Kansas City Wizards Travel West To Take On Seattle Sounders FC Saturday
April 16, 2010 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Sporting Kansas City News Release
The Kansas City Wizards go on the road for the first time in their 2010 MLS season this Saturday, as they take on Seattle Sounders FC at Qwest field in Seattle at 2 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast live across the Kansas City area on KCWE-29.
With a 2-0-0 record, the Wizards will be looking to continue their perfect start to the season and stay atop the Eastern Conference standings. Kansas City fought to a 1-0 victory over the Colorado Rapids last week, with Kei Kamara scoring the game winner off a free kick service from midfielder Ryan Smith.
The Wizards played the Rapids again three days later in a qualification match for the U.S. Open Cup at the University of Missouri-Kansas City's Stanley H. Durwood Soccer Stadium. Though Kanasas City lost 2-1, the match offered a few positives for the Wizards. Rookie forward Teal Bunbury scored his first professional goal in the 4th minute and a trio of Wizards (forward Sunil Chhetri, midfielder Birahim Diop and defender Pablo Escobar) made their competitive debuts for the team.
The 2010 season has brought mixed results for Seattle thus far, with the team holding a 1-1-1 record through three games. Last week, the team seemed to have a 2-1 away win in hand against Real Salt Lake, before Real forward Alvaro Saborio headed home a stoppage-time leveler to hold the Sounders to a point on the road.
The Wizards and Sounders last met at Qwest field almost exactly one year ago, when Kansas City handed Seattle their first-ever loss as an MLS team with a 1-0 victory. The loss was one of just two Seattle suffered at home in the 2009 regular season. Midfielder Davy Arnaud's goal that day was the first ever surrendered by Seattle as an MLS team.
Fast Facts:
- Kansas City's win over Colorado last week vaulted the Wizards into first place in the Eastern Conference, despite having played one less game than most of the other teams in the division.
- The Wizards are one of only two teams (the Los Angeles Galaxy being the other) to have yet to concede a goal thus far in the 2010 MLS season.
- The Wizards offense is proving its mettle, as well. Kansas City's 2.5 goals per game average ranks second in the league, trailing only Real Salt Lake.
Game Notes:
WHEN LAST THEY MET... | Both sides played the rude guest in the teams' two meetings last year. Kansas City dealt Seattle the clubs first-ever loss at Qwest Field on April 11, 2009, while Seattle defeated Kansas City 3-2 at CommunityAmerica Ballpark six months later
DIAL "K" FOR KLUTCH | With his goal against Colorado last Week, Kei Kamara moved to second in the League in game-winning goals this year with two. Only the Los Angeles Galaxy's Edson Buddle has more, with three.
KANSAS CITY CONNECTIONS | Despite being new to the league, a few Sounders have some history in Kansas City. Defender Tyson Wahl played three years in Kansas City, making 32 league and postseason appearances for the Wizards before being selected by Seattle in the 2008 expansion draft.
Defender Taylor Graham played for the 2003 and 2004 Kansas City Wiz-ards squads, appearing in the 2004 U.S. Open Cup Final, which Kansas City won 1-0 over the Chicago Fire. Graham was released after the 2004 season, landing with the then-USL Seattle Sounders in 2006.
Chris Henderson, Seattle's Technical Director, played for the Wizards from 1999-2000 and was the team's leading scorer during the 2000 MLS Cup Championship season. After retiring as a player, Henderson served as a Wizards assistant coach under Curt Onalfo for the 2007 season before being named the Sounders' Technical Director for the club's inau-gural season in MLS.
MR. 250 | Assuming defender Jimmy Conrad begins the game in the Wizards' lineup, it will be the veteran's 250th start of his MLS career, his 180th with the Kansas City Wizards.
NOTES FROM THE OPEN CUP | Sunil Chhetri made his first com-petitive appearance for the Wizards, playing 45 minutes before being subbed out at half time.... Defender Pablo Escobar and midfielder Bira-him Diop also made their first appearances in a Wizards uniform. Esco-bar started and played the full 90 minutes in central defense, while Diop came on as a substitute in the 88th minute...Goalkeeper Eric Kronberg, defender Jonathan Leathers and midfielder Graham Zusi each made their first competitive appearances for the Wizards in 2010.... The game was the 25th played in the U.S. Open Cup by the Wizards since the team's inception 15 years ago... With the loss, the Wizards' record in the U.S. Open Cup final and qualifying rounds stands at 12-13, with a home record of 8-3...Teal Bunbury's goal marks his first as a professional. Mak-ing the occasion sweeter for the forward, his father Alex, who played for the Wizards from 1999-2000, was in the crowd to see his son score. The elder Bunbury drove down from his home in Minnesota for the game, arriving minutes before kickoff.
OPEN CUP JOURNEY ENDS | The Kansas City Wizards journey in the Open Cup is over before it even began, as the team fell 2-1 to the Colo-rado Rapids in a qualification match for the tournament at the Stanley H. Durwood Soccer Stadium on the campus of the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) Tuesday. Teal Bunbury got the Wizards started early on with a goal in the 4th minute, while Wells Thompson responded with a goals in the 24th and 80th minutes
WIZARDS GO TOP IN THE EAST | Last Saturday's 1-0 defeat of the Colorado Rapids put the Kansas City Wizards in pole position in MLS' Eastern Conference, despite having played a game less than half the teams in the division. The Wizards and the Los Angeles Galaxy are the only teams who have yet to concede a goal in MLS play thus far, while the Wizards' 2.5 goals/game offense is second only to Real Salt Lake (3 goals/game).
Wizards continue the 2010 MLS Season on Saturday, April 24th when they take on the Los Angeles Galaxy at CommunityAmerica Ballpark. Individual tickets are available for that and every other home game for the 2010 season by visiting www.ticketmaster.com/kcwizards or by calling (800) 745-3000. Tickets start at just $15 per game.
The Wizards are currently taking orders for new season tickets. Season tickets are discounted up to 33% off the face value price and start at only $160 for 16 games. Fans purchasing new season-ticket packages will retain an early priority number that will determine seat locations in Kansas City's new stadium, which is scheduled to open in the summer of 2011. Season ticketholders also get preferred parking at all Wizards home games, access to Wizards VIP events, merchandise discounts and much more. To purchase season tickets, call the Wizards locally at 888-4KC-GOAL or 913-387-3400 or visit www.kcwizards.com.
Major League Soccer Stories from April 16, 2010
- Earthquakes Host New England Revolution Saturday At Buck Shaw Stadium - San Jose Earthquakes
- Kansas City Wizards Travel West To Take On Seattle Sounders FC Saturday - Sporting Kansas City
- D.C. United Release Josh Wicks - D.C. United
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