KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- Don't let the fact that the Kansas City Wizards are using split squads to navigate their five games in 10-day stretch fool you. Tuesday's U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal game against the Seattle Sounders at Qwest Field holds plenty of high stakes.
First, it's a chance for the club to move closer to claiming some silverware.
"You don't get a lot of opportunities like this," said midfielder Kerry Zavagnin. "The stakes are raised more and more by each game, and we realize by having success in 2004, what it takes to win."
Second is a chance to further establish consistency. Zavagnin and the Wizards won the 2004 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup with solid performances, something they are looking to foster in their current squad for the remainder of the tournament and the MLS schedule.
"Absolutely [the Open Cup title helped us make MLS Cup in '04]. The beauty of that was that we had fairly consistent performances throughout the year -- we were pretty consistent in the Open Cup and the league," Zavagnin said. "But right now is a great opportunity for all players within the team to not only get playing time but to play in meaningful games so that we're ready for the final stretch."
As head coach Curt Onalfo did last week on Tuesday and Friday, he will split his roster in two with some playing solely in Seattle and some solely in Thursday's league match against the New York Red Bulls, with some seeing time in both. The situation resulted in a 4-2 extra-time win at the Carolina RailHawks on Tuesday and a 1-1 draw at FC Dallas on Thursday.
Third, confidence will be tested.
"It's encouraging that we feel confident enough that we can play two groups. That's something I wouldn't have been as confident of last year," said Onalfo. "We have a strong group all the way through. ... There are guys playing on Tuesday that very well should be part of our starting lineup. The way it worked out, we got those two groups together, and we're sticking with it."
Onalfo said his players are holding up fine physically at this point with Carlos Marinelli's hamstring being the only issue. And while the scheduling has not been kind to his side, neither has it been to Seattle. The USL-1 side played matches on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday last week. Yet neither Zavagnin nor Onalfo expects a lull come the game whistle.
"A-League teams are always excited to play MLS teams whether it's a friendly or a meaningful Open Cup game," Zavagnin said.
For a team that includes former MLSers in Josh Gardner (LA Galaxy), Leighton O'Brien (San Jose Earthquakes and Real Salt Lake), and former New York and Wizards defender Taylor Graham, the energy will be high and could resemble the up-and-down, track meet type of match the Wizards played in last week against Carolina. Add in the fact that the Sounders will enter MLS next year, there is plenty to play for.
"I expect Seattle to have enormous energy; they are going to make it extremely difficult on us," said Onalfo. "We just have to match that intensity, and hopefully our experience will prevail.
"It's an important game. Scheduling obviously hasn't been kind. Quite frankly, it doesn't make any sense at all," Onalfo continued. "But that's what we've been dealt, and we're going to deal with it in a very positive manner. We're going to put a group of players on the field that is capable of winning the game. Our goal is to go to Seattle, take the game to them, and get ourselves into the semifinal."
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