Kansas City Wizards Weekly Update
Published on September 29, 2010 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Sporting Kansas City News Release
WIZARDS TRAVEL TO NEW YORK TO FACE 2ND PLACE RED BULLS ON SATURDAY:
The Kansas City Wizards will look to keep their playoff push going as they take to the road for a tough test against the New York Red Bulls at 6:30 p.m. CT this Saturday at the newly opened Red Bull Arena.
Kansas City is in third place in the Eastern Conference standings, one spot behind New York and five points back of Colorado for the final playoff position with five games remaining.
The Wizards push to make the postseason for the third time in four years is coming down to the final month of the season, as they chase Colorado, San Jose and Seattle to make the cut. All three clubs the Wizards are chasing have home matches tonight, as Colorado hosts Philadelphia and San Jose faces Chicago in MLS matches, while Seattle hosts Honduran club CD Marathon in CONCACAF Champions League action.
Kansas City will be looking to rebound from only their second loss in their last 11 games, as they fell 3-1 on Saturday to FC Dallas at CommunityAmerica Ballpark. New York on the other hand is riding the momentum of a 2-0 road victory over the Los Angeles Galaxy on Friday, and will be playing for the top seed in the East as they are one point back of Columbus for first place in the conference standings. The Red Bulls can also clinch their spot in the postseason with a victory on Saturday.
The Wizards are 16-15-9 all-time against New York, and 3-8-7 on the road in the series. The Red Bulls won the previous meeting this season, beating Kansas City for the first time since 2007 in a 3-0 victory at CommunityAmerica Ballpark in June.
Saturday's match will be telecast live in high definition in both English and Spanish on KCWE Channel 29. It will also be broadcast live in Spanish on La Gran D 1340 AM.
ROGER ESPINOZA TO THROW OUT FIRST PITCH AT ROYALS GAME TONIGHT:
Wizards defender Roger Espinoza will deliver the first pitch at Kauffman Stadium tonight prior to the Royals-Twins series finale. Espinoza will be honored for representing Honduras at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, where he started in two matches, including a 90-minute appearance against eventual champions Spain.
Espinoza is in his third season in MLS after being drafted by Kansas City in the first round of the 2008 MLS SuperDraft out of Ohio State University. He has appeared in 60 games for the Wizards, making 20 starts in 2010. He has one goal and six assists over the last three seasons.
Espinoza will be the second Wizards played to throw out a first pitch for the Royals in as many years. Kansas City captain Davy Arnaud threw out the first pitch to Kevin Hartman at a Royals game last season on April 29.
The Royals game will begin at 7:10 p.m. tonight as they go for the series sweep against division rival Minnesota.
JOSH WOLFF NOMINATED FOR AT&T GOAL OF THE WEEK:
Kansas City Wizards striker Josh Wolff is one of five nominees for AT&T Goal of the Week for MLS Week 26, the League announced Tuesday. Wolff scored the game-winning goal in the 96th minute of Kansas City's dramatic 4-3 victory over Houston last Wednesday.
Wolff powered a header inside the far post from 12 yards out off a cross from Wizards defender Michael Harrington to complete the comeback in the game's final minute. The goal was the latest the Wizards have ever scored in regulation in team history, besting Scott Sealy's game-winning goal in the 94th minute of a 2007 victory over Columbus.
Wolff, who had just entered the match in the 85th minute and is the Wizards second all-time leading goal scorer, scored his second of the season and the 75th regular season goal of his MLS career. The game-winner was the 21st of his career and moved him into a tie with Carlos Ruiz and Dwayne De Rosario for eighth place on the all-time MLS game-winning goals chart.
This week's other nominees are: Dwayne De Rosario, Andy Najar, Marvin Chavez and Nat Borchers. Fans can vote online until 11 p.m. CT on Thursday, September 30.
