have to do if something happens in a game, or even at practice, to make sure that we address it then. That way it doesn't happen in a game," Conrad continued. "[We need] to make sure that despite anytime that we have a struggle, we're still trying to do the little things, still trying to fight. In the end, that's what's going to help you become a champion."
Lately, the Wizards have been struggling to get consistent results. Conrad believes being flexible and limiting frustration will help Kansas City return to the postseason.
"The first 10 games of the year, teams tried to play against us and really play, but they can't really hang with us. What teams changed in the middle part of the season is that they were going to sit back and kick us. Clearly, that's been effective, and once we reach the playoffs, that's the way people are going to play us as well," Conrad said.
"It was a good test for us, and now this last stretch we need to be flexible and be able to adapt to any kind of situation. That's where we stumbled a bit. We keep expecting teams to come out and play. When they don't, we get frustrated because we know if they just played it straight up, we would win."
On Wednesday, the Wizards face the second game of a three-game stretch over eight games -- all on the road. They lost 2-0 to Chicago last Saturday, then after facing Real Salt Lake on Wednesday, travel to Houston to face Dynamo on Saturday.
"We have a tough stretch coming up. At this point, we have to lean on our leaders to be mentally strong and to make sure that everybody is making smart decisions out there and not getting frustrated," Conrad said. "In the past, we got a little more emotional. Now we have to be aware that teams are going to come out and get under our skin. We need to pick ourselves up and keep on moving."
Moving up is part of the Wizards' plan as well. The Wizards are within striking distance of the New York Red Bulls (two points behind) and D.C. United (eight), two of the three teams above them in the conference standings. Yet even if they don't jump up in the standings, the Wizards know they are capable of beating anyone.
"We said at the beginning of the year that we wanted to not just scrape in [to the playoffs]; we're a good enough team to be in there pushing for first place," said Arnaud. "We've put ourselves in a tough spot to catch New England, but I think we can definitely make a good run here at the end and push higher up in the standings."
Then, once the postseason is gained, anything can happen.
"Once we get in the playoffs, I don't think there's a coach out there [who would] want to play us," said Conrad. "We need to get into the playoffs, get those old habits out of our head, and [know that] once we get into the playoffs, we have a team that can do something special."
Bob Rusert is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
