making his return to the city where he spent the first eight years of his professional career -- played in a cross from the right to Jason Kreis, whose sent a powerful header goalward only for it to come back off the base of the right post. But he was quickest to the rebound, tapping it home past a fallen Oshoniyi for the 80th-minute leveler.
Wizards interim head coach Brian Bliss made one change to the team that came back to claim a 1-1 draw against New England the previous weekend. Nick Garcia was suspended, so Jimmy Conrad made his first start since Aug. 9 in his place.
Here's Bliss's team (4-4-2): Bo Oshoniyi - Ryan Raybould, Jimmy Conrad, Shavar Thomas, Jose Burciaga Jr. (Tyson Wahl 86) - Davy Arnaud, Jack Jewsbury, Sasha Victorine, Dave van den Bergh (Eddie Johnson 84) - Josh Wolff, Scott Sealy. [Substitutes Not Used: Matt Groenwald, Will Hesmer, Ryan McMahen, Yura Movsisyan, Sergei Raad]
"That was the ultimate rollercoaster there, Worlds of Fun (a local Kansas City theme park) times 10. We've been getting off to good starts at home lately and we did the same tonight," Bliss said. "We let them back in the game on some goofy plays and I don't think it was because of lack of intent or lack of commitment; it was some mental miscues that led to those two goals that they scored in the first half, the one counterattack and the miscommunication on the head ball that was put into the box."
TEAM NEWS
Even if the Wizards win and the Red Bulls lose this weekend, nothing will be set. If the Red Bulls win the final game, they would then hold the tiebreaker in head-to-head competition as the teams would be level on 38 points, and New York would claim the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference.
"It is good that we did show a little resolve in regards to showing some character. It is disappointing that we gave up two leads and now find ourselves tied with New York," said defender Jimmy Conrad. "Obviously it is like a two-game playoff to see who's going to get that last spot [in the East], it was in our hands tonight and we just let it slip away. I don't think they had all that many chances but they scored the ones they did and it is something we need to take a look at and take care of."
The Wizards haven't lost in three games, and have scored eight goals over that time. However, it's been a victory followed by two draws.
"I think the effort up top has been good and collectively the team in all areas has been much better over the last month, six weeks. Colorado at home, New England was a battle on the road and, obviously, to get three goals again is a good sign," Josh Wolff said. "Again, you have got to find ways to get three points, we did this last year and to our demise we didn't make the playoffs. So at the end of the day it doesn't matter how many you are scoring, you've got to find a way to get three points. It's good that we get goals but at the end of the day we'd rather win 1-0, but that is something we are going to have to work on in the next two games."
Wolff hadn't had a single assist over the first 29 games of the season, then became one of four Wizards players to have two in a game this season, after scoring the opening goal.
"It is good to contribute, and the past couple weeks I have been playing better coming off the hamstring. It was difficult getting fit, getting strong, obviously confidence is a big thing in being a forward so it has taken a little time," Wolff said. "It has been a bizarre year but today was a good step in the right direction personally. Personally, two points lost is how I look at the game. We should have gotten three. It was good to get in on a couple goals. but I still think we had chances to finish it off and we just didn't. To get three goals and not get three points is disappointing."
It was the first start for Jimmy Conrad in nine games after suffering a broken jaw in a clash with Clint Dempsey of the Revolution on Aug. 9. He had played just five minutes in the stretch, coming on as a substitute the weekend before.
"It is nice to be back and help the team," he said. "Obviously giving up three goals isn't all that satisfying, but in terms of getting back out there and being around the guys it feels good."
If the Wizards need a victory in New York on the final week, it might be difficult. Kansas City has only three victories in 15 games away, none of them since Bliss was named interim coach.
CHIVAS USA
Chivas USA is still on the verge of a first-ever playoff berth with nothing yet settled, after seeing the Los Angeles Galaxy grab bragging rights in southern California for another year with a 3-0 victory at The Home Depot Center on Saturday. Chivas are still in third place in the Western Conference with 42 points from 30 matches, but are now just three points ahead of the Colorado Rapids, five ahead of Real Salt Lake and six in front of the Galaxy with two games left.
