31 March. News and Blogs you might have missed.

Monday MLS Breakdown: Trend Spotting

Kevin Hartman – All Time Saves Leader

Wizards ownership looks to future with soccer-specific stadium and retail development

Rapids Benefit From Home “Cooke”ing

Power Rankings: Week Three

Goal.com MLS Rankings: Crew On Top

MLS Weekend Rewind – Week Two “The Wizards lost again. They are the worst team on paper in the East, and they’ve showed it thus far. You know things are bad when you’re relying on Michael Kraus to score your goals” 

Michael Kraus scores first MLS goal

If ties are like kissing your sister …

Week 2 Interview Poll

Rapids

Cummings’ Goal Sends Rapids Past KC

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Kansas City Wizards Weekly Update
* Weekly Schedule
* Hartman Breaks MLS Career Saves Record
* Kraus Scores 1st MLS Goal
* Onalfo Featured Monday Night on Fox Football Fone-In
* Wizards to Host Watch Party Wednesday for U.S. World Cup Qualifier
* Spanish-Language Coach’s Show Airs Thursday
* Starting 11 Girls Calendar Launch Party Friday at Mint Ultra Lounge
* Jack Jewsbury, Herculez Gomez to Pop-In at BVAC Practice
* Dynamo the Dragon to Appear Twice in Kansas City This Week

WEEKLY SCHEDULE:
Kansas City trains the next four days in advance of their second home match of the 2009 season Sunday at CommunityAmerica Ballpark. The Wizards enter Sunday’s match against the San Jose Earthquakes 0-2-0 after one-goal losses to Toronto FC and the Colorado Rapids. Kansas City will train at CAB on Wednesday and Thursday before hosting the week’s press conference featuring Head Coach Curt Onalfo Friday at the team’s Swope Park Training Center.

Date Time Location
Tuesday, March 31 10 a.m. CT Swope Park Training Center Wednesday, April 1 10 a.m. CT CommunityAmerica Ballpark
Thursday, April 2 10 a.m. CT CommunityAmerica Ballpark
Friday, April 3 10 a.m. CT Swope Park Training Center (Press Conference 12 p.m. CT)
Sunday, April 5 2:00 p.m. CT CommunityAmerica Ballpark – Kansas City vs. San Jose Earthquakes

HARTMAN BREAKS MLS SAVES RECORD:
Wizards goalkeeper Kevin Hartman broke the all-time MLS saves record during the first half of Saturday night’s match against the Colorado Rapids. Hartman entered the match trailing former Wizards standout Tony Meola by only one save for his 3rd major goalkeeping record. Hartman already held the all-time marks for career wins (138) and shutouts (77).

Hartman tied Meola’s record with his 1136th career stop in the 44th minute Saturday off a hard-hit shot from Rapids midfielder Nick LaBrocca. Just two minutes later, Hartman became the all-time saves leader with by covering a shot off the left foot of Colorado forward Omar Cummings. Hartman went on to make four saves on the night and currently stands at 1139 career stops.

KRAUS SCORES 1ST MLS GOAL:
Another Kansas City player made history Saturday, as Michael Kraus scored his 1st MLS goal just two minutes into his first regular-season appearance for the Wizards first team. Kraus was drafted in the 4th round of the 2007 MLS Supplemental Draft and was a mainstay on Kansas City’s reserve team for the last two years. Kraus appeared as a substitute in Kansas City’s final 2008 playoff match against the Columbus Crew, but had never played in a regular-season MLS game before Saturday. Eleven family members and friends were on hand Saturday in Colorado to see Kraus’ 1st career goal. The tally tied a record for the fastest goal to begin a career with current teammate Josh Wolff and former New York midfielder Sal Caccavale.

ONALFO FEATURED MONDAY ON FOX FOOTBALL FONE-IN:
Kansas City Wizards Head Coach Curt Onalfo will take part in Monday night’s edition of Fox Soccer Channel’s popular soccer talk show Fox Football Fone-In. The show starts Monday night at 8 p.m. CT. Onalfo is expected to join the program around 8:15 p.m. CT.

