Scott Sealy was drafted by the Kansas City Wizards in the first round of the MLS SuperDraft with one expectation -- that he would develop into a goal scorer par excellence. Sixteen appearances and four goals later, Sealy is applying himself nicely.
The 23-year-old rookie out of Wake Forest University scored the first goal and the eventual game-winner in the Wizards 3-2 win against expansion side Real Salt Lake at Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday evening.
Although his side outshot the visitors 22-8 (9-5 on goal), the Wizards leaned on Sealy's 27th-minute strike for a win that ended up closer than it should have been.
Sealy spoke like a grizzled veteran when reviewing the somewhat unfulfilling win.
"The intensity after the third goal dropped a little bit. We were so set on trying to get into the attack that we mis-stepped trying to get forward. In the second half, it was the same thing trying to get the final pass, the final shot off," he said. "We had chances, we just didn't execute."
It was Sealy's knack for putting himself into advantageous positions that got Kansas City off to a rollicking start in the eighth minute.
As Brian Roberts cut past Real defender Brian Kamler deep on the right side of Salt Lake's area, Sealy readied himself. Roberts left-footed shot caromed off the post and fell right to the Wizards sniper.
"Brian did a hell of a job getting inside his man and getting a shot off. It came off the post, and I was there just to knock it in," Sealy said.
The match winner, coming nine minutes after an own goal by Real goalkeeper D.J. Countess that gave the Wizards a 2-1 lead, required some quick footwork and thinking by the Trinidad & Tobago international.
"The second one I had to work a little bit, but Preki gave me a good ball," he said. "And I caught the defender on the wrong foot. I tried to step aside and hit it far post."
Letting the ball run to his left foot in the close confines of the six-yard box gave Sealy the opening he needed to score his fourth of the season. The goal put him in a tie with Chris Rolfe of the Chicago Fire for the rookie lead in MLS.
Another and Sealy would have taken the hat trick.
"You want to score that third one, but then again, you don't want to press," Sealy said. "I had a couple through balls from Kleiny [midfielder Chris Klein] and from [midfielder] Sasha [Victorine] as well. I was a little disappointed. But it's two goals, it's a 'W', it's three points -- we'll take it."
All things considered, Sealy would have taken an invitation from his country to play in the CONCACAF Gold Cup, but no such offer came.
"It was disappointing not being called in," he admitted. "Regardless if I get called in or not, I'm here to play for the Wizards. I'm here to score goals."
And the Wizards are better for it.
Robert Rusert is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
