Wed Sep 26 22:04:16 2007

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Surging L.A. aims to add to another late-season K.C. collapse

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Kansas City, MO (Sports Network) - The Kansas City Wizards have failed to reach the Major League Soccer playoffs the last two seasons, being eliminated on the final day of the regular season, and if they don't snap out of their current slide, it could happen again for a third straight year.

The Wiz have just one win in their last five league fixtures, and that was a dramatic come-from-behind contest in which they used two stoppage-time goals to top the Columbus Crew on Sept. 15. If not for that improbable victory, Kansas City would be in the eighth spot, just one point up on Chicago for the last playoff spot.

As it currently stands, the Wizards are in the seventh position, four points up eighth-placed Chicago and five up on the Crew with four games to play.

"We're not happy about where we are at," Wizards defender Jimmy Conrad said. "I think it's clear that we have a lot of talent. You look at our team on paper and we should be a lot farther ahead than we are. For some reason we like to make it dramatic down the stretch. The last few years we made it really dramatic and didn't get in the playoffs and this year I hope we don't even put ourselves in that position."

Despite their current struggles, the Wizards still have confidence heading down the stretch.

"I don't think anyone really wants to play us in the playoffs because we can play with anybody," Wizards goalkeeper Kevin Hartman said. "But first we have to take this lesson and continue to grow and hopefully make a playoff run."

The team has a chance to improve its spot in the playoffs with a victory over last-placed Los Angeles on Thursday in the MLS Primetime game of the week. The Galaxy, who had high expectations coming into the season, are currently tied with Toronto FC with 21 points for the lowest point total in the league, although the California club has a game in hand.

The Galaxy are coming off a successful week in which they earned a win and a draw, just their second two-game unbeaten streak of the season, and will be looking to keep their slim playoff hopes alive with a victory at Arrowhead on Thursday.

In their latest fixture, the Galaxy topped FC Dallas 2-1 behind a penalty kick goal from Landon Donovan and a laser strike by Chris Klein.

"Three points is very important at this point, I was happy with the win, we could have scored more goals, but I'm really happy that we were able to get three points at a crucial time," Galaxy coach Frank Yallop said after the game.

"We thought the game was there for us tonight," Klein said."We have been playing pretty well lately, and sometimes the result hasn't gone for us. As a group we have been very positive and Frank has been very positive. We are going to try and make the season interesting, we don't know what it's going to look like in the end, but good to get three points and at least move up the standings a little bit."

In the Wizards last fixture, they fell to CD Chivas USA 2-1. The team squandered numerous scoring opportunities to take control of the game before a stoppage-time goal by Ante Razov - his second of the game - stole points away from the visitors.

"I'm very disappointed that we didn't walk out of here with at least a point," Kansas City coach Curt Onalfo said. "We created numerous chances and, overall, we had a good performance. It's extremely disheartening to walk out of here losing 2-1."

"I thought we outplayed them tonight," Conrad said."I think it was the reverse of when Chivas USA came out to Kansas City where they had the run of play but we scored in the last minute to win the game. Tonight I thought we had the run of play and they scored the winner in the last minute. We're even with Chivas USA this year and we look forward to playing them in the playoffs."

In Thursday's match, L.A. will be without defender Kevin Harmse because of a suspension due to yellow card accumulation while injuries to David Beckham, Chris Albright, and Kelly Gray also have them on the shelf.

The Wizards' key injuries are to forward Scott Sealy, who is listed as doubtful with a quad strain, and midfielder Kurt Morsink, who has a knee strain. Midfielders Eloy Colombano and Carlos Marinelli are both probable with their own injuries.

After Thursday's game, the Wizards host league-leading D.C. United on Oct. 5 while the Galaxy play again Sunday at Columbus.