(November 9, 2007) – The Kansas City Wizards travel to Robertson Stadium Saturday to face defending MLS Cup champion Houston Dynamo for the chance to compete in MLS Cup 2007. Saturday’s match (7:30 p.m. CT live on Fox Soccer Channel, Fox Sports en Español and HDNet) will mark the third meeting between the teams this season and the first-ever postseason match-up between the teams. Kansas City is 1-2-1 all-time against Houston but 1-0-1 at Robertson Stadium. Kansas City is appearing in its fourth conference championship. The Wizards have gone 2-1-0 in previous semifinal appearances, losing in 1996 and advancing to MLS Cup in 2000 (W CHI 1-0) and 2004 (L D.C. 3-2).
Kansas City advanced to the Conference Championship by defeating Chivas USA 1-0 on aggregate through two games. A high-scoring team all season, Kansas City’s defense has led the team of late with a current 336-minute scoreless streak. Goalkeeper Kevin Hartman set the new MLS shutout mark with two clean sheets against Chivas. He now has 14 career postseason shutouts (12 with the Los Angeles Galaxy). He also extended his leads in career postseason wins (22) and saves (147).
Houston defeated FC Dallas 4-2 on aggregate to advance after trailing 1-0 after leg 1. Dynamo capitalized on a red card to FCD midfielder Arturo Alvarez early in the second half and scored two goals to send the series to extra time. In the extra time period, Dynamo received goals from Brian Ching and Brad Davis to win the game.
The organizations have met two times previously in the MLS Cup playoffs when the Dynamo were the San Jose Earthquakes. San Jose eliminated Kansas City on its way to MLS Cup 2003 in the Western Conference finals. Current Dynamo midfield Brian Mullan scored a goal in the Earthquakes 3-2 overtime victory. In 2004, Kansas City defeated San Jose in the conference semifinals on its way to a runner-up finish in MLS Cup 2004. The teams meet again with a berth in the league championship game on the line.
Both teams should be near full strength. Houston will be without midfielder Ricardo Clark due to a nine-game suspension he received late in the regular season. No other players will be suspended for the match. Both teams are relatively healthy. Kansas City attacking midfielder Carlos Marinelli is returning to form after suffering a sprained ankle in the regular-season finale, and he will be a gameday decision.
Saturday’s match-up will feature goalkeepers who own the two best regular seasons in MLS history. The Wizards Kevin Hartman set the standard for MLS ‘keepers with a 0.91 goals against average in 1999 while with the Los Angeles Galaxy. Pat Onstad of Houston broke Hartman’s record this year, allowing only 22 goals in 2,418 minutes for a 0.82 goals against average. Hartman won goalkeeper of the year for his performance in 1999. Onstad won the award in 2003 and 2005 when Dynamo were still the Earthquakes.
The game will also feature attacking players with international credentials. Strikers Eddie Johnson of Kansas City and Brian Ching of Houston are both regulars on the U.S. National Team. Both have also won MLS Comeback Player of the Year honors. Ching won the award in 2004, and Johnson was named Monday as the 2007 comeback player after a season in which he set new career highs in goals (15) and assists (6) and led MLS with six game-winning goals.
Kansas City captain Jimmy Conrad played with many Houston players while the team was in San Jose. He was a central figure on the Earthquakes’ 2001 MLS Cup title team before joining the Wizards in 2003.
