Better Late Than Never: Zavagnin Tribute

So it took us a bit to get this loaded on YouTube, with our upcoming playoff game and all, but here it is: The Kerry Zavagnin tribute played on the video screen at CommunityAmerica Ballpark before our home finale. Saturday will be Kerry's last home match ever in a Wizards uniform. If he plays in a postseason game this year, he'll break a tie with Nick Garcia for the most playoff games played in team history. Enjoy:



By the way, there are still some tickets left. If you don't have yours, BUY THEM NOW. It's going to be BEAUTIFUL tomorrow and a great night for some high-quality soccer.

Info Coming Out Our Ears

If you want the latest and greatest on the upcoming Eastern Conference Semifinal Series, check out our postseason media guide and the League's playoff series guide. They are both .PDF files, but they should open in a web browser. Read up and enjoy.

Give us your predictions. Will the Wizards keep up their grand form and come out on top? Will Columbus beat us down like they did on their last visit to CAB? Let us know below.

Speaking of Goals of 2008/Conrad and Lopez up for Awards

So just after the YouTube clip comes the start of official Sierra Mist Goal of the Year award voting. Number one and two from the previous clip are on the ballots for the award, which will face some stiff competition from flukey goals like Danny Cepero's goalkeeper tally and that David Beckham guy's long-range bomb into the open net against us in the dying seconds of our game out in LA. Resist the urge to vote for one of these and help get another Wizard into the upper echelons of Goal of the Year lore like Zavagnin's top 5 tally from last season.

Go watch all the goals, then vote for your two Wizards nominees here.

Also note that captain Kansas City and El Piojo are up for Defender of the Year and Newcomer of the Year, respectively. Conrad is up against Chad Marshall from Columbus and Bakary Soumare from Chicago. Lopez goes up against Darren Huckerby from San Jose and Andre Rocha from Dallas.

Goals of 2008

Our friend Climbingtheladder on YouTube has put together the top 10 Wizards goals of the season. I can't say that I'll argue with any of the 10. There are some pretty tidy scores in this bunch:

Media Game 2 Saturday/More Interviews

We haven't yet mentioned in this space that we will be hosting a media game this weekend as a rematch to the July version. While goalkeeper stud Jake Gutierrez will be out, it should still be a pretty fun event. Charles Gooch, our friend from Ink Magazine, will be in this time along with a few other new faces. We hope you enjoy!

Tomorrow
Davy Arnaud --- 8:15 a.m. on KFKF 94.1

Roger Espinoza --- 3:45 p.m. on La Super X 1250 AM (Spanish)

Tyson Wahl --- 5 p.m. on Hot Talk 1510 AM

Enjoy!

Three KCW Juniors Score for Blue Valley/UMKC Soccer Stadium

Last night, Blue Valley High School defeated Blue Valley West 3-2 in overtime in a first-round playoff match. Three members of the KCW Juniors scored goals, including the overtime winner from Bryan Romero. Read the Star's report on the match here. Romero, a U-16 players, was joined by fellow U-16 Tom Adams and U-18 Mohammad Ramahi. Ramahi was also the East Kansas League Offensive Player of the Year. Ramahi set up Romero's game-winner in extra time. Well done Juniors!

Also, check out this story in the KC Star on UMKC's new soccer facility set to open next fall. It's great to see a local school putting some serious resources behind our game.

Charla con Piojo/Interview Schedule

The Claudio Lopez QnA with ESPN Deportes just ended. Read the transcript in Spanish here. The people from ESPN told us it was one of the most anticipated live chats ever by an MLS player, with questions coming from many countries all around the world. Great job Piojo, and thanks!

Also, many media outlets are getting pumped up about our postseason opener this Saturday. Listen to our boys on the following shows:

Today--2:40--Jack Jewsbury phone interview--610 Sports

Wednesday--8:20 a.m.--Jimmy Conrad phone interview--Mix 93.3

Wednesday--6:00 or 7:00 p.m.--The Jimmy Conrad Show--Sports Radio 810 (The Show will be at 6:00 if the World Series is still going on, 7:00 if it's over)

Thursday--7:50 a.m.--Kerry Zavagnin in-studio interview--105.1 Jack FM

Thursday--8:10 a.m.--Kevin Hartman in-studio interview--106.5 FM The Wolf

Thursday--12:45 p.m.--Kevin Souter in-studio interview--Channel 4 midday show

Thursday--2:00-3:00 p.m.--Weekly Spanish TV Show/Radio Show live on TWC Channel 5 and La Playa 1480 AM--Guests--Curt Onalfo and Herculez Gomez

Thursday--3:00 p.m.--Curt Onalfo phone interview--Sports Radio 810 (this will be taped at 11:45 am)

Thursday--3:30 p.m.--Curt Onalfo weekly press conference on Metro Sports with player guest Kevin Hartman

Thursday--9:30 p.m., Friday 6:30 p.m., Saturday 11:30 a.m.--Wizards Weekly TV show on Metro Sports--Guests--Curt Onalfo and Herculez Gomez

Friday--8:10 a.m.--Jimmy Conrad in-studio interview--Star 102.1 FM

Friday--8:40 a.m.--Abe Thompson phone interview--610 Sports

Saturday--8:40 a.m.--Kerry Zavagnin in-studio interview--Channel 41 morning show

Vote Davy for GOTW/C-Bus Bus

Yesterday I was remiss in reminding you all that Davy Arnaud is up for Sierra Mist Goal of the Week for his second-half strike against New England that turned out to be the game-winner. Well played Davy (and Claudio and Roger, for that matter).

Watch it, then vote for it:




I also wanted to let our loyal readers know that the front office is organizing a bus trip to Columbus for Leg 2 on Nov. 8. The bus, which is an Arrow Charter line that includes TVs and a restroom on board, would leave that Saturday morning and then stay overnight in Columbus. Cost is $125 for the bus and a game ticket. There is a discount rate at the team hotel. Quadruple-occupancy rooms cost $105, so you can reasonable spend $150 for travel and board, plus however much you want to spend on libations and such at the match. If interested, contact customer service guru "Saturday Night" Sammy J Pierron at 913.387.3413 or spierron@kcwizards.com. Hillcrest Road will be on the trip. Hope to see you there!

Charla Con Piojo/Interesting Tidbit

For those out there who speak Spanish, check in here at ESPNDeportes.com for a live chat with Claudio Lopez that will take place tomorrow at 12:45 p.m. CT. Submit a question then check back at the same URL afterward to see if your question is picked.

Also interesting to note is that Kansas City and Columbus finished the regular season as two teams with the fewest fouls committed. Though it is always a tough, physical game when our teams face one another, we were the two cleanest teams in MLS in terms of fouls. KC checked in with 321 fouls committed (10.7/game), while Columbus committed just 326 infractions (10.87/game).

Don't have your tickets yet to the playoff game? Buy them now!

Houston Reserves Win 3-0

Houston won 3-0 today against Chivas USA's second team on three second-half goals to secure the MLS Reserve Division crown. We finish 2nd with an 8-1-2 record on the season. Claudio Lopez's former club Racing is currently up 2-0 on Argentine league-leading San Lorenzo on a pretty 2nd minute goal and a PK in the 20th minute. Vamos Racing.

