The Kansas City Wizards fell 3-1 Wednesday against a Real Salt Lake side that looked reinvigorated thanks to three recently signed Argentinean players. The Wizards brightest stars on the night were forward Eddie Johnson who scored his 13th goal of the season to set a new career high and Sasha Victorine who recorded his 7th assist of the year, good for 3rd in MLS.
Real Salt Lake came out of the gates with a flurry, taking their first shot in the 10th second of the match and scoring their first goal just 43 seconds in.
Midfielder Kyle Beckerman had the game's first opportunity, taking the ball off the kickoff and slicing through the Kansas City defense. His left-footed blast from outside the penalty area forced a diving save from Wizards goalkeeper Kevin Hartman.
Real capitalized just seconds later, as the ball was played out for a RSL corner kick. Argentine midfielder Javier Morales stood over the ball for an early corner kick just seconds into his first-career appearance. His right-footed effort skipped once inside the Wizards penalty area before countryman Matias Mantilla headed the ball home for his first career goal and the fastest in Real Salt Lake history. It marked the 4th fastest goal ever surrendered by the Wizards.
Morales again proved dangerous in the 5th minute, springing Eskandarian up the right flank with a well-weighted pass out of midfield. Eskandarian ran a full 20 yards with the ball, before firing from a tough angle just wide of the back post.
One minute later, Kansas City's own number 10 played a deft long ball over the top for Johnson, but Salt Lake goalkeeper Nick Rimando came off his line quickly to clear the ball outside of his penalty area.
In the 24th minute, Marinelli used some quick footwork to beat a defender up the right flank and send in an early, right-footed cross for forward Scott Sealy. Sealy was able to bring the ball down, but his second touch was deflected by Rimando and then cleared by RSL.
Eskandarian made another long run in the 25th minute, working up the right flank before cutting the ball back to Beckerman at the top of the penalty area. Beckerman's first-time blast was stopped, however, by a sprawling Hartman to keep Kansas City within a goal.
In the 42nd minute, Eskandarian played provider after intercepting a Kansas City pass out of the back. Real's number 11 slid a nifty ball between two defenders for forward Fabian Espindola streaking up the left flank. The Argentine cut into the penalty area and finished with his left foot past Hartman at the near post for his first-career MLS goal in just his third game for Real.
The Wizards nearly brought a goal back just one minute later as left back Jose Luis Burciaga Jr. stood over a free kick 35 yards from goal. His left-footed service was met by Victorine 10 yards out, but the UCLA product's header went just over the bar as Rimando struggled to recover.
Kansas City made one change at half, bringing on its own Argentine attacker for midfielder Kerry Zavagnin, and the move nearly paid immediate dividends. Midfielder Eloy Colombano laid a ball back for countryman Marinelli in the 47th minute and spun toward goal. Marinelli played an immediate return down the flank, and Colombano was able to get off a right-footed cross from near the end line. His cross deflected to forward Scott Sealy, but the Trinidad and Tobago international's shot was blocked by a Salt Lake defender.
Two minutes later, Colombano again posed problems for Real. His cross from the right corner found defender and captain Jimmy Conrad at the top of the six-yard area, but Conrad's glancing header went just wide of the back post.
Kansas City continued to press in the 52nd minute as Johnson laid the ball off for Burciaga, who swung in an early cross. The ball bypassed Sealy at the near post, connecting with an on-rushing Victorine at the back post, but Rimando swallowed up Victorine's header with a diving save.
The Wizards brought a goal back in the 69th minute through a quick combination up the right flank and a perfect strike from the mercurial Johnson. Marinelli and Colombano again combined in midfield, with Marinelli's pass forward deflecting off an RSL defender to Victorine. Victorine controlled the ball then flicked it with a back heel to Johnson outside the penalty area. Johnson brought the ball down on his chest then struck it immediately out of the air with his right foot past a helpless Rimando into the far-side netting for his 13th goal of the season from 20 yards out.
