When a team has long lulls in competitive play it becomes difficult to assess and predict, even for the coach. No matter how tightly constructed to simulate game conditions, practices never quite reach the full intensity level of a match with points on the line.

The problem is described as a lack of match fitness and is usually observed in preseason games for teams and in a player’s return to play from injury. Over the last few weeks, visits from top European teams which are in their own preseason presented interesting opportunities for the MLS teams which faced them in more equal contests than normal.

For DC United, their match against Paris Saint Germain was especially helpful. A formidable opponent forces a team to play with good habits centered on proper positioning, tight marking, and quicker play. Although both teams in such exhibitions are testing ideas and personnel, the quality of the PSG play allowed a good simulation of serious MLS contests.

The Columbus Crew comes into RFK as an improving team with an eye on the playoffs. They should feel good about their win at home against United in which they demonstrated great tenacity and discipline. It is Olsen’s task to assure that United’s occasional mental lapses in that contest are on the players’ minds and that they focus better at home.

For the young coach that is already first nature; he is certain to emphasize the need for aggressive play. He has only a few real choices to make about a starting lineup: who starts up front with Dwayne DeRosario, who starts at right midfield, and who starts in central defense.

If he goes with a full aggressive lineup, he will place Maicon Santos up front, Danny Cruz at right mid, and Brandon McDonald in central defense. There is an alternative, put Cruz on for pugnacity, but mix the attack up with Salihi up front to create and exploit space which might then help Emiliano Dudar’s more sophisticated passing out of the back to open up the Crew defense.

Columbus will focus its efforts on closing down both Chris Pontius and DeRosario. They will not neglect Salihi, but his threat is less palpable and more likely to slip under their radar. Cruz will help in that area as he will be in their faces all over the right wing.

Both McDonald and Santos were off form in Ohio and Olsen allowed Dudar to play the entire 90 minutes against PSG and was rewarded with a reasonably composed team. With Salihi’s talents still recognized by the Albanian National Team, Olsen may decide to use him a bit more often before he leaves after the 12 August match for a few days to play on 15 August.

That date is an international friendly date which will also see Dejan Jakovic and DeRosario playing for Canada. All will return at least somewhat fatigued for United’s 19 August game at RFK against the Philadelphia Union which begins a draining two-games-per-week sequence for DC.

For almost two months, DC United has been in a holding pattern while its Eastern Conference competitors have caught up in games played and left them wondering if their early season flair can be recaptured. If the PSG game has provided the insight and motivation hoped for, it needs to show up soon.

Two weeks ago, the Kansas City Wizards were poised to travel to Seattle after an impressive opening to the 2010 season. As the Wizards return to CommunityAmerica Ballpark Saturday to host the LA Galaxy, the team now faces questions.

In last week’s 1-0 loss to the Seattle Sounders, the Wizards showed that they are capable of performing well on the road. At times, they controlled the play, forcing nine corner kicks to Seattle’s two. However, Kansas City created few legitimate scoring chances, and Jimmy Nielsen was forced into several big saves. Finally, most troubling was the brief lapse in concentration from the Wizards defense on stoppage time throw in that allowed rookie Michael Fucito to score the game winner. Although US Soccer Director of Referee Development Paul Tamberino has since said that the goal should have been disallowed since the throw in took place over 10 yards from the spot where the ball left the field, the inability to stay with Fucito turned a solid road point into a potentially devastating defeat.

The Wizards will have to bounce back quickly as they welcome the league’s hottest team to Kansas City on Saturday. The LA Galaxy are a perfect 4-0-0 after a 2-1 victory last Saturday. While the injured David Beckham and Landon Donovan are clearly the highest profile players for the Galaxy (and perhaps the entire league), the player that is drawing the most attention in Los Angeles is forward Edson Buddle. Buddle has scored all seven of the Galaxy’s goals this season, and last week’s brace underscored his abilities. Early in the game, he powerfully headed home a Donovan corner kick, and on the game winner, he skillfully controlled Juninho’s pass at the top of the penalty area before scoring with his second touch. Buddle’s form has suddenly lifted him from World Cup outsider to a serious candidate for Bob Bradley’s 23 man roster for South Africa.

