Wizards Rally to Tie Rapids, 2-2
Published on August 22, 2003 under Major League Soccer (MLS) News Release
KANSAS CITY, MO - The Kansas City Wizards scored a goal after 33 seconds and an equalizer in second half injury time in a 2-2 tie against the visiting Colorado Rapids at Arrowhead Stadium on Friday night. With the tie the Wizards (7-6-8, 29pts) maintained their one-point advantage over the surging Rapids (8-9-4, 28pts) for second place in the Western Conference.
The Rapids are now unbeaten in the last six regular season meetings between the two teams (last Wizards victory came on Aug. 19, 2001) while the draw extended Kansas City's five-game winless streak in League play.
The game was off to a cracking start with a goal after 33 seconds scored by Wizards forward Davy Arnaud. Preki, MLS' all-time leading scorer, fed Arnaud near the top right corner of the box. The second-year player then made a cutting run across the top of the box before unleashing a left-footed shot between two defenders that beat Colorado goalkeeper Scott Vallow at the right post. Arnaud's second tally of the year was the fourth fastest goal from the start of a match in League history, just 11 seconds behind the all-time fastest strike by New England Revolution forward Giovanni Savarese on March 28, 1999.
The early goal set the tone to a match which saw both teams playing direct balls into the attack in an end-to-end affair in the first half. In fact the Rapids were quick to respond as the visitors struck the crossbar in the fourth minute. Colorado defender Ritchie Kotschau penetrated into the left side of the Wizards box and sent a centering cross which was intended for Rapids teammate Chris Henderson. However, Wizards defender Stephen Armstrong deflected the ball inside the six-yard box and off his own crossbar. The ball bounced on the goal line before being cleared.
The Rapids would threaten on other scoring opportunities before finding the back of the net in the 29th minute. Colorado forward John Spencer sent a lead pass into the box for Henderson and the ex-Wizards player fired a first-time left-footed shot which caught goalkeeper Tony Meola diving the other way. Henderson's first tally of the season ended a personal 18-game goal-scoring drought (last goal came Sept. 1, 2002).
In the 37th minute Meola made two consecutive saves on a point-blank shot by Spencer and a follow-up blast by Mark Chung. But Spencer would not be denied four minutes later. He collected a long ball into the attack with a sublime control, bringing the ball down out of the air with the outside of his right foot. The Rapids captain then promptly unleashed a powerful right-footed shot under the crossbar for his team-leading 10th goal of the season. It was also Spencer's fourth goal against Kansas City in three matches in 2003 including a U.S. Open Cup fourth round victory. The Scotsman now has seven career goals in nine career regular season games against the Rapids' Western Conference rivals.
Kansas City opened the second half with urgency introducing forward Wolde Harris, who entered the game at the start of the second half. He made his debut for the Wizards after he was acquired in a four-player trade on Wednesday at the trade deadline from the New England Revolution. In the 62nd minute the Wizards continued their attacking pressure by bringing on forward Josh Wolff for his first appearance since suffering a meniscus tear in a July 4 match against Colorado.
It was Wolff who drew the foul in the Rapids box which led to a penalty kick in added time. Preki stepped up to convert the spot kick for his 10th goal of the year, catapulting him to the top of the League's Budweiser scoring charts (10g, 12a - 32pts) and past New England's Taylor Twellman (13g, 4a - 30pts). Before the penalty kick the Wizards' best opportunity came on an 85th minute Alex Zotinca volley punched over the bar by Vallow, who had also made a spectacular stop on a Harris header seconds before the Wizards were awarded the penalty kick.
Kansas City had maintained the initiative for most of the second half. In fact after a 48th minute Ritchie Kotschau effort which sailed just above the crossbar, the Rapids did not threaten in the second half before substitute Zizi Roberts launched a right-footed diagonal drive barely wide of the left post in the 89th minute.
The overtime featured a one-on-one showdown between Spencer and Meola. The Wizards captain stopped his Rapids counterpart with a save in the third minute and then used a spectacular one-handed block in the sixth minute of the extra session to foil the Scotsman.
The Wizards played the match without injured Russian forward Igor Simutenkov (strained left hamstring) and suspended defender Diego Gutierrez (caution point accumulation). Not making the trip to Kansas City for the Rapids were goalkeeper Scott Garlick and new arrival Joe Cannon, the former San Jose Earthquakes and RC Lens (France) netminder, acquired last Tuesday in a trade with the Earthquakes.
The Rapids next travel to Naperville, Illinois to face the Chicago Fire on Wednesday, Aug. 27 (8:30PM ET) in a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal match. Following that game Colorado takes to the road again to San Jose for a battle against the League-leading Earthquakes on Saturday, Aug. 30 (10:00PM ET, HDNet). Kansas City will have more than a week off before the team meets the Columbus Crew on the road on Sunday, Aug. 31 (7:30PM ET).
MLS Man of the Match: John Spencer (Colorado Rapids)
Major League Soccer Stories from August 22, 2003
- Wizards Score Early, Late to Tie Rapids 2-2 - Sporting Kansas City
- Wizards Rally to Tie Rapids, 2-2 - MLS
- Pre-Game Report: MetroStars vs. Chicago - New York Red Bulls
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.
