Kansas City showed soccer passion to world

Saturday, July 24th - 3:42 p.m.CT

For the Kansas City Wizards, it's a whole new world. Pre-game press conferences for the team's MLS match-ups normally take place mid-week, in an outdoor pavilion next to their training facility in East Kansas City. When it's hot, the journalists sweat.

There are no such problems today at the Intercontinental Hotel, the site of this week's Wizards press conference and, for the moment, temporary home for one of the most famous professional sports teams on the planet. Eighteen-time English champions Manchester United will take on MLS' Little Engine That Could in just over 24 hours.

"If you had told me back when I came [to the Wizards] that we'd be playing Manchester United, I'd have said you're crazy," says Davy Arnaud, the Wizards captain that joined the team as an unheralded rookie out of West Texas A&M in 2002. Arnaud has seen it all in his time with the team, from registering 43 minutes of time in his first year to scoring both goals in the Wizards' 2-0 win over the Los Angeles Galaxy in the 2004 Western Conference semi-finals, a performance that earned him the nickname "King of Arrowhead."

The Wizards have since moved on from Arrowhead Stadium, playing the last three years at CommunityAmerica Ballpark, a 10,385-capacity minor league baseball park retrofitted for soccer. However, a bigger show requires a bigger stage, so the Wizards will play tomorrow's friendly against the Red Devils in the confines of their former home. Anticipation is high, expectations higher. Tomorrow's game is expected to feature the largest soccer crowd ever in Middle America, and Arnaud will lead his team out in front of them, as captain.

"The atmosphere being at home is always a benefit to the players, and you always enjoy playing in front of big crowds," Arnaud says confidently. "I'm extremely excited about the chance, and I know the rest of the guys are as well."

United Manager Sir Alex Ferguson sits two seats down as Arnaud speaks, a gifted platter of Kansas City barbecue lying tantalizingly in front of him. He inspects the plate, grabs a french fry and begins to munch. Jaw chewing, hands wiping on a napkin, eyes staring across at Arnaud all the while.

==

5:36 p.m.

If the thick smell of barbecue didn't give Sir Alex a glimpse into the Kansas City psyche, the schizophrenic weather certainly did. At some point during the course of the 45-minute press conference, the bright sun and sweltering heat gave way to dark clouds, rolling thunder and a downpour that quickly turned torrential.

So this is what his players would have to train in. Or would they?

"I'm staying until somebody tells me to leave," says Chris Cissell, huddled with 150 other fans under the pavilion outside the Wizards' training facility. Cissell makes his living as the head coach for the men's and women's soccer programs at nearby William Jewel College, but for now he's just one among many hoping to catch a glimpse of some of the world's best players in action. United had planned to host a training session at the complex, open to anyone who bought a VIP package.

Now, though, it seems the downpour and associated lightning strikes will interfere with United's plans. The team was due out on the practice field 30 minutes ago, and rumors swirl that they may not train due to the weather. A wave of anxiety spreads through the crowd, all of who seem to be wearing some sort of Manchester United apparel.

Everyone except Rick Behrens, that is.

"I'm not a huge Manchester United fan, but to have a world class team come an play in Kansas City, that's really big," says Behrens, clad in a blue Wizards jersey, one of few in the sea of red. A season ticket holder since the team's founding in 1996, Behrens knows that an event like this falls well outside of the norm for the organization. He's seen the team struggle for national media attention, the city passed over for many major soccer events, and the fan base fluctuate from the highs under Lamar Hunt to the lows during the team's period for sale in the mid-2000s. To Behrens, tomorrow could be a game-changer.

"For the last 20 years, we've been famous for having people participating in youth soccer," he says. "If tomorrow goes well, the perception will be that we've grown up."

United does head out to the field to train eventually, applauded by the crowd of spectators on both sides of the pitch. The rain lets up, thunder disappears, and the sun begins to peek its head out again from behind the dense silvery clouds.  Cissel finds his way in with his son Trevor just as their favorite player Ryan Giggs jogs in front of them.

"This is the best thing ever," Cissell says. He grins from ear to ear.

==

Sunday, July 25th - 2:45 p.m. CT

It's a scene unmatched almost anywhere in professional sports. Rows upon rows of cars parked side-by-side on the asphalt, with the lanes in between taken up by an array of charcoal grills, tents, and foldout tables of all shapes and sizes. For Kansas City Chiefs games at Arrowhead, this is the norm.

This isn't a Chiefs game. Soccer balls bounce freely throughout the parking lot, as hundreds of separate kick-abouts get started. Walk down one row of cars, and hear at least three kinds of ethnic music. Look at the license plates, and see a multitude of different slogans, birds, plants, and color schemes. New Mexico’s plate, for example, employs a faded shade of yellow, with the letters and numbers printed in a deep red on top.

That’s the plate attached to Kevin Hedges’ SUV in lot B. 