Reserves Win 3-0

Our boys won in the second match as well, earning a comprehensive 3-0 victory over the Revs' second team. We finished the year 8-1-2 and will be Reserve Division champions if Houston loses or ties tomorrow against the Chivas USA reserves. We'll keep you updated.

Scoring:
Trujillo (Hohlbein) 31
Watson (Pore) 42
Kraus (Marquess) 65

Espinoza left late in the first half with an injured ankle after a hard tackle from NE.

Notables and Quotes

FYI-Reserves are up 2-0 at halftime. First half goals from Trujillo and Watson. Espinoza was taken off after being injured on a (reportedly) dirty tackle.

• Kansas City concludes the regular season 11-10-9, 42 pts in 4th place in the Eastern Conference.
• Kansas City will now face the Columbus Crew in a two-game, total-goals playoff series.
• The first match comes next Saturday when Kansas City hosts Columbus at CommunityAmerica Ballpark. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. CT, and the game will be shown nationally on HDNet.
• Kansas City has now qualified for the playoffs in nine of their 13 seasons.
• The Wizards have made the playoffs in both seasons since OnGoal took over the team late in 2006.
• Kansas City finished the season with their highest point total since 2005 (45).
• Kansas City is now 17-11-7 all-time against New England, including a 9-5-4 record in New England.
• The Wizards are 8-1-4 in their last 13 games at New England, including a 6-1-4 record at Gillette Stadium.
• Kansas City finished the season 5-1-1 in their final seven matches, including a 3-0-0 record in their last three.
• Striker Claudio Lopez recorded one goal and one assists on the night.
• He finished his first MLS season tied for second on the team in goals (6) and tied for the team lead in assists (7).
• Lopez recorded two goals and three assists in his final two regular-season games.
• Davy Arnaud scored his 7th goal of the season, clinching the team Golden Boot after scoring two goals in his final two games.
• This is the first season Arnaud has led the Wizards in goals since joining the team in 2002 out of West Texas A&M.
• Arnaud was inducted to the West Texas A&M Hall of Fame last month.
• He has 32 career goals, breaking a tie with Mo Johnston for 3rd on the Wizards all-time list.
• Rookie Roger Espinoza picked up his 3rd assist of the season, playing a low ball along the ground for Arnaud.
• Kansas City’s 3rd goal came off the foot of Revs defender Michael Parkhurst after Ivan Trujillo played a ball in toward Davy Arnaud in a dangerous position in the center of the penalty area.
• It was the 5th time this season Kansas City scored three goals and the second-straight match.
• Goalkeeper Kevin Hartman and defender Jimmy Conrad are the only Wizards to play all 2700 minutes this season.
• They entered the match as two of six players in MLS to play every minute for their team in 2008.
• Conrad and New England defender Jay Heaps finished as the only field players to play all 2700 minutes this season.
• Hartman, Conrad and defender Michael Harrington are the only three players to start in all 30 MLS games.
• Hartman now has 138 career wins, an MLS all-time record.
• Hartman made two saves on the night and now has 1131 for his MLS career.
• He trails only former Wizards standout Tony Meola (1136) for the all-time MLS lead.
• Hartman finished with 118 saves on the year, good for 3rd best in a single-season for Kansas City.
• The total is tied for the second-best single-season save total of Hartman’s 12-year career.
• Hartman helped create two goals on the night.
• His long clearance put Claudio Lopez into space behind the New England defense before he was pulled down for a penalty kick.
• Hartman then unleashed a long throw to Trujillo that eventually became the own goal.
• Hartman and the Wizards defense are guaranteed a share of the MLS lead in shutouts (10).
• The shutout total is the second-best of Hartman’s career.
• Kansas City is currently tied with Chicago on 10, while Columbus and former Wizards ‘keeper Will Hesmer have nine and play Sunday at home against D.C. United.
• Kansas City’s reserve team faced off with New England’s immediately after the MLS match.
• A Kansas City win coupled with a Houston tie Sunday would clinch the Reserve Division crown for KC. The Wizards would also win with a tie Saturday night and a Houston loss Sunday against Chivas USA’s reserves.

KANSAS CITY WIZARDS HEAD COACH CURT ONALFO
“Any time you get three points, you’re obviously happy with that. It was a strange game with two red cards in the first half and us being up two men for the entirety of the second half. It’s a game that you don’t put a lot of attention to. We got our three points and now we’re playing the best team in Major League Soccer in the Columbus Crew.”

“It was another opportunity for all 11 of our players to continue to get galvanized and realize how they have to move on both sides of the ball, staying disciplined and grinding out a result on the road. That’s what we take from it. But it didn’t have a whole lot of meaning in the game for (New England) and where they stood in the standings. We’re just happy to have gotten three points and end the season on a good note as we go into the playoffs.”

KANSAS CITY WIZARDS FORWARD DAVY ARNAUD
“It feels good. It was important for us to keep the momentum that we built the last month-and-a-half or so with all of the home games that we had. Tonight didn’t really matter in terms of us getting into the playoffs, but we wanted to come in and get a result just to keep that positive thing we have going into the playoffs.

“We were in a little bit of a hole. We had our backs against the wall, and we needed to get some wins at home and we really made an effort – everyone on the field – to work hard for each other. We’ve been difficult to play against, and if you do that, you’re going to get some wins.”

On the Wizards’ success at New England
“We always seem to do pretty well here for whatever reason. We haven’t had a whole lot of road wins this year – I think that was maybe our second one – so it was a good one to get going into next weekend.”

Great Win/Reserves up Now

KC took care of business tonight up two men to secure a 3-1 victory to close the regular season on fine form. We're now 5-1-1 in our last seven and will face Columbus next Saturday in the first game of a home-and-away total goals playoff series against the Supporters' Shield winners. Buy tickets for that game here.

We'll be back later with more tidbits and quotes. Currently the reserves are taking on New England's with a chance to capture the MLS Reserve Division title. If we win tonight and Houston loses or ties tomorrow, we'll be RD champions. Vamos Swope Park Rangers!

Lineup:

Kronberg

Myers, McKenzie, Hohlbein, Marquess

Watson, Zavagnin, Morsink, Espinoza

Pore, Trujillo

subs: Pardo, Kartunen (guest player), Miles (guest player), Kraus, Pizarro

Adding to Your Reading List

Here are four stories you need to read. Some of them were posted before we clinched a playoff berth, so give the authors some slack for that.

1. MLSnet.com piece from our friend Bob Rusert on Kerry Zavagnin and his fond regular-season farewell last weekend. Some very good, insightful quotes here from KZ and company.

2. Soccer365 piece on Claudio Lopez and his first season in MLS. Good work Mr. Greg Seltzer.

3. Goal.com piece on our late-season playoff run and the additions of Herculez and Abe by Vermes and Onalfo. This one was posted today but obviously turned in before New York's loss last night.

