Wizards vs. Fire Game Notes
Published on June 16, 2006 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Sporting Kansas City News Release
Riding The Wave
The Kansas City Wizards host the Chicago Fire for the second time this season at Arrowhead Stadium hoping to ride their building momentum on Saturday, June 17th at 7:30 p.m. Since losing three-straight to end the month of May, the Wizards have gone unbeaten in their last two matches after last weekend's exhilarating 1-0 win at Columbus.
Kansas City currently owns sole possession of second place in the Eastern Conference with 17 points after last week's win on the road to improve to 5-4-2 on the season, eight points shy of first place D.C. United. Chicago sits in fifth-place in the East, six points behind the Wizards with 11 points, and 14 short of the front-running United. The Fire have had a difficult go at it to start this season, so their 2-3-5 record is a bit deceiving, they are returning to the road this weekend after playing just their first home game of the season last week, a 3-3 draw vs. the New England Revolution. After starting the year with a 3-2 loss at FC Dallas, Chicago went unbeaten in a 2006 league-long six consecutive games amidst a nine-game season-opening road swing before running out of gas in their last two games of the stretch.
When the Wizards and Fire first met this year in week six it kicked off Kansas City's disappointing month of May, drawing 1-1 after it opened the season at 4-1-0. Chad Barrett put the Fire up early in the 18th minute with a breakaway goal in the 18th minute when he was played over the top on a pass by Chris Rolfe. The Wizards regrouped at halftime and quickly equalized in the second half on a goal by U.S. World Cup Team member Eddie Johnson. That May 6th match in Arrowhead also featured a pair of penalty kicks, one for each team, not necessarily noteworthy except that both goalkeepers successfully stopped both attempts. Chicago's Zach Thornton successfully saved Johnson's attempt in the 27th minute, and Bo Oshoniyi stopped Ivan Guerrero's PK in the 68th minute.
Having gone unbeaten in their last two contests, the Wizards appear to be returning to the form that allowed them to open the year with four wins in their first five contests. Kansas City dominated the Crew last weekend, outshooting Columbus 18-9, but more importantly, it limited the opposition to just three shots on goal for the fourth consecutive game. That wave of success is something that the Wizards will look to continue to ride this Saturday, because although they have lost just once in their last five meetings with the Fire, Chicago has always been a difficult opponent for Kansas City. The squad from the Windy City holds a 15-6-4 advantage over the team from the City of Fountains in the all-time series, including a 55-to-32 edge in goals scored.
Three-For-Three
Kansas City pulled off an organizational-first in topping the Columbus Crew 1-0 last weekend at Crew Stadium, beating the Crew for the third time in one season, a feat they had yet to accomplish through the first ten years of Major League Soccer against its Hunt Sports Group brethren. Jose Luis Burciaga Jr. provided the dramatics for the Wizards as the end of regulation neared, heading home a Matt Groenwald cross in the 89th minute for his third goal of the season. The goal was also Burciaga Jr.'s second game-winner of the season, his first was a rocket from outside the penalty box in Kansas City's 2-1 win at Houston. The Wizards had three players make their first-ever MLS regular season starts in the match against Columbus. Tyson Wahl, Lance Watson, and goalkeeper Will Hesmer, who was making his first-ever MLS regular season appearance despite having started a pair of U.S. Open Cup matches with the full team last season, were all credited with their first career starts. Hesmer posted three saves on the night en route to his first career shutout in first career start. Kansas City dominated the match vs. the Crew, outshooting the hosts 18-9 while limiting them to just three shots on game in the match.
Consistancy
The Wizards' one goal per week trend continued last weekend, but sometimes one goal is enough when you play defense like the Wizards have been playing as of late, allowing just three shots on goal in each of their last four games. Since opening the season with five goals in their first two games, they have scored exactly one goal in each of their last nine games. And while some might think that is a bad thing, look at the fact that, that makes them just one of three teams in the league to have scored in every game this season, joining FC Dallas and D.C. United. Should Kansas City tally at least one goal this weekend, it will tie the team record for the longest scoring streak to start a season at 12 games, originally set in 2003. This season's streak of 11 straight stands as the second longest in Wizards history. It is not as if Kansas City hasn't had its chances to score more than one goal a game this season, for some reason the Wizards' offense has drawn the best out of opposing goalkeepers. Despite being second in the league in shots on goal with 62, they are tied for seventh in goals scored with 14, meaning opposing goalkeepers and defenses have stopped 48 of Kansas City's shots this season, the third highest such number in the league this year.
A Lethal Lefty
Most Major League Soccer teams' leading scorer is not usually a defender, then again most teams don't have defenders with a deadly left foot like Jose Luis Burciaga Jr.'s. Recognized by many people around MLS as one of the hardest shooters in the league, Burciaga Jr. leads the Wizards with seven points off of three goals and one assist, each of which have directly resulted in points in the standings for Kansas City. Last week, the Texas native headed home the Wizards' game-winning goal in the waning minutes of regulation to become the first player on the Kansas City roster this season to register points in consecutive games. Two weeks ago he fooled Red Bull New York goalkeeper Tony Meola on a game-tying penalty kick. Burciaga Jr. first hit the scoreboard in week two, assisting on Sasha Victorine's game-tying goal at Houston, just minutes before blasting a 25-yard shot in extra-time to give the Wizards their 2-1 win. He is currently tied for third in the league with two game-winning goals. Burciaga Jr. is also sixth in the league in corner kicks with 28.
Young Guns
Kansas City's lineup in recent games has featured a number of young players as KC has gone unbeaten in its last two games. In fact, last weekend the Wizards' had six players take to the pitch who have one or less MLS seasons under their belts, four those players, Will Hesmer, Tyson Wahl, Lance Watson, and Ryan Pore started the match, while Scott Sealy and Matt Groenwald entered the game as subs. Two weeks ago against the New York Red Bulls, Kansas City had five "young" players make the scoresheet. So it was only fitting that it was a rookie, Matt Groenwald, who set up Kansas City's game-winning goal and Will Hesmer, who was making the first regular season appearance of his career, who earned the shutout victory in goal last weekend at Columbus.
Major League Soccer Stories from June 16, 2006
- Galaxy travel to meet Red Bulls - LA Galaxy
- Dynamo to take on Real Salt Lake Saturday - Houston Dynamo FC
- MLS Weekly Preview and Broadcast Info - MLS
- "Cup Headquarters" Gearing Up For The U.S.-Italy Match On Saturday, June 17 - Columbus Crew SC
- D.C. United Fans to Gather to Watch USA v. Italy Match - D.C. United
- Wizards vs. Fire Game Notes - Sporting Kansas City
- First Bob Evans Buck-A-Brat Night Is Next Wednesday, June 21 - Columbus Crew SC
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