WIZARDS TO HOST U.S. NATIONAL TEAM WATCH PARTY WEDNESDAY AT 810 ZONE IN LEAWOOD:
Wednesday, join the Kansas City Wizards at a special World Cup Qualifier Watch Party at the 810 Zone location in Leawood, Kan. Wizards players and staff will be on hand as the United States Men’s National Team faces Trinidad and Tobago in a World Cup 2010 Qualifier. The match starts at 6:30 p.m. CT and will be broadcast live on ESPN2 and Galavision from LP Field in Nashville, Tenn.

810 Zone
4800 West 119th Street
Leawood, Kansas, 66209
913-469-ZONE (9663)

SPANISH-LANGUAGE COACH’S SHOW AIRS THURSDAY ON 1480 AM:
Wizards Head Coach Curt Onalfo will join Enrique Morales Thursday at 5 p.m. CT for his weekly Spanish-language coach’s show on Ke Buena 1480 AM. Spanish-speaking fans are encouraged to listen for a recap of last weekend’s match against Colorado and a look ahead to Sunday’s showdown with the San Jose Earthquakes.

STARTING 11 GIRLS CALENDAR RELEASE PARTY FRIDAY AT MINT ULTRA LOUNGE:
The 2009 Wizards Starting 11 Girls will hold a Calendar Release Party this Friday night at Mint Ultra Lounge in Kansas City. The event runs from 9 p.m. – 1 a.m. and will feature performances by the Starting 11 Girls dance squad and a showing of a “Making of the Calendar” video. Calendars will be for sale, and the Starting 11 Girls will be on hand to autograph the calendar and interact with fans. The calendar is also available for purchase directly from KCSoccerStore.com.

Mint Ultra Lounge
334 E. 31st Kansas City, MO 64108
816.561.2640

JACK JEWSBURY, HERCULEZ GOMEZ TO POP-IN AT BVAC PRACTICE: Who: M Jack Jewsbury, F Herculez GomezWhen: Wednesday, April 1; 6:00-7:30 p.m.Where: Independence, MOWhat: Kids participating with the Blue Valley Activities Center will have the opportunity to get pointers from the pros, as Kevin Hartman and Matt Marquess will “pop-in” to help with their practice and talk to the children about teamwork.

DYNAMO THE DRAGON TO APPEAR TWICE IN KANSAS CITY THIS WEEK:Who: Mascot Dynamo the DragonWhen: Thursday, April 2; 2:00-3:00pmWhere: Our Lady of Presentation, Lee’s Summit, MOWhat: Dynamo the Dragon will be attending Our Lady of Presentation’s Hy-Vee Kick-Off for the school’s fundraising season. He will be participating in opening activities, entertaining children and getting students excited for the activities. Who: Mascot Dynamo the DragonWhen: Saturday, April 4; 12:00-1:00pmWhere: Great Mall of the Great Plains, Olathe, KSWhat: Dynamo the Dragon will be participating in the Reyes Media Easter Egg Hunt, playing with the children and helping them find the hidden eggs. Make sure to stop by the festivities!

AG

30 March. News and Blogs you might have missed.

Snowman Speaks Out.   Scroll on down to read his opinion

Sunday After Stats

Rapids best Kansas City Wizards: 2 – 1

MLS Weekend Recap: Week Two

Hartman Breaks MLS Saves Record in KC Loss To Colorado

Colorado has been rough for Wizards

MLS: 2-0 and 0-2 Starts

Weekend MLS Roundup

More MLS Week Two thoughts

Colorado Doubles Up Wizards

Wizards Fall on the Road

For those of you that do not view the Wizards through blue tinted glasses.

“Breaking news out of KC!

Snowmen are now out and up in arms after the bad 0-2 start to the KC Wizards season.  The Wizards performance last night in Colorado was nothing to be proud of and some fans are not very happy.  This fan here has had enough and says “CO must GO!”

Snowman calling for the firing of Curt Onalfo

AG

Wizards, Rapids looking for first points

First off, last week’s game.   From a fan’s standpoint it was a bit exciting because KC showed they could come back and make a game of it.  Otherwise, it was not so great.  Poor passing, poor crossing, piss-poor man marking, weak side defense breakdowns, set pieces and corner kicks were pathetic … I’m sure there was more.  The good were Arnaud’s blasts, Hirsig’s passing, and I don’t recall Jack screwing up.  The overall play led to a not so great crowd and a 3-2 loss to Toronto FC.  Only the third loss for KC at CAB.  Also, the last time KC lost and scored 2 goals was in 2006 – final game to NYRB.

