Wizards sign Kempin
from youth program
By Robert Whitman
August 31, 2010
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Wizards made their
first signing of a player from their youth program Tuesday
when goalkeeper Jon Kempin signed a professional contract
and was introduced in the players’ lounge of the club’s
Swope Park training facility.
Kempin, who lived in Leawood, Kan. while attending Blue
Valley North, becomes one of two Kansas City area products
on the roster for the Wizards. Defender Matt Besler is from
Overland Park, Kan. and attended Blue Valley West.
“This is a dream come true,” Kempin said. “It’s an exciting
time for the Wizards organization and I feel blessed to be
the team’s first Home Grown Player. I’m also really looking
forward to learning under Jimmy Nielsen. He’s had a great
season and he’s definitely one of the top keepers in Major
League Soccer.”
Kempin spent four days in August training with the senior
team before signing. He said he chose to sign with the
Wizards rather than play college soccer at the University
of South Florida in 2011 upon completion of his high school
education.
“I think that he's a promising young goalkeeper,” Wizards
goalkeeper coach John Pascarella said. “He's quick, he has
good hands and he brings a presence that you don't normally
see with someone his age. We're looking forward to getting
him into a full-time professional environment.”
The 17-year-old Kempin, the youngest player ever signed by
the club, has been playing in the Wizards Juniors program
and has spent time training with U.S. Youth National Teams.
He also spent the fall of 2008 and spring of 2009 training
at the U.S. Soccer Under-17 Residency Program in
Florida.
Kempin helped Blue Valley North to a Kansas Class 6A state
championship in 2007 and was named 2010 Gatorade Kansas
State Player of the Year.
Although he is now available for selection to play in for
the senior team, manager Peter Vermes said there is no
pressure for Kempin to appear in a match.
“This is a great day for our organization,” Vermes said.
“We had the opportunity to identify a talented player in
the area, bring him into the Juniors program and develop
him to the point where we could sign him to a professional contract. Jon has incredible talent and now he has the opportunity to continue his development at a professional level and not have the pressure to perform on the field right away.”
The Wizards may sign up to two players from their youth
program to the senior roster without it being counted
against the number of players they are permitted on the
roster.
Vermes said he did not believe that the club would sign
a player from the youth program so soon. Major League
Soccer clubs are permitted to draw players for their
youth program from designated territories around their
home venue plus a limited number of players from outside
that territory. Kansas City’s territory is Kansas, Missouri
and Oklahoma.
Roentved to coach Comets indoor team
Missouri Comets begin play on Nov. 13
By Robert Whitman
August 7, 2010
INDEPENDENCE, Mo. – They say that all
good things must come to an end, but in the case of
indoor soccer in Kansas City, it is apparently not at an
end.
The owners of the Missouri Comets hope that the appetite
for indoor soccer will return this winter. Indoor soccer,
which filled Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Mo. to the tune
of nearly 18,000 fans in the early 1980s, now makes its
metro area home at the Independence Events
Center.
The product is a bit scaled down from the 1980s Comets
and even its successor, the Attack. The schedule now is
about 20-24 games compared to 56 at the peak of the 1980s
Major Indoor Soccer League. The Events Center seats a maximum
of 7,000 compared the 19,500 that Kemper Arena seated when the
last previous indoor soccer team existed. And the budget for
player salaries is probably about the same as any one star
player from the 1980s.
Still, the Comets said that local players will be on the
roster for upcoming season.
The Comets introduced former indoor soccer legend Kim
Roentved as their new coach Wednesday. Roentved said he
has been searching for players since his hiring was announced
on Monday. Roentved said he would have two open tryouts about
six weeks before the home opener, scheduled for Friday, Nov.
12. There will be no expansion draft, so the Comets will not
have the opportunity to benefit from players already on the
roster of the other five teams in the league.
Audio clips from the today’s press conference will be linked
in the coming hours and days.
Kansas City 1, Real Salt Lake 1
By Robert Whitman
August 7, 2010
KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Robbie Findley’s
questionably allowed goal Saturday dropped the Wizards
into a 1-1 draw at CommunityAmerica Ballpark.
The Wizards were ready to attack. They jumped the whistle,
kicking off before the referee blew it, and then gained a
corner kick less than 10 seconds into the match.
Kansas City was making almost all of the attacking noise
in the first 20 minutes. Davy Arnaud could not pounce on
Teal Bunbury’s deflection of a Ryan Smith cross in the
ninth minute and Kei Kamara’s header of Roger Espinoza’s
cross in the 18th minute was wide right.
But Kamara was on target in the 21st minute to put the
Wizards in the lead. His looping header of a Smith cross
was too well placed for Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Nick
Rimando to stop.
Espinoza tested Rimando with a shot from the center
circle in the next minute. Rimando saved it, but could
not hold it. It was cleared for the Kansas City corner
kick.
RSL evened the score with a goal from Findley in the
33rd minute off of Robbie Russell’s cross. The ball
appeared to come off Findley’s head, then his left
wrist.
Both teams had limited chances to score in the second
half, although neither coaches’ substitutions hinted that
they were content with a draw.
Kansas City 1, Toronto FC 0
By Robert Whitman
July 31, 2010
KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Teal Bunbury
continued to justify his insertion into the starting
11 Saturday as the Wizards edged Toronto FC, 1-0, at
CommunityAmerica Ballpark.
