Result…
A 1-0 defeat on Saturday night against the San Jose Earthquakes (7-6-5, 26 points) at Buck Shaw Stadium
WATCH: FULL MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
Table position…
Sixth place in the Eastern Conference on 20 points (5-9-5) with 11 games remaining
Three things to take away…
1) Kansas City won’t sniff the playoffs unless they start finishing their chances. The Wizards' biggest problem this year hasn’t exactly been a mystery. The root of Kansas City’s problems all come back to an inability to consistently put the ball in the back of the net – they have just 15 goals in 19 games. Teal Bunbury couldn’t finish in two one-on-one situations with the goalkeeper against San Jose, and the rest of the team couldn’t do anything with their chances either.
You can’t win if you can’t score, and with plenty of work to do in order to get back in the postseason race, the Wizards better start finishing their chances soon.
2) It is going to take a Herculean effort to get back in the playoff race. At the very least, Kansas City need between 40 and 45 points to have a legitimate shot at snatching one of the final playoff spots. Manager Peter Vermes’ team is sitting on 20 points right now with only 11 games remaining.
That means the Wizards are going to have to collect between 20 and 25 points of an available 33 to even have a shot of sneaking in. That seems like quite a bit to ask considering the team still has games against Los Angeles, Dallas, New York, Chicago and Seattle remaining this season.
3) Omar Bravo is on the way, but the Wizards need another finisher ASAP. Vermes has an open roster spot to work with, and he has been very consistent in his desire to add another player before the season is over. [inlinenode:315900]
The transfer window closed on Saturday, but clubs can still add players who are not under contract until mid-September. It remains to be seen if the right deal will present itself, but you can bet Vermes will jump on it if it does. Bunbury has been solid during his stint as a starter, and Kei Kamara and Ryan Smith are having good seasons. Still, the team’s goalscoring record speaks for itself.
Two players who stood out…
Wizards forward Teal Bunbury. Bunbury continues to prove he is one of KC’s most valuable young building blocks, but Saturday’s game proved that he still has plenty to work on. The rookie put himself in good positions, put pressure on the ball and made things difficult in general for the San Jose back line. But he didn’t score with plenty of opportunities to do so, and that will have to change if he wants to hold on to the starting spot at center forward.
Quakes midfielder Khari Stephenson. Stephenson returned to MLS after a few years in Scandinavia and immediately showed that he has the skill, size and mentality to be an impact player in the league. The Jamaican showed some silky moves in the midfield to hold possession, won the 50-50 balls that came in his area and delivered a cultured chip to the back post that Chris Wondolowski side footed past Jimmy Nielsen for the only goal of the game.
One play that changed the game…
Bunbury was alone with only Joe Cannon to beat twice, and Davy Arnaud blazed an unmarked header over the bar from close range. Had Kansas City found a way to finish any of those chances, they could have walked away with a point, or even three, from a game that was a must-win in many ways. [inlinenode:316037]
Final verdict…
Vermes was audibly disappointed over the phone after the game, and he had plenty of reason to be. This game was a microcosm for the Wizards' season in many ways. The team played well, but they couldn’t find the back of the net and ended up with nothing to show from their efforts in a game in which they had plenty of opportunities to win.
Next up...
Saturday, Aug. 21 vs. New England Revolution (6-9-3). This certainly looks like a winnable match, but, for all their struggles, New England have been one of the hottest teams in the league in recent weeks. The Revolution haven’t lost in four games – winning three of those matches – and seem to be hitting their stride after injuries and other distractions threw them off track early in the season.