Anyway, for that first game: Davy was Player of the game.  Jack was 2nd player and Hirsig was 3rd player.   Running standings for POTG will be here.

Ok, KC against Colorado.  It’s gonna be cold and KC will apparantly be with Josh Wolff.  I am thinking the only change in the lineup will be Abe Thompson for Josh Wolff.  Which probably means Gomez will be up top again – something I am not a fan of.  I’d prefer he was on the right side and move Lopez back to forward with, for now, Zusi on the left.  I’d say Roger but he’s off with Honduras this weekend(good for him!).

I expect we’ll see Hirsig first off the bench.  And probably Morsink and/or Watson.  Zusi won’t be going against top midfielders so he probably won’t get turned so much.  Leathers and Hohlbein should also look better with a game under their belt.   The offense needs to keep moving and have much better passing.

I think KC can win, but with only 2 road wins all last year, a draw will suffice.  The score will probably be 2-2.

OG

27 March. News and Blogs you might have missed.

Hartman one save away from MLS record

Wizards practice: 03-26-2009 (press conference)

Week 2: Colorado Rapids v. Kansas City Wizards

Interview of the Week

Stakes raised as Rapids host Wizards at DSG Park opener

KCW Juniors Advance to Nationals

The Claudio Lopez Factor

Newcomers Starting Strong in 2009

Honduras Callup for KC Midfielder Roger Espinoza

Rapids make roster moves

Beat the Heat: Luis vs. Edward P.

Rapids opening night this Saturday

Former Wizards Update, MLS Returns (UPDATED)

Former Wizard Burciaga On Trial With Tecos

PHOTOS: The Cheerleaders/Dance Teams of MLS

MLS Financial Info Included in Portland Report

We have a great show in store today. In the first hour, we are joined by an American football legend and Kansas City Wizards coach, Curt Onalfo.

Jimmy Conrad – making a promo…

AG

26 March. News and Blogs you might have missed.

I am a little short on time today. I will make up for it tomorrow.

In other words Iwill  flood this site Fri.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Midfielder Roger Espinoza Joins Honduras National Team for Upcoming World Cup Qualifiers

Espinoza Tabbed by Honduras for Matches Against Trinidad and Tobago, Mexico

(March 25, 2009) – Kansas City Wizards midfielder Roger Espinoza will rejoin the Honduras National Team for upcoming World Cup Qualifiers against Trinidad and Tobago and Mexico. Honduras faces Trinidad and Tobago Saturday, March 28 in Port of Spain, Trinidad. Los Catrachos then host regional powerhouse Mexico Wednesday, April 1 at their home stadium in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. Espinoza started the MLS season well for Kansas City, registering an assist after entering as a halftime substitute Saturday against Toronto FC. Espinoza is already with the Honduras team and will rejoin the Wizards following the Mexico match next Wednesday.

Espinoza earned his first appearance for his birth nation Jan. 22 in Honduras’ first game of the 2009 UNCAF (Central American Football Union) Nations Cup. Espinoza appeared three times during the five-game tournament, scoring his first goal in the 3rd place match to give Honduras a 1-0 win. Espinoza stayed with the National Team for a World Cup Qualifying loss to Costa Rica Feb. 11 but did not make the game roster.

Espinoza will become the 5th current Wizards player with World Cup Qualifying experience should he enter either upcoming match. Defender Jimmy Conrad, midfielder Davy Arnaud and forward Josh Wolff have all appeared in at least one qualifier for the United States. Striker Claudio Lopez has appeared in qualifiers for Argentina. Conrad, Lopez and Wolff also have World Cup experience.

Kansas City selected Espinoza with the 11th overall selection in the 2008 MLS SuperDraft after he signed with MLS as a member of the Generation adidas program. As part of the program, adidas pays for him to continue his education while playing in the League. During his first year with the Wizards, Espinoza scored one goal and added three assists in 22 games (12 starts). He was among the rookie leaders in games played, minutes played and assists.

