Watch Party Tomorrow for U.S.A. Match

The United States men's National Team takes on Trinidad and Tobago tomorrow night at 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPN2 and Galavision. We will be working with the fine people of 810 Zone (KC Hopps) in Leawood for a watch party event. We encourage everyone to come out tomorrow night and join together to cheer on the Red, White and Blue as they look to qualify for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Our boys tied 2-2 at El Salvador over the weekend with late goals from Jozy Altidore and Frankie Hejduk after falling behind 2-0 on the road in a hostile environment. For more on the game, visit the men's National Team blog.

The drink special tomorrow is $1.50 select domestic bottles. Dig it. Drink it. Enjoy the game! Wizards players, including Michael Harrington, Chance Myers, Abe Thompson and Graham Zusi will be at the event.

Weekly Interviews

Hey all, if you're looking for the word from members of the organization, here are some places you can hear it:

Wednesday--9:00 a.m.--Starting 11 Girls in-studio interview--Sports Radio 810
Wednesday--10:20 a.m.--Starting 11 Girls in-studio interview--610 Sports Radio
Thursday--7:50 a.m.--Jimmy Conrad in-studio interview--Star 102.1 FM
Thursday--8:20 a.m.--Jimmy Conrad in-studio interview--Mix 93.3 FM
Thursday--3:00 p.m.--Michael Harrington phone interview--V-100 FM (Topeka)
Thursday--4:40 p.m.--Jimmy Conrad phone interview--1510 AM
Thursday--5:00 p.m.--Zona Wizards Weekly Spanish Radio Show with Curt Onalfo and Boris Pardo--1480 AM
Thursday--9:30 p.m., Friday--6:30 p.m., Saturday 11:30 a.m.---Wizards Weekly TV Show with Curt Onalfo and Kevin Hartman--Metro Sports
Friday--8:00 a.m.--Starting 11 Girls in-studio interview--105.1 Jack FM
Friday--12:00 p.m.--Starting 11 Girls in-studio interview--Mix 93.3 FM
Friday--3:00--Weekly press conference with Curt Onalfo and Kevin Hartman at Swope Park--Metro Sports (taped at 12:00 at Swope Park)

Starting 11 Girls Party Friday

As we first told you about last week, the Starting 11 Girls will be hosting a Calendar Release Party this Friday at 9 p.m. at Mint Ultra Lounge in Martini Corner. The ladies will be there to dance, sign autographs, mingle with fans and show a "making of the calendar" video. If you don't yet have your copy of the calendar, you can buy it at Friday's event or here at KCSoccerStore.com.

KC Star With Some OnGoal Details

You can also find this picture on the very front of the KC Star's Tuesday Business Section.

Many of you already know the story, but it's always nice to see/hear/read it again. It's especially nice when it's a story on the front page of the KC Star's Tuesday Business section that takes four web pages to view in its entirety! Make sure to keep reading so you don't miss anything.

The Original Winger, a fun soccer blog, got hold of the story and posted some snippets. They are OnGoal fans as well.

Herculez Wants to See You!

Sunday at CommunityAmerica Ballpark:



For tickets, head to this page or call us at 913.387.3400.

The Michael Kraus Story

Kraus after scoring the match-winning goal last year in the friendly against Atlas AC.

Some of you know Michael Kraus' story so far. For those of you who don't, take a read here. Kraus' parents, who hail from Memphis, have made every game that Kraus has suited up for over the last three seasons, including Reserve Division matches. They were in attendance Saturday, as well, and saw Michael score his first professional goal in the 2nd half against Colorado. Well done, Krausey. See the goal here.

For Love or the Game?

Jimmy Conrad, his wife Lyndsey and teammate Josh Wolff were featured in ESPN the Magazine this month. Conrad listed his favorites in five categories, and wife Lindsey and Wolff were charged with seeing if they could predict Jimmy's answer. How'd they do? Lindsey and Wolff each got two correct, tying in this Newlyweds-esque challenge.

Wizards Drop Another 1-Goal Game

Once again, we're on the losing side by a goal. After Kraus' record-tying goal in the second half, it looked like we had the chance to get back in the game, but Colorado quickly answered on a counter attack, and we were unable to pull one back late though we generated a couple of dangerous opportunities. Overall, it's a tough one. Congrats to Kevin Hartman for setting the MLS saves record and Michael Kraus for scoring his first career goal just two minutes into his debut. That ties an MLS record jointly held by Josh Wolff (in 1998 while with Chicago) and Sal Caccavale, formerly of New York. Also, Matt Besler made his MLs debut tonight, entering late for Herculez. Both Kraus and Besler had family and friends in attendance for their debuts.

Notables:
· Kansas City is now 19-17-8 all-time against Colorado, including a 4-14-5 on the road.
· Goalkeeper Kevin Hartman made 4 saves on the night to reach 1139 career regular-season saves and break the all-time MLS saves record.
· Hartman entered the game trailing former Wizards standout Tony Meola by one save for the all-time mark.
· Hartman tied then surpassed Meola in the record book with two saves late in the first half against Nick LaBrocca and Omar Cummings, respectively.
· Hartman now has nine saves on the season after stopping five last weekend versus Toronto FC.
· Hartman was already the League leader in career wins (138) and shutouts (77).
· Wizards midfielder/forward Michael Kraus made his regular-season MLS debut, scoring his first career goal just 1 minute, 56 seconds after entering.
· By scoring 2 minutes into his career, Kraus equals the MLS record previously accomplished by Josh Wolff (5/23/1998) and Sal Caccavale (5/19/2007).
· Kraus made his first-ever appearance for Kansas City in the final game of their 2008 MLS Cup Playoff run against the Columbus Crew.
· Kraus had 11 family members and friends in attendance Saturday, and they were sitting directly behind the goal that Kraus scored into.
· Kraus’ parents have driven to every MLS or Reserve Division match Kraus has suited up for since joining the Wizards through the supplemental draft in 2007.
· Rookie defender and Overland Park native Matt Besler made MLS debut Saturday, entering in the 87th minute for midfielder Herculez Gomez.
· Besler’s parents were also in attendance to see his MLS debut.
· Gomez appeared for the first time against Colorado since joining the Wizards from the Rapids last September.
· Gomez scored the first-ever goal in Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in his first game with Colorado in 2007.
· Midfielder Lance Watson played his 2nd career 90-minute game in his first start of 2009. His first 90-minute game was 7/8/06 at Colorado.
· Kansas City was without goalkeeper Eric Kronberg, defender Chance Myers, midfielders Kevin Souter and Davy Arnaud and strikers Adam Cristman and Josh Wolff due to injury.
· Midfielder Roger Espinoza also missed the match due to duty with the Honduras National Team.
· Honduras tied Trinidad and Tobago 1-1 on the road in World Cup 2010 Qualifying.
· Espinoza was on the bench for Honduras but did not enter the game.
· The United States National Team came back from a 2-0 deficit to tie El Salvador 2-2 in a road World Cup 2010 Qualifier.
· Striker Jozy Altidore and defender Frankie Hejduk (Columbus Crew) scored for the USA.
· Kansas City returns to action next Sunday, April 5 at 2 p.m. CT against the San Jose Earthquakes.
· The match, sponsored by Sprint, is “Family Day” at CommunityAmerica Ballpark.
· The first 5,000 fans into the stadium will receive a 2009 team poster, and the team will gather at nearby Dave and Buster’s after the match for an autograph session.