4. Article on Autism Speaks website from an event Jimmy Conrad was at a couple of weeks ago. Also check out the YouTube below.

Another Fun Comment

I can't stop smiling today....I think I know why:


Click the picture to enlarge if needed.

Reserve Division Championship

So now that we're in the playoffs, let's take a look at that other championship we have a chance to win: the MLS Reserve Division crown. Heading into the final weekend, only the Wizards and Houston Dynamo can possibly win the title. Our game against D.C. from a few months back will not be rescheduled or count as a forfeit, so the championship will be decided on a points-per-game basis. Currently Houston is in front, but a loss or tie Sunday will mean we have a chance to overtake them. Below are the permutations. Our boys play immediately after the first-team game Saturday at New England and will then be waiting to hear on a score Sunday from Houston. Come on you Swope Park Rangers (as ticket-sales guru Darren calls them)! Go get us a cup!

Houston
currently: 8-1-2 (2.36 pts/game)
win: 9-1-2 (2.41 pts/game)
tie: 8-1-3 (2.25 pts/game)
loss: 8-2-2 (2.16 pts/game)

Kansas City
currently: 7-1-2 (2.30 pts/game)
win: 8-1-2 (2.36 pts/game)
tie: 7-1-3 (2.18 pts/game)
loss: 7-2-2 (2.09 pts/game)

Winning Fans Over One at a Time

I read the above comments today in the KC Star article about us clinching a playoff berth. It's good to see that getting into the playoffs and having strong customer service is helping to win over more and more sports fans in Kansas City. If you have any friends out there who haven't come to one of our games at CommunityAmerica Ballpark yet, put a bug in their ear about our playoff game next Saturday. It's going to be a very exciting event, so let them know they can come support a team with championship hopes. The game will start at 7 p.m. CT no matter who we play. Also, any fans who put down a deposit for a new season ticket will get a free ticket to the game. If you're considering being a full-season supporter, here's a great chance to do it.

Individual tickets are on sale NOW here.

PLAYOFFS BABY!

We're in, we're in, we're in! What a game it was, and not just because we have now clinched a berth in the playoffs. Chicago played some wonderful soccer, and all seven goals in the game were well-taken. Good stuff. Buy your playoff tickets beginning tomorrow at 10 a.m. For you season ticket holding readers, that's special game C for you guys.

Playoff Tickets on Sale TOMORROW/Watch Party Saturday

Greetings rabid Wizards fans, just dropping in to let you know that playoff tickets go on sale tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. CT. If, somehow, we don't qualify, you will be given a credit on Wizards tickets for next season. We're also offering free playoff tickets to anyone who puts down a new deposit for season tickets next year (assuming you're not already a season ticket holder). If you're on the fence, here's a great way to get in line to have awesome seat priority when we open up Hillcrest Road, the stadium. To buy tickets, call us at 913.387.3400 or go to www.kcwizards.com tomorrow morning after 10 a.m.

Also, we're hosting a watch party this Saturday at Barley's Brewhaus in Shawnee as we take on the New England Revolution at 6:30 p.m. CT. Join your fellow fans at Barley's for a rockin' good time.

Hillcrest out.

Unicorn Wizards Back in Action

Got an email today from our friends over in Manchester, England. That's right, the Unicorn Wizards are at it again. After five fixtures, they sit fourth in the league table. Good work lads. They emailed to wish us luck with our upcoming season finale. Take a look at their website if you ever have time. Check out the screen shot below from the site...they're keeping up on us too:


Have no clue what I'm talking about? Click the tag "Unicorn Wizards" below for previous posts or go to this link from the first-ever Hillcrest Road posting about our friends from across the Atlantic.

Wizards Are TEAM Players

Props to our front office (especially Adam Meloan who ran the training session) for being the only club in MLS (and the only team in Kansas City sports) to complete Techniques for Effective Alcohol Management training. We know how to take care of you when you drink!

Herculez! Herculez!

Herculez Gomez picks up a nice feature story in the KC Star after his great last-minute goal to help us earn all three points and control our own destiny in the playoffs. Read it here. Also, look at Covitz's breakdown of our playoff picture here.

We were also featured in a USA Today article about rebuilt rosters making a run to the playoffs. They also mention Mr. Gomez as a key to our late-season run.

Interview Schedule

Listen and enjoy this week:

Wednesday--6:45 a.m.--Curt Onalfo phone interview--Sports Radio 810

Wednesday--6:00 p.m.--The Jimmy Conrad Show--Sports Radio 810

Thursday--2:00-3:00 p.m.--Weekly Spanish TV Show/Radio Show live on TWC Channel 5 and La Playa 1480 AM--Guests--Curt Onalfo and Claudio Lopez

Thursday--3:30 p.m.--Curt Onalfo weekly press conference on Metro Sports with player guest Claudio Lopez

Thursday--9:30 p.m., Friday 6:30 p.m., Saturday 11:30 a.m.--Wizards Weekly TV show on Metro Sports--Guests--Curt Onalfo and Kerry Zavagnin

Hartman Jerseys up for Auction

Hartman in his pink.

Goalkeeper Kevin Hartman wore (a) pink jersey(s) for the match October 11 versus the New England Revolution. Why you ask? Well we are now auctioning them off to support breast cancer awareness and fundraising efforts. Kev-o wore two jerseys in the match, and they're now both on sale at kcwizards.com, starting at $175. Once the final bids are in two weeks from now, American Family Insurance (that game's sponsor) will match the sale price of each jersey and all proceeds will be donated to the Young Survival Coalition. YSC supports young women who have or are recovering from breast cancer. Take a look at the jerseys here and BID!


For more information on Young Survival Coalition here in KC, visit their website.

Playoff Breakdown/World Footie

Pat Walsh over at Goal.com breaks down the MLS playoff scenarios, including saying that we "should take care of business" against New England. Thanks Pat. Read it here.

Also, Belarus champions BATE held last year's UEFA Cup winners Zenit St. Petersburg 1-1 today in a Champions League group match. BATE now has ties against Zenit and Italian powerhouse Juventus in their last two matches. Good for them. Andrei Arshavin, Russia's star and one of this summer's huge transfer targets, played the whole match for Zenit.

Fore more Champions League scores, click here.

Claudio "El Piojo" Lopez Wins MLS Player of the Week

Congrats to Piojo! He certainly deserves it. His maestro-like performance from Saturday has us controlling our own destiny as we enter the final week of the MLS regular season schedule. With his beautiful goal and two great assists, who knows where we would be right now. Check out our release on the subject here and watch the videos of his great plays below:

Playoff Clinching Scenarios Part Deux

So after the THRILLING last-second win on Saturday at CAB, we take the road with our playoff future securely in our own hands. Even if we lose, we can still make the playoffs, but a win makes all other results irrelevant. Check out details below, including which seed we would occupy in each scenario:

The Western Conference results are irrelevant to our playoff scenario due to tiebreakers.

