KANSAS CITY WIZARDS vs COLORADO RAPIDS
COMMUNITYAMERICA BALLPARK, Kansas City, Kan.
Sept. 26, 2009 (WEEK 28) / MLS Game #195
7:30 p.m. CT (MetroSports; Altitude)
The Kansas City Wizards will look to keep their late season charge toward a playoff bid alive when they play host to the Colorado Rapids at CommunityAmerica Ballpark. The Wizards have won three of their last four games and enter the weekend just six points out of the final wild card spot with five games remaining. The Rapids currently hold one of those top eight spots in the MLS overall table, after playing to a pair of draws in a home-and-home series with the San Jose Earthquakes over a six-day span.
REFEREE: Silviu Petrescu. SAR (bench): Kermit Quisenberry; JAR (opposite): Sean Hurd; 4th: Chris Penso
MLS Career: 13 games; FC/gm: 33.6; Y/gm: 4.4; R: 4; pens: 1
INJURY REPORT: KANSAS CITY WIZARDS - OUT: GK Eric Kronberg (shoulder surgery); MF Kevin Souter (sports hernia surgery); QUESTIONABLE: FW Adam Cristman (abdominal strain) ... COLORADO RAPIDS - OUT: MF Colin Clark (L ACL tear); GK Matt Pickens (R knee sprain); MF Jamie Smith (L knee strain); DOUBTFUL: DF Cory Gibbs (R thigh strain)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
SUSPENDED: none
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: KC: Santiago Hirsig, Claudio Lopez, Lance Watson
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: KC: Davy Arnaud, Roger Espinoza, Herculez Gomez, Kei Kamara ... COL: Mehdi Ballouchy, Conor Casey, Omar Cummings, Cory Gibbs, Scott Palguta
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (44 meetings): Wizards 19 wins (1 shootout), 79 goals ... Rapids 17 wins (3 shootout), 62 goals ... Ties 8
AT KANSAS CITY (21 meetings): Wizards 15 wins (0 shootout), 51 goals ... Rapids 3 wins (1 shootout), 23 goals ... Ties 3
• The Wizards haven't won in Denver since June 9, 2004, a span of six league matches. The Rapids have won five of those, with one draw.
• The Rapids haven't won in Kansas City since the final meeting in 2002, a span of eight league contests. The Wizards have won six of those, with a pair of draws. The Wizards also won a game in the MLS Cup Playoffs in that stretch.
• The Kansas City win at Mile High Stadium was the only victory by a road team in the last 18 matches.
• Coaches record: Peter Vermes v COL: first game ... Gary Smith vs. KC: P1 W1 L0 D0
LAST MEETING (MLS):
3/28: COL 2, KC 1 (Cooke 65; Cummings 74 - Kraus 69)
• The Colorado Rapids got a late winner for a 2-1 victory in the first meeting between the teams this season, March 28 at Dick's Sporting Goods Park.
• In the first half, Kansas City goalkeeper Kevin Hartman made two saves in short order late, becoming the all-time MLS saves leader. Hartman ended the night with four saves and 1,139 for his MLS career, now three ahead of previous record-holder Tony Meola.
• Hartman saw his shutout bid ended in dramatic fashion in the 65th minute. Terry Cooke came on the field as a substitute and immediately took a free kick from outside the area on the left, whipping it off the inside of the near post for a 1-0 Colorado lead.
• The Wizards tied the game five minutes later in equally dramatic circumstances. Michael Kraus, who had come on just two minutes earlier in his first ever MLS regular season game action, ripped a rising shot that bounced off the underside of the crossbar and down into the goal.
• But the Rapids took the lead back just four minutes later. Cooke found Colin Clark on the left with a long ball, and he in turn sent Omar Cummings through with a diagonal ball, and the Jamaican striker hit home for the second time in as many weeks.