Quotes:
Goalkeeper Kevin Hartman
On setting the all-time MLS saves record
“It is one of those things that was going to happen in the game. I knew it had happened, when I look back it’s easy to take pride in it, enjoy and relish in it.”

On the game
“I didn’t think we played poorly. We will continue to work hard and learn from our mistakes. Hopefully we will get it right very soon. We want to put ourselves in a good position so that we are in contention at the end of the season.”

Head Coach Curt Onalfo
On the game
“We had enough chances to walk out of here with a win. We had a depleted roster and a disciplined game plan that we executed perfectly for 45 minutes. Unfortunately we conceded in the second half, we tie the game and then gave it away on a corner kick which is something we can’t do. I’m extremely disappointed; we played well enough to walk out of here with a win.

On Michael Kraus’ play
“He is a slippery player. I said you’ve got once chance and you’ve got to bury it. He got one chance, and he buried it. He did exactly what I said, God bless him for that. It’s just so disappointing to have not gotten something out of the game.”

Forward Michael Kraus
On the game
“I feel like I’ve worked hard for the past three years just to get the opportunity to win and try to help the team get the equalizer. It felt great and would have felt 100 times better if we were able to maybe get another one and get a tie to help ourselves here on the road. It still feels good to be able to contribute.”

Onalfo Featured on World Soccer Daily

Thanks Chad for pointing out the podcast of Head Coach Curt Onalfo's appearance Thursday on World Soccer Daily with Steve Cohen and Kenny Hassan. We've tracked it down and linked to it here. Go ahead and take a listen; the download is free. Curt was very candid and Steve and Kenny asked some great questions. Enjoy!

Injury Report/Game Guide

We're just over a day from Game 2 of the 2009 MLS season and are suffering a little bit from injuries. We'll be without five players tomorrow night in Colorado due to injury and one more (Roger Espinoza) due to international duty. If you want to check out the full set of game notes we put out for the media, click here.

Injury report:
Out: Adam Cristman (5th Metatarsal Fracture), Eric Kronberg (Shoulder Surgery), Chance Myers (5th Metatarsal Fracture), Kevin Souter (Adductor Strain), Josh Wolff (Hamstring Strain)
Doubtful: None
Questionable: None
Probable: Davy Arnaud (Neck Strain)

Jimmy Conrad Previews Colorado

Courtesy of www.JimmyConrad.com:

Wizards, USA Games Tomorrow

Of course the Wizards are traveling to Colorado today for tomorrow's 8:30 p.m. kickoff shown live on Metro Sports (and Time Warner Cable Channel 5 in Spanish). Also, don't forget about the U.S. Men's National Team rolling into San Salvador, El Salvador for a World Cup Qualifier at 8 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN2 and TelaFutura. Hopefully you'll all have two TVs or picture-in-picture set up to watch both big events. The U.S. men are then back in action next Wednesday at LP Field in Nashville, TN for a 6:30 p.m. CT kickoff against Trinidad and Tobago. That match will be featured live on ESPN2 and Galavision. Get ready for a big week of soccer!

Speaking of World Cups, Greg Seltzer of Soccer365 and his own blog No Short Corners has put together a look at what the U.S. roster might be for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Yes, that seems like a long way away, but when you see all of the names included, you realize the team will likely include a lot of players we already know well. Greg mentions defenders Chance Myers and Michael Harrington and midfielder Jack Jewsbury as possibilities for that roster.

www.TeamAndy.net

Andy Young, a Wizards fan and friend of graphics guru Chad Reynolds, is looking for some help. You see, Andy's brother Greg has been diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma and is currently receiving treatment for the dangerous disease. Andy has taken on the cause and is up for the Man of the Year award from the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Andy recently donated bone marrow for his brother Greg and posted video of the proceedings at his site www.TeamAndy.net. He is also taking donations there to support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. This is certainly a worthwhile cause, so please pass around Andy's information and consider donating money if you can.

Cauldron season ticket holder Adam Yarnevich, a good friend of Young's, held a fundraiser during the Cauldron tailgate prior to Saturday's home opener where they raised nearly $500. Well done Adam and the rest of you who helped!

Cash Cup Sign-ups Close Friday

Hey all, just a reminder that the 2009 Indoor Cash Cup is coming up next week Friday-Sunday. If you haven't yet signed up for the event, make sure you do as registration closes Friday. The event was a big success last year, so hopefully a lot of you will be playing again this time around.

New Soccer Program/New Soccer Fields/New Soccer Team

Wizards goalkeeper/fitness coach John Pascarella went out to St. Stephen's Academy last week to help the school launch its new soccer program. He spoke with kids interested in joining the team and even ran some drills. St. Stephen's was very appreciative of Mr. Pascarella's time and told us John did a great job with the kids.

Also, the University of Kansas introduced a plan yesterday to build new sports facilities south of Allen Fieldhouse, one of which will be a 2,500 seat stadium for their women's soccer program. Hopefully the funding comes together and we have another quality soccer facility in the area. See a video report about the plan here.

Former Wizards defender Jose Burciaga is on the prowl for a new team after one season with Colorado. He's currently on trial with Tecos of the Mexican First Division.