We hold the tiebreaker over all possibilities unless DC catches up to us in goal differential (which we currently lead by 3)

If we win, no matter what NYRB or DC do, we are 4E
If DC does not win, we are in the playoffs no matter what
If NYRB loses, we are in the playoffs no matter what DC does

If NYRB wins, we draw, and DC wins by fewer than 3 goals, we are 4W
If NYRB wins, we draw, and DC wins by 3 goals or more, we are out
If NYRB wins, we lose, and DC wins, we are out

If NYRB draws, we draw, and DC wins by fewer than 3 goals, we are 4E
If NYRB draws, we draw, and DC wins by 3 goals or more, we are 4W
If NYRB draws, we lose, and DC wins, we are out
If NYRB draws, we lose and DC does not win, we are 4W

If NYRB loses, we draw, and DC does not win by 3 goals or more, we are 4E
If NYRB loses, we draw, and DC wins by 3 goals or more, we are 4W
If NYRB loses, we lose, and DC wins, we are 4W

WHAT A WIN!

Amazing. That's the only way to describe. Claudio Lopez was simply fantastic tonight, as was the rest of the team. We outshot SJ 23-7. What a touching moment with Kerry Zavagnin before the match. Too bad we didn't score earlier so he could have come on toward the end. Check out the quotes and notables from tonight:

KANSAS CITY WIZARDS HEAD COACH CURT ONALFO
On the play of Claudio Lopez
“About five weeks ago, he hit a point where he was just tired. It’s normal for a player of his age with the number of minutes he had played all year. He was fresh tonight, and he was the difference in the game. He was outstanding.”

On the game
“This group found a way to win. They didn’t ever give up. Our will to win ended up being the difference. Overall, I thought we played very well and we created a lot of chances. It was a fantastic win.”

KANSAS CITY WIZARDS MIDFIELDER HERCULEZ GOMEZ
On the game
“When you get good service, good things happen. It was a great ball in from Claudio Lopez. I just made a hard run and was very fortunate to get some something on it and it went in. Guys did a good job of creating space, and Claudio provided great service.”

KANSAS CITY WIZARDS FORWARD CLAUDIO LOPEZ (Through translator Kurt Morsink)
On the game
“The team played a good game. I feel good, and I’m happy that this puts us a step closer to the playoffs. I was confident we would have one last chance, and it was a matter of putting it away. Herculez put it away.”

KANSAS CITY WIZARDS GOALKEEPER KEVIN HARTMAN
On the game
“It was a game where we had a ton of opportunities. The second goal we gave up, I felt I mishandled a little bit. I thought we were unfortunate to give up that one. It seemed like it was going to be a devastating tie, but we were able to weather the storm and get that third goal. When we scored I was just done, both physically and emotionally.”

On his reaction to the game-winning goal
“I went over and hugged one of the owners’ wives. We’ve put so much time and effort into this. Our job’s still not done. We need to get ourselves ready for New England next Saturday. That being said, in crunch time over the last six games, we’ve compiled a 4-1-1 record. That’s a tribute to our guys in the locker room and how hard they’re working. It’s one of those things when you put in so much into the game that when you’re able to garner the three points it’s very, very rewarding.”


· Following the match, Kansas City sits 10-10-9 39 pts in a tie for 4th place in the Eastern Conference with the New York Red Bulls.
· Kansas City owns the head-to-head tie-breaker with New York with a 1-0-1 record against the team this season and, thus, currently occupies the 1st wildcard position in the MLS Cup Playoff picture.
· The Wizards control their own playoff destiny; a win next Saturday will clinch a playoff berth for Kansas City.
· Kansas City is now 16-18-6 all-time against San Jose, including an 12-7-1 record at home.
· Kansas City finished 9-2-4 at home this season, including a 7-0-3 record in their last ten.
· Striker Claudio Lopez recorded a goal and two assists on the night, his highest point total since joining the Wizards.
· Lopez now has five goals and six assists on the year. He is in 3rd place on the team in goals and 2nd place in assists.
· Forward Abe Thompson recorded his first assist in a Wizards uniform on Lopez’s first-half goal.
· Jewsbury also recorded an assist on the night and leads the team with seven assists.
· He has set a new career high this season and now has 15 career assists.
· Davy Arnaud scored his 6th goal of the season, moving himself into a tie with captain Jimmy Conrad for the team lead.
· He has 31 career goals, tied with Mo Johnston for 3rd on the Wizards all-time list.
· Lopez found Herculez Gomez in the 3rd minute of second-half stoppage time off a corner kick for his final assist.
· It was Gomez’s first goal in a Wizards uniform and his third of the season.
· Kansas City now has two stoppage-time goals this season. Both came at home.
· Goalkeeper Kevin Hartman and defender Jimmy Conrad are the only Wizards to play all 2610 minutes so far this season.
· They entered the match as two of ten players in MLS to play every minute for their team thus far in 2008.
· Hartman now has 137 career wins, an MLS all-time record.
· Hartman made four saves on the night and now has 1129 for his MLS career.
· He trails only former Wizards standout Tony Meola (1136) for the all-time MLS lead.
· Hartman has 116 saves on the year, good for 3rd best in a single-season for Kansas City.
· Kansas City hosted a doubleheader with Graceland University Saturday.
· Wizards midfielder Kevin Souter attended Graceland before making the Wizards via a preseason open tryout.
· Graceland defeated Missouri Valley College 2-1 on a goal in the 87th minute.
· Saturday’s game served as fan appreciation night, with fireworks and autographs from Wizards players after the match.
· Nearly the whole stadium stayed for the post-match fireworks and over 2,500 fans remained for the autograph session.

Some Notes on Saturday

Alright, D.C. won last night so we won't be able to clinch (assuming the rest of the necessaries go correctly) until Sunday afternoon at the earliest. Don't forget about the doubleheader tomorrow with Kevin Souter's former school, Graceland University. Graceland takes on Missouri Valley College at 3:15 p.m. Your Wizards ticket gets you into the match (you can't attend with a ticket to our game). Gate C will open at 2 p.m. and will be the only one open for this game. If you want to see some of Souter's former teammates, join us. Before the Wizards match, we're honoring Kerry Zavagnin for his great service to the organization over the last nine seasons. Thanks, friend.The weather for tomorrow looks excellent for the duration of both games:


Also, KC Beerfest is going on tomorrow at The Legends and Power and Light from 1-5 p.m. The event includes hundreds of different beers, and proceeds from the tickets go toward the KC Free Health clinic, definitely a worthy cause. Anyway, if you attend beerfest and bring over your ticket stub, we'll give you $3 off the price of a Wizards walk-up ticket. If you don't have your tickets yet and like beer and helping charities, here's a good way for you to support all these things at a slightly reduced rate. For details on Beerfest, click the photo below.


Also 2, we're offering $3 beers tomorrow at the game. If you're coming out and partaking in both of these, have a DD or a taxi ready please. Driving after drinking, as we all know, is not cool.

Buy a Wizards Monkey; Your Kids Will Love It

So a Wizards staffer bought two of our fun Monkey dolls with a Wizards shirt and gave it to some friends of the Wizards family last week. The kids loved it so much that they made the following card and sent it to staffer:


How was the representation put together by the youngsters? You be the judge. Take a look at our fluffy friend hanging out with Community Relations guru Erin Lawless:

Fly it Proudly

Over at KCSoccerstore.com, official MLS team flags are now available, starting at $24.99. We also have some flags from international teams such as FC Barcelona available, so check them out and purchase the flag of your favorite club today.