Kansas City continued to attack, getting the better of the possession for the next 20 minutes. In the 75th minute, a Marinelli corner kick found Sealy near the back post but his redirection was stopped with another diving save from Rimando.
Johnson took a turn at playmaking in the 80th minute, springing second-half substitute Michael Harrington up the left flank with a tidy through ball. Harrington took a touch then crossed from near the end line. Sealy connected with the pass, but his initial shot was blocked and then cleared away before Victorine could put home the rebound.
Salt Lake garnered a pair of chances in the 85th minute, the second a crafty strike from veteran Andy Williams to seal the game.
First, right back Jean-Martial Kipre made a run up the right wing, cutting inside two defenders and firing a shot on goal from 25 yards out. Hartman was up to the task, however, and dove to parry the ball clear.
Just seconds later, Williams showed his guile as he collected a ball from substitute midfielder Atiba Harris at the half line and looked toward goal. Williams saw Hartman off his line and connected with a right-footed bomb from over 50 yards away that sailed into the open net. It was Williams' first goal of the MLS season, but second against the Wizards this year. He scored the game-winner in RSL's 2-1 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup qualifier victory back in April.
The Wizards have no break following the match, traveling to Houston tomorrow in advance of a game against MLS Cup Champion Houston Dynamo Saturday at 7:30 p.m. CT on Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Sports en Espanol. Kansas City will then have two weeks off before hosting the Columbus Crew in an important Eastern Conference match Saturday, September 15 at 7 p.m. CT at Arrowhead Stadium on Faith and Family Night.
Notables:
• Following the match, Kansas City sits 9-9-5 (32 pts) in 4th place in the competitive Eastern Conference.
• Kansas City remains in the playoff picture, currently possessing the 7th-most points in MLS.
• Kansas City is now 3-5-3 away from home and 4-9-2 when allowing the first goal.
• Kansas City is now 3-2-1 all-time against Real Salt Lake and 1-2-0 in Salt Lake City.
• Salt Lake midfielder Carey Talley and forward Chris Brown are former Wizards players. RSL assistant coach Brian Johnson also spent part of his playing career with Kansas City.
• Wizards defender Nick Garcia missed just his second match of the season, resting in advance of the game Saturday.
• Midfielder Davy Arnaud missed his first match of the season, sitting out due to yellow card accumulation.
• Arnaud played all 32 games in 2006, starting 30.
• It snapped a 55-game appearance streak for Arnaud. He last sat out a game October 8, 2005 against New England.
• Eddie Johnson's goal in the 69th minute was his 13th of the season, putting him into a tie for 2nd place in MLS with Juan Pablo Angel of New York, just one behind Luciano Emilio of D.C. United for the MLS lead.
• Johnson's 13th goal sets a new career high. His previous high of 12 was set in 2004 while with FC Dallas.
• It was the first game Kansas City had lost this season when Johnson scored (6-1-1 when Johnson tallies).
• Midfielder Sasha Victorine recorded his 7th assist on the play, good for 3rd in MLS, two behind Guillermo Barros Schelotto of Columbus and Steve Ralston of New England.
• Victorine is just one off his career high for assists (8), set last season for the Wizards.
• Midfielder Andy Williams of Real Salt Lake scored his 1st MLS goal of the season. His only other goal in competitive play this year came against the Wizards in a 2-1 extra time victory against Kansas City in a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup qualifier in April.
• RSL's new Argentineans made their presence felt. Defender Matias Mantilla (1st minute) and forward Fabian Espindola (42nd minute) recorded their first-career MLS goals. Midfielder Javier Morales made his first-career MLS start for Real and recorded his first assist on Mantilla's goal.
• The Wizards have now allowed six corner-kick goals.
• It was the Wizards first match played in temperatures above 90 degrees this season, with a 95-degree temperature at kickoff.
• RSL's goal 43 seconds into the match was the fastest in team history and the 4th fastest goal surrendered in Kansas City Wizards history.
• It was the fastest goal surrendered by Kansas City this season. The previous fastest came when Juan Pablo Angel of New York scored in the 6th minute June 16 in New York.
