Wizards vs. Red Bulls Game Notes
Published on August 29, 2006 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Sporting Kansas City News Release
Kansas City Wizards vs. New York Red Bulls
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
7:30 p.m. CST
Arrowhead Stadium
Television: MSG-NY & MLS Direct Kick Package
Satelite Coordinates: VYVX Conf #2121076
Big Wednesday
The Kansas City Wizards lock horns with the New York Red Bulls in what has turned out to be a huge game for both sides as the 2006 postseason outlook begins to unfold. Much like Kansas City, New York has turned its season around having gone unbeaten in six of its last seven league matches to move within one point of the Wizards (8-12-5, 29 points) for the fourth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
The all-time series sits at an even 12-12-6 after the Red Bulls took a 1-0-1 advantage in the 2006 season series with a win in the second of this year's first two meetings.
In the first showdown of 2006 the Wizards rallied with a second half goal to tie the game at 1-1, kick starting a string of three straight games in which they went undefeated. Kansas City outshot the Red Bulls 17-8 in that match, including a 7-3 advantage in shots on goal. Chris Henderson netted his first goal of the season in the 30th minute, finishing off a redirection from Steve Jolley on Mark Lisi's free kick to give New York the early lead at Arrowhead. The Wizards netted the equalizer in the 58th minute when Jose Luis Burciaga Jr. put away a penalty kick following defender Jeff Parke's clip of Scott Sealy from behind in the penalty box.
In their second meeting Kansas City suffered a 1-0 defeat at the Meadowlands despite once again outshooting New York, this time it was an 18-15 mark. KC also posted a 13-3 advantage in corner kicks, dominating a majority of the possession, in what was Brian Bliss' first game as head coach of the Wizards. New York's game-winner came off the foot of Mike Magee in the 25th minute when he redirected a Seth Stammler cross from the right side to the near post.
Eastern Pressure Cooker
At this point in the season every game, rather every chance to gain points, is important, but this Wednesday's match against the New York Red Bulls is REALLY important. After 22 weeks of play Kansas City finds itself in a heated battle for Major League Soccer's postseason, rather the entire Eastern Conference less D.C. United finds itself in the battle. As it stands now, just three points separate second place in the East from fifth place, and out of the playoffs. Chicago and New England are tied for second with 31 points, two points up on the Wizards in fourth place, and three points ahead of New York in fifth. Not wanting to be on the outside looking in when the postseason roles around Kansas City and New York each control their own destiny as this Wednesday will be the first of two head-to-head matches the two sides still have with each other, that is a twelve point swing. The Wizards also have one more match scheduled against the Revs before all is said and done. A win in each of these three games would allow KC to control its own destiny as a pair of Wizards wins would nullify the two games the Red Bulls have in hand on Kansas City, and the same is likewise for the one game in hand New England has. The Wizards remaining four games are against the third through sixth place teams in the Western Conference. Seven of New England's final eight games are against fellow members of the East, and of the final nine games that Chicago and New York are scheduled to play eight of the Red Bulls' and seven of the Fires' are against conference opponents.
Wizards Wheelman
Wizards' helmsman Brian Bliss is making a run at having the interim tag taken off his head coach title having guided Kansas City out of its seven-game losing streak and into its current stretch. Heading into the tail end of July, the Wizards were mired in a six-game losing streak when Bliss was handed the reins. After a brief hiccup in Bliss' debut, a 1-0 loss to this Wednesday's opponent the New York Red Bulls, Kansas City has gone unbeaten in five of its last six matches and solidified itself once again as a playoff contender. Since that 1-0 loss at New York, Bliss has guided the Wizards to a pair of ties against second place New England, a 4-0 trouncing of Columbus, 1-1 draw on the road against a surging Chivas USA side at the end of a streak of five games in 11 days, and this past Sunday's 1-0 defeat of Western Conference front-running FC Dallas. KC's lone loss in the past month was a short-handed 3-0 affair against the Fire at Toyota Park three games ago. Under Bliss' direction Kansas City has seen improvements both offensively and defensively. While the Wizards have increased their overall shot average to 12.9 per game, up from 12.6 prior to Bliss being named head coach, it has been the accuracy of the attack that has been the key. After Bliss' debut game KC has put exactly 50.0% of its shots on frame, up from the 42.0% after the Red Bulls match. On the defensive end, the Wizards have posted an admirable 0.86 goals against average under Bliss, down from the previous average of 1.44, over a half-a-goal less per game.
