Friday, October 22, 2010

Ending the Season

The Wizards will play their final game of the 2010 season and their final game at Community America Ballpark tomorrow when the KC Wizards take on the playoff bound San Jose Earthquakes. San Jose comes into the game with one of the league's MVP candidates, Chris Wondolowski, who scored a hattrick on Wednesday night as a substitute in the Earthquakes 3-0 win over Chivas. Wondolowski is now tied for the league lead in goals with Edson Buddle with 17. The Quakes also have two former Wizards Scott Sealy and Khari Stephenson, who in his re-debut in MLS was a pain for the Wizards as he got the assist in the Quakes 1-0 win.

Like last year, the Wizards are limping into their final game of the season and appear set to have a bit of a makeshift lineup. Stephane Auvray is already gone, having left earlier this week to join the Guadeloupe national team for their Digicel Caribbean Cup games. Jimmy Conrad also appears set to miss the game as he's still recovering from the concussion he suffered in practice last week. Ryan Smith also has not returned yet from his personal business in England that has caused him to miss the last two games. On top of that, Michael Harrington, who left the game against New England early, is doubtful with a calf strain. And it looks like Jon Kempin is going to make the bench for the first time tomorrow. Does that mean KC is going to dress two goalkeepers to fill their 18 man roster for tomorrow or is Eric Kronberg or Jimmy Nielsen set to miss this game as well? We'll find out soon enough.

Nielsen
Leathers - Thomas - Besler - Espinoza
Arnaud - Rocastle - Jewsbury
Kamara - Bunbury - Wolff

Key Match Up - Matt Besler vs Chris Wondolowski - The MVP candidate is going to be a handful, and while Frank Yallop has said he'll get a chance to score, the way he said it makes one question whether that will be as a forward or a sub, but either way he'll be a handful for the Wizards back line to take care of.

PREDICTION - It'd be big to close out the season with a win tomorrow, just to give the fans something to cheer for one last time at CAB and enjoy closing out it's history as a soccer venue. San Jose could have an eye towards the playoffs and their potential seeding in the playoffs and could look past the Wizards. Hopefully KC looks at this as a chance to leave their fans with something to remember CAB fondly on.

KC - 2 (Kamara, Bunbury)
SJ - 1 (Wondolowski)

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