Hirsig Profiled/Espinoza Called In

Espinoza is back with the Honduras National Team.

I was having some blogger problems yesterday afternoon (hopefully these weren't operator error problems!), so apologies for the single post yesterday. Some interesting stuff came out yesterday afternoon, including Curtis Kitchen's story about Santiago Hirsig and word that Cuauhtemoc Blanco might want to exit Chicago after this year. If that's the case, your last chance to see him just might be Sunday, August 16 at 2 p.m. CT. He also mentioned possibly looking for another MLS team.

For those of you that haven't already heard, Roger Espinoza is now away with the Honduras National Team. They play Trinidad and Tobago Saturday on the road, then host our friends Mexico next Wednesday. If Espinoza enters either match, he will join Arnaud, Conrad, Lopez and Wolff as current Wizards with World Cup Qualifying experience. Conrad, Lopez and Wolff have also seen time in the World Cup itself. Good luck to you Roger!

Arnaud Recognized + a Story

Look at that follow-through! That's how you do it at home kids.

Kyle McCarthy of Goal.com, the Boston Herald and MLSnet.com took notice of Davy Arnaud's stunning two-goal performance over the weekend and profiled Davy as a player to watch in his East Notebook story at MLSnet.com. Take a look.

An interesting story about Davy from this Saturday. He was extra bummed about the team's loss due to the fact that his new daughter, Peyton, was at her first-ever game. He was, of course, pretty excited that his latest two-goal game came with Peyton in attendance. Hopefully he scores two goals whenever Peyton is in the house.

Also of note, Davy has scored four of the Wizards last five goals. With two goals Saturday, one goal in our series against Columbus and the second-to-last goal against New England during the 2008 regular-season finale, Mr. Arnaud has been on quite a tear.

Don't forget to vote Davy for Goal of the Week!

Kansas City Wizards Week

Here's a rundown of Kansas City Wizards Week, courtesy of our good friend Sean Kosednar at MLSnet.com:

Loads o' Links/Interview Schedule

Lots of people are talking about the Wizards at the moment. Check out some of the stories below and see the interview schedule after that. As expected, we're getting a little less love this week with the team on the road. Look for this to pick up again next week when we play at home.

-Blair Kerkhoff talks about Matt Besler and the other local products who have made it to the pros.
-The Press and Journal in Scotland profiles Kevin Souter and the upcoming Wizards season.
-SF is excited about the Starting 11 Girls Calendar Release Party and the girls in general.
-Charles Gooch, a new Cauldron season ticket holder, blogs about his experience from the Opener.
-The Newark Star-Ledger lets people know Hartman is just one save away from Meola's record.
-Someone, not sure who, blogged about their experience at the game.
-Capt. Geoffrey Spalding shows some pictures and details demo at Bannister Mall.
-Some BIG-name teams, Club America, Inter Milan, AC Milan and Chelsea are making an American tour this summer. Check out their website.

And the interview schedule:

Today--3:45--Jimmy Conrad phone interview--Sports Radio 810
Thursday--12:30--Curt Onalfo phone interview--World Soccer Daily--Sirius XM Channel 125
Thursday--3:00--Weekly press conference with Curt Onalfo and Davy Arnaud at Swope Park--Metro Sports (taped at 12:00 at Swope Park)
Thursday 5:00 p.m.--Weekly Spanish radio show--Curt Onalfo and player TBD--Ke Buena 1480 AM
Thursday--9:30 p.m., Friday--6:30 p.m., Saturday 11:30 a.m.---Wizards Weekly TV Show with Curt Onalfo and Davy Arnaud--Metro Sports
Also, this morning Herculez Gomez did his weekly interview on the morning show on La Gran D 1340 AM (Spanish)

Starting 11 Girls Calendar Release Party

Hello there everyone. Saturday was your first chance to see the new Starting 11 Girls in action. They will also be hosting a Calendar Release Party at Mint in Martini Corner on Friday April 3 from 9 p.m.-1 a.m. The girls will be there to autograph calendars, perform and show a making of the calendar video. Here's the flyer:

Arnaud's Brace

He did it twice, and they were both unbelievable. So great were Davy Arnaud's two goals that Ives Galarcep gave him a special post including highlights. Check that out here. Otherwise, take a look below for both blasts courtesy of MLS QuickKicks (www.mlsnet.com/quickkicks).

Arnaud's left-footer is up for the Sierra Mist Goal of the Week award. You could argue both should be nominated, but now at least we won't be splitting the votes. Go get Davy that award!

Goal 1:


Goal 2:

Pics from Saturday

Great shot by our main-photo man Scott Pribyl.

Mr. Prez Robb Heineman shaking hands with Mr. Mayor, Joe Reardon.

And now some tailgating shots:

Wizards Lose 3-2 in Front of Sold-Out CAB

Tough one to lose, though Davy Arnaud's two goals were things of beauty. The crowd was magnificent tonight...thanks to all of you in attendance! At the moment, Davy is tied with Fredy Montero and Amado Guevara for the League lead. Hopefully he stays at the top of that list all year.

Don't forget, the Swope Park Rangers (KCW Reserves) play Creighton University tomorrow morning at 11 a.m. at our Swope Park Training Center. See you there.

Notables:

