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KANSAS CITY WIZARDS v HOUSTON DYNAMO
ARROWHEAD STADIUM, Kansas City, Mo.
7:30 p.m. CT (no TV)
July 15, 2006 (WEEK 16) / MLS Game #105
It was a battle against lower-division competition, but the Kansas City Wizards did put an end to their five-game losing streak with a U.S. Open Cup victory at midweek. The Wizards still haven't won a league game since June 17 - and haven't scored in an MLS game since June 28 - as they entertain Houston Dynamo. Dynamo come into the game with a solid hold on second place after last weekend's win against Chivas USA, a victory that extended their unbeaten streak to eight matches.
REFEREE: Brian Hall. SAR (bench): Nate Clement; JAR (opposite): George Vergara; 4th: Jozef Batzo
MLS Career: 111 games; FC/gm: 29.2; Y/gm: 3.2; R: 27; pens: 35
MLS 2006: 8 games; FC/gm: 27.3 (avg: 29.1); Y/gm: 2.4 (avg: 3.48); R: 0 (MLS: 12); pens: 2 (MLS: 19)
Games involving Wizards: P17 W6 L6 T5; FC/gm: 27.1; Y/gm: 3.0; R: 3; pens: 5
Games involving Dynamo: P1 W0 L0 T1; FC/gm: 28.0; Y/gm: 2.0; R: 0; pens: 0
INJURY REPORT: KANSAS CITY WIZARDS - PROBABLE: MF Sasha Victorine (R hamstring strain);: FW Ryan Pore (L hamstring strain) ... HOUSTON DYNAMO - NONE REPORTED
SUSPENDED: none
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: KC: Davy Arnaud
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: KC: Nick Garcia, Kerry Zavagnin ... HOU: Brian Mullan, Eddie Robinson, Adrian Serioux, Craig Waibel
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME: Wizards 1 win (0 shootout), 2 goals ... Dynamo 0 wins (0 shootout), 1 goal ... 0 draws
IN KANSAS CITY: first meeting
This is the second-ever meeting between the Houston club and Kansas City, the second of two this season and the only one set for Arrowhead Stadium.
Coaches record: Dominic Kinnear vs. KC: P5 W2 L3 D0 ... Bob Gansler v HOU: P1 W1 L0 D0
LAST MEETING
4/8: HOU 1, KC 2 (Ching 64 - Victorine 66; Burciaga 90)
The Wizards claimed a last-gasp 2-1 victory against Dynamo at Robertson Stadium in the second week of the season, on April 8 in the first meeting ever between the clubs.
The game burst into life just after the hour mark, with two goals in three minutes. Dynamo jumped into the lead after 64 minutes when Kevin Goldthwaite swung a free kick into the area, and Brian Ching connected for his fifth goal on the year. But just two minutes later the Wizards drew level, Burciaga putting in a corner for Sasha Victorine to head home.
In the season opener Dwayne De Rosario recorded four assists, tying an MLS record. In the second game of the year he was sent off for a straight red card (78) after a harsh tackle on Burciaga. The Wizards left back then took his revenge just before the completion of the regulation 90 minutes, corralling the ball well outside the area and letting fly with a looping volley that left Dynamo 'keeper Pat Onstad no chance.
Here's Kinnear's team (4-3-1-2): Pat Onstad - Kelly Gray, Ryan Cochrane, Adrian Serioux, Kevin Goldthwaite - Brian Mullan, Ricardo Clark (Ronald Cerritos 87), Wade Barrett (Brad Davis 95+) - Dwayne De Rosario - Brian Ching, Alejandro Moreno (Eddie Robinson 79) [Substitutes Not Used: Patrick Ianni, Marcus Storey, Craig Waibel, Zach Wells]
Here's Gansler's team (4-3-3): Bo Oshoniyi - Matt Groenwald (Alex Zotinca 82), Nick Garcia, Shavar Thomas, Jose Burciaga Jr. - Jack Jewsbury (Tyson Wahl 94+), Kerry Zavagnin, Sasha Victorine - Davy Arnaud, Josh Wolff, Eddie Johnson [Substitutes Not Used: Will Hesmer, Jermaine Hue, Ryan Pore, Scott Sealy, Lance Watson]
KANSAS CITY WIZARDS
The Kansas City Wizards saw their losing streak extended to five matches in dramatic fashion, the Colorado Rapids getting a stoppage-time goal for a 1-0 victory on Saturday evening in Denver. The Wizards now have 20 points from 17 matches, still tied for third place with the Chicago Fire, now four points behind the New England Revolution and fully 21 points behind East and MLS overall leader D.C. United.