WIZARDS HOST LIVE CHAT WITH DAVID FICKLIN TO DISCUSS STADIUM DEVELOPMENT:
The Kansas City Wizards hosted a live chat on Wednesday with David Ficklin, OnGoal Vice President of Development, to allow supporters to ask questions surrounding the new stadium's construction and development. Ficklin answered dozens of submitted questions for nearly an hour on Wednesday morning from his office at the stadium site, ranging from design decisions to the impact the stadium will have on soccer in Kansas City.
"I love talking about this stadium with people who are as passionate about the team and the building as I am," Ficklin wrote. "For a market the size of Kansas City to be able to get this project done and, at the same time, hopefully set a new standard for (soccer specific stadiums) in America, it's a great step forward for MLS and soccer."
The state-of-the-art, $160 million venue is being built at the Legends near the Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas and is scheduled to open in June 2011. Fans can see the stadium's ongoing construction via live webcams installed on the building's interior and exterior.
KEI KAMARA NAMED MLS HUMANITARIAN OF THE MONTH:
Kansas City forward Kei Kamara was named Major League Soccer's Humanitarian of the Month for September, the League announced last week. Kamara was honored for his involvement in the community, which included supporting a Lawrence High School student's drive to collect new and gently used soccer equipment to send to Sierra Leone. He also played a major part in the Wizards welcoming local refugee children to a team training session last month and he attended a local refugee soccer tournament last Friday.
Kamara continues to be involved with MLS W.O.R.K.S., the League's community outreach initiative, as well as the United Nations Foundation's Nothing But Nets campaign to raise awareness and funding to combat malaria. He is also pursuing the opportunity to establish a foundation to aid his homeland and the people in Sierra Leone, having already set up a scholarship donation program for the Top 10 performing students from the primary school he attended.
Kamara is Kansas City's leading scorer with 10 goals this season, which is tied for fifth most in Major League Soccer in 2010, and five assists. Both marks are new personal career highs.
WIZARDS U15 JUNIORS DEFEAT KC FUSION ACADEMY 1-0:
The Kansas City Wizards U15 Juniors earned a 1-0 victory over the KC Fusion Academy on Saturday, September 25 at Heritage Soccer Park. The victory improves the Wizards Juniors to 4-0-2 in the Heartland Soccer Association's U14/U15 Boys Premier Subdivision 1. Pierluigi Cassiraghi scored the game's only goal to give the Wizards Juniors the win.
The team, coached by Edmond Rugova, will next face the KC United Rangers on Saturday, October 9 at 9:30 a.m. at Heritage Soccer Park.
KANSAS CITY SOCCER SHOW AIRS LIVE AT 8 PM CT TONIGHT ON SPORTS RADIO 810 WHB:
The Kansas City Soccer Show will once again air live from 8-9 p.m. CT tonight on Sports Radio 810 WHB. Show hosts Josh Whisenhunt and Jake Gutierrez will discuss all the soccer action this week including Major League Soccer's playoff race, Kansas City's match in New York on Saturday, this week's Champions League action and much more. Fans are encouraged to share their views and submit questions via Twitter and Facebook, and by calling in to the show at 913-3-810-810.
Since its formation in 1999, Sports Radio 810 has grown to become one of the largest and most listened to sports radio stations in the country. The station has a daytime signal strength of 50,000 watts, with a listening area that includes the states of Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska and Oklahoma.
WIZARDS PARTNER WITH LIVESTRONG ARMY OF KANSAS CITY FOR 2ND ANNUAL TOUR DE BBQ:
The Kansas City Wizards have partnered with the Livestrong Army of Kansas City for the organization's 2nd annual Tour De BBQ to raise funds for the Lance Armstrong Foundation and the University of Kansas Cancer Center. The Tour De BBQ will be held on Saturday, October 2 and features 15-mile, 30-mile and 60-mile courses for registered bike riders. Each course includes designated stops at local barbecue establishments for free barbecue. The tour ends at the Power & Light District, where the event culminates with free food and beverages and a concert by the rock band Smash Mouth. All participants will also receive a free t-shirt.
The Wizards and Livestrong Army of Kansas City have previously worked together to host a soccer clinic for children and young adults who have been impacted by cancer earlier this season. A recap of that event is available at KCWizards.com .
