Kansas City hosts playoff-hopeful DC
United's last chance at postseason comes Saturday against Wizards
COMMUNITYAMERICA BALLPARK, Kansas City, Kan.
Oct. 24, 2009 (WEEK 32) / MLS Game #220
7:30 p.m. CT (MetroSports; CSN-DC)
One of four teams tied on 39 points for the final wild card berth entering the season's final week, D.C. United hit the road - just like all the other contenders - to take on the Kansas City Wizards at CommunityAmerica Ballpark. United stayed in the chase for the final spot last weekend with a 1-0 win against the Columbus Crew; their visit to Kansas City is their first road game in more than a month. The Wizards saw their late-season rebound toward a playoff bid halted last weekend, falling 3-2 to Seattle Sounders FC and officially eliminated from postseason consideration.
REFEREE: Ricardo Salazar. SAR (bench): George Gansner; JAR (opposite): Anthony Vasoli; 4th: Jeff Gontarek MLS Career: 103 games; FC/gm: 27.9; Y/gm: 3.6; R: 32; pens: 39
INJURY REPORT: KANSAS CITY WIZARDS - OUT: GK Eric Kronberg (shoulder surgery); MF Kevin Souter (sports hernia surgery); FW Adam Cristman (abdominal strain); DF Michael Harrington (illness); DF Lance Watson (foot fracture); QUESTIONABLE: MF Santiago Hirsig (calf strain); DF Jonathan Leathers (hamstring strain) ... D.C. UNITED - OUT: FW Santino Quaranta (ruptured plantar plate); DF Bryan Namoff (concussion); GK Josh Wicks (dislocated shoulder/MCL sprain); DF Greg Janicki (back spasms); MF Brandon Barklage (anterior cruciate ligament surgery); FW Ange N'Silu (hamstring strain); DOUBTFUL: MF Andrew Jacobson (hamstring strain)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
SUSPENDED: none
WARNINGS:
FINED NEXT YELLOW CARD: KC: Davy Arnaud, Michael Harrington, Claudio Lopez, Lance Watson ... DC: Christian Gomez, Julius James, Avery John, Devon McTavish, Josh Wicks
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (34 meetings): Wizards 13 wins (0 shootout), 58 goals ... United 17 wins (1 shootout), 56 goals ... Ties 8
AT K.C. (19 meetings): Wizards 9 wins (0 shootout), 36 goals ... United 6 wins (1 shootout), 25 goals ... Ties 4
• The teams have split their season series each of the last two seasons, with completely opposite results. In 2007, each team won on the road, with the Wizards winning the lone match at RFK Stadium, and United the first meeting in K.C. The teams played to a draw in United's final ever trip to Arrowhead Stadium.
• The home teams each won last season, by 2-0 scorelines.
• The Wizards win at home last season was their first in Kansas City against United since July 10, 2004, a span of six matches (the teams played to draws three times in that period).
• D.C. United have won seven of the last 11 meetings between the teams, dating back to the start of 2006, after sweeping all four league encounters in the 2006 campaign.
• Coaches record: Tom Soehn v KC: P7 W3 L2 D2 ... Peter Vermes vs. DC: P1 W0 L1 D0
THIS SEASON (MLS):
5/6: KC 1, DC 1 (Wolff 52 - Wallace 27)
9/9: DC 1, KC 0 (Emilio 39)
• The teams played to a 1-1 draw on May 6 at CommunityAmerica Ballpark in their first meeting this season.
• United took the lead of a tight contest in the 27th minute. Jaime Moreno slipped the ball into the penalty area, and rookie Rodney Wallace was able to hold off Wizards fullback Lance Watson while rolling the ball under onrushing goalkeeper Kevin Hartman into the net for his second professional goal.
• But the Wizards pulled level seven minutes after the break. Jack Jewsbury swung in a low, curling cross from the right flank and Josh Wolff slid in to apply the slickest of touches, diverting the ball past Louis Crayton.
• On Sept. 9, D.C. United got a five-game homestand off to the best possible start in a 1-0 victory at RFK Stadium.
• The Wizards bossed all the early exchanges, but United scored the game's only goal in the 39th minute. A short corner was flicked on by Bryan Namoff and Chris Pontius came diving in at the far post. His diving header beat Kevin Hartman, but not the goalpost - yet Luciano Emilio was stationed perfectly in the 6-yard box to slam the rebound into the goal for his ninth goal on the season.
• The Wizards were left a man down for the final four minutes when substitute Chance Myers was sent off by referee Terry Vaughn for a second bookable offense.
