COLORADO RAPIDS v KANSAS CITY WIZARDS
DICK'S SPORTING GOODS PARK, Commerce City, Colo.
7 p.m. MT (HDNet)
May 19, 2007 (WEEK 7) / MLS Game #44
The Colorado Rapids return to their new Commerce City home trying to reverse the recent trend there, as they play host to the Kansas City Wizards on Saturday evening at Dick's Sporting Goods. Since a season-opening win against D.C. United, the Rapids have played to a pair of ties and a loss in their last three home matches, but are coming off a victory at the New York Red Bulls last Sunday. The Wizards come to town having their three-game winning streak and shutout streak of better than five hours snapped in their last match, a home loss to FC Dallas.
REFEREE: Jorge Gonzalez. SAR (bench): C.J. Morgante; JAR (opposite): Corey Rockwell; 4th: Brian Hall
MLS Career: 8 games; FC/gm: 28.9; Y/gm: 4.8; R: 1; pens: 0
Games involving Rapids: P2 W0 L2 T0; FC/gm: 25.5; Y/gm: 3.0; R: 0; pens: 1
Games involving Wizards: P1 W0 L0 T1; FC/gm: 22.0; Y/gm: 4.0; R: 0; pens: 0
INJURY REPORT: COLORADO RAPIDS - DOUBTFUL: DF Brandon Prideaux (R knee meniscus); DF Greg Vanney (L ankle sprain); PROBABLE: MF Nick LaBrocca (R hamstring strain); DF Ugo Ihemelu (L knee tendonitis) ... KANSAS CITY WIZARDS - OUT: DF Matt Groenwald (blood clots), MF Ryan McMahen (torn ACL); DOUBTFUL: DF Jimmy Conrad (mandibular fracture); FW Scott Sealy (ankle sprain); QUESTIONABLE: MF Carlos Marinelli (hamstring strain)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
SUSPENDED: none
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: none
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: COL: Kyle Beckerman
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (39 meetings): Rapids 15 wins (3 shootout), 53 games ... Wizards 18 wins, 71 goals ... Draws 6
AT COLORADO (20 meetings): Rapids 12 wins (2 shootout), 34 games ... Wizards 4 wins, 24 goals ... Draws 4
• This is the first of two meetings between the clubs this season, their first at Dick's Sporting Goods and the only one this season. The lone encounter for Arrowhead Stadium is set for July 22.
LAST YEAR (MLS):
7/8: COL 1, KC 0 (Mathis 90)
9/9: KC 4, COL 1 (Sealy 1; van den Bergh 54; Arnaud 56, 77 - Beckerman 11)
• A year ago, the teams split their season series, each winning on their home ground. It was the second consecutive season, since the Wizards moved from the Western Conference to the East, that the teams had split their league games.
• The Rapids haven't won in Kansas City since the second meeting there in the 2002 season, now a stretch of six games. The Wizards have won the last five league meetings at Arrowhead Stadium.
• The Rapids have won the last three encounters in Colorado. The last K.C. win in the Mile High City came on May 1, 2004.
• Coaches record: Fernando Clavijo v KC: P8 W3 L5 D0 ... Curt Onalfo vs. COL: first game
COLORADO RAPIDS
The Colorado Rapids went back on the road after tying and losing in their two-game homestand - and came away with a 1-0 victory against the New York Red Bulls on Sunday afternoon at Giants Stadium. The Rapids come into the week leading the Western Conference with 11 points from seven matches, a point ahead of FC Dallas (who play Thursday) and three points behind the New England Revolution for the league's best overall record.
LAST MATCH
• Both teams were coming off midweek encounters across the country. The Red Bulls lost at the first hurdle in their U.S. Open Cup run, falling to the Los Angeles Galaxy 3-1 in extra time in a second-round play-in game on Tuesday, while the Rapids had played to a 1-1 draw with Real Salt Lake at home on Thursday.
• The game's only goal came after 24 minutes. Kyle Beckerman won the ball near the center circle and drove a long ball downfield for Herculez Gomez to chase down on the left side of the area. He settled the ball down and laid across a perfect pass to Nicolas Hernandez steaming up the center of the field, and the Argentinean stroked home a first-time shot inside the right-hand post.
• The Red Bulls nearly claimed an equalizer in the 48th minute when Juan Pablo Angel, making his league debut, received a pass in the heart of the penalty area with Rapids 'keeper Bouna Coundoul desperately trying to get back across. But Angel's shot was still kept out, cleared by defender Dan Gargan.
• Rapids head coach Fernando Clavijo made no changes to the team that settled for a 1-1 draw with Real Salt Lake the Thursday before, with both goals coming from own goals.
• Here's Clavijo's team: (4-4-2): Bouna Coundoul - Dan Gargan, Pablo Mastroeni, Mike Petke, Greg Vanney (Chris Wingert 60) - Terry Cooke (Ugo Ihemelu 77), Kyle Beckerman, Jovan Kirovski, Nicolas Hernandez - Roberto Brown (Jacob Peterson 88), Herculez Gomez. Substitutes Not Used: Jose Cancela, Conor Casey, Nico Colaluca, Zach Thornton
• "I'm happy not only because we got the three points but we played as a team," Clavijo said. "We played tactically perfect for 90 minutes. We never allowed them to get a rhythm. We scored when we needed to. We created chances, we didn't give them chances and that's what we had to do as a team. More than anything else, it wasn't easy to come in here and win on the road and that's what we're doing."
TEAM NEWS
• The result was a welcome one after a slight skid recently, where the Rapids went 1-1-2, including blowing one-goal leads in the last two. First, after leading defending MLS Cup champion Houston Dynamo after 45 minutes last Saturday, the Rapids gave up three second-half goals for their second loss of the season. Then Colorado squandered another advantage, settling for a 1-1 draw against Western Conference cellar-dwellers Real Salt Lake.
