This Week with the Wizards - Headlines for Week of July 5th:
• Wizards Host Freddy Adu and D.C. United This Saturday, July 10th
• Are You Ready for Freddy? Order Your "Freddy Four Pack" Online
• Wizards Fans Can Enjoy Free Papa John's Pizza Thanks to Josh Wolff
• Wolff and Zavagnin with U.S. National Team
• Kansas City Begins Play in U.S. Open Cup Against Atlanta Silverbacks on Tuesday, July 20th
• Kansas City Wizards Avila Residential Camp
• Sign-up for the Wizards 101 Soccer Clinic with proceeds benefiting Newhouse Shelter
Wizards Host Freddy Adu and D.C. United This Saturday, July 10th
In what might be the most anticipated game of the season for Wizards fans, teen soccer phenom Freddy Adu will make his first ever appearance at Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday, July 10th when the Wizards take on D.C. United. As the youngest player to play American professional sports in over a century, Adu has drawn media attention from across the globe and has been responsible for an increase in attendance in each MLS city he has played. Through the first six road games D.C. United played this season, they have drawn an average attendance of 25,442.
D.C. United currently sits atop the Eastern Conference standings with 20 points (5-5-5), while the Wizards sit in second in the West with 25 points, trailing the Los Angeles Galaxy by just two points. D.C.'s surge to the top of the Eastern conference standings was due in part to their current four-game unbeaten streak including last Saturday's six-goal outburst against the MetroStars. The Wizards will put their six-game unbeaten streak (4-0-2) on the line on Saturday night as well.
United's attack is led by forwards Jaime Moreno (4g, 6a) and Alecko Eskandarian (6g, 0a) who have combined to score 10 of the team's 22 goals so far this season. Eskandarian, the #1 overall pick in the 2003 MLS SuperDraft, has scored five goals in his last three games and has solidified his spot in the starting lineup.
Another youngster who has earned his way into the starting 11 is 22-year-old goalkeeper Troy Perkins. Perkins went undrafted in this year's SuperDraft and was later signed by D.C. as a developmental player, beginning the season as the third string 'keeper. He impressed the D.C. coaching staff enough to earn his first career start on May 22nd against Colorado and has not relinquished his starting spot since, posting a respectable 3-2-2 record with two shutout over his first seven games. He has done so well, he prompted United officials to waive goalkeeper Doug Warren and promote Perkins to the senior roster.
Perkins will see his biggest test of the season when he faces the Wizards on Saturday night. The Wizards are coming off their biggest win of the season after pounding the Dallas Burn 5-1 at Arrowhead in front of 20,011 fans. Davy Arnaud recorded his first career hat trick, the third in franchise history, and currently sits in a tie for second on the MLS scoring charts.
The Wizards open attack paired with solid defense continues to be the formula for success behind the team's current six-game unbeaten streak. The Wizards have allowed just 14 goals in 15 games this season, the second best goals against average in the League. They have also outscored their opponents 14-6 over the last six games to move within two points of the best record in MLS.
Are You Ready for Freddy? Order Your "Freddy Four Pack" Online
On Saturday, July 10th, fifteen-year-old soccer phenom Freddy Adu will make his first ever appearance at Arrowhead Stadium when the Wizards host D.C. United. The match will kickoff at 7:30 p.m. CT. Tickets have been selling very fast for the match and 2,000 lower level Sideline tickets still remain, but plenty of Club Level and Endline seats are available.
The Wizards are offering a special "Freddy Four Pack" for the July 10th match. Fans can purchase four Field Level Sideline Reserved seats for just $60. Additional tickets can be purchased for $15 each. Log on to www.kcwizards.com and click on the Freddy Adu banner to purchase the "Freddy Four Pack" online. Individual tickets can also be purchased through Ticketmaster by calling 816-931-3330 or online at www.ticketmaster.com.
Wizards Fans Can Enjoy Free Papa John's Pizza Thanks to Josh Wolff
Kansas City Wizards fans that were in attendance at the July 3rd match against the Dallas Burn can enjoy a free small Papa John's Pizza thanks to Wizards forward Josh Wolff. At each home game, the Wizards select a three-minute span called the "Papa John's Magic Minutes" in which fans get free pizza if a Wizards player scores. Josh Wolff's goal in the 72nd minute fell within the "Papa John's Magic Minutes." Fans can take their ticket stub from the July 3rd match to any area Papa John's location and redeem it for a free small pizza. Ticket stubs must be redeemed before the start of the next Wizards game on Saturday, July 10th.