Honduras Roster for World Cup Qualifiers 3/28 and 4/1:

Goalkeepers: Noel Valladares (Olimpia), Ricardo Canales (Motagua).
Defenders: Osman Chávez (Motagua), Emilio Izaguirre (Motagua), Samuel Caballero (Shen Hua, China), Maynor Figueroa (Wigan), Edgar Alvarez (Pisa), Oscar Bonie García (Olimpia), Nery Medina (Real España).
Midfielders: Ramón Núñez (Puebla), Amado Guevara (Toronto FC, MLS), Roger Espinoza (Kansas City Wizards, MLS), Wilson Palacios (West Ham), Hendry Thomas (Olimpia), Julio César de León (Parma), Marvin Chávez (Marathon), Junior Morales (Real Juventud), Erin Morales (Marathon), Mario Rodríguez (Real España), Danilo Turcios (Olimpia).
Forwards: Carlos Pavón (Necaxa), Carlo Costly (Birmingham), Saúl Martínez (Marathon).

25 March. News and Blogs you might have missed.

Wizards will have to play without Espinoza

Raising the roof

Soccer365’s MLS Club Ladder

WVH Power Rankings: Week One

Power Rankings: Week Two

MLS Team Of The Week – Round 1

Ref Watch: Plenty of tough calls in Week 1

Google Earth Video: South Africa 2010 Stadiums Is it me? It appears all of South Africa’s Stadiums have roofs.

Lane4 Property Group expands into three states

AG

24 March. News and Blogs you might have missed.

Arnaud Delivers Two Impressive Blasts

Expansion Thoughts

MLS Dogpile: What, Too Early?

Sierra Mist Goal Of The Week Nominees – Week 1

MLS Recap Week 1: Caution, Offensive Material

No magic, just hard work beat the Wizards

Many Newcomers make a mark

MLS rookie class impresses in Week One

MLS Power Rankings: Thank you Seattle for an amazing night

From Portsoy and Buckie to getting better of Beckham

Week One Recap: It’s all about first impressions

Goal.com’s Major League Soccer Rankings

Wizards/Toronto supporters – 03/21/09

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – March 16, 2009

Kansas City Wizards Weekly Update
* Weekly Schedule
* Hartman Nears Saves Record
* Arnaud up for Sierra Mist Goal of the Week
* Herculez Returns to DSG Park
* Mayor Reardon Presents “Kansas City Wizards Week” Proclamation at Home Opener
* Sign-Up For 3rd Annual Cash Cup
* Starting 11 Girls, Dynamo the Dragon Attend Dental Conference Party

WEEKLY SCHEDULE:
Kansas City trains this week ahead of its first road test of the 2009 Major League Soccer season. The Wizards travel to face the Colorado Rapids Saturday at 8:30 p.m. CT. Both teams enter the match 0-1-0 after Kansas City fell to Toronto FC 3-2 and Colorado lost 2-1 at Chivas USA Saturday. Kansas City went 1-1 against Colorado last season, including a 3-2 home win and a 2-1 road loss. Kansas City is 0-1-1 all-time at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, Colorado’s home stadium.
 
Date                                       Time                       Location                                               
Tuesday, March 24             10 a.m. CT            Swope Park Training Center                            Wednesday, March 25       10 a.m. CT            Swope Park Training Center           
Thursday, March 26            10 a.m. CT            Swope Park Training Center
Friday, March 27                 10 a.m. CT            Swope Park Training Center
Saturday, March 28          8:30 p.m. CT        Dick’s Sporting Goods Park – Kansas City at Colorado Rapids on Metro Sports
 
HARTMAN NEARS SAVES RECORD:
Goalkeeper Kevin Hartman is on the verge of setting another MLS career goalkeeping record. With just two more saves, Hartman will surpass former Wizards standout Tony Meola for the all-time lead in career stops. Meola retired with 1136 saves, 507 of them in Wizards colors. Hartman now has 1135 career saves after a five-save performance Saturday against Toronto FC. For his career, Hartman has averaged 3.73 saves/game and is on pace to break Meola’s all-time record Saturday at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park against the Colorado Rapids.
 