Attacking players like KC’s Ryan Smith and Kei Kamara and LA’s Donovan and Buddle may grab headlines, but the defenses have been outstanding for both clubs. Each team has only surrendered one goal the season, each coming in last week’s games. For Kansas City going forward, the question lies in their ability to produce actual goals from their free flowing attacking play. Their four goal outburst in the home opener against what has been a terrible DC United team has been proceeded by only one goal in their last two games. They will face a stern challenge against a back line lead by last year’s rookie of the year Omar Gonzalez.

In the back, the Wizards may have to contain Buddle without the services of Jimmy Conrad. The veteran defender left last week’s game in Seattle with a calf strain and is questionable for Saturday. Should he be unable to play, Pablo Escobar and Matt Besler will line up in the middle of the Wizards’ back four. Aside from the blunder on Fucito’s goals, Escobar and Besler performed admirably after Conrad’s exit, but they will be tested by LA, particularly Donovan and Buddle.

This Galaxy team is the best team the Wizards have faced so far this season, but as head coach Peter Vermes has noted, it is also an opportunity to show that this team belongs amongst the league leaders. A win Saturday may force those around the league to recognize that perhaps this Wizards team bears little resemblance to the dismal 2009 Kansas City squad.

KC hopes to finish strong

The Chicago Fire thumped the New York Red Bulls on Thursday night 5 -2 and, for the first time since their 2004 cup run, the Kansas City Wizards will breathe easy entering the final weekend of Major League Soccer’s regular season. New York’s thunderous loss means Kansas City is in the playoffs for the second straight year.

Kansas City had better not breathe too easy, however. On Saturday they take on perennial Eastern Conference champs, the New England Revolution in a battle for that most precious of postseason commodities, momentum.

From a historical standpoint, both the Wizards and the Revs enter Saturday’s match in unfamiliar territory. In seasons past, New England played solid, consistent soccer all season long, crescendoing toward the final weekend and then peaking in the playoffs.

The Wizards, meanwhile, began the last three seasons with a hot start and then faded down the stretch, lingering until the last regular season match, where their playoff fate would be decided. Not so this year.

Kansas City will take the field in Foxboro with the winds of a late season resurrection blowing at their backs. The Wizards are 4-1-1 in their last six matches and unbeaten in their last three. They scored ten goals in those last six games, which is almost half their entire season tally.

Defensively, KC allowed multiple goals only once, garnering three shutouts over that same period. The Wizards may be sneaking into the playoffs through the back door but, with this kind of late season form, they may also be a giant killer waiting to happen. Saturday’s game against the powerhouse Revolution might be a chance to find out.

New England, on the other hand, will ride a downward spiral into Saturday’s match. Winless in their last five games, the Revolution appear to suffer most from the recent loss of Midfielder Steve Ralston. Without Ralston to direct the attack or feed Taylor Twellman the final cutting pass, the Revs’ goal production dropped off with only four in the last five games.

New England nearly righted the ship a week ago in DC, taking a one goal second half lead against United before DC Forward Francis Doe hit home twice to send the Revs home in defeat. New England won’t want to enter the playoffs with those memories fresh in their minds. Defeating Kansas City at Gillette Stadium would go a long way to clearing the air before their semifinal series with Chicago.

The Wizards may also be down a man on Saturday, with Josh Wolff possibly missing the rest of the year. The engine of Kansas City’s resurgence, however, appears to be in the midfield. Pairing Davy Arnaud with Jack Jewsbury in center midfield might not have seemed like a season saving move two months ago but give Coach Curt Onalfo, as well as Arnaud and Jewsbury, credit. The tireless midfield tandem produced stability and creativity where previously there was none.

