KANSAS CITY, Kan. – The numbers just don’t lie. In Major League Soccer, the team that scores first wins three out of four matches, as a league-wide 145-17-36 record through the 2010 season can prove.
That’s something the Wizards will have no choice but to keep in mind as they face a must-win game against the Seattle Sounders on Saturday at CommunityAmerica Ballpark.
“In this league, the first goal is so important,” goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen said. “You don’t see many teams make a big comeback. We’ve done it a couple times, but usually, when you get that first goal against you, it kills you.”
With Kansas City desperately chasing a playoff spot, an early Seattle goal on Saturday night could do more than kill the game. It could very well kill the Wizards’ season.
[inline_node:319181]Manager Peter Vermes’ team came back from a 3-1 deficit against Houston a little more than two weeks ago to walk away with a critical 4-3 victory, but that inspiring performance has certainly been the exception this season.
READ: Wizards look to keep hopes alive vs. Sounders
Overall, the Wizards are 1-11-2 when falling behind and 8-0-2 when scoring first, making the game’s first goal a pretty good indicator of the final result.
And even though that first goal is likely to decide the direction the match takes, Vermes says Kansas City has to focus on what it would do if it falls behind early just as much as how to hold onto any potential lead.
“Believe me, I understand the percentages and how they go,” Vermes said. “I also think mentality has something to do with that. You have to be able to deal with adversity within the course of 90 minutes.”
The Wizards have dealt with plenty of early adversity in their last three matches.
Houston scored twice in the first half to present KC with a sizable hole to climb out of on Sept. 22. FC Dallas scored twice in the first half as well just days later and coasted to a 3-1 victory. Finally, New York scored in the sixth minute last Saturday and held on to a 1-0 victory at Red Bull Arena.
Those goals helped put Kansas City in the situation they face now. As the Wizards know, that first goal can be even more important at CAB, where a lack of space makes comebacks more difficult to pull off.
“That first goal is a deal-breaker here at CommunityAmerica,” defender Jimmy Conrad said. “We’ve shown that we can score multiple goals and come back from behind, but overall that’s more of a rare occurrence than the norm.”
Regardless, the Wizards will be playing for three points on Saturday, and, as important as that first goal will be, Vermes knows the game won’t be over for either side until the final whistle blows.
Even if the odds are against whoever goes down first.
