By Kurt Austin, special KC Wizards correspondent and President, Mizzou Soccer Club
After a disappointing 1-1 tie with Toronto FC on Sunday, the Wizards will try to regain their winning ways tomorrow as they face D.C. United at home for the 4th of July. After starting the season with four wins in their first five games, the Wizards have won only twice in their last eight and none of their last four in which star striker Eddie Johnson has been absent with the US National Team. Nevertheless, the Wizards are tied for second place in the Eastern Conference, only one point behind the New England Revolution. A tie or win Wednesday would push Kansas City into first place as New England is the only team not playing.
However, the Wizards’ opponent also has an opportunity to leapfrog from fourth to first in the Eastern Conference with a win. After losing their first three games of the season, D.C. has lost only once in their last nine, bringing them into Wednesday’s matchup one point behind the Wizards in fourth. United’s attack features Brazilian Luciano Emilio who has scored in four straight games and is in third place in MLS goal scoring with seven tallies on the season. United also boasts last year’s goalkeeper of the year Troy Perkins, defender of the year Bobby Boswell, and league Most Valuable Player Christian Gomez.
Like so many other games in recent weeks, both teams will be without key contributors due to the Copa America tournament currently being played in Venezuela. For D.C., it’s Boswell (USA) and midfielders Ben Olsen (USA) and Jaime Moreno (Bolivia). For K.C., it’s captain Jimmy Conrad (USA) and Johnson, the league’s leading scorer.
Kansas City will be on short rest after Sunday’s match, but the tie may prove to have been more emotionally draining than physically. The tie was only Toronto’s second point on the road this season and despite 25 shots and a one man advantage for the final 15 minutes after a Toronto red card, the Wizards couldn’t score the much-needed second against emergency goalkeeper Sam Reynolds. Why emergency? Not only was it his first ever minutes in the MLS, but he isn’t even on Toronto’s team.
A “pool goalkeeper” signed by the league, Reynolds can be assigned to any MLS team in “extreme hardship.” Toronto’s starter Greg Sutton is still recovering from a head injury sustained at the Gold Cup when with the Canadian National Team. Backup Srdjan Djekanovic had played the last four games in goal for Toronto but was not chosen by coach Mo Johnston, a former Wizard. Reynolds was a backup for the USL Portland Timbers in 2005 and played in only a few reserve games for Chivas USA last season.
Wednesday, the Wizards may be in need of an emergency defender. Already missing Conrad, his replacement Aaron Holhbein and left back Jose Burciaga Jr. both had to leave at halftime on Sunday due to injuries – Hohlbein suffered a hamstring strain and Burciaga Jr. is still nursing a shoulder sprain. No word has been given on their availability, but the Wizards options are thin. Matt Groenwald is out for the season with a blood clot condition, leaving only second-year players Lance Watson and Tyson Wahl to complement Nick Garcia and Jack Jewsbury on the backline. Rookie midfielder Michael Harrington, who scored his third goal of the season on Sunday, may also be called upon to fill a defensive role.
The game kicks off at noon at Arrowhead Stadium and is a T-Shirt Wednesday giveaway game. It will be televised on MetroSports, Direct Kick, and MLSLive.tv.
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