KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- Every day in training, the Kansas City Wizards face one of their toughest opponents -- themselves.
"We come into these intersquad scrimmages that we have, and sometimes our own teammates take it to us," said Wizards midfielder Herculez Gomez." It's such a great thing because we're correcting [tactical] things throughout the week before they happen on the weekend. Everybody's testing each other. It's refreshing to see a 20-man squad that's just chomping at the bit to keep strengthening."
The daily competition makes for match-like conditions and pushes all players to a higher level. But intensity is not the only intangible the Wizards possess as they head into the first leg of their two-game Eastern Conference Semifinal Series against the Columbus Crew at CommunityAmerica Ballpark on Saturday.
Although no guarantee of strong play in the "new season," the Wizards come into the playoffs as the hottest team in MLS, with five wins and a draw in their last seven regular season games. Still they are the underdog to the team most consider the top team in the league.
But that's nothing new to Kansas City, who defeated Chivas USA in last season's opening playoff round. Chivas USA was the top seed in the Western Conference, while the Wizards needed a final-day victory just to qualify.
"There is a real undying belief in what it is that we're trying to accomplish. We really feel like we can overcome things that are presented to us," said goalkeeper Kevin Hartman. "We have a ton of respect for Columbus. We've seen everything that they've done this year and what they've been able to accomplish, and it really puts us in the underdog role. But we really want to make sure amongst ourselves that we know we can accomplish anything."
The self-belief for the postseason has been sown over the last 19 weeks, as the Wizards sat in last place in the East in June and for some time after.
"We've been playing make it or break it soccer for a while now. It has really caused us to have to step up to make it into the playoffs," Hartman said. "Things haven't always been easy for us. If you take those lessons and really adapt them into your game, then it's going to make you a more fortified team."
At the midway point of the season, the Wizards were in a deep abyss, staring up at multiple teams ahead of them in the playoff race. Only one win and four losses in the next seven games followed. Lesser teams might have folded.
"I don't think anybody really gave us a chance eight weeks ago. We've put that in the back of our head, and every time we go out and prove ourselves," said Gomez. "We have a quiet confidence about us. It's been working for us. Everybody's on the same page right now and knows what we have to do."
Resiliency and confidence are vital traits. Yet they don't matter as much if realization of the task at hand doesn't occur. The playoffs are a different animal than the regular season. The past matters little; it's a free for all.
"We've been in games over the last several weeks that we've had to get points, and we have. So we can take confidence from that," said head coach Curt Onalfo. "But it's all about what happens over the next 180 minutes."
And that's where the Wizards' most significant intangible -- discipline -- comes into play. Kansas City could very well find itself down early in the match on Saturday at their own CommunityAmerica Ballpark.
"The important thing this time of year is -- keep your discipline. Now the pressure is on a little bit more. Guys, as much as they are excited, also get nervous, and often under stressful situations you can act out of character," Onalfo said. "The important thing is to stay even-keeled and realize you are playing two games of 90 minutes and you want to be the team at the end of 180 minutes who is winning, not the team at the end of 30 minutes or 90 minutes."
The concentration is what Onalfo has been preaching for the last four weeks.
Said Hartman: "We're a team now that realizes that if we don't score the first goal, it's a 180-minute series, and we have to just make sure we go on about our business and overcome and continue to compete."
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