Kansas City Wizards Fall to Real Salt Lake 1-0 Saturday
August 29, 2009 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Sporting Kansas City News Release
The Kansas City Wizards (5-10-6, 21 pts) fell to Real Salt Lake (9-9-6, 33 pts) Saturday 1-0 despite out-shooting RSL 17-5. The Wizards held an 8-3 advantage in shots on goal. Real goalkeeper Chris Seitz made seven saves, and substitute striker Fabian Espindola cleared a last-gasp shot off the goal line to help preserve the clean sheet deep in second-half stoppage time.
Real Salt Lake opened the scoring in the 18th minute when right back Robbie Russell initiated a scoring play up the flank. Russell worked his way up the right wing, centering for midfielder Andy Williams in the center of the area. Williams immediately turned the ball ahead for striker Pablo Campos, who redirected the ball home on the first touch for an early 1-0 lead.
Kansas City began to push the game after that point, with a Herculez Gomez shot going wide right from distance in the 24th minute. In the 32nd minute, Claudio Lopez worked a give-and-go with Adam Cristman to get free behind the RSL defense in the middle of the park. Lopez carried the ball into space, eventually shooting from the top of the penalty area as a defender closed him down. His left-footed shot was pushed just wide of the near post by Seitz to keep RSL ahead 1-0. RSL then went down a man in the 42nd minute when Ned Grabavoy was shown a red card for a challenge against Davy Arnaud.
After the break, Kansas City continued to pressure. The Wizards took four shots on goal in the second stanza and created six corner kicks but could not find an equalizer. In the 66th minute, substitute midfielder Chance Myers nearly created a game-tying goal just two minutes after entering during his first appearance of the 2009 season. Myers took a long pass from midfielder Santiago Hirsig up the right flank, took on RSL left back Chris Wingert and threaded the needle with a bending cross toward Zoltan at the back post. Zoltan slid to meet the cross, but the well-struck pass eluded him and rolled out of play.
Kansas City generated four shots during stoppage time, including a pair by Zoltan in the 93rd and 95th minutes. In the 93rd minute, a curling shot from 20 yards out was held by Seitz. In the 95th minute, Lopez bent a corner kick to Zoltan at the near post. Zoltan's glancing header was heading for the back of the net inside the back post, but substitute striker Fabian Espindola was there to clear the ball off the goal line and preserve victory for RSL.
Soccer United Marketing (SUM), Saral, the Kansas City Wizards (Major League Soccer) and the Kansas City Chiefs (NFL), announced Wednesday that Mexico's most popular teams, Club América and Club Deportivo Guadalajara S.A. de C.V. (Chivas), will add a new chapter to their storied rivalry when the clubs meet for another edition of Mexico's "Clásico Nacional," or national derby, on Wednesday, September 16 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri at 8:30 p.m. CT. The game, which will celebrate Mexican Independence Day, will be presented by Bud Light.
Tickets went on sale to the general public Thursday. Prices start at $25, and seats can be purchased by visiting the Kansas City Wizards front office at 8900 State Line Road, Leawood, KS 66206 or by calling the Wizards toll free at 1-877-828-7222 or 1-913-387-3400.
The Wizards return to action next Saturday, September 5 with a 6:30 p.m. CT match at the New England Revolution. The game starts a 3-game East-coast road trip that includes a match at D.C. United (September 9) and a trip to the New York Red Bulls (September 12). All three matches will be shown live on Metro Sports (English) and Time Warner Cable Channel 5 (Spanish).
Major League Soccer Stories from August 29, 2009
- Earthquakes Allow Two Second-Half Goals to Lose 2-1 to Revs - San Jose Earthquakes
- Chivas fall 1-0 - Club Deportivo Chivas USA
- Fire fall 1-0 - Chicago Fire FC
- Kansas City Wizards Fall to Real Salt Lake 1-0 Saturday - Sporting Kansas City
- Steve Ralston and Wells Thompson score 2nd-half goals to lift red-hot Revs to third straight victory - New England Revolution
- The Bush's Beans Back to School Drive brings school supplies just in time for back to school - Chicago Fire FC
- Sounders Battle to Scoreless Draw - Seattle Sounders FC
- Chicago Fire partners with Chicago Public Schools to get kids back to school September 8 - Chicago Fire FC
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.