More often then not, Hercules Gomez helped put the Wizards in the win column as well. True to KC and Onalfo’s attacking philosophy, Gomez is another weapon on the field, providing clutch assists and goals like the stoppage time header that won last weekend’s game against San Jose.

The best news for the suddenly resurgent Wizards, however, might be the equally sudden emergence of Claudio Lopez. As KC’s first designated player, much was expected of Lopez early in the season but little came of the signing and Lopez rode the bench for long periods over the season’s last few months. He turned it around fast, though, providing a goal and two assists in last weekend’s win.

The Wizards might have entered the ’08 season hoping to dominate the East, proclaiming their intentions of winning home field advantage through the playoffs back in March. That may not have happened but, as the season took a sour turn, the team never stopped scraping for points.

Now the rebuilt and reconfigured Wizards are back with a chance to make a splash in the playoffs. With one tough game left to go, however, KC had better not lose focus or they might find their hard won momentum going the same way as the Red Bulls.

The Kansas City Wizards (9-10-9) will host the San Jose Earthquakes (7-12-9) in a match that the Wizards hope will not be their last home game of the season. A win Saturday night will go a long way towards Kansas City clinching a spot in the postseason while a Wizards loss or draw will relinquish control of their playoff destiny.

Kansas City took a big step towards the playoffs last week with a gritty 1-0 victory over the New England Revolution at Community America Ballpark. The home side controlled much of the match, but they needed a goal from captain Jimmy Conrad from a Jack Jewsbury corner in the 61st minute to grab the game winning goal.

The big story of the night was the play of the Wizards back line, a unit that has looked shaky for much of the season. New England forwards Taylor Twellman and Kheli Dube found little room to operate, and goalkeeper Kevin Hartman a relatively easy night. While part of New England’s struggles may have been due to an injury to Steve Ralston in the first half, Kansas City boss Curt Onalfo must be pleased with the play of his defense heading into the final two home games of the season.

Meanwhile, the Earthquakes saw their playoff hopes take a major blow Wednesday night in a 2-1 defeat to Houston. San Jose had seemingly taken a point against the defending MLS Cup Champions, but Stuart Holden’s goal in second half stoppage time gave the Dynamo the victory. The defeat for the Earthquakes means that they will need two win their final two games and receive massive amounts of help from other teams in the next two weeks to have any chance of qualifying for the post season.

San Jose may be playoff outsiders, but they possess plenty of weapons that can also spoil Kansas City’s postseason hopes, particularly Darren Huckerby. The former Norwich City winger scored the game winning goal in the first meeting between the two clubs, and rookie right back Jonathan Leathers will have his hands full against the dribbling skills of Huckerby. Right midfielder Herculez Gomez may have to work hard to track back and help defend against Huckerby.

Despite the presence of Huckerby, Kansas City has an excellent chance for three points this weekend. The Earthquakes will not only face fatigue issues after playing on Wednesday, but the team’s psyche could also be poor after such a heartbreaking loss that may have effectively ended their season. The Wizards have also played well at home this season, and if they can maintain the momentum from their three previous home games (wins over LA, Toronto, and New England), they will take a major step at qualifying for the playoffs.

With only three games left in the MLS regular season, the Kansas City Wizards (8-10-9) will host the New England Revolution (12-8-7) at Community America Ballpark in a match with potentially major playoff implications. The Wizards are trail both Colorado and Salt Lake by one point for the final playoff spot and trail New York by three points for the seventh playoff spot. Meanwhile, although the New England Revolution have clinched a berth in the playoffs, they hope to solidify their spot as the second place team in the Eastern Conference as they lead Chicago by only one point.

Last week, Kansas City had a chance to vault into the top eight in the league with a win over the Chicago Fire at home. However, a Cuauhtemoc Blanco penalty from a Michael Harrington handball put the home side down 1-0 at the half. Harrington atoned for his first half mistake with a stunning strike from the top of the penalty area minutes after the break. The Wizards held on for the draw thanks to another heroic effort from their goalkeeper Kevin Hartman.

