The Kansas City Wizards Reserves (3-3-3, 12 pts.) earned their third straight win in reserve division play with a 4-2 win over the Los Angeles Galaxy Reserves (4-4-2, 14 pts.) at the Arrowhead Training Field Sunday morning. Four first half goals, including two from forward Ryan Pore helped pace to the Wizards to the win. Alan Gordon and Mamba Chisoni registered goals for the Galaxy.
Both teams tried to battle trough the morning showers and take control of the match, but it was the home side that grabbed the upper hand and never relinquished it through the opening half. An early chance from John Minagawa-Webster sprayed just wide of its mark, but it was a sign of what was yet to come from the Wizards.
In the 22nd minute, the Wizards opened the scoring when Alex Zotinca took a short corner kick into Jamaican midfielder Jermaine Hue who was positioned just a yard outside the right side of the box. Hue, surprising the defenders who were still setting up inside the box, took one touch to face goal and let go of a bending left-footed shot from the edge of the box that tucked inside the far post out of the reach of Galaxy 'keeper Steve Gonzalez.
Four minutes later, Zotinca again would create an opportunity for Kansas City, this time working his way through the Galaxy back line and drawing the attention of several defenders. He slipped a ball out to his right where Minagawa-Webster was overlapping. Minagawa-Webster hesitated a bit, forcing the goalkeeper to come off his line and commit to the ball. Minagawa-Webster then sent a left-footed ball towards the far post in almost identical fashion as Hue's first goal of the match.
Even with a two-goal lead, Kansas City continued to pour on the pressure, rarely letting the Galaxy build an attack and closed off every lane when Los Angeles managed to penetrate into the Wizards defensive third of the field.
In the 32nd minute, the Wizards took advantage of a short corner kick once again to catch the Galaxy off guard. This time, Hue played the ball short to Zotinca in the right corner, who in turn sent a right-footed ball across the mouth of the goal to Ryan Pore who was crashing in towards the far post. Pore slid in to redirect the sinking cross inside his near post to extend the Wizards lead.
Pore would add another goal for Kansas City just four minutes later. Ryan Raybould switched fields from the back right with a brilliant long ball to Jermaine Hue on the left flank. Hue settled and switched fields again to Pore who was camped out near the right post with space around him. Pore didn't even need to take a step as he zeroed in on the ball and sent an easy header back towards the far post in front of goalkeeper Steve Gonzalez.
It wasn't until late in the first half, after the Wizards had built a four-goal margin that the Galaxy began to breathe life into the match. In the 39th minute, with his back to the goal, forward Alan Gordon chested down a ball to Naldo Conceicao who was running straight at goal. Naldo laid off a ball to Mamba Chisoni on the right who then tracked across the top of the box from right to left trying to find an opening for a shot. As the Wizards defense spread apart, Chisoni cracked a shot to the upper left corner of the goal that deflected off Wizards goalkeeper William Hesmer's glove before finding it's way into the goal.
The Galaxy revved things up in the second half, trying desperately to cut into the Wizards lead. The visitors were able to put together a formidable attack in the second half, something they were unable to do in the first. Forward Alan Gordon twice hit off the crossbar from long range, and had a close range shot saved in the dying minutes of the match.
Gordon drew the Galaxy a goal closer with a tally in the 82nd minute. Midfielder Memo Gonzalez did the work, holding possession while moving to his right. Before the Wizards could catch up and dispossess him, Gonzalez sent the ball across the box where Gordon slid in and redirected a shot along the ground that found it's way under a diving William Hesmer.
A scary play occurred in the 67th minute when Wizards third-string goalkeeper Martin Hutton, who entered the game as a field player in the 64th minute, tangled with former Wizards midfielder Khari Stephenson, playing at right back for the Galaxy. The two went for a 50-50 ball in front of the Wizards bench and met the ball at the same time, sending both player to the ground and both player's knees going in opposite directions. Both Hutton and Stephenson came off, but with Hutton as the last available sub for the Wizards, Kansas City was forced to play the final 20 minutes a man down. They managed to hold off a desperate Galaxy attack in the final minutes and held on to the 4-2 win. Early indications were a sprained right MCL for Hutton, but he will be re-evaluated by team doctors on Monday morning.
Scoring Summary:
KC- Jermaine Hue (Alex Zotinca) 22'
KC- John Minagawa-Webster (Alex Zotinca) 26'
KC- Ryan Pore (Alex Zotinca, Jermaine Hue) 32'
KC- Ryan Pore (Jermaine Hue, Ryan Raybould) 36'
LA- Mamba Chisoni (Nalda Conceicao, Alan Gordon) 39'
LA- Alan Gordon (Memo Gonzalez) 82'
Los Angeles Galaxy Reserves (4-4-2): Steve Gonzalez-GK; Khari Stephenson (Kevin Ara-69'), Jacobi Goodfellow, Aaron Lopez (Josh Gardner-46'), Michael Nsien; Marcelo Saragosa (Michael Umana-46'), Ty Maurin (David Johnson-46'), Diego Walsh (Memo Gonzalez-46'), Mamba Chisoni; Alan Gordon, Naldo Conceicao (Michael Enfield-46')
Kansas City Reserves (4-4-2): William Hesmer-GK; Ryan Raybould, Brian Roberts, Dustin Branan, Daniel Dobson (Doug lascody-46'); John Minagawa-Webster, Alex Zotinca, Jack Jewsbury, Jermaine Hue (Pat McGinnis-56'); Ryan Pore, Davy Arnaud (Martin Hutton-64')
Misconduct Summary:
LA- Michael Nsien (Reckless Foul) 17'
KC- Dustin Branan (Professional Foul) 18'
LA- Marcelo Saragosa (Persistent Infringement) 43'
KC- Ryan Raybould (Pushing, Holding) 51'
Attendance: 100
Weather: Partly cloudy, showers, 75 degrees
Referee: Andy Elsworth
Assistant Referees: Shar Dilmaghani, Younasse Tribin
4th Official: Phil Thies