· Kansas City starts the season 0-1-0 for the first time under Head Coach Curt Onalfo.
· Kansas City sold out their home opener for the second-consecutive season.
· The Wizards had gone 2-0-0 in season openers and home openers previously under Onalfo.
· Kansas City is now 8-4-2 all-time in season openers and 10-2-2 all-time in home openers.
· Kansas City is now 3-2-2 all-time against Toronto FC, including a 2-1-1 home record.
· Midfielder Davy Arnaud scored two long-range goals for his 3rd career multi-goal game.
· Arnaud now has 34 career goals, good for 3rd place in Wizards history.
· He now trails midfielder Chris Klein by 5 goals for 2nd place.
· The goals were his first 2 against Toronto FC.
· He is now tied with Eddie Johnson for the most Wizards goals against TFC.
· Argentine attacker Claudio Lopez registered the assist on Arnaud’s first goal, his 8th in MLS.
· Lopez now has 2 goals and 4 assists in his last four MLS regular-season matches dating back to 2008.
· Off-season signing Santiago Hirsig made his Wizards debut, entering for rookie midfielder Graham Zusi in the 63rd minute.
· Hirsig contributed quickly, registering his first MLS assist in the 76th minute on Arnaud’s second goal.
· Second-year midfielder Roger Espinoza also registered an assist on Arnaud’s second goal, his 4th career assist.
· Goalkeeper Kevin Hartman made 5 saves on the night to reach 1135 career regular-season saves.
· Hartman now trails former Wizards standout Tony Meola by 1 save for the all-time MLS lead in that category.
· Hartman is already the League leader in career wins (138) and shutouts (77).
· Midfielder Graham Zusi (Maryland) became the 4th Wizards rookie to start an MLS opener in the last three years.
· Defenders Michael Harrington and Aaron Hohlbein started the opener in 2007, and Jonathan Leathers started at defender in 2008.
· All three players started Saturday night’s match for Kansas City.
· Three rookies started Saturday’s match. Rookie goalkeeper Stefan Frei (California) started for TFC along with midfielder Sam Cronin (Wake Forest).
· The first 5,000 fans into CommunityAmerica Ballpark received water bottles and schedule magnets courtesy of Providence Medical Center.
· Former Wizards striker Mo Johnston, now TFC’s Director of Soccer, was in attendance at CommunityAmerica Ballpark. Appropriately, he sat in the Mo Johnston suite. For 2009, the Wizards have named the suites on the second level of CommunityAmerica Ballpark after standout former players and coaches.

Quotes:

KANSAS CITY WIZARDS HEAD COACH CURT ONALFO
On the game
“I thought we started jittery. I thought we were a little bit nervous the first ten minutes, but that can happen on opening day. Once we settled down, I thought we actually started playing pretty well, and that’s when we gave up the goal. We lost the ball in a very difficult part of the field, and to their credit they capitalized on it. There were some real positives today, but at the end of the day, we dug ourselves a hole that was too deep to get out of.”

On the Wizards comeback attempt
“To our guys credit, we continued to push the game. Davy scored a second great goal and then fought all the way to the end. I thought we had it in us to get one more goal and at least walk out of here with a tie, but that didn’t happen and we need to move on.”

On Santiago Hirsig’s Wizards debut
“I thought he came in and did a solid job. We knew we had to get him moving along. He needs to get 90-minute game fit, and at times you have to use the games to get guys the minutes they need to make sure that they progress.”

On the sellout home crowd
“I thought the crowd was excellent. I think they helped us once we scored our goals to get a little momentum. Unfortunately each time we had the momentum we made an error that put us behind the eight ball, but it was certainly nice to see the great turnout here tonight.”

KANSAS CITY WIZARDS MIDFIELDER DAVY ARNAUD
On the game
“We obviously want to win games at home, which we didn’t do, but there’s plenty of time for us to get things right. There’s a game next weekend, and we’re looking forward to it. This isn’t the first time we’ve lost. It’s going to happen. Unfortunately it happened at home in the first game of the year, but we’ll move on and be ready for Colorado next weekend.”

On his goals
“The first one a ball got headed out, I took a touch and was just trying to hit it hard on frame. The second one, Santiago (Hirsig) held the ball up well in the box and laid a good ball off, and I was just trying to hit it hard an on target.”

On what the Wizards need to improve
“We need to do better with the ball. It took us a little while to get going. We weren’t great to start the game, but we got a little better as the game went on. Also, as a group defensively we have to be better. We will be better because everyone on our team works hard for each other.”

KANSAS CITY WIZARDS DEFENDER JIMMY CONRAD
On the game
“After we went to three defenders, Toronto capitalized on some half-chances, and credit to them for making the most of it. Toronto’s going to be a good team this year, and I expect them to make the playoffs.”

On Davy Arnaud’s performance
“He’s proving that he’s one of the better players in the League. I’m excited for him that he had two cracking goals tonight. It’s a good start for him and his confidence to begin the season. The best thing about Davy is his spirit. He never gives up, and that’s something we can build off of.”

TORONTO FC HEAD COACH JOHN CARVER
On the game
“You can tell by the smile on my face that I’m absolutely delighted. Our road record last season wasn’t great, and it was important that we came in to the first game of the season and got something from it. I’m delighted with the three points and delighted with the performance. There were some fantastic goals in the game. Jimmy Brennan’s strike for us and Kansas City’s two goals were all great strikes. The goalkeeper couldn’t do anything about those.”

On rookie goalkeeper Stefan Frei’s debut
“Obviously he was making his debut in MLS, and he looked like a seasoned pro. I’m very pleased with his performance.”

On the team’s reaction to the win
“The lads are very happy in there. I’ve said to them ‘there’s a long way to go,” but we’ve set a real high standard. We know we have to dig in, and we did that tonight.”

On Amado Guevara’s two-goal performance
“I wish he wasn’t going away next week with the Honduran national team. We all know what Amado’s about. He’s very technical, he’s a clever player. I wanted him to play a little higher and up the field today. He needed to be more effective in the final third, and now he’s got guys to play with and combine with and bring even more out of him.”

TORONTO FC GOALKEEPER STEFAN FREI
On the game
“It was the result that we were looking for. We worked really hard in the offseason. It was really important to come out on the road today and kick off the season with a win, and that’s what we did.”

On playing his first MLS game
“You have to know that you deserve to be here. You have to be a little cocky, because as soon as you show a little weakness, that you’re not that sure of yourself, your opponent is going to pick up on that right away. I wanted to make sure all of my teammates knew that I was feeling good back there and that they could rely on me.”

TORONTO FC DEFENDER JIM BRENNAN
On his goal and the win
“It feels nice. I don’t get many goals, and to get that one today was special. We worked hard in the preseason, and to come here and get a win in Kansas City was something that we planned on doing. We knew we could do it if we worked hard enough, and everything came together today for us and we got the three points.”

Game Day 1

First Kick is here.

Here we go folks. The 2009 season is upon us. Kickoff is in about three hours, and some Cauldron members just entered the stadium to put their flags and signage in place. David Streeter put a nice preview piece on the Topeka Capital-Journal's website. Check it out. Cole Young of the Star featured what our players would like to be doing if they weren't pro soccer players. A very interesting/entertaining read.