Hartman has already cemented himself as one of the best ‘keepers in League history. The former LA Galaxy man ranks 1st all-time in wins (138), shutouts (77), games played in goal (304) and minutes played in goal (27,225). Hartman ranks 5th among all players in games played and 2nd in minutes played. If Hartman plays 14 or more games this season, he will rank 2nd all-time in games played among all players.
ARNAUD UP FOR GOAL OF THE WEEK:
Wizards midfielder Davy Arnaud is one of eight MLS players nominated for the Sierra Mist Goal of the Week award for week 1 after he scored two stunning goals Saturday in a 3-2 loss to Toronto FC. Arnaud’s first blast was nominated after his 3rd career multi-goal game. Arnaud received a pass from Argentine striker Claudio Lopez in the 56th minute, took a touch and launched a left-footed shot into the far upper-right corner of the goal to bring Kansas City within a goal. Vote for Arnaud at mlsnet.com.
 
HERCULEZ RETURNS TO DSG PARK:
Saturday, Wizards midfielder/forward Herculez Gomez will return to Dick’s Sporting Goods Park for the first time since he was traded from Colorado to the Wizards last September. Gomez knows the stadium well and will be forever linked to the Rapids home field. Gomez scored the first-ever goal at the stadium, the first goal in a 2-1 win over D.C. United on April 7, 2007. Gomez scored six goals and had three assists in 37 games for Colorado between 2007-2008.
 
KCK MAYOR JOE REARDON PRESENTS PROCLAMATION AT HOME OPENER:
Saturday, Kansas City, Kansas Mayor Joe Reardon was on hand to present a proclamation recognizing last week as “Kansas City Wizards Week” to Wizards President Robb Heineman during a pSIGN-UP FOR 3RD ANNUAL CASH CUP TODAY:
From April 3-5, the Wizards will host the 3rd annual Indoor Cash Cup at KC Soccer Dome. Between $500-$1,000 will be awarded to the first place team of the Men’s Competitive and Co-ed Competitive divisions, along with 2009 Wizards apparel for each player on the Championship-winning teams. All teams are guaranteed a minimum of three (3) games, and each team will receive 12 tickets to the Wizards match on April 5 as part of registration fees. For more information, visit this page at kcwizards.com.
 
To sign up, contact:
 
Tournament Director Brian Budzinski
(816) 215-9456 
brian@kcsoccerdome.com
STARTING 11 GIRLS, DYNAMO THE DRAGON ATTEND DENTAL CONFERENCE PARTY:
Who: Starting 11 Girls, Mascot Dynamo the DragonWhen: Friday, March 27; 5:30-7:00 p.m. Where: Hyatt Regency Crown Center, Kansas City, MOWhat: The Starting 11 Girls and Dynamo the Dragon will be participating in festivities at the Welcome Party for the Midwest Dental Conference. UMKC School of Dentistry will be holding the conference for over 3,000 attendees and have invited local sports teams to participate. The Starting 11 Girls and Dynamo will be entertaining and taking pictures with guests.re-game ceremony. Last Monday, Wizards Executive Vice President Greg Cotton, defender Matt Besler and goalkeeper Boris Pardo joined Reardon for a proclamation ceremony at the Joe Amayo Argentine Community Center in KCK. To see pictures from the event, visit this photo gallery at kcwizards.com. 
WIZARDS RETURN HOME APRIL 5 ON FAMILY DAY:
Kansas City returns to action at CommunityAmerica Ballpark Sunday, April 5 at 2 p.m. CT against the San Jose Earthquakes. The match, sponsored by Sprint, will be Kansas City’s “Family Day” as the entire team will gather at Dave & Buster’s after the game for an autographs session for fans. The first 5,000 fans into the stadium will receive the Wizards 2009 team poster courtesy of Sprint. The food and beverage special of the game will be $2 cotton candy and $2 pretzels. For tickets, call (913) 387-3400 or visit www.kcwizards.com.

 

AG

23 March. News and Blogs you might have missed.

Toronto FC wins MLS season opener

MLS: Toronto FC 3, Kansas City 2

Guevara scores twice to power Toronto to 3-2 victory

Toronto Claims Away Win Over Kansas City

Poor

Wizards vs TFC — Postgame

Great effort in the end, but…

Carver delighted as Toronto win at sold-out Kansas

Arnaud’s Wizardry not enough as Reds beat KC

MLS Opening Weekend: Video Highlights

Reserves Struggle

2009 interview poll – Week 1

Monday MLS Breakdown: Paging the Defense

The MLS Opening Weekend Rehash

VIDEO: Curt Onalfo remarks on Wizards’ defeat

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – March 21, 2009

Kansas City Wizards Fall to Toronto FC 3-2 in Exciting Match for Sold-Out Crowd at CommunityAmerica Ballpark
 
