KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Peter Vermes outlined the issues that undercut the United States' World Cup run on Thursday afternoon, but he might as well have been talking about his own team.
For the last two-plus months, Kansas City have made a habit of conceding first. But unlike the Americans, the Wizards haven't been able to fight back to salvage results, leaving the side 0-7-1 in games in which they gave up the opening goal.
With the season's midpoint approaching and a struggling Chivas USA team in town this weekend, Vermes is all too familiar with the kind of effect the first goal will have on Saturday night's game.
“It’s a toll on your team when you are always coming from behind," Vermes said. "We’ve been in that predicament. If you strike early and strike first, it changes the game plan completely for both teams.”
The Wizards hope that finding a way to put the ball in the back of the net first can take the pressure off their defense, while also sparking an attack tied for last in MLS with only 11 goals scored.
While Vermes’ first priority is getting the back line back in its early season groove, Kansas City has given up 16 goals in nine games since starting the season 2-1-1.
The theory now is that success behind the ball will lead to more space going forward.
“I’m a believer – as is Peter – that defense wins championships," defender Jimmy Conrad said. "But the tidier we are collectively as a team defensively; we’re going to generate more chances going forward.”
When Kansas City’s defense ranked at the top of MLS earlier this year, the team was especially adept at turning its opponents over in dangerous areas high up the field. But as the season has transitioned into the scorching summer months, the Wizards have largely lost that identity.
Last weekend, FC Dallas spent almost the entire first half in the Wizards end of the field before a second-half penalty gave the Hoops the all-important first goal and eventual winner.
That game was central defender Shavar Thomas’ first following a trade from Philadelphia. Though he wasn’t overjoyed to spend the first half putting out fire after fire, Thomas said Kansas City started finding routes forward once the defense tightened up.
Still, it wasn’t perfect.
“When we defend in the back and get it up to the midfielders and the forwards, it helps us as a unit, as a back four, to push and close those gaps between us and the midfielders,” Thomas said. “I think it’s going to be a work in progress to get that going.”
The next step in that process comes on Saturday night against a Chivas team just as desperate for points.
And while the Wizards will get Davy Arnaud back from suspension, recent history strongly suggests that whoever scores first will likely walk away with three points.
For Kansas City, that means the effort will have to start in the back and trickle down.
“When you are a little bit more confident in the way you are defending,” Vermes said, “you feel like you can take those risks going forward.”
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