LAST MATCH
The Rapids were looking to win back-to-back games for the first time on the season, while the Wizards were looking just to win, with a four-game losing streak and seven defeats in their last 10 games.
Just when it looked as if the game would dwindle to a scoreless draw, the Rapids struck in the first minute of stoppage time. Nicolas Hernandez knocked the ball into space for Thiago Martins. He got in behind the Kansas City backline, cut back to slip away from his defender and sent a rolling pass through the six-yard box where Mathis came in at the far side to knock it into the goal and provide the game-winner.
Wizards head coach Bob Gansler made five changes to the team that lost 1-0 to the Chicago Fire on July 4 at Toyota Park. Tyson Wahl came into the back along with Jimmy Conrad, who was returning from suspension, while Jack Jewsbury and Lance Watson both came into the midfield. Defenders Shavar Thomas and Jose Burciaga Jr. and midfielders Sasha Victorine and Davy Arnaud were dropped. Bo Oshoniyi also came back in between the posts for Will Hesmer.
Here's Gansler's team (4-4-2): Bo Oshoniyi - Matt Groenwald (Davy Arnaud 46), Jimmy Conrad, Nick Garcia, Tyson Wahl - Jack Jewsbury (Shavar Thomas 85), Kerry Zavagnin, Alex Zotinca, Lance Watson - Eddie Johnson (Scott Sealy 73), Josh Wolff. [Substitutes Not Used: Will Hesmer, Yura Movsisyan, Ryan Pore, Ryan Raybould]
TEAM NEWS
The loss capped a difficult two-week stretch where the Wizards lost all five of their games over that period.
"I thought we played a good first half and we had some decent looks after the first 10 minutes when you know they are going to come out strong. The first half was even at worst for us and in the second half we slowed down a little bit; we are a tired bunch," Gansler said. "It was an everyday play that beat us defensively, but obviously we have to generate a little bit more on the offensive side."
To go along with the five-game losing streak, the Wizards have now gone 288 minutes without scoring a goal. That was a penalty kick; their last goal from open play came 340 minutes ago.
"We are obviously struggling on offense. Just like if you are in a slump in any other sport, you have to strap it on and go again. You have to get back on the horse, you have to keep swinging in baseball and keep shooting in basketball," Gansler said. "It's the same, we have to keep playing."
It was a different looking back four for the Wizards, with rookies at each fullback position. Three rookies started for Gansler.
"It was a well-fought game. We tried to limit their chances, and for the majority of the game we did. We just have to learn that you have to play the full 90 minutes and concentrate all the way to the end and you can't really allow anything like that to slip by," said Tyson Wahl, one of the first-year starters. "It was pretty disappointing but you just have to learn from your mistakes and look forward to the next game. Whenever you have a bad (game) you always want to get out there and turn it around as quick as possible."
The Wizards have scored the first goal just twice in their last 12 games - when they've won just twice, and lost eight. "It's just kind of been like that," Jimmy Conrad said. "I thought tonight we did a good job of sticking to a game plan. They broke through it once."
On Wednesday, the Wizards left it late but survived their third-round tie in the U.S. Open Cup, defeating the PDL Des Moines Menace (fourth tier) 2-1 at Blue Valley Athletic Complex. A year after defeating the same Des Moines club 6-1 in the fourth round of the competition, it took the Wizards 63 minutes to break down the massed defense, Ryan Pore sent in by Scott Sealy to finish. But nine minutes later Brad Whitsett headed home a corner kick to pull Des Moines level. In stoppage time, Scott Sealy finished off a counterattack to give the Wizards the victory and send them into a fourth-round date away to the Chicago Fire.