Midfielder Davy Arnaud Scores 2 Long-Range Blasts, Argentine Midfielder Santiago Hirsig Registers Assist in MLS Debut
 
Major League Soccer Game 1
Saturday, March 21, 2009 – 7:30 p.m. (CT)
English TV: Metro Sports; Español TV: Time Warner Cable Channel 5
Español Radio: 1340 La Gran D
CommunityAmerica Ballpark – Kansas City, Kansas
Weather: 60 and clear
Attendance: 10,385 – SOLD OUT
 
Score:                                                                                   1              2              F
Kansas City Wizards (0-1-0, 0 pts)                              0              2              2
Toronto FC (1-0-0, 3 pts)                                                1              2              3
                                                                                                   
Scoring Summary:
TFC – Jim Brennan 1 (Dwayne De Rosario 1) 33’
TFC – Amado Guevara 1 (unassisted) 53’
KC – Davy Arnaud 1 (Claudio Lopez 1) 56’
TFC – Amado Guevara 1 (unassisted) 62’
KC – Davy Arnaud 2 (Santiago Hirsig 1, Roger Espinoza 1) 76’
 
(March 21, 2009) – The Kansas City Wizards dropped the season opener 3-2 Saturday night at CommunityAmerica Ballpark in front of an enthusiastic sellout crowd of 10,385. After falling behind 2-0, Kansas City fought back within a goal through two long-range goals from midfielder Davy Arnaud. Kansas City goalkeeper Kevin Hartman made five stops on the night and now trails former Wizards standout Tony Meola by only one save for the MLS career record.
 
Toronto FC opened the scoring in the 33rd minute when defender Jim Brennan intercepted a pass and played ahead for striker Dwayne De Rosario. De Rosario held the ball up as Brennan overlapped then slid the ball between two defenders. Brennan hit a first-time shot inside the upper-left corner for Toronto’s first goal of the season and a 1-0 lead.
 
Hartman then made a spectacular save in the 37th minute to keep Kansas City within a goal and move one save closer to Meola’s career record. Toronto FC midfielder Amado Guevara played ahead to striker Chad Barrett, who cut inside and fired on goal from 20 yards out. Barrett’s shot was headed for goal at the back post, but Hartman extended fully to parry the ball wide. Toronto went ahead 2-0 in the 53rd minute through Guevara. Guevara pounced on a loose ball near the top corner of the Kansas City area, cut to his right and buried a hard-hit ball inside the back post from 18 yards out.
 
The Wizards answered immediately, as Arnaud drew Kansas City within a goal three minutes later. After a long run of possession through midfield, Argentine striker Claudio Lopez slid a ball diagonally back for Arnaud 25 yards from goal. Arnaud took a touch then unleashed a left-footed blast into the upper-right corner of goal that sent Kansas City fans into a frenzy.
 
TFC extended their lead to 3-1 in the 62nd minute, with Guevara again scoring the goal. Toronto broke on the counter attack through Dwayne De Rosario in behind the defense. De Rosario struck a hard-hit ball from a sharp angle that Hartman was able to save but not control. Guevara cleaned up the play, slotting the rebound home from close range for his second tally of the match. Guevara now has eight career goals against the Wizards, including a pair of 2-goal games while with Toronto FC.
 
Kansas City did not go down without a fight, however, drawing within a goal through Arnaud once more. After again keeping a long string of possession through midfield, second-year winger Roger Espinoza played the ball into the penalty area for Argentine midfielder Santiago Hirsig. Hirsig held the ball up, then laid a pass back for Arnaud who ripped a one-time effort underneath the crossbar from 20 yards out for his second goal of the night. Arnaud now has three career multi-goal games.
 
Kansas City continues MLS play next weekend with a trip to Dick’s Sporting Goods Park to face the Colorado Rapids. The match begins at 8:30 p.m. CT and will be broadcast live on Metro Sports (English) and Time Warner Cable Channel 5 (Spanish). The Wizards return to CommunityAmerica Ballpark Sunday, April 5 at 2 p.m. CT on “Family Day.” Wizards players and coaches will sign autographs after the match, courtesy of Sprint.
 
