MLS Sporting Kansas City

Kansas City Wizards Weekly Update

Published on July 28, 2010 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Sporting Kansas City News Release


WIZARDS TAKE ON TORONTO THIS SATURDAY AT COMMUNITYAMERICA BALLPARK:

Coming off one of the most notable wins in club history, a 2-1 victory over Manchester United in front of a record-breaking crowd of 52,424 at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday, the Kansas City Wizards will look to build off the success as they return to league play against Toronto FC at 7:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, July 31 at CommunityAmerica Ballpark.

The Wizards, who earned two impressive road results leading up to the Manchester United upset, will be out to continue their climb up the Eastern Conference standings against a third-place Toronto team that is amidst a busy stretch in their schedule. As Canada's lone representative in the 2010-2011 CONCACAF Champions League, Toronto defeated C.D. Motagua of Honduras 1-0 yesterday before traveling to KC to take on the Wizards for Toronto's fifth game in a two-week period.

Saturday's game will be telecast live in HD on KCWE and broadcast over the airwaves on La Gran D 1340 AM. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling 1-888-4KC-GOAL or visiting www.kcwizards.com.

WIZARDS WELCOME BACK PREKI WITH FIGURINE GIVEAWAY:

The first 4,000 fans to enter the stadium on Saturday will receive a complimentary Preki figurine courtesy of Time Warner Cable. The former Wizards standout and two-time league MVP returns to Kansas City as head coach of Toronto FC. In nine seasons with the Wizards, Preki recorded 79 goals and 102 assists.

Preki was voted into the U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame this year and will be inducted prior to the U.S. Men's National Team exhibition against Brazil on Tuesday, August 10th at the New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Also returning at Saturday's match as members of Toronto FC are former Wizards Mo Johnston and Nick Garcia. Garcia began his MLS career in Kansas City after being drafted second overall in the 2000 MLS SuperDraft. In eight seasons with the Wizards, Garcia played in 247 games and logged over 22,000 minutes, ranking second all-time in games played, games started, and minutes played - all behind current Wizards assistant coach Kerry Zavagnin.

Johnston currently serves as Toronto's general manager after finishing his distinguished playing career in Kansas City. The Scotland-born striker spent seasons at some of Europe's most well known clubs, including Celtic, Glasgow Rangers, and Everton, before arriving as an inaugural member of the Kansas City Wizards in 1996. Over the course of six seasons, Johnston compiled 31 goals and 28 assists in 149 games played.

Preki, Garcia, and Johnston were all three members of the Kansas City Wizards 2000 MLS Cup team.

KANSAS CITY WIZARDS "STUFF THE BUS" ON SATURDAY:

The Kansas City Wizards Wives Club is teaming up with local radio stations again this year to assist City Union Mission to provide school supplies for less fortunate children in the Greater Kansas City area.

As part of the four-week campaign put on by 94.9 KCMO, 105.1 JACK FM and KCMO 710, the Wizards will be organizing a collection site at their match this Saturday, July 31 against Toronto FC at CommunityAmerica Ballpark. Bins will be set up at each entrance into the stadium for individuals to drop off school supplies, clothing, and monetary donations, and fans that contribute three or more items at the gates will receive a four-pack of Wizards tumblers.

This marks the third straight year that the Wizards have supported the local school supply drive. Last year's collection was a huge success, highlighted by David Beckham personally donating items to the "Stuff the Bus" bins prior to the July 25 match between Kansas City and Los Angeles, which drew a standing-room only crowd in CommunityAmerica Ballpark.

The Kansas City Wizards Wives Club is planning to handle the distribution of school supplies with City Union Mission on Wednesday, August 18. They continue to be active in the local community after organizing numerous community outreach projects in the Kansas City area over the past several seasons. They have collected new teddy bears to donate to Children's Mercy Hospital and sold pink soccer balls to raise money for the Susan G. Komen Foundation, in addition to other initiatives.

KCMO will broadcast via a live remote from CommunityAmerica Ballpark before Saturday's match.

RECORD-BREAKING CROWD SEES KANSAS CITY HAND MANCHESTER UNITED FIRST EVER LOSS TO MLS CLUB:

Despite playing the majority of the match reduced to ten men, the Kansas City Wizards defeated English powerhouse Manchester United 2-1 on Sunday, July 25 at Arrowhead Stadium with 52,424 passionate soccer supporters in attendance. It was the largest crowd ever to witness a soccer match in Mid-America history and the highest-attended club match in the United States this year.

