Jimmy Conrad took about three minutes to show the world that he was fit to play again Saturday, his goal the difference as the Kansas City Wizards defeated the New England Revolution on Saturday night at Arrowhead Stadium.
The early-season showdown between the Wizards and the defending Eastern Conference champion was decided with the early third-minute goal, the only one of the match. Conrad's looping header off a Jack Jewsbury's corner kick found its way into the upper left corner of the goal.
The victory gave the Wizards maximum points from their first three games for the first time in club history. The goal was the first allowed by the Revolution all season, who fell to defeat for the first time in 2006.
Conrad, who had to sit out the first two games because of a sports hernia, gestured to his midsection after the goal as if to say that his recently repaired injury was no longer causing him any problem.
The Wizards had a golden opportunity to take a 2-0 lead in the seventh minute when Revolution defender Michael Parkhurst pulled down Wizards forward Josh Wolff in the penalty area. But Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis kicked aside Wolff's penalty kick.
Conrad almost had a second goal in the 23rd minute when he headed Wolff's free kick from about 15 yards to the lower right corner of the goal. But Reis dived to parry the ball out of danger for New England.
Reis also made saves on Davy Arnaud in the 28th minute and Jack Jewsbury in the 44th minute. The Revolution quickly counter-attacked after Arnaud's shot, but Wizards goalkeeper Bo Oshoniyi saved Clint Dempsey's shot. Jewsbury's shot, from about 40 yards, seemed to surprise Reis, who could only block it with his knees. It was one of nine saves he recorded in the opening 45 minutes.
The Revolution would have created more dangerous chances and probably scored in the first half if some of their crosses had found their intended heads. Dempsey appeared to be upset that his head missed Andy Dorman's cross in the 37th minute.
Perhaps it was just bad luck for New England. A black cat ran onto the field in the 38th minute, ran in front of the Wizards bench and fourth official's table before retreating to the stands.
The Revolution appeared to have tied the game in the 47th minute when a corner kick found Dorman at the far post and he put a right-footed shot in the goal, but the referee had already blown his whistle for a New England handball.
The pace of the game slowed after that until the Wizards brought defender Alex Zotinca off the bench and took Eddie Johnson out in the 74th minute.
As the match entered its final stages, the Revolution attacked with more urgency and the Wizards attacked with more care.
Dempsey tried to beat Oshoniyi from about 25 yards with a low shot in the 87th minute, but Oshoniyi scooped the ball. Dorman aimed a cross into the area for Taylor Twellman in the 88th minute, but the ball trickled just outside the left post off a Kansas City player for a corner kick.
Robert Whitman is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