While the draw was nothing close to ideal for Kansas City, other results around the league have helped the Wizards remain viable contenders for a playoff spot. DC United, once considered a near lock for the playoffs, are now on the outside looking in due to fixture congestion and a spate of injuries, particularly season ending injuries to Marcello Gallardo and Fred. New York had an excellent opportunity to solidify their playoff hopes in the past week, but a loss at home to last place Toronto, and a draw against fellow playoff hopefuls Salt Lake means that they must fight to secure their position. Colorado also missed a chance to leapfrog two spots, but they dropped a 3-1 decision at home to Houston.

The Revolution enter the match after fighting to rescue a point at home against Salt Lake. The visitors seemingly had three points in the bag when Andy Williams scored in the 73rd minute to put his side up 2-0. However, with visions of their club’s first ever playoff berth dancing in their heads, Salt Lake surrendered two goals in as many minutes to Steve Ralston and Taylor Twellman as the home side booked their spot in the playoffs.

While the Wizards will be at full strength for this match, Steve Nicol will face key absences. Forward Adam Christman remains unavailable after toe surgery, and both Sainey Nyassi and Kenny Mansailly have been called in to the Gambian National Team for their crucial World Cup qualifier against Senegal. However, Kansas City players, coaches and fans also remember that the Revolution came to Community America earlier this season facing a rash of injuries, but the visitors came away with a dominating 3-1 victory on a cold, wet Wednesday evening.

For Kansas City, the story entering this game is a familiar one for coach Curt Onalfo: finding a productive partnership up top. Josh Wolff has played quite well in recent games, but nobody has emerged to compliment his efforts. Davy Arnaud seemed ready to fill that role, but Onalfo has moved him alongside Jack Jewsbury to bolster the central midfield. Abe Thompson showed promise in his first few games with the club, but he has been ineffective as of late. Herculez Gomez could be a solution, but moving him to forward creates a hole at right midfield.

Whatever lineup Onalfo employs, expect the home side to push numbers forward early and often. Without speedsters Nyassi and Mansailly, the Wizards can attack more confidently with less fear of a swift New England counterattack. An early goal will also help to calm nerves and allow Kansas City to avoid a situation where they chase the game to save their season. Kansas City has not lost at home since June, but they cannot afford another draw. While fans and journalists tend to throw around the phrase “must win” too loosely, the cliche most certainly applies to Kansas City this weekend.

Postseason Futures are on the Line

How quickly things change. The last time the Kansas City Wizards left the friendly confines of their home field at Community America Ballpark, the team’s playoff chances were virtually non-existent as was their field presence. When the rejuvenated Wizards take the field this weekend against Chivas USA, however, it will be with a postseason wild card spot dead in their sights.

Both Kansas City and Chivas enter Saturday’s match on the playoff bubble. Chivas enjoys the better position at second place in the Western Conference and two points clear of Real Salt Lake, the nearest non-playoff team. The Wizards, meanwhile sit precariously at fifth place in the East but only a point back from DC United in the final wild card berth. A win or draw for either team in this contest would go a long way to achieving their respective playoff goals. A loss, however, could stamp out the Wizards’ recent momentum or drop Chivas out of the ranks of the playoff bound. It appears that, at least for this match, everything is on table.

Kansas City’s sudden rise to wild card contention seemed highly improbable just three weeks ago when they returned home from a 3-1 walloping at the hands of the Houston Dynamo at Robertson Stadium. For a number of reasons, however, the team that walked off of that field seems distantly removed from the team that will walk out to face Chivas at the Home Depot Center.
For starters, midfielder Hercules Gomez and forward Abe Thompson both came off the bench against Houston but both are now seasoned members of the starting eleven. Gomez in particular appears calm, calculated and thoroughly dangerous patrolling the right flank of KC’s midfield. His wiliness against Los Angeles two weeks ago led to the Josh Wolff goal that got this whole Wizard revival started.

