* Wizards Travel to Toronto FC for Saturday Matinee
* Roger Espinoza Plays 45 Minutes for Honduras
* Watch Every World Cup Match Live in Kansas City Power & Light District
* OnGoal, Kansas City Wizards Move Offices to KC Crossroads District
* Manchester United Tickets On Sale
* This Week on KC Soccer Radio
* Wizards Youth Soccer Camps Update
WIZARDS TRAVEL TO TORONTO FC FOR SATURDAY MATINEE:
The Kansas City Wizards face Toronto FC Saturday at 3 p.m. CT in their second-straight road match. Kansas City will be without midfielder and team captain Davy Arnaud due to suspension after Arnaud received two yellow cards in last Saturday’s match at Real Salt Lake. Kansas City won the first-ever match at Toronto’s BMO Field in 2007. The Wizards have struggled on the road in 2010, going 0-4-0.
Toronto hasn’t lost in the last six games in all competitions, including a 3-1 win at San Jose last weekend. Canadian attacker Dwayne De Rosario scored two goals in the game and was named MLS Player of the Week for his effort. De Rosario ranks 2nd in MLS with eight goals on the year, while Kansas City striker Kei Kamara is tied for 3rd with five tallies. Kamara’s next goal will tie his career high for goals set in 2009.
Kansas City attacker Josh Wolff tallied his first goal of the season last Saturday, converting a pass from Davy Arnaud to pull Kansas City back within a goal in the 1st half. The Wizards went on to lose 4-1. Wolff now has 74 career goals, good for 14th place all-time in MLS. Wolff ranks 7th among active players. Wolff has scored 42 goals for the Wizards, good for 2nd on the club’s all-time list. He trails only Toronto FC Head Coach Preki, who scored 71 goals in 218 games for Kansas City.
Saturday’s match will again be broadcast live on KCWE 29 with 30-minute pre-game and post-game shows. Play-by-play man Dave Borchardt will have the call in English, with Sasha Victorine serving as analyst. Secondary audio is available in Spanish, featuring Enrique Morales and Raul Villegas.
ROGER ESPINOZA PLAYS 45 MINUTES FOR HONDURAS WEDNESDAY:
Wizards defender/midfielder Roger Espinoza played 45 minutes for Honduras today in a World Cup tune-up match against Azerbaijan. Espinoza, who wore number 13, entered for Wilson Palacios after halftime and played the remainder of the game. Palacios had been playing left-sided midfield in the match. Espinoza has played both left back and left midfield for Honduras in the past.
Espinoza and Honduras play Saturday at 12:30 p.m. CT at Romania in another World Cup tune-up contest. Honduras kicks off their second-ever World Cup June 16 at 6:30 a.m. CT against South American side Chile.
WATCH EVERY WORLD CUP MATCH LIVE IN KANSAS CITY POWER & LIGHT DISTRICT:
The Kansas City Wizards, the Kansas City Power & Light District and the Kansas City / USA Host City Bid Committee announced Tuesday that all 64 matches of this summer’s FIFA World Cup will be shown live at the 2010 Summer of Soccer in the Living Room at KC Live! The Summer of Soccer is expected to be one of the largest outdoor FIFA World Cup viewing parties in the United States.
Starting with the World Cup’s opening match on June 11 and running through the final match on July 11, the Summer of Soccer will feature every match of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ shown live in the KC Live! Living Room at the Power & Light District in downtown Kansas City. The Living Room’s video screen is the largest of its type in the Kansas City metropolitan area, and the location is ideal for fans, with bars, restaurants, shops and many other surrounding amenities.
The Summer of Soccer will begin with the start of the 2010 FIFA World Cup on June 11, when Mexico opens the tournament with a match against host nation South Africa at 9 a.m. CT. In addition to the screen in the Living Room, matches will be shown in surrounding bars, including Spanish-language broadcasts for all Mexico and Honduras games. Kansas City Wizards defender/midfielder Roger Espinoza is on the Honduras World Cup squad.
In addition to showing the games, there will be a multitude of special events and limited-time offers at the Power & Light District throughout the month-long tournament. Fans can enjoy food and drink specials at many of the surrounding establishments throughout the tournament.
Admission to the Power & Light District for the Summer of Soccer will be free, there will be no age limit and no dress code. Parking will be available in the garages and lots surrounding the Power & Light District, in addition to the on-street spaces around the downtown area. Parking is free in Power & Light District lots for up to three hours with validation. A detailed map of the Power & Light District can be found at www.powerandlightdistrict.com.
All games will start at either 6:30 a.m. CT, 9 a.m. CT or 1:30 p.m. CT. Click here for a full match schedule (all times listed on the schedule are Eastern).
