MLS Game #20
Saturday, August 21, 2010, 7:30 p.m. CT
English TV: KCWE 29
Spanish TV: KCWE 29 (SAP)
CommunityAmerica Ballpark | Kansas City, Kansas
Weather: Sunny, 89 degrees
Attendance: 10,385 – Sell Out
Score: 1 2 F
Kansas City Wizards (6-9-5, 23 pts) 2 2 4
New England Revolution (6-11-3, 21 pts) 1 0 1
Kansas City Wizards: Jimmy Nielsen; Michael Harrington, Shavar Thomas, Jimmy Conrad, Roger Espinoza; Davy Arnaud©, Stéphane Auvray, Craig Rocastle (Graham Zusi 78); Kei Kamara, Birahim Diop (Jack Jewsbury 66), Ryan Smith (Chance Myers 85)
Subs not used: Eric Kronberg, Korede Aiyegbusi, Matt Besler, Jonathan Leathers
New England Revolution: Matt Reis, Kevin Alston (Emmanuel Osei 39), Darrius Barnes, Cory Gibbs; Khano Smith, Sainey Nyassi, Shalrie Joseph©, Pat Phelan (Chris Tierney 78), Kenny Mansally (Zack Schilawski 78); Ilija Stolica, Marko Perovic
Subs not used: Jason Griffiths, Roberto Linck, Bobby Shuttleworth, Seth Sinovic
Stats: KC NE
Shots 13 9
Shots on Goal 10 2
Saves 1 6
Fouls 11 8
Offside 2 4
Corner Kicks 2 3
Misconduct Summary:
NE – Shalrie Joseph (caution; Reckless Foul) 44
NE – Sainey Nyassi (caution; Reckless Foul) 74
Scoring Summary:
KC – Birahim Diop 1 (Kei Kamara 1, Craig Rocastle 2) 16
KC – Birahim Diop 2 (Kei Kamara 2) 27
NE – Kenny Mansally 3 (Khano Smith 1) 37
KC – Kei Kamara 8 (Birahim Diop 1, Ryan Smith 8) 65
KC – Jack Jewsbury 2 (unassisted) 69
(August 21, 2010) – The Kansas City Wizards put together one of their best performances of the season on Saturday in a 4-1 victory over the New England Revolution in front of a capacity crowd of 10,385 at CommunityAmerica Ballpark. Surprise starter Birahim Diop was the man of the match for Kansas City, recording two first half goals and later an assist in his first start in the league since 2002. Diop’s goals were the first of his MLS career. Kei Kamara contributed assists on both of Diop goals before scoring his team-leading eighth of the season in the 65th minute, and Jack Jewsbury finished the rout with a goal of his own four minutes later.
The two sides exchanged scoring chances in the match’s opening minutes, an early indicator of the scoring spree to come. New England’s Kenny Mansally tried a first-time shot off a cross from the right side, but his sliding attempt at the near post deflected out for a corner in the second minute of the match.
Kansas City midfielder Ryan Smith responded one minute later, receiving a pass from fellow Englishman Craig Rocastle on the left side and working his way into a dangerous position, but his shot from inside the penalty area was nicely stopped by Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis for his first of six saves on the night.
Diop rewarded Kansas City on his introduction to the starting lineup in dramatic fashion in the 16th minute, after Rocastle began the play with a simple square pass to Kei Kamara on the touchline near midfield. Kamara’s first touch was a softly weighted chip to Diop, whose well-timed run beat the Revolution offside trap and brought the sell-out crowd to its feet as he dribbled in alone on Reis. The 31-year-old Senegalese forward calmly tucked his shot inside the near post to give the Wizards a 1-0 lead and open his team’s offensive outburst.
Just over ten minutes later in the 27th minute, Diop doubled his tally, again on an assist from Kamara. Michael Harrington’s throw-in went to Kamara at the edge of the penalty area and the Sierra Leone native held off his defender to serve a cross toward the backpost. Diop outjumped New England defender Kevin Alston and powered his header off Reis’ hand and into the net. The goal gave Diop, a late-week replacement for the suspended Teal Bunbury, the rare distinction of scoring his first two career MLS goals on his first two career shots on goal.