Don't forget, the first 5,000 fans through the door tonight get water bottles and schedule magnets courtesy of Providence Medical Center. Get in the stadium early.

The first Cauldron banner of the year.

Hartman Watch/Inside the Wizards Locker Room

Make sure to congratulate Kevin after he breaks the saves record.

Watch out, ladies and gentlefellows. Kevin Hartman is about to break another MLS record. With his 6th save of the year, Kevin will tie Tony Meola for the all-time MLS lead with 1136 stops. With his 7th save, Hartman will move in front and then have control of the three major career records for MLS goalkeepers. He is already the all-time leader in wins (138) and shutouts (77) and things such as games played in goal (303) and minutes played in goal (27,135). Once he controls the saves record, he will truly be the most prolific goalkeeper in League history.

Also I wanted to let you guys know about the new feature we have over at KCWizards.com called Inside the Wizards Locker Room. This week's edition features midfielder/forward Herculez Gomez. Dave Borchardt, Wizards PR guru, runs the show. Props to Dave for the idea and the first edition. Now go listen and learn a li'l' more about Herculez.

We're now 25 hours to kickoff. Be there.

Reserve Game Sunday/Injury Report

Krull the Warrior King will be looking on Sunday as the Reserves face Creighton.

The Swope Park Rangers are back in action Sunday at our Swope Park Training Center. There is no longer a Reserve Division that our boys can battle for against other MLS teams, but they will play college teams, PDL teams and other squads throughout the year to make sure guys 12-24 on the roster get plenty of game action. Sunday we play Michael Kraus' former school Creighton at 11 a.m. CT. Come on out to Swope if Saturday's match against Toronto doesn't fulfill your soccer needs for the weekend.

Also, here's the injury report filed recently with MLS HQ. Souter is the only new addition:

Out: Adam Cristman (5th Metatarsal Fracture), Eric Kronberg (Shoulder Surgery), Chance Myers (5th Metatarsal Fracture), Kevin Souter (Adductor Strain)
Doubtful: None
Questionable: None
Probable: None

Kansas City Wizards First Kick TOMORROW

It's almost here ladies and gentleman. Our first match is tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m. CT against Toronto FC at CommunityAmerica Ballpark. If you don't have your tickets yet and are wanting to go, you better get them shortly. They're nearly gone. Buy 'em now.

-Cole Young gives the scoop on Hartman approaching the MLS all-time saves record. If you still get the dead-tree edition of the paper, check out the sweet pictures atop the front sports page and page 12 where the story appears.
-KMBC 9 says we're the #2 thing to do tomorrow in the city. I'd rate us the #1 option, but I guess we'll take #2.
-Jimmy Conrad introduced his first guest blogger over at jimmyconrad.com. I dig it; SF digs it; do you?
-Thad and MLS Rumors say they like our ticket package. We appreciate it guys!

Herculez and Jack Speak

Greg Seltzer of Soccer365 and his own blog noshortcorners.com checked in with our holding midfield extraordinaire Jack Jewsbury at s365 today. Jack gives some thoughts on how he's been able to stay relevant at many different positions for a few different coaches in the past four years here in KC.

Also, Herculez spoke to Fox 4 about our game Saturday. Check it out:

NCAA Tournament Fun for KCW

Dave Neal and Graham Zusi were buddies at Maryland.

Yes the players have a pool going, but we also have some rooting interests. Graham Zusi and Abe Thompson (Maryland guys) went to today's Maryland v. Cal game with Eric Kronberg (a Cal guy) at Sprint Center. Zusi and Thompson went home happy as the Terps pulled off a mini upset (they were a 10 seed, Cal was a 7 seed). Zusi got the tickets from a friend of his (Dave Neal, who happened to score 15 points) who is on the basketball team at Maryland, and the two Marylanders were nice enough to let Kronberg tag along. Maybe they knew an upset was coming. Zusi said of the game: "Maryland came up big in the second half and had a convincing win."

Those with a rooting interest include:
UCLA- Jimmy Conrad, Kevin Hartman and Chance Myers
Maryland- Abe Thompson, Graham Zusi and John Pascarella (was an assistant soccer coach there)
North Carolina- Michael Harrington and Kerry Zavagnin
Ohio State- Roger Espinoza
Wisconsin- Aaron Hohlbein
California- Eric Kronberg (sorry buddy)
Michigan State- Rauwshan McKenzie

Holy Cow...2 Days From First Kick!

We're coming down to the wire folks...only two days remain until Wizards First Kick 2009. Several media outlets checked in with their various takes on the upcoming campaign.

-KC Star lets us know about tonight's game between Seattle Sounders FC and New York live at 8 p.m. CT on ESPN 2.
-The Star's FYI section also told people about our game.
-If you haven't seen yet, Vancouver is joining MLS in 2011. Ives Galarcep breaks down the bid on Soccernet.
-Don "The Don" Garber took time to do a question/answer session with TIME.com. Enjoy this good one.
-Goal.com does a lengthy interview with Captain Kansas City. As always, Jimmy delivers the goods.
-Then Kyle McCarthy at Goal.com made his picks for MLS awards. He selected Jimmy as his Defender of the Year.
-We now have up a video recapping Monday's event out at Paradise Park. Check that out.

Wizards Launch Firefox "Boom"

Boom!

For all of you Firefox users out there, we have now launched a new "Boom" courtesy of the fine folks over at Brand Thunder. The Boom is basically a Wizards-themed skin that is always present no matter what webpage you are surfing. With one click, you'll be able to get to our kcwizards.com home page, the schedule page, the tickets page or the latest story from our RSS feed. Hillcrest Road is also featured, as are our pages on Facebook, MySpace and Twitter.

To download the Boom, visit kcwizards.com/browser.

Practice at Sunny CAB

The boys are training out at the stadium today, and boy does the field look good. Aside from the cutouts for 2nd base and 3rd base, the field is a very bright color of green. Major kudos to the grounds crew for their work in making this field truly flawless in advance of the game Saturday.

