The Kansas City Wizards are apparently behind the 8-ball.
They now have scored just a single goal in eight consecutive games, after Saturday's 1-1 draw with the New York Red Bulls. The eight games have resulted in two wins, two ties, and four losses. Clearly, the Wizards are missing World Cup players Eddie Johnson, Josh Wolff, and Jimmy Conrad.
They apparently need the offensive firepower Wolff and Johnson bring to the forward position.
"It's just a matter of giving the young guys an opportunity," Wizards head coach Bob Gansler said.
Midfielder Alex Zotinca and forward Scott Sealy started in place of Johnson and Wolff, as Gansler returned to a 4-4-2 system after going much of the season with three attackers. Both Sealy and Zotinca were substituted for during the match. Ryan Pore replaced Sealy, while Yura Mousisyan was a late substitution for Zotinica. In addition, Lance Watson came on for fellow rookie Matt Groenwald.
"Lance was very, very good. Pore gave us some good moments, a couple of good plays. Yura is a little out of control sometimes," Gansler said.
"It was a little passé. It was a little high schoolish in the sense that we went out and just wanted to kind of go out and see what happened," said defender Nick Garcia.
Garcia offered a simple solution for the Wizards stagnant offensive ways.
"We have to score more goals -- that's what it comes down to," Garcia said.
Gansler had another analysis, this one specific to the Saturday's tie with the Red Bulls.
"Our problem in the first half was that we just played too slowly," Gansler said.
One apparent byproduct of that pace was the Wizards chasing the Red Bulls after falling behind in the first half. Gansler thought the tempo picked up in the second half for the Wizards. The slow tempo the Wizards were playing was more at the Red Bulls pace, according to Gansler.
"Us tying it up, that was in the wind," Gansler said.
The game being in the wind was a shift in momentum. The Wizards pushed the accelerator down and got the game-tying goal from Jose Burciaga Jr.'s converted penalty kick, while the first half was on cruise control.
"In the second half, we came out with a little more fight," Garcia said. "I think we tried to hunt the ball down in the second half."
The positive out of Saturday night is that the Wizards did put an end to their three-game losing streak. But it still wasn't a much-needed victory.
"We need to play two halves like the second one and we will be OK," Gansler said. "I trust it is a sign of better things to come but we will have to wait till next Saturday to see it."
Thomas Foote is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