More important, though, and frankly more surprising is the sudden potency of the Wizards’ central midfield tandem. Davy Arnaud and Jack Jewsbury aren’t exactly the sexy picks when it comes to midfield dynamism but no one can argue that the hardest working duo this side of the Mississippi is getting results. Arnaud has a goal and an assist in the last two weeks and runs fearlessly at opposing defenses, opening lanes for fellow midfielders Gomez and Roger Espinoza, who have three assists between them.

Jewsbury, on the other hand, has long been the Wizard’s utility player, filling in at right midfield, right back and holding midfielder, his current regular position. The five year veteran is a consummate professional, however, and when he isn’t bursting forward into attack or scoring from the penalty spot, he’s helping the defense to its second straight shutout. With Jewsbury minding the shop ahead of all star defender Jimmy Conrad, the Wizards may finally be able to charge into attack while still minding the fort.

Victories over Los Angeles and Toronto are a good starting point for a late season rally but Chivas USA will present a bigger threat to the Wizards and should be plenty motivated to do so. Kansas City ousted the injury depleted Goats from last year’s playoffs as well as defeated them in a 3-2 win earlier this season. Chivas, no less injury bitten now then last year, played that game without their two lead scorers, Ante Razov and Sasha Kljestan. This time around, however, all the major players appear to be available and Chivas are fighting to keep pace in the wide open Western Conference. When Kansas City puts boot to grass on Saturday, they’ll be stepping into a five way race for a few precious playoff spots. It might be all they can do to emerge unscathed.

Then again, must-win games at this point in the season are nothing new for the Wizards who always seem to wait for the last possible moment to seal their playoff fate. Last year they barged into the postseason on the last day of the season while the year before that they petered out in the same fashion. If KC leaves California with a point this week, they might be happy since their next three games are at home. The game is there for the winning, however, if the Wizards can only prove themselves equal to the task.

It can be amazing how much things can change in a week in MLS.

After a four game winless streak and only one victory since the All-Star break, the season for the Kansas City Wizards seemed to be doomed.  However, the Wizards, featuring a revamped starting eleven, found new hope last Saturday with a 2-0 over the LA Galaxy.  Kansas City now trails DC United by four points for the final playoff position, and the Wizards have the luxury of closing the season with four of the last six games at home.

Manager Curt Onalfo knew that he needed a shake-up if his squad stood any chance of a playoff run, and armed with new attacking options in Abe Thompson and Herculez Gomez, Onalfo may have the opportunity to play the type of attacking soccer he desires.  Thompson started up top with Josh Wolff, and Gomez slotted in to the right midfield spot.  Onalfo also started Jack Jewsbury and Davy Arnaud in central midfield to find an attacking spark in the middle.  Finally, Onalfo decided to leave Claudio Lopez on the bench for the first time this season, starting Roger Espinoza at left midfield.

After a dreary first half for both clubs, Onalfo’s changes began to pay off in the second half.  In the 67th minute, Arnaud played a ball wide for Gomez, and the newcomer’s first time cross found Wolff at the near post.  Wolff deftly back-heeled the ball past LA goalkeeper Josh Wicks to give the home side the crucial opener.  Two minutes later, Davy Arnaud unleashed a stunning drive from 30 yards out to give the Wizards a 2-0 lead and earning Arnaud Goal of the Week honors.

After the game, Onalfo was quite pleased with all of the new players and position changes.  Thompson gave a yeoman’s effort and displayed his strength in fighting for long balls and holding off defenders.  Gomez not only provided the assist on the first goal, but he also made many dangerous runs down the wing and displayed his ability to strike a dead ball.  Arnaud and Jewsbury controlled the central midfield, and both provided a real offensive threat that the Wizards lacked when Kurt Morsink, Kerry Zavagnin, and the recently traded Sasha Victorine played in the middle.

