After a very successful 2008 MLS SuperDraft, there was significant talk in the Kansas City Wizards camp of the depth gained via the talented players picked up in the annual amateur selection. Add to that the experience given to young players last season and the club felt it had a solid core of young talent ready to break through.
Saturday night's 2-0 defeat of D.C. United gave that talk a healthy measure of credence.
The starting 11 included the 25th pick in this year's draft, right back Jonathan Leathers; third-year center back Tyson Wahl; second-year left back Michael Harrington; and 24-year-old Ryan Pore. And even though they might have bent at times under the pressure applied by D.C. United, they did not break.
"Michael Harrington was outstanding. Ever since we've pushed him into the back four, we haven't given up a lot of goals. Tyson was solid, and Jonathan did what he had to do. A good effort from those guys, but a collective effort as well," said Wizards head coach Curt Onalfo.
Yes, the youthful contingent was given aid from veterans such as midfielder Kerry Zavagnin and center back Jimmy Conrad, but they had to perform on their own.
For the 22-year-old Leathers, who learned of his start the day before the match, the guidance allowed his natural abilities to flourish.
"Jonathan Leathers has the heart of a lion and did a great job. He's probably one of our best athletes and is going to be a very good player in this league," Onalfo said.
"There definitely was [trepidation]," Leathers said of the start. "But my teammates were a lot of help. They came over and said, "Calm down. Take your time, play simple."
Although not a rookie, Pore's start was his first in an season opener and was in a position that could provide him broader opportunities for playing time.
"I've played [wide midfield] a little bit here and there. But with the new signings of Ivan [Trujillo] and Claudio [Lopez], and already having Scott [Sealy] and Eloy [Colombano] up top, Coach came to me and said, 'It might be your best opportunity on the field, dropping back in the midfield.' So I'm just looking to take my opportunity," said Pore.
Holding a thin 1-0 lead in the 61st minute against D.C. United on Saturday, Kansas City was working to gain some breathing room. Amid the mostly midfield battle, Pore served a timely and well-weighted ball over the United backline that forced goalkeeper Zach Wells off his line and fell perfectly into the run of Lopez. The Argentinean forward did the rest with a flick of his left boot that sent the ball over Wells and gave the Wizards the final 2-0 margin.
"I was excited about the opportunity," said Pore after the match. "Coach gave me an opportunity, and I'm just trying to run with it."
Yet another young up-and-comer, rookie Chance Myers, could receive his first opportunity to showcase himself on Saturday when the Wizards play host to the Colorado Rapids. Originally penciled in to start in the opener, the No. 1 overall pick last January was taken down by turf toe and scratched from the lineup.
"I don't know much about it," Myers said Saturday."[I'll be] bouncing back in a couple of days. Hopefully, I'll be back on the field ready for [next week]. If you don't take time off, it will linger."
Onalfo and his staff will likely look to provide their young stable of players ample minutes, whether out of need because of injuries or because they want to build for now and the future. As Saturday proved, the dividends can be dramatic.
"We said from the beginning that we believe in developing players. We felt we had a very good year last year in getting players better," Onalfo said. "That enabled us to go and get a guy like Chance, unfortunately at the expense of Nick Garcia [traded to San Jose], but we felt a guy like Tyson Wahl is a good defender and he showed that [Saturday]."
Bob Rusert is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
