Three Questions: Toronto FC @ Kansas City Wizards

There will be none of this Saturday night at Community America Ballpark. Sorry, De Ro.

Now that this past week’s festivities/circus that was the friendly against Manchester United is over, I have to admit – I’m so excited about getting back into league play that we’re going a day early with preview coverage of this Saturday’s home game against Toronto FC.

So, let’s skip the pleasantries and talk MLS LEAGUE PLAY SOCCER!!

The Wizards made the trip north of the border back in early June riding a two game losing streak after a 1-0 loss to Columbus at home, followed by a 4-1 trashing at the hands of Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto. This was the part of the season that went completely awry for Kansas City. After wins in their first two league games of the season, six losses and two draws were the recent form heading into BMO Field. In what could quite possibly be considered the worst spectacle MLS game of the season, the Wizards managed a 0-0 draw for a rare road point. Nothing more need be said about that game.

Since that game all the way back on June 5, KC has managed 7 points in six league games. That sounds bad, and it is. We know how much this team has struggled. Somehow, though, Toronto has been just as bad. How are they sitting on 23 points and the final playoff spot at the moment, you ask? Well, their hot start has kept them afloat during their struggles since June 5, picking up 7 points in five games.

All Games Played Since June 5
KC Wiz	TFC
W, 2-0 vs PHI	D, 0-0 vs LAG
L, 0-3 vs NYRB	D, 1-1 vs HOU
L, 0-1 @ FCD	W, 1-0 vs COL
L, 0-2 vs CHV	L, 2-1 @ PHI
W, 1-0 @ CLM	D, 1-1 vs Bolton*
D, 1-1 @ COL	D, 1-1 vs FCD
W, 2-1 vs ManU*
*Friendly

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dgfjagsh	hgs
fdlgnsklag	hg

Are These Mid-Season Friendlies Across MLS Really Worth It?

El Capitano continues to impress after a calling-out.

Disclaimer: By no means do I claim to be ever-enlightened about the inner-workings and how to run Major League Soccer.

I love the Wizards. And, I love Manchester United. As I shared last week, United are the club that first interested me in the sport of soccer. For them, a club of that size and name recognition, to come to my city – where I have lived my entire life – was nothing short of a big deal. The biggest of deals in Kansas City soccer history. The record crowd of 52,424 was something many Wizards fans from even just five years ago would have never thought possible.

Lost in all the build-up and the hype, though, is the fundamental lack of point of playing such a game. And, that’s what leaves me wondering if MLS as whole is doing the best thing for itself in the here-and-now by stopping so much league play for nothing more than a glorified scrimmage to warm up the larger European clubs for their upcoming seasons. Don’t get me wrong; Sunday’s game and 2-1 victory over United was extremely fun to be a part of and to experience. Where the “was it worth it?” question comes into play for myself is when thinking about what the goal of a team and league is, and how this game could potentially affect that goal.

The goal of a team, by definition, is to put forth the most competitive squad of players possible to win their respective league. The goal of a league, by definition, is to determine the best team within the league and crown a champion.

Did Sunday’s friendly with United lend any assistance to either of these goals? The goal of the team, perhaps, because you can only improve by playing better competition. I can see that argument, and surely fo along with it. The goal of the league, though, is completely thrown out the window when accepting and playing a game like this.

Granted, when this game was agreed upon back in May of this year, it wasn’t known at all that the Wizards would struggle as mightily as they did through much of the season, yet suddenly regain form in the two league games leading up to the United friendly. I didn’t know that, you didn’t know that, the team didn’t know that. But, the fact of the matter is that it did happen, and while the ultimate goal of this team in 2010 is to compete for an MLS Cup, the Wizards would have been better served with an extremely high-level performance, like Sunday’s, coming against Chicago in league play – the originally scheduled game for Saturday night.

Three Wizards With The Most To Gain Against Manchester United

That's not Wizards blue, because he hasn't quite been spotted in that yet. That's a problem.

There’s never been a bigger soccer game played in Kansas City, or the midwest of the United States for that matter, than this Sunday’s friendly between our Kansas City Wizards and English Premier League giants, and the biggest sports club in the world, Manchester United. It’s going to be a lot of fun and will hopefully go a long way to drawing new fans into the sport of soccer, and the Wizards specifically.