• Here's Smith's team (4-3-1-2): Matt Pickens - Kosuke Kimura, Cory Gibbs, Ugo Ihemelu, Jordan Harvey - Jacob Peterson (Terry Cooke 64), Nick LaBrocca, Colin Clark - Mehdi Ballouchy (Ty Harden 90) - Conor Casey, Omar Cummings. Substitutes Not Used: Preston Burpo, Greg Dalby, Ivan Guerrero, Gregory Richardson, Ross Schunk
• Here's Curt Onalfo's team (4-4-2): Kevin Hartman - Jonathan Leathers, Jimmy Conrad, Aaron Hohlbein, Michael Harrington - Herculez Gomez (Matt Besler 87), Jack Jewsbury, Lance Watson, Graham Zusi (Santiago Hirsig 57) - Claudio Lopez, Abe Thompson (Michael Kraus 67). Substitutes Not Used: Davy Arnaud, Rauwshan McKenzie, Kurt Morsink, Boris Pardo
KANSAS CITY WIZARDS
The Kansas City Wizards got two late goals to overcome an FC Dallas comeback for a 3-2 victory on Saturday evening at CommunityAmerica Ballpark. The Wizards have 30 points from 25 matches, sitting in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, 13 points behind first-place Columbus.
LAST MATCH
• The Wizards were back home after keeping their postseason aspirations afloat with two wins in three road tilts over a week's time. FC Dallas were coming off a second six-goal outburst on the season, their 6-3 win against the LA Galaxy ending a three-game winless run.
• The Wizards took the lead after just nine minutes. A Claudio Lopez corner kick found countryman Santiago Hirsig completely unmarked, and he headed home his first MLS goal.
• But FC Dallas snatched the lead back with goals on either side of halftime. In the 44th minute, Dax McCarty stepped forward to intercept a pass out of the back from Jimmy Conrad, and lashed home a low drive from outside the area. Then in the 54th minute, David Ferreira caught Conrad in possession, stole the ball, rounded goalkeeper Kevin Hartman and slipped the ball in front of goal for Jeff Cunningham to tap home for his 13th of the season.
• But the Wizards came back to win the see-saw battle with two goals in four minutes. In the 77th minute, Lopez sent in another corner kick and this time it was met with a full volley by Zoltan. Josh Wolff was standing in the six and redirected it home for his 10th goal.
• Then Conrad atoned for his earlier transgressions. Lopez put in a cross from the left that was nearly headed into his own goal by FCD defender George John. Goalkeeper Dario Sala was able to deflect it away, but only as far as Conrad on the back post, and he fell forward to nod home from close range for the game-winner.
• Wizards interim head coach Peter Vermes made two changes to the team that defeated the New York Red Bulls 1-0 at Giants Stadium. Matt Besler returned from suspension, coming into the back four for Aaron Hohlbein, but Jack Jewsbury was suspended, with Kurt Morsink replacing him in the midfield.
• Here's Vermes' team (4-4-2): Kevin Hartman - Jonathan Leathers, Matt Besler, Jimmy Conrad, Michael Harrington - Herculez Gomez (Kei Kamara 46), Santiago Hirsig, Kurt Morsink (Graham Zusi 55), Claudio Lopez - Davy Arnaud (Zoltan Hercegfalvi 77), Josh Wolff. Substitutes Not Used: Aaron Hohlbein, Chance Myers, Boris Pardo, Lance Watson
TEAM NEWS
• After seeing two mistakes turned into goals for FC Dallas, Jimmy Conrad was able to hit the back of the net for the first time this season, a year after hitting for a career-high six goals.
• "We had to win this game for our season to continue. I had the weight of the world on my shoulders there for a while. There were no defensive mistakes tonight it was just two mistakes by me, which led to two goals. It hurts, but you move on. I am not pleased with my performance overall, but it was nice to get that back with a goal late," Conrad said. Said Vermes: "The two goals they scored were mistakes on our part, which is not a good thing, but we did a very good job outside of that by not giving them a lot."
• Coming into the game, the Wizards had scored just one goal all season from a corner kick - that coming June 13 vs. New England.
• "One of the places where we felt we could put pressure on them was set pieces, and getting that corner kick goal was something we really thought we could take advantage of. Where it got difficult was we didn't put the hammer on after that," Vermes said.
• Vermes made a few changes at the half against FC Dallas that helped eventually turn the tide. Kei Kamara was brought on to start in his Wizards debut after being acquired from Houston, and Zoltan made his fifth substitute appearance after not appearing vs. New York.
• "Kei has a presence physically that puts defenses under major pressure, and then Zoltan is an extremely smart soccer player. You can see when balls get played out to him that very rarely does he lose the ball through the dribble or the pass. He winds up finding guys," Vermes said. "Those two are a big help to our team. We will continue to evaluate things as we move forward, but they were great subs into the game.