For Toronto FC, a promising first half of the season has given way to a disappointed second half wIth only one win since the All-Star break and currently carrying a five game winless streak.  Last week at home against Columbus, the Reds began the game in a positive fashion with Carl Robinson lobbing Will Hesmer to give the home side the lead after six minutes.  However, Pat Noonan scored his first goal for the Crew late in the first half, and the visitors held on to steal a point north of the border.

The disappointing draw dropped Toronto into last place in the Eastern Conference, and they remain six points behind DC United for the final playoff spot.  To make matters worse, the Reds must play four of their last six on the road where they have struggled mightily all season.

Despite the Toronto’s poor run of form of late, Kansas CIty should expect a significantly more difficult challenge this week.  Toronto had to deal with a multitude of international callups the past few weeks, but all of those players have returned.  While Arnaud and Jewsbury passed their first test with flying colors against LA, they will have to face a rested Carl Robinson and Amado Guevara, a Wizards killer throughout his career, instead of a jet-lagged David Beckham (flying from Croatia, to London, to LA, to KC in three days) and an ineffective Greg Vanney.

Robinson and Guevara compliment each other very nicely as the Welshman prefers to drop deep and distribute the ball while Guevara prefers to press forward and create or finish scoring chances.  Jewsbury and Arnaud will not only find themselves unlikely to find the time and space they enjoyed against LA, but they will also have to fight hard defensively to control midfield.

Also, Toronto has lead in the first half of their previous three matches.  While the Reds have not shown the ability to hold their lead, the Wizards must concentrate on getting the first goal of the game.  Kansas City has not played well this season when forced to chase the game, and Toronto, with its full complement of players now at John Carver’s disposal, will offer a stiff challenge should they get the opening goal of the game.

However, the Wizards enter the game with a large edge in confidence.  Thompson and Gomez look like they have something to prove after being cast off by their former clubs, and the entire team seems energized by the new look of the club.  Should they maintain the momentum from their excellent second half from last week, Kansas City has an excellent chance to getting the victory over Toronto putting more pressure on the clubs above them in the playoff race.

When the Kansas City Wizards and LA Galaxy meet Saturday afternoon, fans of each side will lamentably notice the many similarities between the two clubs. Both teams enter with six wins, nine losses, and eight draws for 26 points, good for last place in their respective conferences, and both must somehow conjure up winning streaks to have any shot at qualifying for the playoffs.

Both clubs showed promise early in the season but have struggled immensely in the second half as the two have combined for a putrid 1-7-5 record since the All-Star Break, the lone victory being a 3-2 victory for KC over an injury-depleted Chivas team.

The respective front offices have acknowledged the poor run of form of their teams in the past month. The Galaxy cleaned house by firing general manager Alexi Lalas; and coach Ruud Gullit, likely seeing the writing on the wall, resigned, and both were replaced by Bruce Arena.

Meanwhile, the Wizards have not made any management changes, but team president Robb Heineman has noted his team’s winless streak on the team’s official blog. He has empathized with fans’ frustrations but also has asked for their patience, assuring them that the front office is doing everything they can to turn things around.

The managers of both sides also were part of the US National Team coaching staff from 2002-2006 as Wizards boss Curt Onalfo served as Arena’s assistant, however both managers face different problems with their squads. Arena has sought to shore up a porous Galaxy defense with mixed results (a 1-0 loss to Chicago and a pair of 2-2 draws), while Onalfo’s plans to deploy an attractive, attacking squad have fallen through as Kansas City has struggled to score goals for most of the season.

The Wizards have tried to bolster their attack in the past week by acquiring forwards Herculez Gomez and Abe Thompson. Onalfo has indicated that he plans to at least start Thompson this Sunday up top with Josh Wolff, which will likely move Claudio Lopez back to the midfield. With Sasha Victorine and defenders Aaron Hohlbein and Matt Marquess all unlikely to play, Onalfo will have to juggle his lineup this Saturday.

While Arena has been forced to deal with injuries to goalkeeper Steve Cronin and a host of midfielders, he will welcome back midfielders Eddie Lewis, Landon Donovan, and David Beckham from international duty. The trio, combined with forward Edson Buddle, form a lethal attack capable of scoring goals in bunches against any MLS defense.