That’s all well, but let’s be honest about what this game really is. It’s a friendly and an exhibition that means nothing in the MLS standings, or a SuperLiga group, or even a Champions League clash. That’s not to say, though, that there isn’t a world of gain to be had from it by some individual players on each side. The game in KC will mark the halfway point of United’s North American preseason tour. The gain for their players is obvious – fitness for the coming season and perhaps a place in Sir Alex Ferguson’s squad.

However, there are a handful of Wizards players that, at this respective point in their soccer careers, can do a world of good for themselves against a club with the clout of a Manchester United. The world, literally, will be watching and a few guys have a chance to make a name for themselves.

We can fully confirm that Sunil Chhetri, in fact, does exist and that he’s not a made-up boy by Wizards PR to infiltrate the Indian population.

After seeing a grand total of only 45 minutes in a US Open Cup game back in early April, one can’t help but question the merit of all the hype surrounding Chhetri and his move from the Indian League to MLS. Reports out of practice these days are that he’s strictly a one way player and offers little assistance when the ball is lost. I’m fine with that if he’s on the field with Kei Kamara, who is very good at tracking back and helping win the ball back in the midfield. Same goes for Ryan Smith.

On the television broadcast Saturday against Colorado, Robb Heineman announced that Chhetri would be given an opportunity to log some minutes Sunday against United and try to impress upon coach Peter Vermes to earn himself some playing time in the final 14 games of the league season. If Chhetri were to be given such a chance against a giant side like United, now is the time to do so. United will be without both regular starting center halves, Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand.

Not many know much about Chhetri, so there really isn’t a whole lot to say about him. If he fails to perform Sunday, fairly or not, he may be the one moved for the impending signing of Mexican striker Omar Bravo.

What Does This Manchester United Game Mean?

Greatest. Moment. Ever. Here's to hoping we see Kiko Sunday.

Also file under: Who is Andy Edwards?

A post vaguely outlining who this new Wizards fan and blogger that just happened to pop up and cause this two game result streak. The Wizards are undefeated since my creation of The Daily Wiz, just for the record. Anyway, I thought I’d take a bit of time to share a few of my personal soccer favorites and I am. And, what better time to do so than the week our city hosts world giants Manchester United? (I’m a fan, if you can’t tell.)

I’m actually a relatively new fan to the soccer world. “New,” as in I just completed my first four year World Cup cycle as a soccer fan. I got caught up in the 2002 World Cup and the United States’ run to the quarterfinals, but when it was over, so was soccer for me. It wasn’t until four years later when the 2006 World Cup came that it actually interested me as a sport, rather than just a USA competition, because I will cheer to death for any team with “USA” across their chest.

But, I wasn’t instantly hooked. It actually took me another full year before I learned what club soccer was, and how it was different from the international game. The game that did it for me? 2007 FA Community Shield between Chelsea and Manchester United. For whatever reason, I saw the sport of soccer completely different and a thousand times more interesting. Slowly that evolved into the near 100 percent consuming of my time and thoughts, but if you’re a soccer lover, who isn’t like that?

A Day Later: Thoughts On The Wizards’ Draw At Colorado Rapids

Hey, Vermes. You! Play me more!

Sometimes, especially when you’ve just come off an emotional roller coaster of a game, it’s better to take a day to come down, relax, step back and take an objective look at things. You can’t find a better example of such a time than Saturday night’s game between the Kansas City Wizards and the Colorado Rapids.

Our beloved Wizards went from looking like a team that could somehow take 4 points from just this one game, to squandering chances to lock up the maximum 3 points, to knowing that the missed chances would come back and haunt them in the end, to looking like a draw was a fair result, to being luckier than a Powerball winner to come away with a point.

From Davy Arnaud scoring his second goal of the season in the 20th minute, to Kei Kamara’s spectacularly saved shot which was well placed in the bottom corner of the goal, to Arnaud’s rebound shot immediately after somehow being saved as well, to Teal Bunbury beating the keeper and somehow managing to hit both posts on one shot, the Wizards were a 3 point side in the first half and probably should have netted a second or third goal.