Wolff and Zavagnin with U.S. National Team
Wizards midfielder Kerry Zavagnin and forward Josh Wolff departed today for Chicago where they will join the U.S. National Team in camp preparing for Sunday's friendly match against Poland. The U.S. and Poland will square off at Soldier Field at 6:00 p.m. CT. The match will be broadcast live on ESPN2.
Neither player will be available for the Wizards when the team faces D.C. United on Saturday, July 10th and will mark the second game this season that the Wizards were forced to play without the duo. On June 19th, the Wizards beat New England 3-1 while Wolff and Zavagnin were in Grenada for the second leg of the American's World Cup Qualifying series.
Kansas City Begins Play in U.S. Open Cup Against Atlanta Silverbacks on Tuesday, July 20th
The Kansas City Wizards will begin play in the 2004 U.S. Open Cup on Tuesday, July 20th, when they enter the prestigious tournament in the 4th round. Kansas City will face the Atlanta Silverbacks (A-League) at DeKalb Stadium in Clarkston, GA with a 6:45 p.m. CT kickoff scheduled. Atlanta advanced to the 4th round with a 3-2 win over the Carolina Dynamos (PDL) last Wednesday.
The road match on July 20th will mark the sixth time in eight years the Wizards have began play in the tournament on the road and will be the eighth road game in 11 overall matches they have played in the U.S. Open Cup since 1996. Last season, the Wizards were knocked out of the tournament in the fourth round after falling to the Colorado Rapids 3-2 in Colorado on August 8, 2004.
Dating back to 1914, the 90-year-old U.S. Open Cup is the oldest soccer cup competition in the United States and is among the oldest in the world. The tournament is open to affiliated amateur and professional teams in the United States, and is single-elimination format. Pairings, dates and kickoff times for the Quarterfinals will be announced at a later date. Log on to www.kcwizards.com or www.ussoccer.com for the latest scores and information on the 2004 U.S. Open Cup.
Kansas City Wizards Avila Residential Camp
The Wizards are in full swing with summer soccer camps. This week kicked off the start of the second Avila Residential Camp at Avila University. Wizards assistant coaches Brian Bliss and Tim Mulqueen along with camp director Huw William will lead the group of campers throughout the week along with special appearances and coaching sessions with Wizards players Taylor Graham, Khari Stephenson, Diego Walsh, Bo Oshoniyi, Francisco Gomez, William Hesmer, Jack Jewsbury and Jose Burciaga. For more information on Wizards soccer camps please visit www.kcwizards.com.
Sign-up for the Wizards 101 Soccer Clinic with proceeds benefiting Newhouse Shelter
The Kansas City Wizards will host the 5th Annual Wizards 101 Soccer Clinic for Moms and kids presented by the Midwest Dairy Council and Kohl's on Wednesday, July 14, 2004. The soccer clinic, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., will kickoff in the Pavilion at Arrowhead.
Wizards defender Nick Garcia along with other players will host the instructional soccer clinic. The cost of the clinic is $10.00 for Moms and $5.00 for kids. The cost includes dinner provided by Papa John's Pizza, 3-A-Day of Dairy nutrition activities and milk mustache photos. All clinic proceeds benefit Newhouse Shelter for battered women and their children To sign up visit the Wizards website at www.kcwizards.com or call the Wizards office at 816-920-9300 for a registration form.
Newhouse provides a 24-hour-a-day, fully-staffed, 10-week residential program for battered women and their children. Services include battered women's support groups, educational workshops, legal issues, medical care, education, job training and employment. The Newhouse mission is to break the cycle of domestic violence by providing the tools that allow women to make positive choices and lead self-sufficient lives.
Wizards ACE Injury/Absence Report
Out:
F - Josh Wolff, U.S. national team
M - Kerry Zavagnin, U.S. national team
M - Preki, Fractured Fibula/Dislocated Ankle (L)
F - Igor Simutenkov, Torn Achilles Tendon (L)
Probable:
D - Shavar Thomas, Ankle Sprain (L)