Kansas City Wizards Line-Up: Kevin Hartman; Jonathan Leathers, Jimmy Conrad ©, Aaron Hohlbein (Roger Espinoza 46), Michael Harrington; Graham Zusi (Santiago Hirsig 62), Davy Arnaud, Jack Jewsbury, Claudio Lopez; Josh Wolff, Herculez Gomez
 
Substitutes not used: Boris Pardo (GK), Matt Besler, Michael Kraus, Abe Thompson, Lance Watson
Toronto FC Line-Up: Stefan Frei; Marvell Wynne, Jim Brennan ©, Kevin Harmse, Adrian Serioux; Sam Cronin, Amado Guevara, Carl Robinson, Rohan Ricketts; Dwayne De Rosario, Chad Barrett (Danny Dichio 89)
 
Substitutes not used: Greg Sutton (GK), Emmanuel Gomez, Fuad Ibrahim, Johann Smith, Marco Velez, Pablo Vitti
Misconduct:
KC – Jack Jewsbury (caution; Reckless Tackle) 39
TOR –  Rohan Ricketts (caution; Reckless Tackle) 46+
 
                                                                KC                          TFC
Total Shots:                                        11                           12                          
Shots on Goal:                                  4                              8
Saves:                                                   5                              2
Fouls Committed:                             9                              13
Offside:                                                7                              3

Corner Kicks:                                     2                              3             
 
Referee: Jorge Gonzalez
Assistants: Craig Lowry, Jason Cullum
4th official: Chris Penso
 
 
Notables:
 
· Kansas City starts the season 0-1-0 for the first time under Head Coach Curt Onalf ·      Kansas City sold out their home opener for the second-consecutive season.·         The Wizards had gone 2-0-0 in season openers and home openers previously under Onalfo.·         Kansas City is now 8-4-2 all-time in season openers and 10-2-2 all-time in home openers.·         Kansas City is now 3-2-2 all-time against Toronto FC, including a 2-1-1 home record.·         Midfielder Davy Arnaud scored two long-range goals for his 3rd career multi-goal game. ·         Arnaud now has 34 career goals, good for 3rd place in Wizards history.·         He now trails midfielder Chris Klein by 5 goals for 2nd place.·         The goals were his first 2 against Toronto FC. ·         He is now tied with Eddie Johnson for the most Wizards goals against TFC.·         Argentine attacker Claudio Lopez registered the assist on Arnaud’s first goal, his 8th in MLS.·         Lopez now has 2 goals and 4 assists in his last four MLS regular-season matches dating back to 2008.·         Off-season signing Santiago Hirsig made his Wizards debut, entering for rookie midfielder Graham Zusi in the 63rd minute.·         Hirsig contributed quickly, registering his first MLS assist in the 76th minute on Arnaud’s second goal.·         Second-year midfielder Roger Espinoza also registered an assist on Arnaud’s second goal, his 4th career assist.·         Goalkeeper Kevin Hartman made 5 saves on the night to reach 1135 career regular-season saves.·         Hartman now trails former Wizards standout Tony Meola by 1 save for the all-time MLS lead in that category. ·         Hartman is already the League leader in career wins (138) and shutouts (77).·         Midfielder Graham Zusi (Maryland) became the 4th Wizards rookie to start an MLS opener in the last three years. ·         Defenders Michael Harrington and Aaron Hohlbein started the opener in 2007, and Jonathan Leathers started at defender in 2008.·         All three players started Saturday night’s match for Kansas City.·         Three rookies started Saturday’s match. Rookie goalkeeper Stefan Frei (California) started for TFC along with midfielder Sam Cronin (Wake Forest).·         The first 5,000 fans into CommunityAmerica Ballpark received water bottles and schedule magnets courtesy of Providence Medical Center.·         Former Wizards striker Mo Johnston, now TFC’s Director of Soccer, was in attendance at CommunityAmerica Ballpark. Appropriately, he sat in the Mo Johnston suite. For 2009, the Wizards have named the suites on the second level of CommunityAmerica Ballpark after standout former players and coaches. 