Playoff Clinching Scenarios

Greetings all, happy Thursday. In all honesty, San Jose losing last night didn't do a whole lot for our playoff possibilities, since clinching this weekend (and more importantly making the playoffs at all) depends on us winning Saturday night against Darren Huckerby, Nick Garcia, Scott Sealy and co. So we've crunched some numbers for the last few days and came up with these scenarios for us clinching a playoff spot THIS weekend. It is conceivable that we could know as little as one hour after the match if we're already in the playoffs. It could also take until Sunday or, depending on how the results fall, next weekend to know if we're in. Read, digest and understand:

Kansas City will clinch a playoff spot this week IF:

• Kansas City defeats San Jose on Saturday AND
• There is a winner in the FC Dallas vs. Real Salt Lake game AND
• Any two of the following three occur:
• D.C. United fails to win
• Colorado fails to win
• New York loses to Columbus OR
• FC Dallas ties Real Salt Lake AND
• All three of the following occur:
• D.C. United fails to win
• Colorado fails to win
• New York loses to Columbus

Note: If Kansas City wins its two remaining games, it will earn a playoff berth regardless of other results.

Season Ticket Holder Discounts Saturday

Hey all, just wanted to let you know about the sweet season-ticket-holder discount for this Saturday's match. Usually we have a special for season ticket holders on one or two items, but this time, we will offer across-the-board savings on Fan Appreciation Night. One more great reason to be a Wizards season ticket holder. These offers are only available Saturday night at the stadium.

Season Ticket Holder Merchandise Special For 10/18
The more you spend – the more you save!!!!!

Spend Save

$5 - $1 $1
$11 - $20 $3
$21 - $40 $5
$41 to $70 $10
$71 to $100 $15
$101 - $199 $25
$200 - Above $50

Also:
Get Your New Wizards Jersey Customized
While You Wait!

Customize Your Wizards Jersey For Only $10!!!
(Normally priced at $20)

Soccer Volleyball Success Again/Souter Lovin'

Once again one of our soccer-volleyball fundraisers was a HUGE hit for Westminster Christian Academy. Take a look at the blogs of the pastor and a church-member for some pictures they took. I stole the shots above from the second blog linked. Hopefully Chance's teammates don't see him doing the Blanco pose. If you're interested in a soccer-volleyball fundraiser of your own, visit this page at kcwizards.com or contact Erin Lawless (elawless@kcwizards.com or 913.387.3424).

Also today, our friend Kevin Souter of 2008 Wizards open tryout fame was featured with a large write-up today in the KC Star from our new beat writer Randy Covitz. Randy has done a great job since taking over the beat, and we've enjoyed working with him.

Weekly Interviews

Wednesday--9:25 a.m.--Curt Onalfo phone interview--Sports Radio 810

Wednesday--2:45 p.m.--Michael Harrington phone interview--610 Sports

Wednesday--6:00 p.m.--The Jimmy Conrad Show--Sports Radio 810

Thursday—7:50 a.m.—Kerry Zavagnin in-studio radio interview—105.1 Jack FM

Thursday--8:30 a.m.--Jimmy Conrad in-studio interview--Star 102.1 FM

Thursday--8:50 a.m.--Jimmy Conrad in-studio interview--Mix 93.3 FM

Thursday--2:00-3:00 p.m.--Weekly Spanish TV Show/Radio Show live on TWC Channel 5 and La Playa 1480 AM--Guests--Curt Onalfo and player TBD

Thursday--3:30 p.m.--Curt Onalfo weekly press conference on Metro Sports (this will be taped at 12:00 Wednesday at Swope Park) also with Jimmy Conrad

Thursday--9:30 p.m., Friday 6:30 p.m., Saturday 11:30 a.m.--Wizards Weekly TV show on Metro Sports--Guests--Curt Onalfo and Davy Arnaud

Saturday's Game/Monday Reading

Well, last Saturday's game was great, but we're already looking ahead to the upcoming game with San Jose. Saturday will be our fan appreciation night. Immediately after the match will be a 12-minute fireworks display, followed by an on-field autograph signing session with the entire team. We will also recognize Kerry Zavagnin at some point in the night for his great service to the team over the last nine years.

We will offer $3 beers throughout the match at the concessions stands, so keep the libations flowing after you get inside the stadium and help provide a crazy atmosphere as we push toward the MLS Cup Playoffs.

If the season ended today, we'd be in as the 1st wild card team. We hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over the New York Red Bulls, so if we end equal on points with them, we get the higher seed. Currently we would play the Columbus Crew, while NY would switch over to the West and play Houston Dynamo.

For some fun reading, check out Kyle McCarthy's column over at Goal.com. He spoke with MLS's most wanted man, Peter Vermes, Saturday before the game and relays the information here.

Post-Game Notes and Quotes

Big win tonight in KCK, as we picked up a vital three points toward the final playoff spot. We're currently double and triple checking all the permutations, but it looks like we'll occupy one of the final playoff spots after the weekend no matter if Colorado AND D.C. United win tomorrow. We own the group tie-breaker against DC, RSL and NY, teams we COULD end up tied with after the weekend.

· Following the match, Kansas City sits 9-10-9, 36 pts in a tie for 4th place in the Eastern Conference with the New York Red Bulls. Kansas City owns the head-to-head tie-breaker with New York with a 1-0-1 record against the team this season.
· Kansas City will occupy the final playoff place at the end of the weekend thanks to owning the group tie-breaker against the New York Red Bulls, Real Salt Lake and D.C. United, teams the Wizards could be tied with after tomorrow’s matches.
· Kansas City is now 16-11-7 all-time against New England, including an 8-6-3 record at home.
· Kansas City is now 8-2-4 at home this season, including a 6-0-3 record in their last nine.
· Defender Jimmy Conrad now has six goals on the season, good for the team lead and a career high.
· Conrad currently registers 2nd on the all-time MLS list for goals by a central defender in a single season.
· Lubos Kubik scored seven goals in 1998 for the Chicago Fire.
· Conrad now has 17 career goals and is now 7th all-time in goals by a defender.
· Midfielder Jack Jewsbury recorded his 6th assist of the season on the play.
· Jewsbury leads the team and has set a new career high.
· He now has 14 career assists.
· Goalkeeper Kevin Hartman and defender Jimmy Conrad are the only Wizards to play all 2520 minutes so far this season.
· They entered the match as two of eight players in MLS to play every minute for their team thus far in 2008.
· Hartman recorded his 10th shutout of the season, good for a 1st place tie with Jon Busch of Chicago, who plays tomorrow.
· Hartman now has 136 career wins and 77 career shutouts, both MLS all-time records.
· Hartman made two saves and now has 1125 for his MLS career.
· He trails only former Wizards standout Tony Meola (1136) for the all-time MLS lead.
· Hartman has 112 saves on the year, good for 1st in MLS ahead of Busch of Chicago.