Striker Kei Kamara scored the game-winning goal on a header in the 42nd minute and added an assist on Davy Arnaud's goal in the 11th minute to lead Kansas City to the highly entertaining upset in the internationally televised friendly. Wizards central defender Jimmy Conrad was shown a red card and sent off in the 39th minute for a tackle in the penalty area on United's Dimitar Berbatov and Berbatov converted the ensuing penalty kick for the Red Devils lone goal.

The match, televised to an international audience on Fox Soccer Channel, Fox Sports Espanol, and MUTV, will re-air on Thursday at 10 p.m. CT on Fox Soccer Channel.

Aside from the action on the field, the record-breaking crowd showcased the first event held in the newly renovated Arrowhead Stadium. In addition to setting a new Kansas City soccer record, ticket sales surpassed the turnout for both of Manchester United's previous two stops on their 2010 North American Tour. United defeated Scottish club Celtic FC 3-1 in Toronto in front of 39,139 at the Rogers Centre and topped the Philadelphia Union 1-0 with 44,213 in attendance at Lincoln Financial Field.

Among those in attendance were Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber and Manchester United legend Sir Bobby Charlton. All told, ticket holders came from 43 states and four different countries to see the marquee match.

Manchester United, one of the richest and most popular teams in the world, will face the MLS All-Stars tonight in the 2010 AT&T All-Star Game at 7:30 p.m. CT on ESPN2.

Top Soccer Crowds in Kansas City History

52,424 July 25, 2010 Wizards 2, Manchester United 1

37,319 April 25, 2001 USMNT 1, Costa Rica 0

36,405 October 7, 1999 USWNT 6, Finland 0

32,867 September 27, 2007 Wizards 0, Los Angeles 1

30,308 September 20, 2003 Wizards 1, San Jose 4

27,969 May 1, 2004 Wizards 2, Colorado 0

26,119 September 16, 2009 Chivas 2, Club America 1

8. 26,113 September 13, 2008 Wizards 2, Los Angeles 0

Top 10 U.S. Soccer Crowds of 2010, to date

1. 90,526 March 3rd Mexico vs. New Zealand in Pasadena, Calif.

2. 77,507 May 7th Mexico vs. Ecuador in East Rutherford, N.J.

3. 70,099 May 13th Mexico vs. Angola in Houston, Texas

4. 63,277 March 24th Mexico vs. Iceland in Charlotte, N.C.

5. 60,610 May 10th Mexico vs. Senegal in Chicago, Ill.

6. 55,407 May 29th USA vs. Turkey in Philadelphia, Penn.

7. 52,424 July 25th Kansas City vs. Manchester United in Kansas City, Mo.

8. 45,631 July 18th Seattle vs. Celtic F.C. in Seattle, Wash.

9. 44,123 July 21st Philadelphia vs. Manchester United in Philadelphia, Penn.

10. 40,122 May 26th Seattle vs. Boca Juniors in Seattle, Wash.

WIZARDS PROVIDE VIP PASSES TO LOCAL YOUTH FOR MANCHESTER UNITED TRAINING:

The Kansas City Wizards partnered with Sports Radio 810 and Aon Corporation to provide exclusive Manchester United all-access practice passes to 30 deserving youth in the Kansas City area. The selected boys and girls had the opportunity to watch Manchester United players, including Edwin van der Sar, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, and Dimitar Berbatov, up close at the Wizards Swope Park Training Complex on Saturday, July 24 as the English powerhouse held their only training session of their Kansas City visit.

Ten pairs of passes were granted to children with evidence of hardship in the form of a sickness, disability or other circumstances in their lives. Those recipients were announced during "The Border Patrol" on Sports Radio 810 on Thursday, July 22 by show host Nate Bukaty.

The remaining ten tickets were awarded to local youth through the National Sport Center for the Disabled-KC, including several participants on the Special Olympics soccer team that competes nationally. The NSCD offers annual soccer camps in the Kansas City area and also coordinates a Soccer AbilityLEAGUE to provide training and competition for athletes with physical disabilities.

GOALKEEPER JIMMY NIELSEN NAMED 2010 MLS ALL-STAR:

Kansas City Wizards goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen is a 2010 Major League Soccer All-Star, the league announced Tuesday. Nielsen was one of seven players added to the list of 2010 All-Star selections on an inactive basis ahead of Wednesday's AT&T All-Star Game against Manchester United at 7:30pm CT (ESPN2).

"He definitely deserves it," Vermes said. "He's been big-time for us all season long, and I really thought he should have been on the 23-man gameday roster."

The Danish veteran is tied for fourth in MLS in both saves (51) and shutouts (6), and has received four NAPA Save of the Week honors in 2010. No other MLS goalkeeper has won the award multiple times.