Even amongst the army of red-clad Manchester United fans, Hedges stands out. It might be the faux-hawked black hair, the Red Devils flag he wears as a cape over his early 90s-era jersey, or the fist-sized belt buckle he wears featuring a full-color crest of the club. It might also be the fact that he drove 14 hours to be here. Starting in his hometown of Albuquerque, Hedges came to Kansas City to see his favorite team live for the first time.

"I love the camaraderie here, even if we’re opponents," he says, pointing to a group of Wizards supporters tailgating across the lot. "I've been talking to people I met online here at the game. I can't wait for it to start."

==

3:51 p.m.

For Matt Spoonmore, the Wizards' return to their former home elicits mixed feelings.

"It's very weird to be back at Arrowhead," says Spoonmore, a longtime Wizards fan who spent many years in lot C, the tailgating location for the Wizards' most ardent supporters today and throughout most of their run as tenants of the stadium. "The atmosphere is fantastic, though. I wish it was like this every week, but with more blue."

A prediction?

"8-0 Wizards would be nice, but that's not going to happen," he says with a smile. "Realistically, I'm going to say 2-1. I guess we'll find out in a couple of hours if that actually happens or not."

==

5:11 p.m.

Arnaud races towards the corner flag, arm in the air, teammates in hot pursuit. All 52,424 in attendance are on their feet, even the ones wearing red. The Wizards are up 1-0 on one of the best teams on the planet. Arnaud is King of Arrowhead once again.

"When you're young you kinda dream about those situations," an overjoyed Arnaud would say to a media circus at field level afterwards. "You really can't put it into words. "The crowd and the energy they were giving us…it really was a special feeling."

==

5:42 p.m.

Berbatov crashed to the ground, legs swept out from under him by a strong challenge from Jimmy Conrad. The crowd erupted in anger at the call for the penalty, only to get louder when the straight red was issued to Conrad for the challenge. Berbatov stepped up to the spot and calmly converted the penalty to what, by comparison, was a faint murmur of approval.

==

5:43 p.m.

For once, the advertisements that aired ad nauseum during the World Cup seemed to be right: one minute CAN change everything. Before Kei Kamara rose to meet Ryan Smith's corner, the Wizards seemed destined for a tough second half a man down against the Manchester United attack. When Kamara’s header bounced off the crossbar and in, the Wizards suddenly had the upper hand.

Seeing out the game didn't seem so bad from there, according to Kamara after the game.

"We have to have a couple more games over here with this many people out," Kamara said. "It keeps you going - you don't get tired when you have support like that."

==

5:56 p.m.

Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber looks surprised as he strolls into the lounge area of the Arrowhead press box. The reason is soon apparent – he speaks to it directly.

“Honestly, this is the largest group of press I’ve ever spoken to at a soccer game in this region,” he says, before helping to reveal the scale model of the Wizards’ new home – an 18,500 capacity gem that will open less than a year from today.

Garber smiles. There’s plenty of reason to do so.

“The sport is growing all over the country, but it's important to note that it's not just in New York and DC and Los Angeles, it's in the middle of the country, too,” he says. “It's very encouraging to see this level of support – to have a big crowd like this wait outside for hours is…”

He pauses. Surprising? No…

“…Pleasing.”

==

7:04 p.m.

Referee Terry Vaughn held more power in his whistle than he may have known. By not blowing it, Arnaud remained onside, freeing him to deftly slot home the opening goal. By blowing it on Jimmy Conrad, he changed the entire complexion of the game.

And by whistling the end of the match, Vaughn puts a period on one of the most historic days in Kansas City soccer history.

United make their customary handshakes before trudging off the field while the Wizards gather in the center, raising their hands to applaud the record-setting supporters. The crowd responds in kind.

The Kansas City fans bang drums in the distance. Loud music blares from the tailgaters, just as it did before the game began. An entertaining match and an electric atmosphere will send most home happy. San Diego resident Manny Ortiz will go home surprised.

“Kansas City looked very impressive. They didn’t play like a team close to the bottom [of the MLS standings],” he said. “On top of that, the atmosphere was just fantastic. I was shocked. I think Kansas City will become a destination for people – it’s a great place.”

Anthony Lapthorn, Ortiz’s travel companion, native Englishman and long time United fan agrees.

“Superb facility, superb city, superb game,” he says. “To me, I always thought of Kansas City as some wild west type of place where nothing is really around. My perception has totally and completely changed now.”

Perhaps United’s has, as well.

==

8:13 p.m.

As the sun sets under Arrowhead Stadium, Spoonmore stands in the same spot he did just over four hours ago. He predicted the score (2-1), and even predicted the order of the scoring (Wizards first, an equalizer, then a comeback).

Judging from the expression on his face, he didn’t (or couldn’t) predict how he would feel about it.

"Honestly, I'm still trying to believe it," he says. "Winning is great, but anytime you can beat Man U, it's…”

He pauses. Surprising? No…

“…Better."