Quotes:
KANSAS CITY WIZARDS HEAD COACH CURT ONALFO
On the game“I thought we started jittery. I thought we were a little bit nervous the first ten minutes, but that can happen on opening day. Once we settled down, I thought we actually started playing pretty well, and that’s when we gave up the goal. We lost the ball in a very difficult part of the field, and to their credit they capitalized on it. There were some real positives today, but at the end of the day, we dug ourselves a hole that was too deep to get out of.”
 
On the Wizards comeback attempt
“To our guys credit, we continued to push the game. Davy scored a second great goal and then fought all the way to the end. I thought we had it in us to get one more goal and at least walk out of here with a tie, but that didn’t happen and we need to move on.”
 
On Santiago Hirsig’s Wizards debut
“I thought he came in and did a solid job. We knew we had to get him moving along. He needs to get 90-minute game fit, and at times you have to use the games to get guys the minutes they need to make sure that they progress.”
 
On the sellout home crowd
“I thought the crowd was excellent. I think they helped us once we scored our goals to get a little momentum. Unfortunately each time we had the momentum we made an error that put us behind the eight ball, but it was certainly nice to see the great turnout here tonight.”
 
KANSAS CITY WIZARDS MIDFIELDER DAVY ARNAUD
On the game“We obviously want to win games at home, which we didn’t do, but there’s plenty of time for us to get things right. There’s a game next weekend, and we’re looking forward to it. This isn’t the first time we’ve lost. It’s going to happen. Unfortunately it happened at home in the first game of the year, but we’ll move on and be ready for Colorado next weekend.”
 
On his goals
“The first one a ball got headed out, I took a touch and was just trying to hit it hard on frame. The second one, Santiago (Hirsig) held the ball up well in the box and laid a good ball off, and I was just trying to hit it hard and on target.”
 
On what the Wizards need to improve
“We need to do better with the ball. It took us a little while to get going. We weren’t great to start the game, but we got a little better as the game went on. Also, as a group defensively we have to be better. We will be better because everyone on our team works hard for each other.”
 
KANSAS CITY WIZARDS DEFENDER JIMMY CONRAD
On the game“After we went to three defenders, Toronto capitalized on some half-chances, and credit to them for making the most of it. Toronto’s going to be a good team this year, and I expect them to make the playoffs.”
 
On Davy Arnaud’s performance
“He’s proving that he’s one of the better players in the League. I’m excited for him that he had two cracking goals tonight. It’s a good start for him and his confidence to begin the season. The best thing about Davy is his spirit. He never gives up, and that’s something we can build off of.”
 
TORONTO FC HEAD COACH JOHN CARVER
On the game“You can tell by the smile on my face that I’m absolutely delighted. Our road record last season wasn’t great, and it was important that we came in to the first game of the season and got something from it. I’m delighted with the three points and delighted with the performance. There were some fantastic goals in the game.  Jimmy Brennan’s strike for us and Kansas City’s two goals were all great strikes. The goalkeeper couldn’t do anything about those.”

On rookie goalkeeper Stefan Frei’s debut
“Obviously he was making his debut in MLS, and he looked like a seasoned pro. I’m very pleased with his performance.”
 
On the team’s reaction to the win
“The lads are very happy in there. I’ve said to them ‘there’s a long way to go,” but we’ve set a real high standard. We know we have to dig in, and we did that tonight.”
 
On Amado Guevara’s two-goal performance
“I wish he wasn’t going away next week with the Honduran national team. We all know what Amado’s about. He’s very technical, he’s a clever player. I wanted him to play a little higher and up the field today. He needed to be more effective in the final third, and now he’s got guys to play with and combine with and bring even more out of him.”
 
TORONTO FC GOALKEEPER STEFAN FREI
On the game“It was the result that we were looking for. We worked really hard in the offseason. It was really important to come out on the road today and kick off the season with a win, and that’s what we did.”
 
On playing his first MLS game
“You have to know that you deserve to be here. You have to be a little cocky, because as soon as you show a little weakness, that you’re not that sure of yourself, your opponent is going to pick up on that right away. I wanted to make sure all of my teammates knew that I was feeling good back there and that they could rely on me.”
 
TORONTO FC DEFENDER JIM BRENNAN
On his goal and the win“It feels nice. I don’t get many goals, and to get that one today was special. We worked hard in the preseason, and to come here and get a win in Kansas City was something that we planned on doing. We knew we could do it if we worked hard enough, and everything came together today for us and we got the three points.”

AG