• Here's Soehn's team (4-3-1-2): Josh Wicks - Bryan Namoff, Devon McTavish, Julius James (Avery John 62), Rodney Wallace - Santino Quaranta (Fred 85), Clyde Simms, Chris Pontius - Christian Gomez (Ben Olsen 46) - Luciano Emilio, Jaime Moreno. Substitutes Not Used: Andrew Jacobson, Milos Kocic, Tiyiselani Shipalane, Danny Szetela
• Here's Vermes' team (4-4-2): Kevin Hartman - Jonathan Leathers, Matt Besler, Jimmy Conrad, Michael Harrington - Herculez Gomez (Chance Myers 46), Santiago Hirsig (Graham Zusi 78), Jack Jewsbury, Claudio Lopez - Davy Arnaud (Zoltan Hercegfalvi 69), Josh Wolff. Substitutes Not Used: Aaron Hohlbein, Kurt Morsink, Boris Pardo, Lance Watson
KANSAS CITY WIZARDS
The Kansas City Wizards finally saw their bid for a playoff place come to an end, Seattle Sounders FC coming back for a late 3-2 victory on Saturday at CommunityAmerica Ballpark. The Wizards have 32 points from 29 matches, sitting in sixth place in the Eastern Conference.
LAST MATCH
• By the time the match had kicked off, the Wizards had been eliminated from playoff contention, coming in off a three-game winless streak. Sounders FC were coming off a 1-0 win at Columbus that moved them to the verge of playoff qualification.
• The visitors took the lead after 27 minutes. Freddie Ljungberg nearly hooked in a goal straight from a corner kick, but Kevin Hartman was able to push it out at the near post. But Tyrone Marshall was there to slam the rebound back home, his second goal on the year.
• But shortly after the break, the Wizards moved ahead. In the 51st minute, Zoltan slid in at the back post to turn home a Michael Harrington shot-cum-cross from long distance, his second goal in as many games. Then three minutes later, Josh Wolff snuck in to turn home a Davy Arnaud cross from close range, his single-season career-high 11th goal.
• Yet Sounders FC came storming back. In the 69th minute, another Ljungberg corner was flicked on by Marshall, and Roger Levesque was completely unmarked at the back post to nod home his second goal in two games.
• Then seven minutes later, Ljungberg stripped a K.C. defender of the ball on the right touchline, rounded the corner and danced along the endline before sliding the ball to Nate Jaqua in the heart of the six, and he tapped into an empty net for his eighth goal on the year and the playoff-clincher.
• Wizards interim head coach Peter Vermes made two changes to the team that fell 2-0 to Chivas USA on the road the week before. Jimmy Conrad returned from international duty, coming in for Aaron Hohlbein, and Zoltan Hercegfalvi replaced Kei Kamara in attack.
• Here's Vermes' team (4-4-2): Kevin Hartman - Jonathan Leathers (Chance Myers 46), Matt Besler (Roger Espinoza 79), Jimmy Conrad, Michael Harrington - Davy Arnaud, Jack Jewsbury, Graham Zusi, Claudio Lopez - Josh Wolff, Zoltan Hercegfalvi (Kei Kamara 70). Substitutes Not Used: Aaron Hohlbein, Michael Kraus, Kurt Morsink, Boris Pardo
TEAM NEWS
• It took to the 29th game of the season, but the Wizards had not allowed a goal on a corner kick until the Seattle match. However, they conceded two.
• "We had a lot of game left [at 2-1]. We've been emphasizing that we have to be able to manage the game for 90 minutes," said Vermes. "It was a good response from us in getting the goals, but the unfortunate thing is that we gave up two goals on corner kicks today. Then we gave such a silly ball on the third goal to hurt us like that."
• Three wins in four games from Sept. 5-19 had kept the Wizards season alive, but they weren't able to maintain the momentum, suffering back-to-back draws then back-to-back losses to see their playoff bid ended before kickoff against Seattle.
• "When you are at home and go up two goals, it is time to lock shop up. That's one thing we still have to get better at," Vermes said. "... We still were opened up too much and were giving them too many opportunities on the ball. You're just being a little smarter about the numbers you send forward. We're still a little bit disconnected at times, especially on the transition on their side."
• At the halfway point of the season, the Wizards stood tied for third place in the Eastern Conference. But in the 15 games since that June 13 standing, after a 3-1 win vs. New England, the Wizards scored just 12 goals.
