With the 2020 MLS season on temporary hold, SportingKC.com is taking daily strolls down memory lane with an "On This Day" web series that celebrates memorable moments in team history. As one of Major League Soccer's proud charter members, Sporting has a decorated past full of thrilling victories, amazing goals, momentous off-the-field developments and more. "On This Day" pays tribute to these specific instances, turning back the clocks while treating fans to nostalgia and club history lessons. To catch up on the series as it unfolds, visit SportingKC.com/OnThisDay.
On the first day of May in 2004, two MLS greats who would one day earn inductions to the Sporting Legends hall of honor led the Kansas City Wizards to a 2-0 win over the Colorado Rapids.
Sixteen years ago today, midfielder Chris Klein and forward Josh Wolff struck second-half goals at Arrowhead Stadium as the Wizards collected their second of 15 shutout victories across all competitions in 2004. Klein opened the scoring after 64 minutes and Wolff cemented the result six minutes from full time as Kansas City took another step toward an eventual first-place finish in the Western Conference under head coach Bob Gansler.
The 2004 campaign remains one of the most successful in club history, as the Wizards won their first Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup title and suffered a narrow 3-2 loss to D.C. United in the MLS Cup. Anchored by goalkeeper Tony Meola and MLS All-Star defender Jimmy Conrad, Kansas City allowed a league-low 30 goals during the regular season and conceded just once in their four-game Open Cup run.
Named a Sporting Legend in 2015, Klein contributed 43 goals and 54 assists in 235 competitive appearances for Kansas City from 1998-2005. He won MLS Comeback Player of the Year in both 2002 and 2005 and was an MLS All-Star in four straight seasons from 2002-2005.
Wolff, who joined the Sporting Legends in 2019, starred for the Wizards from 2003-2006 and 2008-2010. He amassed 46 goals and 30 assists in 163 competitive appearances, ranking fourth on the club’s all-time goals chart and eighth in assists. He is one of four players in team history—alongside Preki, Klein and Davy Arnaud—to notch at least 40 goals and 30 assists in a Kansas City uniform.
