KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- All season long, Kansas City Wizards head coach Curt Onalfo has given his younger players opportunities. And various trades throughout have seen veterans like Nick Garcia, Jose Burciaga Jr. and Sasha Victorine depart. Clearly, youth is being served in Kansas City.
As the Wizards head into their final six games of the season amidst a tight playoff battle, it is also clear that four players aged 24 and under will play a large part in delivering Kansas City's fate. In addition to 22-year-old left back Michael Harrington, a consistent starter for two seasons now, Onalfo started three other young players last Saturday against the Los Angeles Galaxy in a 2-0 win. Giving players who are prone to the follies of youth is a risk well worth the reward for Onalfo.
"They are in there because, one, I believe in them (so does the rest of the staff) and, two, they know what to do," said the second-year head man. "With all the guys, it's a process that involves getting minutes, playing games, sometimes making mistakes and hopefully learning from them."
Rookie Roger Espinoza, who is 21, along with 22-year-old rookie Jonathan Leathers and 24-year-old Tyson Wahl, have each been on an up-and-down path this season. Saturday they will take the next step into their most challenging journey of the season as the Wizards play host to Toronto FC at CommunityAmerica Ballpark.
Left midfielder Espinoza has logged 929 minutes on the season, the most of the three, despite an early set of red cards that threatened to keep him on the bench interminably. The ejections got his attention, as did his coach's approach to the situation.
"That's what I've learned so far -- that coach cares about me and that I need to show him that I am learning," said Espinoza.
The reactions have been reined in and Saturday the Ohio State product will set his sights on getting on the game sheet in a more constructive way than he did when the teams last met on June 21, when he was shown his second red card of the year.
"If I can score goals for my team, that would be the main thing, to score a couple of goals to get a win, or an assist, anything I can to help the team win," he said.
Leathers' arrival in the starting 11, which comes with the Wizards currently sitting five points shy of the last spot in the MLS Cup Playoffs, has been a more varied journey.
After starting the first three matches of the season in place of the injured Chance Myers -- the top pick in MLS's 2008 SuperDraft -- the tenacious Leathers was out of the lineup for two extended periods, the longest lasting from July 10 until last Saturday. A head injury suffered in a reserve match was a large hindrance during that stretch as Onalfo was hesitant to put the Georgia native into serious competition.
"He does a good job of neutralizing what happens on the right side of the field because of his speed," said Onalfo. "He has to continue with his progress of how he plays with the ball at his feet, but he's a solid contributor. The minutes he got earlier in the year have really helped him."
The 24-year-old Wahl started after Aaron Hohlbein, his season-long competitor, was injured two weeks ago. Hohlbein had locked down the spot for an extended period. Wahl's personal goal is to remain the starter from here on out.
"We called on Tyson, he made the most of it, and our team functioned properly," said Onalfo of the third-year center back. "So there's no reason to change it. As long as he continues to perform the way we believe he can, there's no reason why he wouldn't be in there."
The process of getting minutes has come full circle for the trio.
"We've spent a lot of time giving those guys minutes throughout the year," Onalfo said. "Now we're positioned where we feel confident enough to put them in, as we do with a whole bunch of other guys who aren't currently in the starting 11."
"For Roger, Jonny and myself, last weekend was pretty exciting and definitely a confidence builder," said Wahl.
Onalfo's mode of operation with his younger players is to not put too much pressure on them even as they play in games from which the Wizards must gain points.
"I just try to let them know that each one of these games is just another game. But when you're playing in games like this, often it can come down to a play or two, so you have to have excellent concentration on both sides of the ball," Onalfo said. "If you're an attacking player, can you be that guy who makes the play that changes the game?"
Said Wahl: "Each year [I've been here], we've been fighting until pretty much the last game for playoffs, so it's hard not to feel the pressure. But in my experience, teams do best when they don't start calculating out all the mathematical equations to get to the playoffs and take it game by game."
For both Kansas City and Toronto FC, Saturday's game holds much import. A loss for the Wizards and last week's triumph against the Galaxy means little. A loss for Toronto FC and their playoff hopes begin to fade dramatically.
"For them, the game is extremely important, as it is for us. I expect it to be a dogfight, no room for error, and you have to compete for 90 minutes," said Onalfo. "The team that can compete, minimize mistakes, and can take advantage of a player or two is going to win."
It's game-by-important game for the Wizards and their youthful trio, and they are ready.
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