Surprisingly, a key cog in the Wizards’ sudden rush of attacking prowess has been the play of midfielder Craig Rocastle. Not only did Rocastle pick up the assist on Arnaud’s goal, which was a beautifully weighted ball ahead of everyone for Davy to run onto, but he did as good of a job winning the ball in the midfield area as fellow midfielder Stephane Auvray, who is known almost exclusively for doing so. Early on in the season, many Wizards fans – myself included, no doubt – were harsh critics on Rocastle, but not without reason. He managed to pick up four yellow cards and a red through the first six games of his MLS career this season. Over the last handful of games, though, coach Peter Vermes seems to have potentially tamed the beast and brought out a run of play that very few ever expected of Rocastle. If Rocastle continues his recent form – even if only for 60-70 minutes a game, which was the case in each game this week – his size and aggressive ball winning abilities could be a real asset for this team. And, it goes without saying that Vermes would be due quite the pat on the back for this diamond in the rough.

It’s really hard to pinpoint and put a finger on what happened this past week that changed so drastically from losing 2-0 to Chivas USA at home, to beating Eastern Conference leader Columbus Crew and drawing a playoff side Colorado, each on the road. Oh wait, no it’s not. It has everything to do with Josh Wolff sitting on the bench. I’ll give Vermes that up until this point, Teal Bunbury wasn’t quite “getting it” yet and he wasn’t ready to play a full 90 minutes regularly. Wolff was his only viable option and he had to go with him. I get that. But, if he goes back to Wolff in the starting XI, may the great locust plague be cast upon before leaving the stadium.

Seriously, though, the attack has life when Bunbury plays. He can run. I hear that helps.

Wizards Draw Colorado Rapids, Take 4 Points In 4 Days

We scored again! Who'da thunk it?

While it wasn’t the 3 points we were all hoping for, and that it looked like we deserved for the entire first half, it was nice to drop points and still walk out of Colorado with a point. Not one other time this season could we say such a thing; not against Seattle, Columbus (the first time), or Dallas.  Those times we were playing for the point and when we were burned, we left empty-handed. Maybe that will teach them to take the initiative and score first once in a while.

What a week it was. Heading into Wednesday’s trip to Columbus, this team was nothing more than a dead man walking, going through the motions and playing for nothing. Then, something incredible happened – they scored a goal. I know – crazy, right? They somehow pulled of the shocker against the Crew. There was no way they could recreate their that fluke performance twice in a row – let alone in the second half of a four-day back to back schedule, right? Wrong. For 70 minutes on Saturday, they were the better team and it wasn’t even close.

Davy Arnaud must have check in on The Daily Wiz before tonight’s game and seen that he had been called out. He got the scoring off on the right foot for the Wizards with his 20th minute goal, his second of the season and first since opening night. The scapegoat (at least the one not named Josh Wolff) of late, Davy played a steady and well-thought out game. He didn’t panic in decision making situations and always seem to make the right play.

Missed opportunities came back to haunt them in the end, though, when Conor Casey worked a big of magic and tied the game at one in the 74th minute. But, it always seemed that regretting so many squandered chances was the way it would end.

The best thing about it… is that it only gets better this next week. After enduring the two game road trip in four days, (and taking points in each game – how wild is that to say?) we can head into the league off week and the game against Manchester United on a highnote, feeling good about our boys. Suddenly, the little exhibition this Sunday isn’t the only highlight in an otherwise spiraling season.

A couple of weeks ago, James Starritt from KCW Fans posed the question on Twitter “Other than the new stadium and Man. Utd., what is there to be happy about this year?” I could find little other than the play of Michael Harrington to respond with. Now, all of a sudden there’s reason to be excited and reason to look forward to the next league game.  Suddenly, you go into the next game with hopes of not only just not being blown out, but knowing your team can, in fact, score a goal and maybe even get a result. You can’t let the drudgery get you down, because you’re always going to come out the other side. Even the Wizards.

Enjoy this next week and know that when we return to league play a week from this night, we’re taking on a team we’ve already drawn on the road and that our team is playing its best soccer in three months.