Both clubs dread the prospect of a draw, but that result seems like a distinct possibility as both sides are evenly matched. The Galaxy attack will be at full strength against a Wizards’ backline facing injuries, but Onalfo will relish the idea of fighting fire with fire against this Galaxy defense, especially with new weapons Thompson and Gomez at his disposal.

Los Angeles has been playing better soccer of late, managing draws against likely playoff participants New England and Salt Lake whereas Kansas City was run off the field last weekend in a 3-1 loss at Houston.

On the positive side for the Wizards, the team will enjoy a significantly larger home crowd than accustomed. With Beckham set to make his first trip to Kansas City, the club has moved the game back to Arrowhead Stadium after playing at the cozy Community America Ballpark to accommodate a crowd that could very well triple the size of the Wizards’ average attendance this season.

This factor may not seem like much, but for two clubs in dire need of victories, any edge seems massive.

Time is running out for KC’s playoff hopes

The Kansas City Wizards travel to Houston on Sunday to battle the Dynamo, defending MLS Champions and leaders of the Western Conference, in yet another attempt to burst back into the playoff picture. Despite nearly two months of the regular season remaining, however, the lights appear to be going out on Kansas City’s playoff hopes.

The Wizards have little to show for their striving since the All-star game except a middling 1-3-2 record. Meanwhile the New York Red Bulls, KC’s nearest playoff competitor, continue to take advantage of the Wizard’s cold streak, expanding their playoff edge to six points. The Wizards enter Robertson Stadium this weekend hoping to narrow that gap with only their second road win of the season. Against a team like the Houston Dynamo, however, such hoping might prove to be futile.

Unfortunately for the Wizards, who lost all three of their road games in August, the Dynamo are unbeaten at home since June 12th and appear to be playing their most dominating soccer of the season right now. Houston won five of their last six league games and won them convincingly, outscoring their opponents 14-7and garnering three shutouts.

By contrast, the Wizards scored multiple goals only once over that same period and were shutout twice. Speaking of shutouts, the last time Kansas City faced off with the Dynamo, they battled to a 0-0 draw at Community America Ballpark in Kansas. Given the recent form of these two teams, a scoreless draw may be the best the Wizards can hope for.

The Wizards aren’t fighting for a draw, however, nor is that what they need as they try to keep pace in the brutal Eastern Conference. Instead the Wizards, who are second to last in scoring this season, are doing what they can to get as much offense on the field as possible. Toward that end, the team acquired forward Hercules Gomez from the Colorado Rapids this week in exchange for draft picks. Gomez’s stats for 2008 (2 goals, 1 assist) should look right at home alongside such offensive luminaries as Jack Jewsbury (2 goals, 5 assists) and Scott Sealy (2 goals, no longer with the Wizards).

Then again, any scoring is welcome this late in the season and the Wizards are mighty thin when it comes to scoring off the bench. With that in mind, Gomez could provide just enough firepower to keep the Wizards in the playoff hunt at least a little longer.

While KC battles for its playoff future, however, the Dynamo appear to be mowing down anyone who gets in the way of their third run to the MLS Cup final. Houston got out to a slow start this season, winless in their first six games, but have since roared to the top of the Western Conference table and a five point lead over second place Real Salt Lake. Such regional dominance may not seem impressive, given how weak the West appears to be this year, but even Eastern conference teams find Houston tough to beat. Chicago, Columbus and DC United all lost to the Dynamo in the last month.

Why, exactly, have the Houston Dynamo been so dominant for so long? It might be consistency. Brian Ching, Dwayne DeRosario, Brad Davis and Brian Mullan all date back to the old San Jose Earthquakes and combine for 19 goals and 17 assists this year. It might also be experience. Defenders Wade Barrett, Craig Waibel, Eddie Robinson and Keeper Pat Onstad combine for 28 years of MLS experience, good for eight shutouts and the second fewest goals allowed this season. It may even be roster depth, as players from Kei Kamara and Nate Jaqua to Corey Ashe and Geoff Cameron came to Houston through trade or draft and contributed goals and assists almost immediately.

