Wizards vs. United Game Notes
June 27, 2006 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Sporting Kansas City News Release
Kansas City Wizards vs. D.C. United
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
7:30 p.m. CST
Arrowhead Stadium
Television: There is no TV
One Last Shot
The Kansas City Wizards have one last chance to take some points from Eastern Conference-leading D.C. United this Wednesday, June 28th, at Arrowhead Stadium. The Wizards are coming off a gut-wrenching 1-0 loss to United less than a week ago at RFK Stadium on Saturday, June 24th. In the loss Kansas City outshot D.C. 10-5 and posted a 7-2 advantage in shots on goal.
Currently second in the East with 20 points and a 6-5-2 record, the Wizards can cut into United's grasp on first place in the East when the dust settles in Arrowhead. D.C. (9-1-5) currently sits 12 points ahead of Kansas City in the standings.
United has been a thorn in the Wizards' side all season, having topped the team from KC in all three meetings this season, despite Kansas City posting an 18-13 overall advantage in shots on goal, they have been outscored 6-2 by the Red & Black, although just two of United's six goals have come during the run of play.
The two first met in D.C. on May 13th and their fourth and final regular meeting of the season will be just 46 days later, all four of which will be played without the Wizards' three United States National Team members who spent the last month and a half preparing and playing in the FIFA World Cup, they suffered a narrow 2-1 defeat in that first meeting. That first contest was an exhilarating match that featured 14 combined shots on goal. D.C.'s Alecko Eskandarian scored the game's only goal in the run of play, a strike that earned Sierra Mist Goal of the Week honors, and both sides each successfully converted penalty kick opportunities. Sasha Victorine tied the game at 1-1 for the Wizards with a first half PK, but United's Jaime Moreno responded with one of his own less than seven minutes later for what proved to be the game deciding goal.
Two weeks later, again with first place in the East up for grabs Kansas City fell 3-1 to United at Arrowhead, marking the first, and last time, the Wizards have allowed three goals in a game this season. The Wizards made a valiant effort outshooting United 10-2 in the second half. Moreno also successfully converted another one of his league-leading three penalty kicks in the win, his second of the season series.
Game three last weekend saw a scoreless first half in which the Wizards outshot D.C. 5-2 before a steady blanket of rain began to fall at the break. Six minutes into the second half the game was delayed for 39 minutes due to lightning. Less than 40 seconds post-delay, D.C.'s Clyde Simms dumped a ball deep into the right corner for Josh Gros who slid a shot across the mouth of the goal towards the back post. Blanketed by a pair of Wizards defenders, Jaime Moreno lunged forward to poke the ball with his toe just enough to redirect it into the side netting for what proved to be a 1-0 D.C. win.
D.C. holds a slight edge in the all-time series at 13-11-6 with its three wins this season, proving just how exciting the DC-KC match-up has always been.
Clamping Down
Kansas City's loss against D.C. on Saturday left one to scratch their heads a bit more. Having held United to just two shots on goal the entire match, it still lost 1-0. The Wizards is playing to the form that allowed them to open the year with four wins in their first five contests and has dominated the opposition lately holding them to just three shots on goal for six consecutive games. Twice the Wizards have done so against D.C. United, including this past Saturday when they held them to just two shots on goal. The last team to register more than three shots on goal against Kansas City, that same D.C. team, United posted eight against Kansas City when it first visited RFK. The Wizards are currently third in the league with a 1.23 team-goals against average, their 127 overall shots allowed are the second lowest total in the league.
A Start For The Books
The Wizards' streak of consecutive games to start the season scoring at least one goal per game came to an end this past weekend when they were shutout by D.C. United 1-0. One week off scoring three goals against the Chicago Fire to snap a nine-game span where it scored exactly one goal a game, Kansas City was shutout for the first time in 2006 despite posting seven shots on goal. After opening the season with five goals in their first two games, the Wizards scored exactly one goal in nine straight games to run their streak to 11 games, they then extended the run to a team record 12 games with the three goals against the Fire. Heading into the match this past Saturday at RFK Stadium, Kansas City was just one of three teams in the league to have scored in every game this season, joining FC Dallas and United. The Hoops and D.C. are both still alive as the only teams to have scored in every game of 2006 as they each scored one goal this past Saturday.
Bringing Out Their Best
One of the reasons why Kansas City had been held to just one goal a game in nine straight contests has been because its offense has drawn the best out of opposing goalkeepers. Last weekend's shutout against D.C. was a prime example of the opposition the Wizards offense has faced, United's goalkeeper, Troy Perkins, earned MLS Player of the Week honors this week after posting a season-high six saves against them Saturday, including two point-blank saves on then reigning MLS Player of the Week Scott Sealy. Despite being second in the league thus far this season in shots on goal with 79, they are only tied for fifth in goals scored with 17, meaning opposing goalkeepers and defenses have stopped 62 of Kansas City's shots this season, the second highest such number in the league this year.
Your Not So Typical Defender
Leading the team with four goals on the season, defender Jose Luis Burciaga Jr. has been big time with each one of his goals has been the deciding factor in a Kansas City result. Currently tied for third in Major League Soccer with three game-winning goals, his fourth was the Wizards' game-tying goal against the New York Red Bulls to open his month of June. Recognized by many people around MLS as one of the hardest shooters in the league, Burciaga Jr. provided the deciding goal in each of Kansas City's games during its recent three-game undefeated streak. He began his hot streak with a penalty kick that fooled Red Bulls goalkeeper Tony Meola on June 3rd to tie the game at 1-1. Three weeks ago, the Texas native headed home the Wizards' game-winning goal in the 89th minute against the Columbus Crew to become the first player on the Kansas City roster this season to register points in consecutive games. He followed up his late-game heroics in Columbus with another 89th minute game-winning goal two weeks ago against the Chicago Fire. Tied at 2-2, Burciaga Jr. hit a rocket from deep in the left corner that beat Fire goalkeeper Zach Thornton to the near post, running his scoring streak to three games. The defender's first game-winning goal of the season came in week two on a 25-yard blast in extra-time to give the Wizards a 2-1 win at Houston.
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