• Josh Wolff scored his 10th goal of the season, and his fourth in the last four games, after going nearly four months without a goal. It tied his single-season career-high, set three times previously, last in 2005.
• "He [Josh Wolff] has worked his butt off every game that we have played. He has never taken a play off, and it is really evident tonight. His type of attitude and management of the game is very important for us," said Vermes.
COLORADO RAPIDS
For the second time in six days, the Colorado Rapids got a late penalty kick to pull into a 1-1 draw with the San Jose Earthquakes, this time on Wednesday at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. The Rapids have 38 points from 27 matches, now in a tie for third place in the Western Conference with Seattle Sounders FC entering the weekend.
LAST MATCH
• The Rapids and Earthquakes were meeting in the back end of their home-and-home series, after the teams played to a 1-1 draw at Buck Shaw Stadium the previous Friday, a penalty kick five minutes into second-half stoppage time giving Colorado the late leveler.
• The Earthquakes once again took the lead, this time through a penalty kick of their own, midway through the second half. Rapids substitute Pat Noonan was adjudged to have played a cross into the box with his arm, and referee Ricardo Salazar pointed to the spot, where Chris Wondolowski converted the 67th-minute opener.
• But remarkably, in stoppage time, the Rapids yet once again won a penalty. Omar Cummings was scythed down by Quakes defender Jason Hernandez, and once again Conor Casey stepped up to the spot, driving home the penalty for his league-leading 15th goal three minutes deep into added time.
• Rapids head coach Gary Smith made one change from the team in Friday's draw in Santa Clara. Pablo Mastroeni returned from a three-game suspension, coming in for Scott Palguta in a readjusted Colorado midfield.
• Here's Smith's team (4-1-3-2): Preston Burpo - Kosuke Kimura, Julien Baudet, Drew Moor, Jordan Harvey - Pablo Mastroeni - Nick LaBrocca (Facundo Diz 82), Mehdi Ballouchy (Scott Palguta 69), Jacob Peterson (Pat Noonan 12) - Conor Casey, Omar Cummings. Substitutes Not Used: Steward Ceus, Greg Dalby, Ty Harden, Michael Holody
TEAM NEWS
• Coming away with a point from the first leg of the home-and-home series in San Jose, Smith said it felt almost like a victory. The feeling wasn't the same from the return match, despite an identical finish.
• "The way the result came about, it was almost a carbon copy, wasn't it?" said Smith. "The point last week was very satisfying, and not so tonight."
• Casey's goal gave him 15 goals for the season and the lead in the MLS Golden Boot by two goals ahead of FC Dallas' Jeff Cunningham. It was also the club record for the Rapids, surpassing John Spencer's previous high of 14 in 2001 and 2003.
• "It feels good. I think I'll feel better once we're in the playoffs," Casey said. "Right now it's just crunch time. We want to make sure we're in the playoffs as soon as possible, and the last two games we haven't played well, so we need to turn that around."
• Said Smith: "We're pleased that [Casey] kept his nerve on the penalty again and delighted for him to break a record, but the only record I really want broken at the moment is that in the last two years we haven't gotten in the playoffs. That's one that I'm keen to break right now."
• One of only two players to have missed two penalties this season (ironically, along with Cunningham), it was Casey's third successful spot kick in five attempts.
• "Casey stepped up," Preston Burpo said. "He was under a lot of pressure the other night and again tonight. These are two massive points. It's massive that he's the guy that steps up and puts all the pressure on his shoulders, and he deals with it great."
• However, there was bad news following the match as Jacob Peterson was on crutches after being forced from the field in the 12th minute. The Rapids have now seen three wide midfielders fall to injury in less then six weeks, starting with Colin Clark and followed by Jamie Smith, both out for the season. Smith's midseason acquisition necessitated the release of a fourth wide midfielder in Terry Cooke.
• "That's now all of our wide players we've lost, so that's a real disappointment to us," Smith said. "It makes life more difficult of course, because the balance of the group now has changed quite drastically. ... [O]pportunities are being reduced. Earlier in the season, [Casey] got maybe four or five opportunities from crosses, now maybe one or two. He looked a little bit flat."