Whatever it is that makes up Houston’s winning formula, the Kansas City Wizards might want to find it, bottle it, and bring it home with them this weekend because the Wizards are just one bad result away from full on rebuilding mode. In the long run, that may not be a bad thing. Out of the ashes of disappointing seasons past, at least a few teams have laid the foundations for success in 2008 and beyond.

KC possesses its share of solid veterans and a slew of talented first and second year players who may only need time to develop and to mesh with one another. For now, however, the Wizards are left hoping desperately for that one small spark to ignite the rest of their season and catapult them back to relevance in the East. Against a juggernaut like Houston, that sort of thing rarely seems to work.

As Major League Soccer slips definitively into the final third of its season, it’s hard to tell if the Kansas City Wizards are coming or going. With nine games remaining, there seems to be plenty of time for the Blues to power their way back into the playoff picture but are they getting closer? Are they getting left behind? Regardless of their past performance, one thing becomes increasingly clear the closer the Wizards get to their season’s autumn finale. Kansas City needs wins. What better time to start winning than with a visit to Buck Shaw Stadium for a match with the expansion San Jose Earthquakes?

Then again, the Earthquakes stopped playing like an expansion team a long time ago. After winning only three of their first sixteen games, the Quakes are undefeated in their last seven. Their last home game ended in a rollicking 4-0 victory over the New England Revolution, a team diametrically opposed to last place Kansas City in the Eastern Conference standings. Meanwhile, San Jose’s suddenly stingy defense has allowed multiple goals in a game only once in the last two months. All of which is to say, the Wizards will need to bring their ‘A’ game to California on Saturday if they hope to score many goals or bring home any points.

The question remains, however, whether the Wizards will be up to the task. A certain body of evidence seems to suggest they will be. The Wizards have only lost twice in their last nine games. Twice over that period, the Wizards scored three goals in a match. Perhaps most importantly, Kansas City’s offense seems to have found some stability with Josh Wolff and Davy Arnaud at forward and Claudio Lopez in midfield, all of whom have scored goals recently while feeding off each other’s service and movement.

On the other hand, despite the occasional burst of good form, Kansas City remains mired at the bottom of the East, five points out of playoff contention and unable to make up any ground. They’ve lost two of their last four games, losses that allowed New York Red Bulls to gain ground on KC in the playoff hunt. Furthermore, with only two months left in the regular season, their leading goal scorer is still a center defender and, most ominously for the Wizards, they haven’t won a road game since April 20th. If KC hopes to reverse that trend, they’ll have to do so against a formidable home squad in San Jose.

When the Wizards take the field on Saturday, they’ll find the Earthquakes little changed since their 4-0 romping over New England but considerably reinforced since the beginning of the season. The most notable recent additions to the Earthquakes are all on offense with Darren Huckerby, Arturo Alvarez and former Wizard Scott Sealy all joining the team in the last five weeks and contributing four goals and five assists collectively. Over that span, the Earthquakes have outscored their opponents 8-3 without losing once and garnering three shutouts in the process. With this kind of buzz saw awaiting them in San Jose, it’s entirely possible the Wizards could find themselves another vanquished foe on the Earthquakes’ meteoric rise out of the Western Conference basement.

The Wizards have faced postseason oblivion before, however, and still managed to salvage themselves in time for the playoffs. Last year, Kansas City determined its playoff fate on the last day of the regular season after a string of mediocre results and went on to play in the Western Conference championship. Whether the Wizards are capable of that sort of resurgence this year remains to be seen, as they’ve enjoyed moments of brilliance and collapse in equal measure. One thing seems certain, however, as the playoff field begins to shrink into the distance. The Wizards need to start winning and they really ought to start winning now.