Forget it and move on. Well, the Kansas City Wizards aren't forgetting their recent run of form, but they are ready to move on.
"We want to get last weekend out of our system and move forward," said head coach Curt Onalfo.
Last Saturday's 3-0 home loss to the Columbus Crew definitely left a bad taste in the Wizards' mouths. This Saturday's match at Toronto FC's BMO Field is a chance to cleanse, and the Wizards have seen enough from their recent performances to know what form the wash needs to take -- a good result.
"We had a lot of chances to win second balls, and we didn't. We realize it's easier to win second balls when you are up near the other team's part of the field," said midfielder Sasha Victorine, who had time to observe Saturday's game before his 57th-minute entrance as a substitute. "So we need to get the ball forward faster; when we get it there, we need to get everyone behind there. It gives us better opportunity to win second balls and get more people into the attack."
Onalfo and technical director Peter Vermes have discussed how the Wizards are not creating the types of chances they need to force their game on the opposition, and the player they likely first look to for creating those chances is designated player Claudio Lopez. The Argentinean World Cup veteran has shown the expected ability to create chances from little or nothing, yet his innovations have not often connected with others. The adjustment to playing with Lopez is still happening.
"He likes to find his space, and he roams pretty freely around to find his space. So you have to pick your head up and see where he's at, especially before you get the ball because you want to know where he's going to be," said Victorine. "The key, more, is getting more movement off the ball offensively. At times on the weekend, it was too stagnant, too easy for defenders to see. We need to make defenders make decisions."
A more dynamic and flowing attack will certainly pay more dividends in style if not in results than the Wizards' previous performance.
"We got our butts handed to us, and our guys have a lot of pride," said Onalfo. "I'm sure [the players] are going to react in a way where they are going to redeem themselves this weekend. Having said that, [Toronto's BMO Field] is a tough place to play."
Seventeen points from five wins and two draws is what Toronto FC has done at home this season. On April 26 of this year, the Wizards left BMO Field with a 2-0 loss mainly due to the talented feet of Amado Guevara, who scored both goals. BMO Field is also where the Wizards' current six-game winless streak began.
But the Wizards are only focused on the next game, not past history.
"Right now, you take it one game at a time. We need to win; you take one win, and you start building," said Victorine. "I don't look at the standings right now; we now where we're at, we need to go out and get points. We need to go get wins; we can't get ties. We have to focus on one game at a time, that's all we can deal with. We need to go out to Toronto and get a good result."
Bob Rusert is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