Take a look at that green carpet:

JimmyConrad.com is up and Running

Greetings folks. It's a little late, but I figured I should put this up here so everyone can see it bright and early. As many of you have seen, Jimmy Conrad has a website. The aptly-named JimmyConrad.com will feature blogs from our favorite #12 since Digital Takawira and several of his "Superhero" buddies. We're not sure what that means, but let's go with it for now. Jimmy himself has posted the very first blog, so head over there and check it out. Hillcrest and Captain Kansas City are friends and not enemies. If you all are lucky, we might cook up some sort of collaborative Wizards blogfest someday in the future.

Oh yeah, don't forget April 23 is JC Bobble Head night at CommunityAmerica. Remember this lovely post that included Jimmy and Bobble Jimmy? If you don't, go check it out and let us know who has a better hair part, Jimmy or his wobbly-necked replica.

It's late. Go to bed.

Hartman Invites you Out

You all know the game is coming up by now, but Kevin Hartman wanted to make sure you guys know how important you are to the players. Take a look:

Just Another Day in Paradise

Pardon the country song reference, but last night's event was a fun one. Check out the photo gallery below. If you see yourself (or someone you know) in a picture, feel free to click through to the gallery itself on our Picasa page and download the picture(s) you like. Apologies for the delay...media day this morning caused Hillcrest to be a little slower than he would have liked. Enjoy!

Mayor Reardon's Proclamation

Mayor Reardon signs an autograph on a Wizards flag.

As many of you know, Mayor Joe Reardon of KCK proclaimed this week "Kansas City Wizards Week" in honor of our Home Opener Saturday night at CommunityAmerica Ballpark. See more pictures of the event that featured Greg Cotton, defender Matt Besler and goalkeeper Boris Pardo here at kcwizards.com.

Link City

Alright ladies and gentlemen, here's a helping of links to articles related to the Wizards and the 2009 MLS season. Read and enjoy.

-Jimmy Conrad's latest Soccernet.com entry. Always a good read.
-Speaking of Conrad, Goal.com lists him as one of the 25 best players in MLS. See the list.
-KC Star's Bradford Doolittle highlights Wizards Week in his Monday scheduling article that always appears atop Page 2 in the Star's sports section on Mondays.
-Ives Galarcep gives us two interesting posts this morning. One is his preseason Power Rankings, where we sit 7th currently. The other is a rundown of all results from the final weekend of preseason. As you see, we had the largest margin of victory.
-Pat Martin of The Sports Network previews the 2009 Wizards season.
-A TFC fan blog poses some questions and answers them. Take offense to anything he said? Read it then go comment and let him know.

5 Days to First Kick

Well, technically MLS First Kick starts Thursday night on ESPN 2 and ESPN Deportes when Seattle Sounders FC makes its MLS debut against the New York Red Bulls. First Kick for the Wizards begins this Saturday at 7:30 p.m. CT against Toronto FC. New-and-likely-improved TFC, might I add. New additions Dwayne De Rosario (Houston Dynamo), Pablo Vitti (Independiente in Argentina), Adrian Serioux (FC Dallas), Sam Cronin (SuperDraft from Wake Forest) and others could mean a new-look Toronto team with more success than the last two seasons.

Don't yet have your tickets, go ahead and pick them up. There are still a few left. In other news, Ticketmaster has set up an easy way to get tickets to any Wizards event listed on their service. Head to www.Ticketmaster.com/kcwizards for any Wizards games, home or away. Some teams don't use Ticketmaster, so you'll still have to venture to those websites occasionally, but this will cover a majority of your Wizards ticketing needs.

If you're wanting to hear what the players have to say in advance of this weekend's opener, check out the week's interview schedule posted last Friday. Here's what Hartman had to say after Saturday's friendly in Iowa:

On the home opener versus Toronto FC
“I think we’re all excited to get the regular season started and start playing games that matter in the standings. We’re looking forward to playing a team, Toronto FC, that we think highly of. Some of the additions they have made such as (midfielder) Dwayne De Rosario are great additions to their team. We have to be aware of their speed and their class and try to neutralize their attack.

On opening the season in front of the hometown fans
“We’re happy to be playing at CommunityAmerica Ballpark in front of the home fans which was very advantageous for us last year. We’re excited to be playing in front of the Cauldron and celebrating some goals there.”

Game 2 Commentary

That's a wrap. The teams decided to play only one half in the second game. The team is on its way back to Kansas City with a 4-0 win and 1-1 tie. Don't forget, the Wizards start the regular season next Saturday against Toronto FC at CommunityAmerica Ballpark. See you there!

40th minute- Becker guesses correctly, but #24 for Minnesota puts the ball into the upper-left corner to tie the match 1-1.

38th minute- Pardo gives up a PK as a Minnesota forward gets behind the defense. The referee judges Pardo to be the last defender and also shows him a red card. Recent open tryout participant Chad Becker is coming off the bench and into the match.

22nd minute- Minnesota slots a ball between the defense to an onrushing forward, but Pardo is quickly off his line and lays out to block the point-blank effort. Very nice save.

10th minute here in game 2, Kraus just put home a shot from inside the area to put KC ahead 1-0.

Wizards lineup:
Boris Pardo; Nelson Pizarro, Rauwshan McKenzie, Matt Besler, Marquess; Austin Williams***, Kurt Morsink, Kevin Souter, Roger Espinoza; Abe Thompson, Michael Kraus.

***corrected

Wizards v Thunder Running Commentary

90th minute- There goes the final whistle. KC wins its final preparation match of 2009 by a 4-0 margin over the Minnesota Thunder.

90th minute- 17 for Minnesota plays a ball over the top that Hartman chests down and holds the ball to kill 20 seconds or so.

89th minute- Espinoza takes the corner kick, with the Thunder clearing.

89th minute- Morsink again picks out Espinoza up the left. He crosses to the back post, and the ball is headed out for a CK by Min.

88th minute- Minnesota is again called offside. No stoppage time will be added. Also, the teams have decided that game 2 will consist of 45 minutes.

86th minute- Morsink plays a ball out of the center of midfield for Espinoza breaking up the left wing. Minnesota cuts out the ball, and KC regains possession with a throw in.

84th minute- Espinoza hits a ball ahead toward Thompson that is cut out by the Minnesota 'keeper.

83rd minute- Kraus slides the ball through the defense for Zusi, but the ball is too near Platter and he holds the ball.

81st minute- Minnesota is called offside, Hartman takes the restart from 20 yards off his goal line.

81st minute- Morsink on for Jewsbury.