• "The real bane of our existence this season is just not scoring the timely goal," said Wizards captain Jimmy Conrad. "We're stepping on somebody's throat, and we don't have the goal to show it. Good teams always find a way to score that crucial goal."
• The Wizards will be one of four teams playing host to challengers for the final playoff spot with their postseason futures already decided. Kansas City and New York have been eliminated, while Columbus and Seattle have already booked places in the MLS Cup Playoffs.
• "D.C. is a team that obviously has a little fight in them and a lot of pride. It will be a game for both teams to see what's going to happen," said Vermes. "We're going to come out still trying to play, still trying to win, because we have a lot of work to do."
D.C. UNITED
D.C. United ended a three-game losing skid at home with a vital victory, making the only goal of the game stand up in a 1-0 win against the Columbus Crew on Saturday at RFK Stadium. United have 39 points from 29 matches on the season, now in a four-way tie for eighth overall and the final place in the MLS Cup Playoffs.
LAST MATCH
• D.C. United were coming off three consecutive home defeats -- their first three league losses on East Capitol Street on the season -- while the Crew rebounded from their first home league loss in more than a year with a 1-0 win at New England the week before.
• With their playoff hopes on life support, Luciano Emilio gave his team the start it needed. Boyzzz Khumalo threaded a through ball into the Columbus area and Emilio ran onto it before chipping a shot over the advancing William Hesmer, the ball just crossing the goal line before it was cleared for Emilio's 10th goal on the season.
• D.C. United and goalkeeper Steve Cronin -- making his club debut after being acquired on loan during the week -- withstood withering pressure down the stretch to hold on, Cronin called upon to make six saves.
• United head coach Tom Soehn made four changes to the team that lost 2-0 to Chivas USA on Oct. 3 at RFK Stadium. Devon McTavish, Andrew Jacobson, Rodney Wallace and Luciano Emilio came into the team with Santino Quaranta injured, Ben Olsen and Chris Pontius suspended and Lawson Vaughn going to the substitutes' bench.
• Here's Soehn's team (3-4-1-2): Steve Cronin - Dejan Jakovic, Julius James, Marc Burch - Devon McTavish (Lawson Vaughn 46), Andrew Jacobson, Clyde Simms, Rodney Wallace - Christian Gomez (Jaime Moreno 58) - Luciano Emilio, Thabiso Khumalo (Danny Szetela 66). Substitutes Not Used: Fred, Avery John, Milos Kocic, Tiyiselani Shipalane
TEAM NEWS
•United's win started a three-game stretch in an eight-day period where the club, in all likelihood, had to win each and every game.
• "I think right now every game is a must-win situation and I don't think -- as professional athletes you thrive on those types of situations where you're up against the wall and you know what you have to accomplish," Soehn said. "We had a little more time to prepare for what they were going to bring but ultimately it's just about our mentality and how we're going to defend the team and make sure we're difficult to play against."
• For arguably the biggest game of United's season, Steve Cronin was given the start in goal. Cronin was acquired on loan from USL-1 Portland Timbers, where he was the league's goalkeeper of the year, after being signed under the league's extreme hardship provision following the injury to Josh Wicks.
• "Steve [Cronin] did a great job. It's always difficult coming into a new environment. Early in the week I recall him asking, 'who's he' and 'who's he'. And you wouldn't have guessed that today because he really solidified things, made great decisions. He looks like he's been with us all year," said Soehn.
• The Columbus win capped a five-game homestand for United that also included the first three-game home league losing streak since 2000.
• "We are just glad that finally we broke the ice. It was hard to break it, we still have a little hope. And definitely we depend on some other results too, but right now I think it's got a lot to do with what we are going to do in Kansas [next weekend], and very simply we are going to go there and win," said Jaime Moreno.
• On Tuesday, United went to Mexico needing a win to guarantee passage to the knockout stage of the CONCACAF Champions League. Chris Pontius' sixth-minute goal gave United a vital lead, but Israel Lopez converted a penalty early in the second half for the eventual 1-1 draw. United now must wait for the San Juan Jabloteh-Marathon result from Thursday in Port of Spain; a Marathon win or tie will see the Honduras club into the quarterfinals.
• Here's Soehn's team: Steve Cronin - Avery John, Lawson Vaughn, Devon McTavish (Christian Gomez 68), Julius James, Danny Szetela, John DiRaimondo (Dejan Jakovic 63), Fred, Chris Pontius, Luciano Emilio, Thabiso Khumalo (Rodney Wallace 46)