New England cut the Wizards lead in half in the 37th minute on a goal by Kenny Mansally, his third of the season. Revolution midfielder Khano Smith provided the service from the left side, finding the feet of Mansally in the middle of the penalty area. Mansally’s shot deflected off Jimmy Conrad from 15 yards out and Kansas City goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen was left helpless to keep the redirection out.
Kansas City continued to attack throughout the second half, capitalizing on opportunities to push forward en route to an eventual 10-2 advantage in shots on goal. The offensive pressure paid off in the 65th minute, with Smith feeding the ball to Diop on the right sideline. Diop delivered a perfectly-placed pass that bent behind the Revolution backline and connected with Kamara, who directed his left-footed shot past Reis from close range.
The goal gives Kamara eight on the season, which is a new career high and ties him for fifth best in MLS. Kamara’s two assists, both of which he earned earlier in the night, also tie his single-game career high. Smith was credited with his eighth assist on the goal, also tied for fifth most in the league this year.
New England had one of their best chances of the second half in the 67th minute when the ball fell to Cory Gibbs unmarked and in a dangerous position in the Wizards penalty area. Nielsen came out quickly to cut down the angle and Gibbs sent his shot high.
The Wizards fourth and final goal came from Jewsbury in the 69th minute. After replacing Diop just three minutes earlier, Jewsbury was the benefactor of Kansas City’s high-pressure style as Smith pounced on a back pass weakly sent to Reis. The New England goalkeeper poked the ball away from Smith, but it fell to Jewsbury at the top of the 18-yard box and Jewsbury made no mistake in sending his shot into the vacant net. The goal is his second of the season and first since he converted a penalty kick in Kansas City’s 4-0 opening day victory over D.C. United on March 27.
The win moves the Wizards up to fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings, one point shy of Chicago and three points back of Toronto FC with 10 games still to play in the regular season.
Following the win, Kansas City is now just five points out of the final playoff position.
Kansas City must next travel to Los Angeles to challenge the league-leading Galaxy on Saturday, August 28 at the Home Depot Center. The match, which kicks off at 9:30 p.m. CT, will air live in high definition on KCWE Channel 29 in both English and Spanish, accompanied by a live radio broadcast on La Gran D 1340 AM.
Fast Facts:
• Kansas City is now 6-9-5 (23 pts) on the season.
• The Wizards are currently in 5th place in the Eastern Conference.
• The Wizards are 5-3-3 at home this season in MLS play.
• Kansas City is 4-0-1 when leading at halftime and 6-0-2 when scoring first in 2010.
• Kansas City is now 20-11-8 all-time, and 10-6-3 at home against New England.
• Kei Kamara earned his first two assists of the season, assisting on both of Diop’s goals.
• The Wizards are now 4-1-2 in games when Kamara scores.
• Craig Rocastle earned his second assist of the season on Diop’s goal in the 16th minute.
• Goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen made 1 save on the night and now has 60 on the season.
• He is now 4th in MLS in saves.
• Nielsen lowered his goals against average to 1.15, tied for 7th best in MLS.
• Nielsen has played every minute of every MLS game for Kansas City this season, one of only nine players in the league to do so thus far in 2010.
• Wizards forward Birahim Diop made his first MLS start since May 25, 2002, a span of 8 years, 88 days. That is the second longest gap between MLS starts for any player in league history, behind Eddie Lewis’ span of 8 years, 329 days (10/6/99 – 8/30/08).
• Diop played 66 minutes and now has six appearances for Kansas City on the year.
• Diop scored his first two goals and earned his first assist in 10 career MLS appearances.
• Wizards defender Shavar Thomas made the 150th regular season start of his MLS career.
• Kansas City received no cautions for the second time this season.
• Kansas City won for the first time in 2010 when conceding a goal.
• Kansas City faces New England again on Saturday, October 16 at Gillette Stadium.
• On-loan defender Aaron Hohlbein started for Miami FC (USSF D-2) in a 3-1 loss at first place Rochester on Saturday.
• Omar Bravo, recently signed by Kansas City as a Designated Player and on loan to Chivas Guadalajara until the Wizards 2011 preseason, scored 15 seconds into a 2-1 loss at Atlante on Saturday in Primera Division action. The match aired live in the U.S. on Telemundo at 9 p.m. CT.
• Bravo has now scored for Chivas in back-to-back matches, after scoring in the stoppage time of the Copa Libertadores final against storied Brazilian club Internacional on Wednesday.
Press Release: Wizards thump Revolution