KANSAS CITY WIZARDS HEAD COACH CURT ONALFO
On the game
“It was an extremely solid performance. All 11 guys on the field were fighting for each other. I thought tactically we moved very well on both sides of the ball. There were times when we played very well and times we didn’t play as well as I would have liked. But we got three points and that’s what we needed.”

On the playoff situation
“We’re not going to get too excited. We still need more points over the last two weeks to secure a playoff spot. It’s a matter of regrouping and enhancing the things we need to get better on to get ready for San Jose. This win gives us confidence, though, that’s for sure.”

KANSAS CITY WIZARDS GOALKEEPER KEVIN HARTMAN
On the Wizards closing out the game
“I think it shows a lot about how far we’ve come as a team. There was a point in the last four or five minutes of the game where we were just possessing the ball down in the corner, and I don’t know if we would have done that earlier in the season. We’ve matured a lot.”

On recording his 10th shutout of the season
“The guys were tenacious tonight. It was really a team effort. The guys worked very hard defensively tonight, and it was a real confidence builder to shutout a very good New England team.”

KANSAS CITY WIZARDS MIDFIELDER JACK JEWSBURY
On the game
“It was a hard-fought game. We knew we needed to get three points, and we did it, so we’re pretty happy overall with our performance. Plus we got another shutout at home, which we really pride ourselves on.

On Jimmy Conrad’s goal that Jewsbury assisted
“It’s something we’ve worked on, just putting it on a spot. Jimmy’s done a great job all year of making a run and getting his head on the ball and tonight that proved to be the game-winner and a huge goal for us.”

KANSAS CITY WIZARDS DEFENDER JIMMY CONRAD
On the Wizards strong second half
“At halftime we had a good team talk, and we just decided that we were going to go for it. A tie wouldn’t really have done us any good. We needed the full three points and I thought in the second half we did a much better job of being aggressive and limiting their chances on the defensive side.”

Gate A Closed

FYI fans, Gate A (the Southwest corner of the park) will be closed tomorrow, so we're asking everyone from the season ticket lots to funnel through Gate B. Hopefully it doesn't case too much more walking for anyone.

A Saturday of Fun

Xbox is tomorrow's game sponsor, and they will be providing 5,000 sets of thundersticks to fans who want them. We thought we'd give you heads up so you could get amped for the experience, if that's your sort of thing, or so you could bring ear plugs, if that's not your sort of thing. Either way, get ready for a loud atmosphere in tomorrow's VERY important match (7 p.m. CT against New England Revolution at CommunityAmerica Ballpark) for the 2008 MLS Cup Playoff picture. I guess we should say thanks to New York and Real Salt Lake last night for tying, though an RSL win probably would have been a little better for the standings.

On that note, how about Rio Tinto? Didn't that place look sharp on TV? The more soccer-centric stadiums, the better!

QnA with Mike of Down the Byline

As you've seen, Mike over at Down the Byline has been recognized by The Pitch as the Best Sports Blog in Kansas City. We've always known he was the best, but it's nice to see someone else taking note as well. Hillcrest Road was able to get this exclusive interview with Mike about the past, present and future of Down the Byline and Wizards soccer. Enjoy!

Why did you originally start Down the Byline?
Originally I'd started the blog as something fun to do to write about the Wizards. I'd post a couple times a month and just state my feelings on what had happened. It wasn't anywhere close to as in depth as the site is now.

What were your objectives back then?
Back then it was really just something to do in my free time, I didn't expect it to be read by that many people.

How have your goals and objectives changed since then?
Since then my goals and objectives have changed greatly. I feel like my blog has become a bit of a catch-all location for different types of information about the Wizards. It's almost like I feel I have an obligation to get information to fans, as there aren't many places that will get that same information to people. I want to give Wizards fans a place to find everything from the latest on the stadium situation, to obscure stats on former Wizards and such.

What kind of feedback have you received from other fans about the site?
I get all kinds of feedback on the blog. I have people that thank me for bringing things to their attention or for getting a link to a story that they find interesting. I also have people tell me that my opinions are messed up and they don't agree with the way that I see things done.

What other soccer bloggers do you read frequently and/or aspire to equal?
The blogs I read the most are usually Soccer by Ives, Soccer Insider, 3rd Degree and Hillcrest Road. I don't know if I really aspire to equal either Ives or Steven Goff and their writing, because it's what they do for a living, and while it'd be cool to reach their level, realistically I don't think I can. I'd love to aspire to reach the level of 3rd Degree, though. The information and insight that Buzz provides on that site is amazing and something that would be hard for anyone to duplicate.

What did this award from The Pitch mean to you?
It meant more to me than I thought it would. It's one thing to be recognized by friends and people you know that are Wizards fans or are soccer fans in general, but to have a publication that isn't devoted to the sport recognize the work that you're doing is a great thing. It makes me feel like I'm doing something right.

Are you going to let it go to your head? Will you slip up and let Hillcrest Road win the award next year? ;)
I've let it go to my head, but not in the way you might think. It's raised my own expectations for the blog. I feel like in addition to what I'm currently doing, I need to see what else I can do to add to the content to make sure that the blog lives up to it's title as the "Best Sports Blog". I certainly won't be slipping up to allow you guys to just waltz in and win the award next year. :)

What is your favorite thing about being a Wizards fan?
My favorite thing is actually having the Wizards in KC. I lived through the "for sale" years and worried about losing the team. So having committed local owners willing to work to make soccer work in KC is my favorite thing. With all the expansion talk in MLS lately and knowing that there are only a limited number of spaces in the league, having a team already and being able to go to games every week or so is the big thing.

Where do you see this organization in 5 years? In 10 years?
In 5 years I see the organization strong, one of the envies of the league, with ownership that understands and caters to the hardcore supporters, in a SSS hosting MLS Cup and World Cup Qualifiers. In 10 years I see the organization continuing to grow, developing the youth system into more of a European style, having teams all the way down (hey my son will need a team to play on), and of course more trophies in the trophy case.

Weekly Interviews

Today--2:45 p.m.--Herculez Gomez phone interview--610 Sports

Today--7:00 p.m.--The Jimmy Conrad Show--Sports Radio 810

Thursday—7:50 a.m.—Kerry Zavagnin in-studio radio interview—105.1 Jack FM

Thursday--8:00 a.m.--Kevin Hartman in-studio radio interview--106.5 FM The Wolf

Thursday—8:00 a.m.—Jonathan Leathers phone interview—88.5 FM KLJC (promoting Faith and Family groups attending Saturday's match)

Thursday--2:00-3:00 p.m.--Weekly Spanish TV Show/Radio Show live on TWC Channel 5 and La Playa 1480 AM--Guests--Curt Onalfo and player TBD

Thursday—3:00—Curt Onalfo phone interview—Sports Radio 810 WHB

Thursday--3:30 p.m.--Curt Onalfo weekly press conference on Metro Sports (this will be taped at 12:00 Wednesday at Swope Park) also with Kevin Souter

Thursday--9:30 p.m., Friday 6:30 p.m., Saturday 11:30 a.m.--Wizards Weekly TV show on Metro Sports--Guests--Curt Onalfo and Kevin Hartman

Friday--7:45 a.m.--Jimmy Conrad in-studio interview--Mix 93.3 FM

Friday--8:00 a.m.--Jimmy Conrad in-studio interview--Star 102.1 FM

Friday--8:45 a.m.--Curt Onalfo phone interview--610 Sports

Friday--7:00 p.m.--Josh Wolff in-studio TV interview--38 the Sports Spot

Congrats Davy and Mike/Thanks Charles

Congratulations to Davy Arnaud who was inducted into West Texas A&M's sports Hall of Fame last Friday. Arnaud was greeted by several former teammates, his college coach Butch Lauffer the school's President and Athletic Director and around 500 WT alums. A story came out today in the Amarillo Globe-News about the night with some quotes from Davy. Check it out here.

