This Week with the Wizards - Headlines for Week of August 16th:
• Wizards Hit the Road for Two-Game Road Trip at Columbus Wednesday, at New England Saturday
• Coach's Bar & Grill to Host Watch Party for Wednesday's Match at 6:30 p.m. CT
• Second Annual "Jerseys Off Their Back" Event Raises Over $10,000 for MDA
• Chris Klein Suffers ACL Tear in Left Knee
• Wizards Host Earthquakes in U.S. Open Cup Semifinals on August 24th
Wizards Hit the Road for Two-Game Road Trip at Columbus Wednesday, at New England Saturday
The Kansas City Wizards will take to the road this week for a two-game road trip against Eastern Conference opponents. Kansas City will take on the Columbus Crew on Wednesday, August 18th at Crew Stadium. The match will kickoff at 6:30 p.m. CT and will be broadcast live on HDNet. On Saturday, August 21st the Wizards will face the New England Revolution at Gillette Stadium with kickoff slated for 6:30 p.m. CT. Saturday's match will be broadcast live on Fox Sports World.
Kansas City (9-6-5, 32 points) will look to rebound from their disappointing 2-0 loss to the San Jose Earthquakes this past weekend and will have another shot at overtaking the Los Angeles Galaxy atop the Western Conference Standings. Despite the Wizards loss, they still sit just two points behind the Galaxy (9-6-7, 34 points).
Columbus currently sits in second place in the East with 26 points (6-5-8), a full six points behind the East-leading MetroStars. The Crew is coming off a 0-0 tie at Los Angeles this weekend which extended their unbeaten streak to seven games. However, in that seven game span, the Crew has managed just two victories (2-0-5), a 2-0 win vs. Chicago on July 3rd and a 2-1 win vs. Dallas on July 28th.
Columbus has been a team of streaks this season, having started the season winless over of the first five games of the season, then posting four consecutive wins to climb towards the top of the Eastern Conference Standings. Their current unbeaten streak has propelled them into contention for home field advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
New England also enters this weekend's match against the Wizards riding a seven-game unbeaten streak of their own, with an identical 2-0-5 mark over their last seven games. Like Columbus, the Revs last loss came on July 4th, a 1-0 decision to the Colorado Rapids. Their seven-game streak has seen the Revs move from last place in the East and five points behind 4th place Chicago, to a fourth place position and within three points of second place.
Coach's Bar & Grill to Host Watch Party for Wizards and U.S. National Team Matches Wednesday Night
The Kansas City Wizards and Coach's Bar & Grill will host a Watch Party on Wednesday, August 18th for the Wizards match against the Columbus Crew and the U.S. National Team's Qualifying match against Jamaica. The Wizards game will be broadcast live on HDNet beginning at 6:30 p.m. CT. The U.S. match kicks off at 6:00 p.m. CT and will be broadcast live on ESPN2.
The Wizards Watch Party will take place at Coach's Bar & Grill in South Kansas City, located at 414 W. 103rd St., just off 103rd and Wornall. Remember to wear blue and cheer on your Wizards as they take on the Crew. For directions, call Coach's Bar & Grill at 816-941-2286 or log on to www.coach-s.com.
Second Annual "Jerseys Off Their Back" Event Raises Over $10,000 for MDA
On Saturday, August 14, 2004 the Kansas City Wizards and the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) raised over $10,000 during the 2nd Annual "Jerseys Off Their Back" promotion in the Pavilion at Arrowhead. Ten game-worn Wizards jerseys were auctioned off and thirteen jerseys were raffled off at the post-game event attended by soccer fans and Wizards players. Carolyn Long, news anchor for KCTV 5 (CBS), emceed the event. Over 2,000 Scratch & Win tickets were sold and over $8,000 was raised during the auction. Goalkeeper Tony Meola's jersey recorded the largest bid of the night coming in at $2,500.
The Muscular Dystrophy Association is a voluntary National health agency dedicated to conquering neuromuscular diseases that affect over one million Americans. Funds raised during the "Jerseys Off Their Backs" event will benefit hundreds of local children and adults living in the Greater Kansas City area with neuromuscular disease. Contributions will be allocated to MDA research projects, the MDA clinic at KU Medical Center and to Summer Camp for children ages 6 to 21 living in the area.
Chris Klein Suffers ACL Tear in Left Knee
Kansas City Wizards midfielder Chris Klein suffered a tear in his left ACL during the Wizards match against the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday afternoon. He suffered the injury in the 76th minute, but remained in the game until the final whistle. A MRI following the game revealed the tear. Klein suffered the same injury in his right knee during a Copa MercoNorte match in Kansas City in October of 2001.
The 28-year-old Klein will undergo surgery late next week under the direction of U.S. National Team Doctor Bert Mandelbaum. He is expected to be out at least six months. Entering Saturday's match, Klein was tied for 8th in the League in scoring with 16 points (4g, 8a). His eight assists were tied for the most in MLS. He was selected as Major League Soccer's Player of the Month for June and made his second career appearance in the 2004 MLS All-Star Game last month.
Klein's injury on Saturday afternoon came just one day before he was to join the U.S. National Team in camp as they prepare for Wednesday's World Cup Qualifying match in Jamaica. With 16 career caps for the U.S. National Team, including two Qualifying appearances, Klein was named to the 18-man roster that will face Jamaica and hoped to make his first appearance in World Cup Qualifying since July 2001.
Wizards Host Earthquakes in U.S. Open Cup Semifinals on August 24th The Kansas City Wizards will host the San Jose Earthquakes on Tuesday, August 24th in the Semifinals of the 2004 U.S. Open Cup. The match will once again be played at the Blue Valley District Activity Complex, located at 135th & Switzer in Overland Park, KS, with kickoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CT. The Wizards are now just two games away from capturing their first U.S. Open Cup Championship and the $100,000 in prize money that goes to the winner.
Tickets to the U.S. Open Cup match are General Admission and are $10 for adults and $5 for youth (15 and under). Tickets can be purchased in advance at the Wizards Box Office at Arrowhead Stadium, or at the Blue Valley District Activity Complex beginning at 5:30 p.m. on the day of the game. </p>
The U.S. Open Cup match is designated as "Special Game B" for Wizards season ticket holders. Each "Special Game B" ticket will admit two people into the Stadium. Seating at the Blue Valley District Activity Complex is limited and seats are available on a first come, first serve basis. Fans are encouraged to come early as the Wizards Quarterfinal match against Dallas drew a standing-room only crowd. For ticket information, please call Kim O'Dell in the Wizards office at 816-920-4730.
In the other Semifinal bracket, the Charleston Battery (A-League) will travel to Chicago to take on the defending U.S. Open Cup Champion Chicago Fire on Wednesday, August 25th in Naperville, IL. The 2004 U.S. Open Cup final will take place on Wednesday, September 22nd with the location and kickoff time still to be determined.
Wizards Injury Report
Out:
M - Chris Klein, Torn ACL (L)
Probable:
M - Preki, Fractured Fibula/Dislocated Ankle (L)