Big Time Bo
One of the major factors in Kansas City reversing its fortunes and going unbeaten in five of its last six games has been the play of goalkeeper Bo Oshoniyi. With a current career goals against average of 1.63, Oshoniyi has played to a career best 1.27 (minimum 10 games) GAA this season thanks in major part to his 0.83 mark in KC's last six games. When you take out their lone loss in the past six games, Oshoniyi and the Wizards' defense has given up just two goals in their last five point-earning games, a GAA of 0.40. A fellow graduate of Southern Connecticut State with interim head coach Brian Bliss, Oshoniyi's numbers have gone up considerably since the coaching change was made. With a career save percentage of 68.6%, in KC's last six games he has posted an 86.8% save percentage with three shutouts along the way to bump his season total to five, his second-highest career single season total, tying him for third all-time on the Wizards' single season charts. Nothing has typified Oshoniyi's performances in Kansas City's turn-around better than his three "game-saving" stops this past Sunday vs. FC Dallas. Playing with a 1-0 lead in the latter part of the second half, Oshoniyi stopped a Kenny Cooper rocket on a freekick from 1-yard outside the penalty box as well as a pair of point blank stops in the final five minutes of match.
Remember Me
After scoring Kansas City's first goal of the season on just his second shot of the year against the Columbus Crew on Opening Day, 2006 started out grand for Wizards attack-man Davy Arnaud. However, the luck that is sometimes involved in the "art" of goal-scoring did not necessarily go Arnaud's way as he was held scoreless in 20 consecutive matches. Well Arnaud broke that 20-game streak two weeks ago when he reopened his goal-scoring bag with a 25-yard strike early in the first half against the Crew. Here is how the time in between his two goals breaks down (time of first goal - 21st minute of Game 1, time of second goal - 4th minute of Game 22): minutes played by the Wizards (excluding stoppage time) - 1,873; minutes played by Arnaud (excluding stoppage time) - 1,778; total shots taken - 42; total shots on goal - 16. Arnaud is currently eighth in MLS with 46 total shots taken, bumping his career total to 184, the fifth most in Wizards' history. He is also seventh all-time in Kansas City history with 76 career shots on goal.
Leader Of The Pack
Only one player in MLS has appeared in all 25 matches this season, and that one player is Wizards forward Davy Arnaud, granted KC is the only team to have played 25 games thus far this season. But it wasn't until week 20 that Arnaud became the only Wizard to appear in each of their matches this season because teammate Kerry Zavagnin was right there by Arnaud's side through the first 20 games before he missed his first game of the year three weeks ago with a groin strain. Zavagnin had appeared in 41 consecutive games after starting the 2006 season with 20 straight showings in the lineup before missing the Wizards' most recent match against the Revs at Gillette Stadium. Arnaud, obviously, leads the team with 25 games played and Nick Garcia and Sasha Victorine are tied for second on the team, and in the league, with 24 games played. Garcia and Zavagnin are third and fourth all-time in games played in a Wizards uniform with 192 and 188, respectively. Arnaud currently sits just outside the top ten with 107 career matches played at a Wizard. As expected Arnaud leads the team with 2,155 minutes played and Garcia is second with 2,151 minutes logged, fifth and sixth most in the league, second and third among field players. With seven matches remaining, Garcia is on pace to become Kansas City's all-time minutes leader, needing just 448 to equal Preki's career total of 17,818 minutes played. Zavagin is third all-time in KC history with 16,730 career minutes played entering Wednesday's match.
Conrad's Countdown
Defender Jimmy Conrad is expected to be out for three more weeks with the broken jaw he suffered when he was elbowed by Clint Dempsey in Kansas City's match at New England on August 9th. Conrad went up for a head ball early in the second half and had position Dempsey when the Revs midfielder went up with his left elbow, catching the KC defender flush on the right side of his jaw. The Wizards' team captain has started 11 matches for Kansas City this season having missed nine games overall prior to his injury, six while he was with the United States National Team, two while he was recovering from a sports hernia surgery, and one for a red card suspension. Conrad has scored two goals in 2006 for the Wizards, including the game-winner in Kansas City's 1-0 week three victory over New England. This season the Wizards are 3-6-3 with Conrad in the lineup and 5-4-2 when he has not appeared.
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