The Kansas City Wizards closed out their six-game road trip by gaining a point in a scoreless draw against Real Salt Lake Saturday night.
The Wizards saw their winless streak extend to five games, but now return home for the first time in more than two months after two draws in their last three games. RSL remained unbeaten at home on the season, with three wins and three draws.
The Wizards started brightly, applying quick pressure from the opening whistle. In just the third minute Claudio Lopez struck a weak volley that bounced easily to the hands of Salt Lake goalkeeper Nick Rimando for the game's first shot on goal.
But RSL held the edge in the opening 45 minutes, and had their first chance six minutes in. Andy Williams slipped a devastating ball through the Kansas City defense that found Robbie Findley streaking in on Hartman. Findley raised his boot to get a touch on the ball and sent it well over crossbar.
Kansas City was back at the other end in the following minute with Davy Arnaud shaking the goal frame rocking a shot off the bar. The Wizards built the play nicely up the left side before switching to the right and finding Ivan Trujillo inside the penalty area. Trujillo laid the ball back to Arnaud who, with acres of space, uncorked a blast the stuck the underside of the crossbar, but not enough of the underside to cross the line before bouncing away from goal.
As the first half went on the Wizards found themselves absorbing a lot more of the Real attack, rather than doing any attacking of their own. In the 20th minute, a high ball into the K.C. area was brought down by the head of Kenny Deuchar and then sent harmlessly wide of the goal on a flopping bicycle kick from Javier Morales.
Goalkeeper Kevin Hartman exploded off his line to push away a strike from Deuchar in the 28th minute. The Scottish striker was unleashed on a through ball from Kyle Beckerman and came charging toward the Kansas City goal to confront Hartman one-on-one. Deuchar put his strike low, but Hartman was able to get enough on it to push it wide of the post.
On the resulting corner from RSL, Hartman instinctively blocked a close-range header from Deuchar. The rebound returned the ball to the feet of the Scotsman, who belted his shot into the seats.
RSL continued to press, creating more chances to score as the opening period came to a close, although they couldn't get the ball past Hartman. In the 36th minute a cross rolled across the face of an open net, with players in striking distance, but none could put on the final touch. And, in the 39th it was an athletic save from Hartman who dove to keep a shot from Findley out of the net.
On the other side of the break Hartman easily smothered a pair of long-range shots from Dema Kovalenko. Then in the 62nd, it took a two-fisted punch from Hartman to keep Findley out with a shot from just inside the penalty area.
Sasha Victorine replaced Trujillo to open the second half, moving Arnaud up top with Lopez. The change helped the Wizards regain control of the midfield and begin building their own attacks, rather than constantly absorbing the charges from RSL.
In the 66th Victorine nearly put the Wizards in the lead, leaping to put a header on frame, but it fell safely in to the hands of Rimando.
In the final 10 minutes Arnaud put a free kick on frame. As the RSL wall jumped the K.C. striker sent his shot under their feet, but right at Rimando.
Kerry Zavagnin took his turn to try and break the deadlock in the final minute of play. The midfielder sent a rocket that was headed for the inside of the post, if not for the fingertips of the diving Rimando.
Scott McAllister is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
