KANSAS CITY, Mo. – With all the playoff conjecture swirling around the Wizards these days, it might be tempting to think the team would have difficulty focusing on the job at hand rather than the big picture.
Fortunately for manager Peter Vermes, his players have no choice but to live in the present, as the threat of losing out on the playoffs looms large on Saturday night in Foxborough, Mass.
“We can think about all sorts of things and talk about all kinds of scenarios,” Vermes said, “but the key factor to it all is New England.”
The Wizards know full well that a victory against the Revolution is just another step – a giant one, at that – in prolonging their playoff lives. It’s a step nobody around the team is taking for granted.
New England may be out of the playoff picture, but Kansas City have more in common with Steve Nicol’s bunch than meets the eye.
This time last year, the Wizards found themselves palying the role of spoiler, facing D.C. United at home with a chance to help decide the playoff field even though they wouldn’t be a part of it themselves.
Kansas City won that game, eliminating United and helping to usher in eventual MLS Cup champions Real Salt Lake. That’s a feat the Revolution would no doubt like to replicate.
[inline_node:308449]“It’s always fun to play spoiler,” forward Josh Wolff said. “Obviously, we did that last year to DC and helped get Salt Lake in. We all know how that ended. Steve Nicol and that whole group will be ready and understand that they can end the season for us.”
On the flip side, the Wizards know that if they can handle their own business against the Revs, their season will be extended by at least a few hours.
Colorado, the team sitting in the final playoff slot, face Los Angeles later that night. Should the Rapids lose, they would set up a fascinating final weekend. But even a defeat won’t matter if Kansas City don’t take a difficult three points from New England first.
Three points that – more likely than not – will be set up by whoever takes their chances first.
“We have to press and go for the first goal,” Wolff said. “As we’ve all said this season, the first goal is critical. When we get that one, we’re a very difficult team to beat.”
In fact, Kansas City haven’t been beaten when scoring first, accumulating a 9-0-2 mark in games in which they’ve taken the lead. Conversely, the Wizards' record is 1-12-2 when conceding first, which makes that opening goal even more crucial.
“We have to go for it,” striker Teal Bunbury said. “That’s what it comes down to. We can’t sit back and wait for the game to come to us. We’ve got to put pressure on them high up the field and create chances.
“We’ve got to get the win. We can’t be content with hanging in there. This is crunch time.”