Individuals can get more information and sign-up for the Tour De BBQ on the event website at TourDeBBQ.com .
KC JAGUARS FC WIN NSSL CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP ON SATURDAY:
The KC Jaguars FC of the National Star Soccer League were crowned North Central Conference champions on Saturday at CommunityAmerica Ballpark with a dramatic 2-0 victory over Emporia Pumas FC. Striker Jonny Rueda scored both goals for the Jaguars, including the championship-clinching goal with less than five minutes remaining.
The Jaguars trailed 3-2 in the home-and-home championship series following a loss at Emporia, but were crowned champions 4-3 on aggregate with a 2-0 victory on Saturday. Rueda scored the series-winner in the game's final five minutes when he beat the Emporia Pumas FC goalkeeper with a well-placed chip from the right side of the penalty area.
The match was played under the lights at CommunityAmerica Ballpark, immediately following the Kansas City Wizards match against FC Dallas.
The KC Jaguars FC defended their NSSL championship from last season, when they beat Siouxland United FC 4-3 in the 2009 final. The National Star Soccer League is an affiliate of the United States Adult Soccer Association and has conferences across the United States. The North Central Conference has nine teams located in Missouri, Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska, and each team plays an 18-week regular season schedule.
For more information, visit the league website at www.nationalstarsoccerleague.com .
WIZARDS RECEIVE WIDESPREAD MEDIA COVERAGE IN PAST WEEK:
Having played three games in a seven-day span last week, the Kansas City Wizards continue to receive widespread media coverage during the 2010 season. In the past week, the Wizards were the subject of more than 75 articles and videos published across the Kansas City metropolitan area and many more with national audiences such as ESPN, Sports Illustrated, CBSsports and the Associated Press. The Wizards generated coverage in Topeka (WIBW), Lawrence (Lawrence Journal World), Lansing (Lansing Current), Basehor (Basehor Sentinel), Shawnee (Shawnee Dispatch) and throughout the metro with newspapers like the Kansas City Kansan and the Kansas City Star.
The Wizards continue to be closely covered online, with a strong presence in the soccer blogosphere by both local bloggers and national websites. Additionally, the Wizards produce original content for their website at KCWizards.com and through the League's digital efforts on MLSsoccer.com.
FANS ENCOURAGED TO SUPPORT U.S. EFFORT TO LAND WORLD CUP IN 2018 OR 2022:
Kansas City soccer fans are strongly encouraged to support the bid to bring the FIFA World Cup(tm) to the United States in 2018 or 2022. More than one million people have showed their support by signing the online petition, including over 30,600 signatures from Kansas City.
In addition to signing the petition at www.goUSAbid.com/kc, supporters can register their interest by texting "Kansas City" to "22442". Kansas City is one of 18 cities still in the running to host games should the USA bid be successful. FIFA will select the host nation for both 2018 and 2022 on December 2, 2010.
The highly successful Summer of Soccer saw over 30,000 soccer fans gather for World Cup watch parties in the Kansas City Power & Light District and a new attendance record set for a soccer match in Kansas City when 52,424 turned out to see the Wizards upset English powerhouse Manchester United 2-1 at the New Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday, July 25.
The Kansas City Wizards next home match is Saturday, October 9 at 7:30 p.m. CT at CommunityAmerica Ballpark against the Seattle Sounders. Tickets can be purchased by visiting KCWizards.com or by calling 888-4KC-GOAL. The Wizards are also now accepting initial payments for season tickets for the 2011 season, highlighted by the debut of Chivas Guadalajara star and Mexico international Omar Bravo, and the opening of Kansas City's state-of-the-art soccer stadium next summer.
Major League Soccer Stories from September 29, 2010
- Kansas City Wizards Weekly Update - Sporting Kansas City
- FC Dallas Announces Hispanic Heritage Night Festivities - FC Dallas
- 1-1 Draw at Toronto FC Puts Utah Side into CONCACAF Champions League Knockout Phase - Real Salt Lake
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
