After the Kansas City Wizards failed in their bid to take over first place in the Eastern Conference 17 days ago in New England, mainly due to a poor second half, their parting thoughts might have been "until we meet again." That meeting is Sunday evening at Arrowhead Stadium, and even though a Wizards win does not equal a spot at the top, it does equal a victory in the head-to-head battle for the season that could pay huge dividends when it comes to playoff positioning.
Each side owns a win with the Wizards having won 4-3 on May 26 and the Revolution earning a 2-0 win in that last encounter, Aug. 2. Since then, first-place New England has seen a 1-0 win against the LA Galaxy sandwiched by a pair of 3-0 losses and now sits at 36 points, seven above fourth-place Kansas City, who has two games in hand.
"We need to put some points on the board and start really pushing for that playoff spot," said Wizards forward Scott Sealy. "We've been doing fine, but if you look at it, we're not too far out of the playoff race either."
Clearly, the Wizards understand the importance Sunday's battle holds, and three points might just be a bit easier to grab if two of their most explosive players erupt for some goals. Left back Jose Burciaga Jr. and attacking midfielder Carlos Marinelli are players many people would expect to score, but thus far they have only two goals between them.
Burciaga himself punched in eight goals a season ago. But after conversations with head coach Curt Onalfo, Burciaga has expanded his focus.
"This season, Curt and I have had many talks where he feels that I'm a great player going forward but a lot of people in the league question my one-on-one defending. As soon as he told me that, I automatically changed my ways," said the five-year MLS veteran. "I want to help my team defensively first. Anytime I go forward and attack, that's extra."
"He's not expected to score goals. ... What I'm most happy and pleased about with Jose is that he's become a fitter player and that he's become a much better one-v-one defender ... and he still gets forward and contributes when he needs to," said Onalfo, referring to Burciaga's 90th-minute strike vs. Columbus on May 5. "I'm extremely pleased with his progress and his attitude and what he brings to our team."
Tactically, the Wizards of 2007 are a team with many strong attacking options.
"When we have Carlos, Eddie [Johnson], Michael Harrington, Davy [Arnaud] ... we don't have to rely on me so much," Burciaga said. "That's what we lacked in this team before. Overall, it's kind of weird that people don't see me attacking as much anymore, but that will come handy when we really need it in the playoffs."
The addition of the savvy Marinelli to the Wizards was a large piece of the attacking puzzle, one benefit being passes that could more easily be finished by other players. But even the most pure playmakers are expected to finish off more than one goal a season.
"I would love to score more goals -- that's the most beautiful thing about soccer," Marinelli said through an interpreter. "I've come close on several occasions. In New England, I almost scored, but unfortunately, it went off the crossbar. Sometimes it just doesn't happen."
Some terrific saves by goalkeepers have kept the former Boca Juniors player off the board in the run of play, his only goal coming off a penalty kick back on April 21 in Chicago. Yet to Onalfo, Marinelli has fulfilled his role.
"We brought him here to take risks, thread the needle, and make our attacking players better. He's done that," said Onalfo. "He should probably have a lot more assists if you look at the balls he's played through and guys haven't put in the back of the net. He's getting better every day. ... He's a player who hasn't played for a year, and we believe he's worth the investment. I'm very pleased with Carlos."
As Onalfo has said repeatedly, Kansas City's goals are the playoffs and sharpening their play. Thus, Burciaga will likely spend most of Sunday's match trying to shut down Revolution right-winger Steve Ralston, who should return after sitting out Thursday's loss at Colorado due to a stomach virus, and Marinelli will look to link with his teammates and continue to deal with the physical play that is often directed his way.
If Burciaga and Marinelli continue to improve in their roles, Onalfo and the Wizards will reap the dividends. But Sunday's match against conference-leading New England could be a more enjoyable encounter if they reacquaint themselves with the scoring column.
Bob Rusert is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