The World Cup is far and away the most-watched sporting event on the planet. The 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany was broadcast in 214 countries and territories, with a total broadcast time of 73,072 hours on 43,600 broadcasts. The tournament drew a total of 26.2 billion viewers, including a cumulative audience of 715.1 million for the final match.
The Summer of Soccer, presented by the Kansas City Wizards, will be another step in showing that Kansas City has the passion required to host a FIFA World Cup in 2018 or 2022, should the U.S. bid be successful. To support the U.S. Bid Committee’s efforts to bring the world’s most popular sporting event to Arrowhead Stadium, sign the petition at www.goUSAbid.com/KC.
ONGOAL, KANSAS CITY WIZARDS MOVE TO KC CROSSROADS DISTRICT:
OnGoal and the Kansas City Wizards have moved front offices to the Kansas City Crossroads District just south of the Downtown Loop in Kansas City, Missouri. The club’s address change is effective immediately. All phone and fax numbers remain the same. Please update your records to reflect the new address. Relevant addresses for the organization are shown below:
New Front Office Address
Kansas City Wizards
210 West 19th Terrace
Suite 200
Kansas City, MO 64108
Phone Numbers
Toll Free: 888-4KC-GOAL
Local: 913-387-3400
Fax: 913-387-3401
Temporary Stadium Address
CommunityAmerica Ballpark
1800 Village West Parkway
Kansas City, KS 66111
Training Site Address
Kansas City Wizards Swope Park Training Center
6310 Lewis Road
Kansas City, MO 64132
Construction Address
OnGoal Construction Trailer
1699 Village West Parkway
Kansas City, KS 66111
MANCHESTER UNITED TICKETS ON SALE TO THE PUBLIC:
Fans who wish to watch the Kansas City Wizards take on soccer giants Manchester United in an exhibition match Sunday, July 25 can now purchase individual tickets to the match.
Tickets, which range from $30 - $200 can be purchased online through Ticketmaster.com, by calling 1-800-745-3000, or by visiting Kansas City area Ticketmaster outlets or the Arrowhead Stadium box office. Premium tickets, VIP opportunities and group tickets can be purchased by calling the Wizards at 888-4KC-GOAL.
Fans who purchase new Wizards season tickets will also get a ticket to the Manchester United game. Season tickets start at only $150 and can be purchased by calling 888-4KC-GOAL.
Managed by Sir Alex Ferguson since 1986, Manchester United currently boasts a lineup full of international stars such as Wayne Rooney (England), Patrice Evra (France), Dimitar Berbatov (Bulgaria), Nani (Portugal), Edwin van der Sar (Netherlands), Antonio Valencia (Ecuador), Paul Scholes (England) and legendary midfielder Ryan Giggs (Wales) who has been a part of every United Premier League Championship and holds the record for most appearances in club history with 837. Rooney scored his 100th Premier League goal this season and is currently tied for the English Premier league scoring lead with 26 goals. In addition, last month Manchester United added to its stable Mexican star Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez, who is considered one of the top young players in the world. United are committed to fielding all of its players for the North American tour who are not obligated to World Cup duties.
THIS WEEK ON KC SOCCER RADIO:
Wizards fans can follow the beautiful game on local radio this summer in both Spanish and English, with the Kansas City Soccer Show and Zona Wizards.
The Kansas City Soccer Show, which airs every Saturday from 10-11 a.m. CT on Sports Radio 810 AM, will cover the international game, the 2010 World Cup and the Kansas City soccer scene, including the Wizards, KCW Juniors and local youth soccer. There’s a lot for the show to talk about this week, as co-hosts Jake Gutierrez and Josh Whisenhunt cover the World Cup squad selections, the Wizards game at Toronto FC and the upcoming Kansas City Wizards-Manchester United exhibition match at the New Arrowhead Stadium. Fans are encouraged to call into the program at 913-381-0810.
Zona Wizards, the Wizards weekly Spanish-language radio show, airs weekly during the 2010 MLS season. The show, which features interviews with Wizards players and coaches, airs every Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. CT on La Gran D 1340 AM, which is also the Wizards Spanish-language flagship station.
WIZARDS YOUTH SOCCER CAMPS NOW ON SALE:
Registration to any of the Kansas City Wizards’ youth camps is now open, with nine different camps taking place at various locations around the Kansas City metro area this summer.
All camps will be managed and directed by full time Wizards employees, and include appearances by Wizards coaching staff and/or players along with a game ticket and many other benefits. The Wizards offer a variety of camps, consisting of Elite Camps for boys only, Fantasy Camps for the experienced male and female players at the team’s Swope Park Training Center and a handful of other camps in the Overland Park area.
For more information or to register for a Kansas City Wizards youth camp, visit www.kcwizards.com/camps, or contact Betsy Pollard at (913) 387-3883 or bpollard@kcwizards.com.