79th minute- GOAL KC!!! Great combination play, as Leathers puts the ball over the defense for Kraus up the right flank. Kraus plays centrally for Thompson who plays ahead diagonally for Espinoza out of midfield. Espinoza takes a touch and buries inside the back post from a tough angle for a 4-0 KC lead!!

77th minute- Besler steps forward and fouls Minnesota midfielder Sanchez in the center circle. Free kick flicked on and out of bounds for a goal kick.

75th minute- KC wins a throw in on the far side 20 yards from the end line. Harrington puts the ball in to Kraus, who turns and shoots just over the bar.

74th minute- Thompson ends up with the ball, turns around a defender and hits a left-footed shot on goal. Platter holds and punts down the field. Hartman ends up with the ball.

73rd minute- Wizards win a throw in 30 yards off the end line on the year side.

71st minute- Kraus and Espinoza come on for Wolff and Lopez.

70th minute- Lopez picks out Zusi with a cross-field pass from left to right. Zusi attempts to keep the ball in, but it is over the end line for a goal kick.

70th minute- Wolff is called for a hand ball as the ball pops up near the center circle.

67th minute- GOAL!! Lopez slots the PK home inside the left post for a 3-0 lead.

66th minute- PK called! Thompson was in behind the defense, he cut it back for Zusi who moved around a defender. He was cut down for a yellow card to #14.

66th minute- Friedland plays a pass ahead for Tarpley. Hartman cuts it out and plays immediately ahead.

66th minute- Besler enters for Conrad. Minnesota makes a host of changes, but they have not provided substitute names. We'll get those to you.

65th minute- Minnesota plays a ball into the area toward Kirk and Tarpley, but Hartman comes off his line to hold the pass.

64th minute- Lopez plays ahead to Wolff in the area, but Arango chests the ball into Platter's hands.

62nd minute- Sanchez hits a shot from 25 yards out, but it is over the bar. Thompson enters for Gomez.

61st minute- Zusi is called for a foul on the near side as Onalfo gives last-minute instructions to Abe Thompson who appears to be entering the match.

60th minute- Hohlbein heads a ball ahead for Gomez, but he comes back from an offside position. MIN free kick just on their half of the field.

59th minute- Hohlbein plays a long ball over the defense for Gomez who plays a cross through the six-yard area, but the ball is cleared by the Thunder.

58th minute- Zusi steps around a defender and gets up the right, winning a throw in.

57th minute- Souter is fouled going through the enter circle, and takes the free kick immediately, playing it wide for Leathers.

54th minute- Thunder play a ball over the top for Sanchez who takes a shot on goal that Hartman holds, but he was judged offside.

53rd minute- Wizards win a free kick 35 yards out. Zusi and Lopez over the ball. Zusi sends it in low, but Minnesota clears.

52nd minute- Zusi plays Gomez through the defense with a ball over the top, but it is just to far for Gomez and Platter collects.

50th minute- Kraus and Espinoza are now warming up. GOAL KC!!! Lopez plays a ball along the ground. It is deflected back to Lopez, who collects and plays to Jewsbury in the middle. Jewsbury slots inside the far post from the top of the area for a 2-0 KC lead!!!

49th minute- Wolff then gets behind the defense and plays a ball along the ground. MIN plays the ball out of bounds at the back post, and Zusi's corner kick is then cleared.

48th minute- Leathers takes a throw ahead to Gomez who fights through two players in the box. Zusi's rebound attempt is cleared.

47th minute- 23 takes a shot from 22 yards out that sails high over the goal. Hartman goal kick.

46th minute- #17 is also in for the Thunder. We'll get you those names as we can track them down.

Halftime- Souter enters for Arnaud at half. Bass remains on the bench. 23 is in for Minnesota. We're checking on his name and will get it to you shortly.

45th minute- Wolff takes a shot on goal toward the near post that is held by Platter. Halftime is here, with Kansas City ahead 1-0.

45th minute- Jeremiah Bass is on the bench with an apparent injury. MIN has ten for the last few seconds. No stoppage time will be added.

44th minute- Arnaud gets free on the left side and attempts to play Gomez through, but slips as he plays the ball forward and MIN cuts out the pass.

42nd minute- Lopez takes one throw in, then another. The second is headed by Gomez to Arnaud for a shot from 20 that misses just wide of the right post.

41st minute- Zusi takes the kick, with MIN clearing for a near-side throw in.

41st minute- Wolff is fouled 30 yards out on the near side of the field. Zusi and Lopez again over the ball as Conrad and Hohlbein come forward.

40th minute- Kante hits an ambitious shot from 28 yards out that sails high and wide of the goal. Hartman goal kick.

39th minute- Zusi is called for a foul near the half line. Arango plays the free kick ahead, Conrad heads clear and Bass serves a ball into the area that Hartman holds.

38th minute- Lopez takes the corner, and Platter catches cleanly.

38th minute- Lopez plays the ball in for Wolff. Wolff can't quite get a touch, but Platter can only knock the ball out for a corner.

37th minute- Lopez's pass ahead looking for Arnaud deflects off the hand of a MIN defender for a free kick 30 yards out. Lopez and Zusi over the ball.

36th minute- Friedland takes a throw in from the far side and puts it into a dangerous area. Dyachenko is called for fouling Conrad in the area to end the threat.

34th minute- Leathers pass ahead for Zusi takes a bad hop and rolls over the touch line. The field is a little choppy, so the touches have to be extra sure.

33rd minute- Arnaud fouls Dyachenko in the center circle. Minnesota loses the ball out of bounds shortly thereafter.

32nd minute- Leathers serves into Arnaud from the right wing. Arnaud heads it down for Jewsbury, but Jack's shot is off-target and wide left.

31st minute- Dyachenko passes ahead for Sanchez, but he is behind the line and offside about 30 yards from KC's goal.

30th minute- Jewsbury feeds Lopez on the left wing from deep in midfield. Lopez knocks the ball toward Gomez at the back post but the cross sails out for a goal kick.

30th minute- Harrington, Lopez and Arnaud knock the ball around on the left, with Jewsbury's pass ahead for Wolff just missing and rolling out for a Thunder throw in.

28th minute- Sanchez plays a free kick from 30 yards out into the area. Dyachenko heads toward goal, but Hartman scoops up easily.