Here's Gansler's team: Will Hesmer; Matt Groenwald (Sergei Raad 46), Shavar Thomas, Brian Roberts, Stephen Shirley; Ryan McMahen, Ryan Raybould, Jack Jewsbury, Yura Movsisyan (Will John 46); Ryan Pore (Eddie Johnson 75), Scott Sealy
HOUSTON DYNAMO
Houston Dynamo extended their unbeaten streak to eight games, coming back from an early deficit to claim a hard-fought 3-1 victory against Chivas USA on Saturday evening at Robertson Stadium. Dynamo now have 27 points from 16 matches and extended their lead in the Western Conference to three points, still trailing the pace-setting FC Dallas by three points.
LAST MATCH
Dynamo were still in second place after going seven games without a loss, although they had drawn five (and three in a row). Chivas USA were making a bid for the best placing in club history as they came in with a six-game unbeaten run.
After a lengthy weather delay, it was Chivas who took an early lead. Ante Razov was given time and space to run at the Dynamo before letting fly from nearly 25 yards from goal, the low shot skimming on the wet turf and inside Pat Onstad's left-hand post for the eighth-minute opener.
But Dynamo pulled back level in the 20th minute as Brian Ching added to his goal total with his first strike since returning from the World Cup. Ricardo Clark was freed down the right flank and drove a low ball across the goal to Ching at the back post, who knocked it into the goal from close range for his ninth on the campaign.
Houston took control of the spirited contest after the break. In the 64th minute Dynamo took the lead when a ball was sent into the area by Alejandro Moreno, and as Chivas 'keeper Preston Burpo came off his line to claim it, he slid and failed to control the ball. Brian Mullan was quickest to it and rolled it into the unguarded goal.
Then six minutes from the end Dynamo added the finishing touch. Eddie Robinson knocked the ball from Francisco Palencia in midfield and Moreno corraled it before being allowed to run at the Chivas defense. He entered the area and beat Burpo inside the near post.
Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear made no changes to the team that played to a 1-1 home draw with the Columbus Crew on July 4.
Here's Kinnear's team (4-3-1-2): Pat Onstad - Craig Waibel (Kelly Gray 69), Ryan Cochrane, Eddie Robinson, Kevin Goldthwaite (Brad Davis 46) - Brian Mullan, Ricardo Clark, Wade Barrett - Dwayne De Rosario - Brian Ching (Ronald Cerritos 83), Alejandro Moreno. [Substitutes Not Used: Chris Aloisi, Stuart Holden, Zach Wells, Chris Wondolowski]
"Obviously we started of a little slow with that early goal and Pat (Onstad) making those big saves, but I think that that motivated us to play a little sharper and then it came down to who was able to score that second goal knowing that goal could be the one that won that team the game," Kinnear said. "But I think that the way we played after they scored was very disciplined and very professional."
TEAM NEWS
The match certainly had a feel of urgency to it, with Chivas USA able to move into second place in the Western Conference and past Dynamo with a victory.
"Our approach was the same, but we were able to look at the standings and we know that we are still close to Dallas, so we had to concentrate on playing well because we have been playing well," said Kinnear. "It's just been our abiltity to finish our opportunities, so I was glad that we were able to finish our chances today."
Ching struck for the second consecutive week, this time pulling his team back from a goal down. The difference also was that more goals followed - Dynamo hit for multiple goals for just the third time since May 6.
"After the last three games, I think we came out a little frustrated and put a lot of pressure on ourselves to win. I think that was a large part of why we were not playing as well as we should of. Today we kind of relaxed a little more and were able to finish our opportunities," he said. "The last few games we have had those chances but have not been able to finish them, but we created a lot more today and were able to make the most of them."
But Dynamo captain Wade Barrett was almost pleased Chivas struck first. "To be honest, I feel the goal was a good thing because it woke the team up," he said. "We'd been real disorganized, and we hadn't looked good. Sometimes getting a goal scored against you is the best thing that can happen."
And, the Dynamo players knew the situation in the West. "It was a really big game for us, probably the biggest game of the season. It's simple, if they won they would go ahead of us in the standings, so we knew we had to come out and play well. With the heat today we focused on keeping the ball, make them work hard, and hopefully wear them down," Brian Mullan said.
It was also a happy birthday for Moreno, who celebrated the goal that came to begin his 27th year by singing "Happy Birthday To Me" to himself.
"We knew we were a better team than what we have shown in the past few weeks, so our main focus was to collect three points this week at home and give a performance on the field that we could be proud of," he said. "... I think it was an important goal, it helped to put the game out of reach and allow us to play with a sense of calm."