More in-depth thoughts, reactions and insight into how we arrived at the 1-1 draw tomorrow. Those last 20 minutes really took it out of me. I think I’ll have a couple beers.

Three Key Matchups: Wizards @ Colorado Rapids

Run, Smitty, run.

While there may mathematically be a total of 196 possible 1 versus 1 matchups in the Wizards game against the Colorado Rapids, if our beloved Wiz have any hope or intentions of building off of Wednesday night’s shock victory at Columbus, there’s three key battles on the field they must win Saturday night at 8:00 p.m. central time.

1. Wizards winger Ryan Smith vs. Rapids right back Marvell Wynne

Why it’s important: As Smith goes, so does the Wizards offense. Through 15 games this season, the Wizards have scored 12 goals. Smith has assisted on 6 (half) of the 12 and scored one of his own. That means he has either created or scored on 58 percent of the team’s goal for the season.

How Smith can win it: By standing up strong and not getting frustrated. As Mike Kuhn over at Down The Byline said earlier this week in his mid-season grades:

Had a fantastic start to his MLS career, but since then, MLS teams have learned to stop Smith you just knock the crap out of him all game.

That sounds about right, doesn’t it? The worst part about that is that Wynne is about as physical a fullback as you’re going to find in MLS. When these teams matched up back on April 10 in the Wizards second game of the season, Smith was still the unknown new boy and Wynne was playing the center back position while Julien Baudet was hurt, so this will be the first time the two have squared off face to face for a full 90 minutes.

If Wynne decides to try and match Smith for pace and lets him receive the ball out wide and doesn’t put a physical bump on him, Smith could run circles on the left wing and dart into the center of the attack with the ball – the place where he has proven to be at his most dangers. (See: Wednesday’s goal) The knock on Smith thus far, and something that Wizards fans have noticed about him, is that when you do “knock the crap out of him” as Mike said, he gets extremely frustrated and you’ve won the battle. Needless to say, the play between Smith and Wynne will get chippy when Ryan is on the ball. It’s up to him to deal with it, adjust to it and play his teammates into dangerous positions, just as he did Wednesday.

Three Questions: Wizards @ Colorado Rapids

Sometimes I think there's three of this man in the net.

Even a full 30-some hours later after pulling off the shock victory on the road at the expense of the Columbus Crew on Wednesday, I still find myself giddy and excited about this team to no end – just as I was after beating DC United 4-0 to open the season. It’s amazing what one little victory will do for a fan’s psyche.

I’ve maintained throughout this season, and all its struggles, that this team has way too much talent to continuously be getting results like they have. Even the gloomiest of the pessimists have to admit that.

So, what do the Wizards have to do to turn one result into a second? Three key places they could start…

1. Will coach Peter Vermes stick with the recipe of success from Wednesday night’s victory?

Realistically, probably not. From everything we’ve seen of Vermes lately, he’s stubborn. He has a group of players that he likes, that he has been around throughout his front office time in Kansas City and that he feels comfortable with. Reality sucks, because winning was fun.

In all reality, winning Wednesday night was probably a fluke. Here’s what I mean: There were two big changes in the starting XI from the Chivas loss – Bunbury for Wolff and Rocastle for Jewsbury. Each replacement played great. Only problem is that those two were likely in that game – one Vermes expected not to win – to keep his boys (Wolff in particular) rested and ready to play near a full 90 in the game he anticipated having a chance to win.

Translation: Wolff is on 7 days rest, just like Vermes planned, and ready to play a full 90. Translation: We’re going to really struggle to score in this game.

As for the midfield, I’m not nearly as worried about Jewsbury being back in the starting XI. While he doesn’t offer as much attackingly (I made that word up) as he may once have, he’s a quality player. Where I’m really interested to see who starts on Saturday is the holding midfield spot. Will Stephane Auvray be ready to go another 60+ minutes just 72 hours after going 83 minutes on against Columbus? He’s yet to play a full 90 since returning from his knee injury.  Also, you would think we’re bound to see Graham Zusi in the lineup somewhere; whether it be the spot occupied by Rocastle Wednesday, or maybe even to give Davy Arnaud a game off. That wouldn’t be such a terrible thing, now would it?