Springfield MO Soccer

By Kurt Austin, special KC Wizards correspondent and President, Mizzou Soccer Club
For 89 minutes Saturday, the Kansas City Wizards took their fans on a roller-coaster ride of intoxicating soccer – attacking with abandon, inspiring individual efforts sprinkled with dazzling displays of teamwork, and a refreshing demonstration of determination in the face of their star’s absence and their opponent’s home field advantage. In other words, the style Wizards fans have come to know and love under new coach Curt Onalfo.

But before the final whistle could signal the start of 1st-place celebrations, it signaled something Wizards fans have come to know and hate this season, a point to the penalty spot.

And although Kansas City goalkeeper Kevin Hartman guessed correctly, Juan Pablo Angel’s penalty conversion in the 90th minute washed away what was another epic Wizards win in the making. After allowing two Red Bulls goals in the game’s first 15 minutes, the Wizards had stormed ahead with three consecutive goals of their own. Instead of the comeback victory, the Wizards settled for a 3-3 tie and another week in second place behind the Red Bulls in the Eastern Conference.

The late penalty, while questionable at best (in the words of a New York announcer: “There’s no way that should be a penalty kick”), was just the latest in a laundry list of such decisions against the Wizards this season. In 11 games, the Wizards have conceded five penalties, most in the league and all quite costly. Four of the five penalty kick goals allowed have come in one-goal losses or ties.

Adding insult to injury, it was two penalty kicks against New York in the last game of last season that allowed the Red Bulls to clinch the final playoff spot over Kansas City. Further, Saturday’s match was the second Wizards game this season refereed by Abby Okulaja – it, too, had a penalty awarded against KC, though the boys in blue went on to win 4-3 at New England on May 26th.

Until Saturday, New York had struggled from the spot – failing on their only other attempt this season (Mathis in an April 20th win against Houston). In the preseason Carolina Challenge Cup, both captain Claudio Reyna and former Wizard Dave Van Den Bergh had also been unsuccessful.

Nevertheless, Angel’s 90th minute equalizer was his second of the game after opening the scoresheet in the 8th minute on a header to the backpost. The two goals bring his total to nine on the season, propelling him into a tie for the league lead in goals with the Wizards’ Eddie Johnson (currently with the U.S. Men’s National Team in the CONCACAF Gold Cup). The goals also extended his scoring streak to six straight games, a new franchise record and one off the league mark. New York’s second goal was scored by a sliding Clint Mathis, his 5th of the year.

The Wizards’ offensive output came from two unlikely candidates: defensive midfielder Kerry Zavagnin on a 20-yard strike before halftime and second-half substitute Yura Movsisyan with a nearpost redirection in the 70th and a chip in the 79th. It was Zavagnin’s second goal this year, tying his career high for goals in a season. Movsisyan’s total increased to three goals on the season, good for second-best on the team.

The Wizards will have little time to wonder what would have been, as they travel to last-place Columbus on Wednesday for a mid-week matchup. The Crew were also part of a 3-3 tie Saturday, stealing a point on the road against the third-place New England Revolution.