The Wizards this Week (April 4, 2006)
What's On Tap: Week Two Preview
Sitting in first place in the Eastern Conference, tied with New England
after both teams picked up wins on opening day, the Kansas City Wizards
(1-0-0) travel to Houston to face the Dynamo (1-0-0) for the "first" time
this Saturday, April 8th. Formerly the Earthquakes, Major League Soccer
relocated the organization to Houston from San Jose this past December.
Houston is coming off a convincing 5-2 win over Colorado in its
season-opener that saw forward Brian Ching net a franchise record four
goals, earning him MLS Player of the Week honors. Over 25,000 fans packed
the University of Houston's Robertson Stadium, the home of the Dynamo, for
the first ever MLS regular season match played in the city of Houston.
Kickoff for Saturday's game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CST and can be seen
on MLS's Direct Kick package.
Four Wizards in the U.S. Mix...Again
Despite 2005 MLS Defender of the Year Jimmy Conrad not making U.S. National
Team's roster for its upcoming friendly match against Jamaica because of
injury, Kansas City still had four players make the U.S.'s list for next
week. U.S. head coach Bruce Arena elected to make a straight Kansas
City-swap, replacing Conrad, who has been a mainstay in the U.S. defense
over the course of World Cup qualifying and warm-up matches, with his
Wizards linemate, Nick Garcia. Owner of six full international caps, Garcia
last appeared for the Red, White and Blue in a 1-1 draw against Denmark at
the Home Depot Center on January 18, 2004. Garcia will join Kansas City
forwards Eddie Johnson and Josh Wolff, along with midfielder Kerry Zavagnin,
in representing the United States on April 11th against the Reggae Boyz.
Next Tuesday's match is the U.S.'s last before Arena sets his final 23-man
roster between May 2nd and 4th for this summer's FIFA World Cup in Germany.
For more information on the U.S. National Team visit www.ussoccer.com.
A Team Effort: Week One Review
The Kansas City Wizards went undefeated for the seventh straight year in
their season opener this past Saturday, posting a 3-1 victory over the
Columbus Crew. The Wizards' win was as lopsided of a 3-1 win as 3-1 could
be, controlling the game on both sides of the ball. Although the offensive
numbers for both teams were fairly close, the Wizards' new high-potent
offense kept the Crew defense on its heels all night long producing a number
of quality scoring opportunities. The Wizards' offense rattled off six
shots on goal, producing 11 total, scoring on three and forcing Crew
goalkeeper Jon Busch to make a number of spectacular saves to keep the
deficit to a minimum. On the flip side, with the exception of their goal,
the Crew only really tested Wizards keeper Bo Oshoniyi once. Kansas City
was dominant last Saturday thanks to a collective team effort that was
highlighted by the fact that three different players scored: Davy Arnaud,
Jack Jewsbury and Eddie Johnson. Also, three separate players, Matt
Groenwald, Kerry Zavagnin and Scott Sealy, all registered assists.
World Cup Clinic
The 18,143 fans who got their first chance to see the 2006 Wizards on
opening day will get their next chance to enjoy Wizards soccer in Arrowhead
Stadium in less than two weeks when they host the defending Eastern
Conference Champion New England Revolution on Saturday, April 15th at 7:30
p.m. CST. Prior to the Wizards-Revolution match the Wizards will be hosting
a World Cup Clinic with Mike Burns, former Wizard and U.S. National Team
member, between 5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. A veteran of the 1994 and 1998 World
Cups, Burns played for the Wizards in 2001 and 2002. Youth can participate
in the camp, which takes place on the Arrowhead Stadium playing surface, for
a $20 registration fee that includes participation in the camp and admission
for both the camp participant and one accompanying member to the
Wizards-Revolution match. For more information on the clinic please contact
the Wizards' Youth Soccer Coordinator Zach Rieger at 816-920-4744.
Bo on Metro
Kansas City Wizards goalkeeper Bo Oshoniyi will be appearing on Metro
Sports' Sports Talk on Tuesday, April 4th at 6:00 p.m.
This Week's Schedule
Monday: 4/3 - Off
Tuesday: 4/4 - Training 9:00 a.m. to approximately 11:00 a.m.
Wednesday: 4/5 - Training 9:00 a.m. to approximately 11:00 a.m.
Thursday: 4/6 - Training 9:00 a.m. to approximately 11:00 a.m.
Friday: 4/7 - Training 9:00 a.m. to approximately 11:00 a.m.; Depart for
Houston from Arrowhead Stadium 12:30 p.m.
Saturday: 4/8 - Wizards at Houston Dynamo 7:30 p.m. CST at UH's Robertson
Stadium - Televised as part of the MLS Direct Kick package, check your local cable
or satellite cable provider for local listings