Bunbury chipped a header over Toronto goalkeeper Stefan
Frei in the 61st minute for the game’s first goal.
Bunbury latched on to a header by a Toronto player who
was trying to play the ball to safety.
Bunbury’s second goal in three league games lifted the
Wizards to 19 points in 17 games and into fourth place
in the Eastern Conference, at least for a short time.
Chicago, now two points behind the Wizards, play Sunday
at Los Angeles.
Until Bunbury’s goal, the game had wound down into a
dreary struggle in the midfield. The game took on a more
lively tone in the 58th minute after Toronto coach Preki
inserted forwards Chad Barrett and Dwayne De Rosario for
the final half hour. Then Bunbury’s goal added more urgency
to Toronto’s attack.
But Toronto's substitutes were very quiet in their 30 minutes
as the Wizards prevented any good scoring
oppotunities.
Kansas City 2,
Manchester United 1
Wizards edge Red Devils in front of 52,424 at Arrowhead
By Robert Whitman
July 25, 2010
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Nothing brings
out your best like paying world-class opposition.
Before the largest crowd ever to see them play, the
Wizards defeated Manchester United, 2-1, Sunday at
Arrowhead Stadium.
The match, the third of four in United’s tour of the
United States, showed both the Wizards’ grit and United’s
class.
Kansas City pierced United’s back four in the 11th
minute for the game’s first goal, scored by captain
Davy Arnaud. Kei Kamara fed Arnaud, who carried the
ball 30 yards all alone on 20-year-old United goalkeeper
Ben Amos before releasing a far post shot seven yards
from the end line.
The Wizards pressed on with relative success until the
39th minute when Dimitar Berbatov broke through the center
of the Kansas City defense. The Bulgarian international
was tackled from behind by Wizards defender Jimmy Conrad.
Referee Terry Vaughn awarded United a penalty kick and
then a red card to Conrad.
Berbatov took the penalty kick himself and drew United
level in the 41st minute.
But that score lasted about a minute as Kamara headed
in a Ryan Smith corner kick to restore Kansas City’s
lead. Kamara’s header hit the underside of the crossbar
and appeared at first glance to have not crossed the
line.
In the second half, the Wizards were relegated to the
counterattack because of the man disadvantage. United,
however, was increasingly unable to string enough passes
to successfully score once again. United’s starting 11
against the Wizards was similar to one which may be seen
again in Carling Cup match.
Kansas City 0, Chivas USA 2
By Robert Whitman
July 10, 2010
KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Two defensive
mistakes Saturday canceled 20 shots and
14 corner kicks as the Wizards fell to
Chivas USA, 2-0, at CommunityAmerica Ballpark.
The loss to the Western Conference cellar-dwellers
dropped Kansas City one notch in the Eastern Conference
standings (fifth to sixth) and kept them one point from
the bottom in their own conference.
Even with the victory, Chivas USA is in last place in the
Western Conference.
The Wizards had the better of the possession in the first
half and it translated in a 5-2 margin in shots on goal.
Kei Kamara almost put the Wizards ahead a minute into the
second half, but his header during the run of play went
wide.
Justin Braun took advantage of defensive mistake by Jimmy
Conrad to put Chivas ahead in the 56th minute, pounding a
shot past Jimmy Nielsen from near the penalty spot.
Davy Arnaud almost headed the Wizards level in the 68th
minute but his looping shot hit the top of the
crossbar.
Substitute Graham Zusi put in a corner kick in the 73rd
minute to the far post that only Stephane Auvrey could
play, but Auvrey could only put the ball into the outside
netting.
Braun took advantage of a second mistake by Conrad in
the 87th minute. Braun intercepted Conrad’s pass near
the top of the penalty arc intended for Shavar Thomas and
pounded another shot past Nielsen.
With the Wizards pushed up in attack, Braun almost
stole another goal second half stoppage time. But Braun’s
chip failed to clear the 6-3 Nielsen.
Kansas City 0, New York 3
By Robert Whitman
June 26, 2010
KANSAS CITY, Kan. – The Wizards returned
from a 16-day layoff with plenty of attacking, but
nothing to show for it in a 3-0 defeat to the New York Red
Bulls at CommunityAmerica Ballpark.
New York broke through in the 56th minute when Salou
Ibrahim headed a loose ball past Wizards goalkeeper
Jimmy Nielsen. Ibrahim played Bouna Coundoul’s goal
kick after Nielsen and Wizards defender Aaron Hohlbein
failed to communicate on which of them should play
it.
Ibrahim was dangerous throughout the first half, shooting
wide on two of the Red Bulls’ five first half shots that
could have been goal if they were on target.
Juan Pablo Angel scored in the 82nd minute to double
the Red Bulls’ lead. Angel added a goal in the 90th
minute.
Kansas City began each half by attacking well, but not
well enough to score. The Wizards had three corner
kicks in the first four minutes in the first half.
In the 46th minute, Ryan Smith’s shot from 25 yards
on the left wing forced Coundoul to make save. One minute
later, New York defender Carlos Mendes broke up a
give-and-go between Josh Wolff and Davy Arnaud.
But the Wizards never found a way past Coundoul, who
made several better than average saves.