Also congrats again to Mike over at Down the Byline for his award from the Pitch as the best sports blog in KC. Pick up your hard-copy version of the Pitch today and check out page 25 of the "Best of 2008" insert for visual proof.

Now I'd like to extend a hearty thank you to Charles Gooch of the KC Star and Ink Magazine for his great work on a cover story that ran in today's edition. Read the online version here and check out the photo galleries over at inkkc.com. Charles is a big footie supporter, though until recently a Euro-snob, and seemed to have a great time on this article. Props to you, friend, for spreading the gospel of the Cauldron. The story literally gave me goosebumps while reading. Nice. Go on and read his additional comments too on the blog he posted at ink. The ones that he couldn't print.

Sierra Mist Goal of the Year

We're on quite a roll over the past few weeks with Sierra Mist Goal of the Week nominations and wins, and it's about time to start thinking about the Sierra Mist Goal of the Year award. We already have two Wizards nominated automatically by virtue of winning the Goal of the Week honor (Davy Arnaud's upper-90 bomb in week 25 and Josh Wolff's spectacular bicycle kick in week 27). One of those should contend pretty strongly for Goal of the Year. Now we've been asked to submit two more goals to MLS Communications for consideration. The Wizards PR staff picked one, Claudio Lopez's juke and blast against LA on May 24.



That YouTube clip has been seen over 500,000 times, but I'm not sure that's because of Claudio's shot.

Now you guys get to pick. I'll submit six of our other strong goals from the season with video clips. The poll runs through next Monday night at 11:59 p.m., so get your vote in. Make sure your friends do as well. Now for the goals:

Claudio Lopez March 29 vs D.C. United:




Jimmy Conrad May 17 at New York:




Davy Arnaud July 10 vs New York:




Jimmy Conrad August 23 vs FC Dallas:




Davy Arnaud September 7 at Houston:


Michael Harrington October 5 vs Chicago:


Watch, enjoy and vote!

Reserves Recap

KCW Reserves Defeat Chicago Fire Reserves 2-1 Sunday

Ryan Pore Scores 2 for Kansas City, Peter Lowry Tallies for Chicago in Second Game of MLS Doubleheader

MLS Reserve Division Match
Sunday, October 5, 2008 – 4:30 p.m. (CT)
CommunityAmerica Ballpark – Kansas City, Kansas
Weather: 75 and clear

Scoring Summary:
KC – Ryan Pore 8 (Michael Kraus 3, Roger Espinoza 1) 39
KC – Ryan Pore 9 (Michael Kraus 4, Roger Espinoza 2) 41
CHI – Peter Lowry 5 (Patrick Nyarko 4) 72

(October 5, 2008) – The KCW Reserves improved to 7-1-2 Sunday afternoon with a 2-1 victory over the Chicago Fire Reserves at CommunityAmerica Ballpark. Midfielder Ryan Pore scored twice within a two-minute stretch in the first half for the Wizards to put the game out of reach and assume the MLS Reserve Division lead in goals scored. Midfielder Peter Lowry pulled one back in the second half for Chicago after a nice play from substitute striker Patrick Nyarko.

Pore’s first tally came in the 39th minute off a corner kick. Rookie midfielder Roger Espinoza played the corner in from the left to striker Michael Kraus who headed the ball along toward the back post for a close-range tap-in for Pore. It was his 8th goal of the Reserve Division season, tying him for 1st in the division.

Two minutes later, Pore converted his second goal of the day, again off passes from Kraus and Espinoza. Espinoza put Kraus through into space up the left flank behind the Chicago defense. Kraus carried the ball toward the end line, cut it back onto his right foot in front of a defender and let fly a bending cross to the back post. Pore concluded a long run out of midfield and laid out to hit a diving-header inside the back post for a 2-0 Kansas City lead and put him into 1st place by himself in Reserve Division goals.

Second-half substitute Patrick Nyarko made a smooth play in the 72nd minute that led to Chicago’s only score. Nyarko found himself free behind the defense at midfield and carried the ball toward the end line. Wizards goalkeeper Eric Kronberg came off his line to cut off the streaking forward, but Nyarko calmly rounded him and slid a pass to midfielder Peter Lowry in front of goal for an easy tap-in from six yards out.

The Wizards took over the MLS Reserve Division lead with a 7-1-2 record (23 pts). Kansas City leads Houston by one point, though Houston has a game in hand. Chicago is now 4-5-1 (13 pts) on the year. Kansas City’s next reserve match comes Sunday, October 26 against the New England Revolution. Chicago’s reserve squad is next in action October 12 against the Columbus Crew.

Kansas City Wizards Line-Up: Eric Kronberg, Lance Watson, Rauwshan McKenzie, Aaron Hohlbein, Matt Marquess, Ryan Pore, Kerry Zavagnin (Chance Myers 75), Kurt Morsink, Roger Espinoza (Nelson Pizarro 60), Michael Kraus, Ivan Trujillo (Boris Pardo 88)

Substitutes not used: Andrew Kartunen*, Geoff Miles*

Chicago Fire Reserves Line-Up: Nick Noble (Tyler Kettering 46), Dasan Robinson (CJ Brown 60), Kai Kasiguran, Lider Marmol, Daniel Woolard (Zach Pope* 60), Mike Banner, Marco Pappa (Patrick Nyarko 60), Stephen King, Peter Lowry, Tomasz Frankowski (Neil Hlavarty* 46), Andy Herron

Substitutes not used: None

Misconduct:
CHI – Lider Marmol (Caution) 3
KC – Ryan Pore (Caution) 4
CHI – Dasan Robinson (Caution) 36
KC – Ivan Trujillo (Caution) 82

*Guest Player

It Wasn't Me

Hopefully he didn't mean to...

Bolt Photos

So we told you Friday that Disney would be on hand with some info about Bolt, well we definitely didn't lie. The Bolt hamster ball halftime was quite entertaining and even left the goal a little queasy. Check out these pictures, including one where Dynamo the Dragon is about to get run over:

Harrington up for Goal of the Week

This is becoming a pretty regular post here at Hillcrest Road. Michael Harrington is this week's nominee, so go vote often! Harrington collected a ball on the left from Josh Wolff, cut inside his defender and bent the ball just inside the right upright with his right foot in the 48th minute to tie the game 1-1. A Wizards player is up for the award for the fourth straight week, after Davy Arnaud won three weeks ago and Josh Wolff won last week. Kevin Souter was nominated in the week between.

