KC Wizards vs. Crew Game Notes
April 28, 2006 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Sporting Kansas City News Release
Opening Day Rematch
This Saturday's match at Crew Stadium will be a rematch of the Kansas City Wizards' opening day victory over the Columbus Crew. The Wizards topped the Crew 3-1 in that match on goals from Davy Arnaud, Jack Jewsbury, and Eddie Johnson in running their opening day unbeaten streak to seven games. After the victory over the Crew on April 1st the Wizards went on to win three straight to start their season, the first ever 3-0-0 start in team history, until they fell 2-1 to FC Dallas last week in extra-time.
Currently second place in the Eastern Conference with nine points (3-1-0), one point shy of first place D.C. United, the Wizards lead the third place Crew by five points. Columbus has earned all four of its points in its past two games, picking up its first win last week in Los Angeles against the Galaxy on a Kyle Martino extra-time goal. On a side note, United happens to be playing Dallas this weekend, marking the second consecutive week that the Western Conference leading Hoops are facing the first place team from the Eastern Conference.
Kansas City can come within one-game of evening the all-time series against Columbus with a win this weekend as it now stands at 11-13-4 after the Wizards' opening day win, just their second in the last seven meetings. Kansas City's other win in the last seven games was a 4-0 win in Columbus on May 14th of last season, the Wizards largest margin of victory in 2005. The Crew claimed the second game of the 2005 series in Columbus 2-0 on July 23rd, the Wizards' last visit to Crew Stadium.
Offensively, the Crew has been a true example of consistency, registering one goal in each of its four games this season. But it is the play of its defense that has dictated their results so far in 2006. In their two losses at the start the season the Crew gave up three goals in each, since then they have steadily decreased that number to one, and then last week zero. Columbus tied the Chicago Fire 1-1 in the Crew's home opener in week three before last week's 1-0 win.
Just like the Wizards, each of the Crew's goals this season have come from a different player, but it is only Martino's that has gone as a game-winner. And as with the Wizards, each of Columbus' assists have also been by a different player, although the Crew has only registered two this season. Either way you slice it, it is quite evident that both teams have played a well-rounded style of soccer thus far in 2006.
Fans can catch this weekend's match live on HD Net at 6:30 p.m. CT.
As a note to Wizards fans in the Kansas City area, since the match is an HD Net exclusive it is not available on the Direct Kick package, therefore there will be an adjustment to the Wizards' Watch Party Network. The game will be available at the 810 Zone, Aces & 8's, and Paddy O'Quigly's on SW Greewich Drive. It will not be available at Buffalo Wild Wings or the Paddy O's on NE Woods Chapel Road this week.
Dinged But Not Dented
After four weeks of play, the Wizards still rank as one of Major League Soccer's strongest teams with a +3 goal differential on the season, the best in the league behind D.C.'s +7. As is the case when you suffer a loss, last week's 2-1 decision to FCD was Kansas City's first negative blow to its scoring margin. Entering week four the Wizards sported a +1.33 mark, they enter this week at +0.75. On the flip side, Columbus is -3 on the season, or -0.75 per game.
Defensive Shift
With the absence of Nick Garcia this weekend because he is recovering from an injury on his right hand that he sustained against FCD, head coach Bob Gansler will be forced to field his fourth different defensive starting lineup this season. In fact, only twice through what will be the first five games of the season will Kansas City's defensive starting lineup feature the same six players. In weeks one and two, prior to the return of 2005 Defender of the Year Jimmy Conrad, Gansler utilized Jose Luis Burciaga Jr., Nick Garcia, Shavar Thomas, and Matt Groenwald on the backline, Kerry Zavagnin in the midfield, and Bo Oshoniyi in goal. In week three, Burciaga Jr. was forced to serve a red card suspension and in slipped Conrad. Last week Burciaga Jr. returned and Thomas was forced out, but he returns this week with the injury to Garcia. So who have been the mainstays, the two senior members on the roster, Zavagnin and Oshoniyi, and the youngest player to have started a game for the Wizards this season, the rookie Groenwald. Now defense is usually considered to be a place where consistency is key, but even with the multiple lineup changes, the Wizards have produced a noteworthy 1.00 goals against average, third best in the league. They also rank in the upper half of the league with an average of 11.0 shots allowed per game, and less than half of those have wound up on frame. Opponents are only managing to record 5.0 shots on goal per game this season.
Seven & Seven
One more week, one more goal, one more goal scorer. Alex Zotinca's goal in extra-time last weekend at Pizza Hut Park continued the Wizards' goal scoring parade, and gave me another chance to mention just how impressive the Kansas City attack has been this season. Now seven goals into the season and with a 3-1-0 record, Kansas City is still yet to have any single player in its roster register a second goal. Every single one of its goals this season has been scored by a different Wizards player. Seven goals, seven different goal scorers. The same holds true in the assist category as all six of the Wizards' assists are credited to different players. In fact, only one other team in the league can boast the same, this weekend's opponent the Columbus Crew, but they have only scored four goals and tallied two assists thus far. Kansas City's multi-pronged attack is evidenced not only by its multiple scorers, but also from where their goals have come from. Of the Wizards' seven goals, two have been scored by forwards, Eddie Johnson and Davy Arnaud, three by midfielders, Jack Jewsbury, Sasha Victorine and Zotinca, and last two have been tallied by defenders, Jose Luis Burciaga Jr. and Jimmy Conrad. And Zotinca's tally was the first goal scored by a Wizards substitute this season.
Major League Soccer Stories from April 28, 2006
- Chivas USA to face New York Red Bulls Saturday - Club Deportivo Chivas USA
- Azteca América to broadcast five Chivas USA games nationwide - Club Deportivo Chivas USA
- Pizza Hut Park Prepares for Inaugural Concert - FC Dallas
- Real Salt Lake surpasses 6,000 season tickets - Real Salt Lake
- Chivas USA obtains conditional 2007 SuperDraft pick from Columbus - Club Deportivo Chivas USA
- Crew Acquires Ezra Hendrickson From Chivas USA In Exchange For A 2007 Conditional SuperDraft Pick - Columbus Crew SC
- Crew Signs Columbus Native Chris Leitch To Contract, Jed Zayner Placed On Season-Ending IR - Columbus Crew SC
- KC Wizards vs. Crew Game Notes - Sporting Kansas City
- Wizards Announce Tix for Troops Program - Sporting Kansas City
- FC Dallas Signs Argentine Youth International Marcos Charras - FC Dallas
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