Springfield MO Soccer

By Kurt Austin, special KC Wizards correspondent and President, Mizzou Soccer Club

The fourth of July has historically been little cause for celebration by the Kansas City Wizards. Coming into Wednesday’s match with D.C. United, the Wizards had a 2-5-1 record on Independence Day, including a 7-0 home drubbing by Chicago in 2001.

On this fourth of July, the Wizards had no shortage of fireworks – 21 shots and several of them 1v1 breakaways that brought the crowd to their feet. Unfortunately, they all turned out to be duds.

So was the story in Kansas City’s 1-0 loss to D.C. United Wednesday — unhappy endings. For every promising prospect there was Troy Perkins, a goalpost, or shots not needing either. Perkins made eight saves and twice Kansas City shots caromed off the inside of the right post; the first in the 8th minute off a free kick rolled to Jack Jewsbury and the second in the 50th minute off a Yura Movsisyan strike.

“(D.C. Keeper Matt) Perkins just got a touch to it,” Jewsbury said. “It was a matter of inches.”

With such lack of luck and finishing, Luciano Emilio’s goal just before halftime was all D.C. needed to move into first place in the Eastern Conference. Emilio scored for the fifth straight game and is one off the league lead in goals this season with eight.

For the Wizards, the performance was a particularly painful one, and not just because of the 90 degree heat index that had clearly taken its toll by game’s end. “We knew coming into a noon game in July in the Midwest, it would be hot and humid and it was,” Wizards defender Jewsbury said. “It was very steamy, but we’re a very fit team and we’ve been trained accordingly.”

Rather, the loss sinks Kansas City even further into their summer slump. While United has now won 7 of their last 9, the Wizards have won just twice in the same number of games. Worse still, the Wizards have not won in their last five (all played without striker Eddie Johnson) and Wednesday’s game was the culmination of a three game homestand in which the team earned a single point, tying expansion Toronto. In those three games, the Wizards allowed just one goal in each but were shutout twice – their first two times to not score all season.

Nevertheless, the game’s outcome and timing aside, the performance was one to be proud of if you’re an optimist – or coach Curt Onalfo trying to rally his troops ahead of yet another game Saturday . “It’s cruel. It’s a cruel game at times, but that’s life,” Onalfo said. “We had the majority of possession throughout the game. We created more than enough chances to win. I guess the only thing we can do is move on and attempt to get better.”

The Wizards played without Johnson (US National Team), and defenders Jimmy Conrad (US National Team), Jose Burciaga Jr. (shoulder sprain), and Aaron Hohlbein (hamstring strain). Midfielder Carlos Miranelli did not start, but entered the game in the 57th minute.

Jewsbury credited the team’s depth for the strong showing without such key contributors. “The young guys are stepping in and really improving themselves,” Jewsbury said. “We don’t miss a beat whether it’s the 11th guy or the 28th guy.” Two such young guys were Ryan Pore and rookie Kurt Morsink, both making their second starts of the season. Will John also made his second appearance of the year, coming on for Scott Sealy in the 82nd minute.
The Wizards next play at Los Angeles. The game will be their third in seven days, but could see the return of Johnson and Conrad – depending on their roles in tomorrow’s USA vs. Colombia game in Copa America.

If Jewsbury’s post-game foresight is any indication, it could be as much of an attacking affair as Wednesday. “It’s just a matter of one or two bounces going our way,” he said. “We’re not getting frustrated yet. It’s going to come.”