The seven inactive members of the 2010 All-Star team were those candidates with the next highest combined voting at their positions. Nielsen, a fan favorite who is commonly referred to by his "White Puma" nickname, led all MLS players in fan voting which was worth 25% of the weighted voting system. Players, coaches, general managers and media comprised the remaining 75% of the voting method.

Nielsen was signed by Kansas City prior to the 2010 season and is one of only two 2010 All-Stars to earn the honor in their first season of MLS action, along with New York's Joel Lindpere.

2010 MLS INACTIVE ALL-STARS:

GK Jimmy Nielsen (Kansas City)

GK Kasey Keller (Seattle)

MF Joel Lindpere (New York)

MF Robbie Rogers (Columbus)

MF Freddie Ljungberg (Seattle)

FWD Fredy Montero (Seattle)

FWD Conor Casey (Colorado)

KANSAS CITY WIZARDS JUNIORS COMPETE IN SUM U-17 CUP:

The Kansas City Wizards Juniors ended their run in 2010 SUM U-17 Cup on Monday with a 2-0 loss to group winners Real Salt Lake. After opening the competition with a 2-1 win over Los Angeles, the Juniors finished third in Group D.

The annual competition featured representatives from every MLS team, a first in tournament history, and was held in Houston in conjunction with Wednesday's AT&T MLS All-Star Game, which the Kansas City U-17 contingent will be in attendance for at Reliant Stadium.

The Juniors started their campaign on a winning note, earning a dramatic come-from-behind victory over the Los Angeles Galaxy U-17's on Friday, July 23. Derek Schrick scored twice in the second half for Kansas City, including the game winner in stoppage time, to steal the three points. Schrick, a junior at Rockhurst High School this fall, was one of only seven players to score multiple goals in the group stage.

One day later, the Wizards returned to action against New York and conceded twice in a three-minute time span to fall 2-0. Despite the loss, the Kansas City Juniors remained alive entering their last match of the group stage, but were again on the wrong side of a 2-0 scoreline against group winners and 2008 SUM Cup champions Real Salt Lake.

The Juniors are coached by former Everton and Kansas City Wizards player Paul Rideout and have competed in the SUM U-17 Cup every year since its inception in 2007.

WIZARDS TO PARTICIPATE IN KC CROSSROADS FIRST FRIDAY EVENT:

The Kansas City Wizards will take part in next month's First Friday event, held on Friday, August 6 in the KC Crossroads District. The monthly happening incorporates many of the area's local businesses as guests are invited to visit the variety of retailers, art galleries, and other participating venues for free entertainment and cultural opportunities. Fans and local residents can come meet the Kansas City Wizards front office staff and the team will be giving away free tickets throughout the night, as the event generally runs from 6 - 10 p.m.

Fans will also have the opportunity to make initial payments for 2011 season tickets. The Kansas City Wizards have sold more than 1,100 new season tickets since Monday's launch of an exclusive block of 2,011 season tickets for the 2011 MLS season. The ongoing pre-sale marks the first opportunity for fans to reserve their seats in the team's new state-of-the-art stadium opening next summer.

Fans can also secure their seats by visiting KCWizards.com or by calling 888-4KC-GOAL, and are encouraged to act fast as less than 900 remain.

KANSAS CITY WIZARDS AGREE TO TERMS WITH NIKOS "NICK" KOUNENAKIS:

The Kansas City Wizards announced Tuesday that the club agreed to terms with Greek defender Nikos "Nick" Kounenakis, a 32-year-old center back who played twelve seasons for OFI Crete in Greece before moving to Aris Limassol last season. Kounenakis, who also played at Anderlecht in Belgium and Roda JC in Holland, will be added to the Wizards roster after he receives his P1 Visa and ITC.

"Nick will bring in a wealth of experience to our team," Wizards Manager Peter Vermes said. "He will be a big help to us during the second half of the season."

Vitals:

#32 Nikos "Nick" Kounenakis (koo-neh-NAH-kis)

Defender

Height: 6-1

Weight: 173

Born: February 3, 1978

Hometown: Port Elizabeth, South Africa

Citizenship: Greece

Last Club: Aris Limassol (Cyprus)

USA FANS ENCOURAGED TO SUPPORT 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™ to the United States in 2018 or 2022. To date, over 890,000 people have showed their support, including over 23,000 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 Manchester United match on Sunday provided another opportunity for Kansas Citians to show their passion for the sport in front of a global audience yet again. 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. The crowd for the USA-Ghana Round of 16 match was shown live on ABC's game broadcast and seen by over 15 million people in the U.S and 12,000 in downtown Kansas City.

The Kansas City Wizards face Toronto FC this Saturday, July 31 at 7:30 p.m. CT at CommunityAmerica Ballpark. 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 opening of their state-of-the-art stadium next summer.

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