MLS Sporting Kansas City

KC Wizards Weekly Update

Published on May 16, 2006 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Sporting Kansas City News Release


Real-ly Big Show

The Kansas City Wizards (4-2-1, 13 pts.) conclude their swing of four road games in five weeks this weekend when they travel to Utah to take on Real Salt Lake (1-5-1, 4 pts.) at 8:00 p.m. CT on Saturday, May 20th. The Wizards' match against RSL will be Kansas City's third this season outside of the Eastern Conference. Sitting in second in the East, one-point shy of leader D.C. United, the Wizards will be facing a Salt Lake squad that picked up its first win of the season last week on the road at Los Angeles Galaxy, topping the defending MLS Champions 3-0. Kansas City is 2-0-0 all-time against the 2005 expansion team, downing RSL 3-2 at Arrowhead in the first-ever meeting between the two sides on July 16th, and it took the series finale 4-2 in Rice Eccles Stadium on August 13th. Wizards forward Scott Sealy hasn't shown much respect for royalty, torching Real for three goals last season, two in KC and one in Salt Lake. Midfielder Sasha Victorine, currently Kansas City's scoring leader with six points on the season, has also excelled vs. RSL, notching two of Kansas City's four goals at Rice Eccles in '05. The Wizards will have their hands full though as they will be going up against this week's MLS Player of the Week, Jeff Cunningham, who tallied two of RSL's three goals last week in the win at LA. This weekend's match will also mark the first time that Kansas City will face former teammate Chris Klein who was traded to Salt Lake this past offseason. Klein is second all-time in team history with 200 matches played in a Wizards uniform.

DC Takes Battle For Top Spot

The Wizards will be playing from the second-place spot in the Eastern Conference for just the second time this season after falling 2-1 to D.C. United in an exhilarating match at RFK Stadium last weekend, in turn handing over the lead in the East to United. D.C. now holds a slight one-point advantage over Kansas City in the East and plays at Columbus Crew this Saturday. United forward Alecko Eskandarian gave D.C. a 1-0 lead with a spectacular goal that is up for Sierra Mist Goal of the Week in the 12th minute. Sasha Victorine tied it up for the Wizards four minutes later, converting a penalty kick after Ryan Pore was taken down in the box by Freddy Adu. But United ultimately won the match 2-1 when Jaime Moreno finished a D.C. penalty kick of its own in the 23rd minute. The match proved to be exciting for the fans as both sides combined for 14 shots on goal in the game. The win tied D.C. with Kansas City, FC Dallas and Houston for most wins in MLS with four.

Roll In Style

In conjunction with 810 WHB, 810 Zone, and Pech Limousine, the Kansas City Wizards are giving fans the opportunity to "Roll In Style" to the Wizards' July 1st game against the Los Angeles Galaxy. Beginning this week, 50 lucky fans listening to WHB 810 AM will have the to opportunity to win a pair of tickets to Kansas City's June 3rd game against the New York Red Bulls. Each of those 50 winners will be entered into a drawing that will award the winner the grand prize of "Rolling in Style" to the July 1st match. The winner, along with seven friends (eight total), will be treated to a pre-game dinner at the 810 Zone in Leawood. Following the dinner, the winner and friends will "Roll in Style" to Arrowhead Stadium in a stretch limousine compliments of Pech Limousine where they can enjoy the Wizards/Galaxy match from their own private luxury field box. After the game, the winner and seven friends will be driven back to the 810 Zone to celebrate what will hopefully be a Wizards win. All that fans have to do to win a chance to "Roll in Style" to Kansas City's July 1st match against the Galaxy is to listen to WHB 810 AM starting May 16th.

Help the Wizards Support America's Troops

Fans have just two weeks left to make charitable donations to the Tickets for Troops program before the inaugural Tickets for Troops game against D.C. United next Saturday, May 27th. While fans and businesses can make charitable contributions to the program throughout the year, the Wizards are highlighting the Memorial Day Weekend match with a silent auction before the game from 5:00-7:15 p.m. at the Information Booth on Soccer Street. The auction will allow individuals to support the program by bidding on memorabilia from the Wizards and other Major League Soccer teams. All proceeds from the auction will go to the Tickets For Troops program. Items to be auctioned will include authentic Wizards jerseys of each player on Kansas City's roster. The Tickets for Troops program was created to allow active duty service members and their families the opportunity to enjoy a Kansas City Wizards match at no cost to the service member or their families. They implemented the program as a way to express the Kansas City community's gratitude and appreciation to the active service men and women and their supportive families for the contributions and sacrifices they have made for our country. For more information on the program and to make a charitable donation contact the Wizards' Mark Naster at 816-920-4795.

Catch It On MLSnet.com

This weekend will mark the first of just two weeks in which Wizards fans will not be able to catch their team on television. Unfortunately, without the television broadcast there will be no Official Watch Parties taking place. If fans would still like to follow the progress of the Wizards this weekend in Salt Lake they can do so by logging onto www.kcwizards.com and utilizing MLSnet.com's match tracker capabilities.

Wizards In The World Cup: Week Two

The Kansas City Wizards' three World Cup team members begin week two of their training camp with the U.S. National Team in Cary, N.C. this week. Since reporting to camp at the SAS Soccer Complex last Wednesday, May 10th, Jimmy Conrad, Eddie Johnson, and Josh Wolff have undergone fitness tests, media blitzes and a number of one-a-day training sessions in preparation for this summer's World Cup in Germany. The United States opens play against the Czech Republic on June 12th. Fans will get their first chance to watch the squad in action next week in the first of three stateside send-off series games. They will be facing Morocco in Nashville on May 23rd at 6:00 p.m. CT and it will be aired live on ESPN2. For this and all other information of Conrad, Johnson, Wolff and the rest of their U.S. World Cup squad teammates visit www.usssocer.com.




Major League Soccer Stories from May 16, 2006


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