• "There is a lot of parity in this league," said forward Herculez Gomez, who assisted on the lone tally at New York. "I think we wanted to come out and prove that we are one of those good teams. To pull out this result on their home turf means a lot to us going forward." Said Kyle Beckerman: "We knew we had it in us. We needed to get everyone behind the ball on defense. It was good after those two results to get a win here."
• Adding to the satisfaction was the way the Rapids held on to the victory, especially over the final quarter-hour after fatigue started to become a factor with the second game in four days and long flight in between.
• "This is only one game but I feel good about this group," said Clavijo. "The players are sacrificing personal goals for team goals, which is crucial. I think a result like this shows we are going in the right direction."
• A year ago, Beckerman tied for the Rapids lead with seven goals while adding two assists. He has yet to score this season, but already has equaled his assist total of a season ago, contributing to Hernandez's goal.
• "I've always had that offensive side but it has started to come out more and more these past two years. I was told to play more defensively today and it just so happened that Pablo (Mastroeni) stepped up and we won the ball together and then saw Herculez (Gomez) going and just chipped the ball in," Beckerman said. "It's something I always look for; I always try and get into the attack. I have to play defense. It's part of my game so I have to do both."
• The result was also a sign that team chemistry within the Rapids is good, which has not always been the case in past seasons.
• "It's a real tight group this year and we're not scared to call each other out when necessary, but at the same time we're always there to support each other," said captain Pablo Mastroeni. "This is the best group we've had here in five or six years. There's no telling how good this team can be."
KANSAS CITY WIZARDS
The Kansas City Wizards saw their three-game winning streak come to an end, FC Dallas scoring two first-half goals on their way to a 2-1 victory last Saturday night at Arrowhead Stadium. The Wizards are in second place in the Eastern Conference coming into the week with 12 points from six matches, two behind the New England Revolution.
LAST MATCH
• The Wizards came in riding a three-game winning streak where they hadn't allowed a goal for 307 minutes, while FC Dallas were returning following a two-week layoff after having lost back-to-back 1-0 decisions at home.
• But by halftime, the Hoops were two goals to the good. In the 19th minute, from a throw-in, Dax McCarty hooked a cross into the area where Kenny Cooper rose up and acrobatically sent a looping snap header toward goal. Wizards goalkeeper Kevin Hartman could only flap at it and it sailed over him into the far corner.
• Then in stoppage time before the break, Ramon Nunez swung in a big cross from the right touchline. Juan Toja came racing in ahead of his defender, and after a touch while falling, sent a rolling shot past Hartman to double the FCD lead.
• Dario Sala, making his start after a six-match ban to open the season, had a remarkable night, making nine saves. He nearly held out for the clean sheet, but into second-half added time, Michael Harrington rose up to flick home a free kick for the second goal of his rookie season, but it wasn't enough for Kansas City.
• Wizards head coach Curt Onalfo made one change to the team that defeated the Columbus Crew 1-0 at home the weekend before. With Jimmy Conrad sidelined after suffering a broken jaw in that game, rookie Aaron Hohlbein made his second start of the season, coming into central defense in his stead.
• (4-4-2): Kevin Hartman - Jack Jewsbury, Nick Garcia, Aaron Hohlbein, Jose Burciaga Jr. (Ryan Pore 71) - Davy Arnaud, Sasha Victorine (Kurt Morsink 83), Kerry Zavagnin, Michael Harrington - Eddie Johnson, Yura Movsisyan. Substitutes Not Used: Will John, Eric Kronberg, Ryan Raybould, Tyson Wahl, Lance Watson
• "In my mind we lost the game because we thought we could step on the field and just win it. Our approach to the first half was not good. Dallas is a very good team, and they punished us," said Onalfo.
TEAM NEWS
• Down 2-0 at the half, the Wizards tried to reverse the deficit, and took 16 shots at the FC Dallas goal. But Sala was equal to the task for every one on the frame, until the late Harrington goal.
• "We told the guys at halftime that you can make it right," Onalfo said. "I commend our guys - I thought it was an excellent second half. We created enough chances to at least tie it and possibly even win the game. But sometimes soccer is a little bit cruel and the ball didn't go in the back of the net [until into stoppage time]."
• Said Jack Jewsbury: "We came out second half and created our chances. That's the way it goes sometimes: some days they don't fall for you and other days they do. I think if we come out with that mentality at the start of every game, we'll be all right at the end."
• Still, Onalfo was not pleased with his team's approach to the game, especially after winning three games on the trot, all by shutout.
• "[The loss] had everything to do with the mentality of winning balls, being aggressive, and realizing in this league, if you're not ready to play for 90 minutes, you're not going to win the game," Onalfo said. "We were a team who didn't win a lot of balls and were second to a lot of second balls, and we got punished for it."
• Harrington's goal was the third of the season scored in the 90th minute or later. Carlos Marinelli's penalty kick in the 2-1 loss at Chicago also came in the 90th minute, while Jose Burciaga Jr.'s game-winner against the Crew came in the final minute of regulation.
• "It shows we have good team fitness as well as lots of character. Two goals came when we were down so it also shows we never give up. Those are all positive signs for our team," Onalfo said.
• Onalfo was not able to call upon two dangerous attacking weapons due to the absence of Argentinean midfielder Carlos Marinelli, who along with forward Scott Sealy was not on the 18-man game day roster.
• "Unfortunately, Carlos re-injured his hamstring a little bit in training on Wednesday. We're going to go with him very slowly next week. He's a possibility for next week, but it's likely he won't be ready until the following week," Onalfo said. "Scott is having pain in that ankle, so we have to back off for a couple days and hopefully have a full week of training with him next week."