Since it was a TelaFutura game, we can't imbed the highlight from MLS QuickKicks and it doesn't appear to be on YouTube or Vimeo yet. If anyone finds it, shoot me an email: krogers@kcwizards.com.

Notables and Quotes

So a win would have put us into the final playoff spot, but we'll take the point against a strong Chicago team. We're currently one point behind Colorado and Real Salt Lake for the final playoff spot and two points behind New York for 4th in the East. Playoffs are certainly within reach with some strong results over the final three games, but obviously nothing is assured or easy. Check out the notables and quotes from yesterday afternoon's game. Reserve recap posted here in a bit for those who didn't stick around.

Notables:

· Following the match, Kansas City sits 8-10-9, 33 pts in a tie for 5th place in the Eastern Conference with D.C. United.
· Kansas City is one point out of the final playoff place behind the Colorado Rapids and FC Dallas. The Wizards are also just two points behind the New York Red Bulls for 4th place in the East.
· Kansas City is now 9-19-6 all-time against Chicago, including a 7-6-5 record at home.
· Two of Kansas City’s three remaining matches will be played in Kansas City, where they hold a 7-2-4 record this season.
· Defender Michael Harrington scored his second goal of the season and the fifth of his two-year career.
· Striker Josh Wolff and midfielder Herculez Gomez recorded assists on the play.
· Wolff has three assists on the year and Gomez has three, two since joining Kansas City.
· Wolff has 23 career assists in a Wizards uniform, good for 6th all-time in franchise history.
· It was Gomez’s 10th career assist.
· Goalkeeper Kevin Hartman and defender Jimmy Conrad are the only Wizards to play all 2430 minutes so far this season.
· They are two of eight players in MLS to play every minute for their team thus far in 2008.
· Hartman made three saves and now has 1123 for his MLS career.
· He trails only former Wizards standout Tony Meola (1136) for the all-time MLS lead.
· Hartman has 110 saves on the year, tied for 1st in MLS with Jon Busch of Chicago.
· Wizards midfielder Jack Jewsbury returned to the lineup after sitting out due to yellow-card accumulation last weekend.
· Two former Wizards started along the back line for Chicago (Diego Gutierrez and Brandon Prideaux).
· After the match, Gutierrez took part in an autograph signing that benefits Nothing But Nets, a charity to help end the spread of malaria world-wide.
· Wizards players Jimmy Conrad, Kevin Hartman and Josh Wolff joined Gutierrez and Brian McBride from Chicago.
· Following the match, Kansas City and Chicago’s reserves faced off in an MLS Reserve Division match-up on the field at CommunityAmerica Ballpark.
· Kansas City entered the meeting 6-1-2 in 2nd place in the MLS Reserve Division standings behind the Houston Dynamo.

Quotes:

KANSAS CITY WIZARDS HEAD COACH CURT ONALFO
On the game
“In games like this, which was a playoff-caliber game, it comes down to a play or two. We made two poor plays that led to Chicago’s goal. I told the guys at halftime that we just needed one play to get back into it. To Mikey’s (Harrington) credit, he stepped up and put a beautiful ball in the back of the net and we end up getting a point in front of a great sellout crowd. Now we just need to look forward to next week’s game against a very good New England team.”

On the Wizards helping their playoff push by earning a tie
“We got out of here with a point. We wanted three points, but we still gained a point on the competition instead of three, and that’s the reality of the situation.”

KANSAS CITY WIZARDS DEFENDER MICHAEL HARRINGTON
On the handball penalty that led to Chicago’s goal
“It was just a tough break. I was having a very good game up to that point. I knew I could either let that get me down and affect my performance or I could realize that things like that happen and keep playing.”

On scoring the equalizing goal
“It was a great feeling. I just found myself in the right spot. It’s not like I was thinking ‘I’ve got to score a goal now since I gave up the handball.’ I was just trying to have a solid second half and it turned out that I got a good look at goal.”

KANSAS CITY WIZARDS FORWARD JOSH WOLFF
On the Wizards playoff position
“We’re still right there. If we would have won today, it would have put us into the final playoff spot. There’s three games left, and we just need to find a way to win some games.”

KANSAS CITY WIZARDS MIDFIELDER KEVIN SOUTER
On his first MLS start
“It’s good to get a start for sure. We wanted three points, and we only got one point, but we can take that. We put out a lot of effort in the second half. In the final third we just couldn’t put it in the back of the net. But we’ll definitely take the point today.”

Disney Pumps up Bolt Sunday

Disney will be on hand Sunday to pump up their latest animated feature, Bolt. Starring John Travolta and Miley Cyrus, this movie is sure to be a hit. They'll have a large hamster ball on hand for people to try their luck at. Check out this article in the KC Star about this weekend's event and this website for more info on the movie, including a trailer.

Squirrel Playing Some Footie

Enjoy this pretty hilarious YouTube clip and start drinking Carlsberg Sport! Thanks go GF of Hillcrest for passing along this video :)

Jimmy Conrad Featured in Chitown

Luis Arroyave, author of "The Red Card" blog featuring the Chicago Fire, U.S. Soccer, the new Chicago WPS team and many other things from the soccer world invited our captain and center back Jimmy Conrad over to guest-blog about some of his favorite bands you all should know. Enjoy the latest musings from our #12.

Due "Propers"

So we found out two nifty things here today. First off, Josh Wolff won Sierra Mist Goal of the Week for his splendiforous bicycle kick last Saturday at Chivas USA. Well done Wolffie.

Second, Cauldron member Mike and his blog Down the Byline have been recognized by The Pitch as the best sports blog in Kansas City. While I might normally get upset that Hillcrest Road didn't win, I don't think The Pitch would ever consider a team's blog as an eligible website, so we'll pass along the congratulations to our friend Mike without hesitation or jealousy. Great work, friend. Keep it up, but next year, Hillcrest Road is coming after you!

This Week's Interview Schedule

Today--1:00 p.m.--Curt Onalfo phone interview--Sports Radio 810

Tonight--7:00 p.m.--The Jimmy Conrad Show--Sports Radio 810

Thursday--2:00-3:00 p.m.--Weekly Spanish TV Show/Radio Show live on TWC Channel 5 and La Playa 1480 AM--Guests--Curt Onalfo and Claudio Lopez

Thursday--9:30 p.m., Friday 6:30 p.m., Saturday 11:30 a.m.--Wizards Weekly TV show on Metro Sports--Guests--Curt Onalfo and Michael Harrington

Friday--7:45 a.m.--Jimmy Conrad in-studio interview--Mix 93.3 FM

Friday--8:00 a.m.--Jimmy Conrad in-studio interview--Star 102.1 FM

Friday--3:30 p.m.--Curt Onalfo weekly press conference on Metro Sports (this will be taped at 12:00 Friday at Swope Park) also with Jack Jewsbury