LAST MATCH
The Galaxy needed to win out -- and still get some help -- if they were to maintain their record of qualifying for the postseason in every season in league history. Chivas USA knew they could clinch a first-ever playoff berth after Real Salt Lake failed to win in Kansas City.
But before a packed house in Carson, the Galaxy went ahead after 29 minutes. Chris Albright went on a rampaging run down the right flank before sliding a ball to Alan Gordon in the area, who laid it back for Pete Vagenas, and he potted a rising shot from close range inside the near post.
The Galaxy then put the game away over the final quarter of the contest. In the 67th minute, Cobi Jones nearly slipped clean through, only to have the ball poked away just as he looked to shoot. Landon Donovan was following up and also aimed to shoot, but the ball was swept off his foot too, toward goal. Originally credited to Donovan, the goal was credited to Jones when replays showed the ball deflected off his foot just inside the left-hand post.
Then 10 minutes from full time Alan Gordon scored his fourth goal of the season, coming in to meet an Albright cross from the right flank and sending a flashing header inside the near post to finish off the rout, giving the Galaxy the edge in the season series against their in-stadium rivals for a second season.
Chivas USA head coach Bob Bradley made three changes to the team that defeated the Colorado Rapids 1-0 the previous weekend. Tim Regan came back from suspension, replacing Lawson Vaughn. Johnnie Garcia made his MLS debut, coming into the midfield in place of Juan Pablo Garcia, and Jesus Morales also came back into the team, in place of Ante Razov.
Here's Bradley's team (4-1-3-2): Brad Guzan - Tim Regan, Carlos Llamosa (Jason Hernandez 54), Claudio Suarez, Orlando Perez - Johnnie Garcia (Brent Whitfield 63) - Jesse Marsch, Sacha Kljestan, Francisco Mendoza - Jesus Morales (Drew Helm 74), Jonathan Bornstein. [Substitutes Not Used: Preston Burpo, Rodrigo Lopez, Matt Taylor, Lawson Vaughn]
"I think we made all this progress, but in a big game tonight, we came up empty," Early on, we gave away too much space and we did not set the right tone for the rest of the game. But we'll be there," Bradley said. "We've gone through too much. It's a good group. So we're going to learn from this and we're going to find a way to push on, but it's a disappointing night in all ways."
TEAM NEWS
Without Francisco Palencia, Juan Pablo Garcia and Ante Razov, Chivas had problems formulating an attack. Palencia has not played in any of the last three games after spraining his knee on Sept. 13. Garcia and Razov each missed the game due to groin injuries.
"There was no rhythm of play and we didn't do enough to make it hard on them," Jesse Marsch said. "It felt foreign. It felt like a different team."
Still, those on the field should have compensated for those who were not, Bradley said. "I don't that should be the whole story," Bradley said. "It's our job to have everybody ready, to have energy, to have a good plan, the kind of aggressiveness that pays off and I don't think we had those things. We got beat to too many balls, our passing wasn't sharp."
Bradley went with Jesus Morales and Jonathan Bornstein up top but without Garcia in the midfield to play the ball through, Chivas was left with sending long balls over the top of the Galaxy's defense.
"I thought in the first half when they put us under pressure in too many cases the confidence to play out of tight spots with the ball and find people and make plays wasn't there," Bradley said. "Those are things we've done throughout the year but in an important game we weren't good enough in those areas."
There was also the pain of losing to their fellow Home Depot Center inhabitants. Chivas USA dropped the season series against the Galaxy for the second year running. Unlike last year, when the Galaxy swept Chivas, the Red-and-White had an opportunity to take the series as it was even on 1-1-1 entering Saturday's match.
"This year we've been looking at those guys knowing that they beat us last year and now we've got to do it again," Chivas midfielder Jesse Marsch said. "We've just got to move on because we've got bigger fish to fry."
Still, Chivas can claim a playoff spot this weekend with a victory - OR if any of the two following occur: a Houston Dynamo win or draw vs. Real Salt Lake; an FC Dallas win or draw vs. Los Angeles Galaxy; a Colorado loss to New York.
"We've got to maintain a good mentality and put this behind us, get some guys healthy and have a good week of training and be able to put two more good games under our belt until the playoffs start," said Marsch.