27th minute- Bass plays ahead to Tarley in the Wizards area, but Conrad cuts out the pass.

26th minute- Gomez curls the ball around the wall but it ends up in Platter's arms in the middle of the goal area.

26th minute- Zusi is fouled 24 yards out in the middle of the field trying to put Wolff in behind. Jewsbury, Lopez, Gomez around the ball.

25th minute- Zusi attempts to track down a loose ball at the top of the area but is called for a foul against Arango.

23rd minute- Zusi's pass ahead for Gomez is just a little long and Platter collects again.

22nd minute- After a pair of throws were knocked out of bounds, Leathers launches one in that Platter misjudges. The ball is cleared, however, before Zusi can put it home.

21st minute- Lopez CK cleared, Wizards end up with throw in on far side.

20th minute- Leathers lays off to Wolff whose cross is deflected out for a CK. Claudio over the ball on the far side.

20th minute- Zusi plays ahead to Wolff behind the defense, but Platter comes 22 yards out to clear the ball away for a KC throw in.

18th minute- Conrad was playing high to keep the field compact and cut out two Minnesota through-ball attempts.

17th minute- Lopez is called for a foul on the near side just in front of the Wizards bench (KC is going right to left).

16th minute- The Wizards are really knocking the ball around and possessing it well tonight.

14th minute- Zusi, Arnaud and Harrington work a nifty combo up the left, with Harrington's cross eventually being put out for a throw-in. Harrington is then judged offside after throwing the ball in to Arnaud and receiving it back.

13th minute- Kante comes forward up the right, earning a throw in on the near side. Hartman grabs the throw easily and distributes up the right.

12th minute- Lopez puts Jewsbury through over the top, but the ball is just too long and Platter collects.

11th minute- Minnesota earns a throw in 18 yards out on the far side of the field. Friedland puts it into a dangerous area, but Conrad was able to clear.

10th minute- Zusi took the ensuing free kick, but Minnesota was able to clear.

9th minute- Arnaud feeds Gomez overlapping on the left flank. As Gomez goes to cross the ball, Minnesota defender Kallman cuts him down with a nasty tackle. Yellow issued.

8th minkute- Wizards win a corner kick, Lopez over the ball. He sends it into the mixer, Souter keeps it in play and Jewsbury's shot is deflected for another corner.

7th minute- Hartman comes off his line quickly to deal with a ball into the area. He smothers it in front of Tarpley.

5th minute- Zusi attempts to cut into the penalty area but fouls a Minnesota defender. Free Kick Platter.

5th minute- Dyachenko feeds up the left for Peterson, but his cross attempt sails out of play for a Hartman goal kick.

4th minute- WIZARDS GOAL!!! Lopez sends in a left-footed free kick after Gomez drew the foul. Goalkeeper Platter is screened and the ball tucks inside the far post for a 1-0 Wizards lead!!

3rd minute- Lopez collects a free ball in midfield and springs Gomez up the right. Left back Arango fouls Gomez 18 yards out.

2nd minute- Sanchez played a ball ahead to Kirk behind the defense but Leathers cuts it out for a throw in that is cleared by Conrad.

2nd minute- Leathers plays a cross into the area, but it is collected by goalkeeper Nic Platter after a deflection.

1st minute- Kansas City took the kickoff and played the ball up the right, eventually winning a throw in.

5:36 p.m. - Kickoff is here. We'll be in game minutes from now on.

5:35 p.m.- Conrad just received the celebratory first kick. Both teams are on the field, and we're about ready to go. Running commentary to follow.

5:31 p.m. - The players are now on the field and the National Anthem is being sung. Kickoff coming shortly.

5:19 p.m.- Minnesota has now left the field and the human tunnel is forming. Matt Besler's parents just arrived. They drove up today for the game and will be returning to KC afterward.

5:15 p.m.- The Wizards have left the field and returned to the locker room for final preparations.

5:11 p.m.- A few notes before we get to kickoff. You may notice a few familiar names in the Minnesota lineup below.

• Yousouff Kante tried out last year at the same open tryouts that saw Kevin Souter and Nelson Pizarro eventually sign with KC. He played against us last summer in an Open Cup game as a member of the USL Seattle Sounders.
• Rod Dyachenko is a former D.C. United player.
• Quavas Kirk played for D.C. last year and was a teammate of Kevin Hartman and Herculez Gomez while with Los Angeles before that.
• Five players from Wizards open tryouts the last two years are in the building. Kante and Souter are suiting up for the first game. Pizarro will suit up for game 2, as will midfielder/forward Austin Williams and goalkeeper Chad Becker from the 2009 edition.
  

Greetings ladies and gentlemen. The teams are both on the field getting ready for tonight's friendly. Lineups for both teams are below:

KC:
Starters-Kevin Hartman; Jonathan Leathers, Jimmy Conrad, Michael Harrington, Aaron Hohlbein; Graham Zusi, Jack Jewsbury, Davy Arnaud, Herculez Gomez; Claudio Lopez, Josh Wolff
Subs- Boris Pardo, Abe Thompson, Michael Kraus, Roger Espinoza, Kevin Souter, Kurt Morsink, Matt Besler

MIN:
Starters- Nic Platter; Brian Kallman, Andres Arango, Kevin Friedland, Youssouf Kante; Jeremiah Bass, Rod Dyachenko, Ricardo Sanchez, Andrew Peterson; Melvin Tarley, Quavas Kirk

Greetings from Cedar Rapids

Hillcrest coming to you live from chilly Iowa.

Hillcrest has arrived at Prairie High School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The Wizards will be playing a pair of friendly matches tonight against the Minnesota Thunder (USL-1), with the first game starting at 5:30 p.m. CT. We will have live running commentary from Match 1 at that time, with less frequent updates from Game 2 afterward. There is quite a lot of activity from hosts Prairie Soccer Club as they put the finishing touches on a day-long event that featured a clinic this morning with Wizards players and staff. Until kickoff, enjoy the pictures below of John W. Wall Memorial Field:

8 Days to Kickoff

The local media is getting jazzed up about our home opener next Saturday. Look at next week's media schedule:

Sunday--10:50 a.m.--Adam Cristman in-studio TV interview--KCTV 5 morning show
Tuesday--8:00 a.m.--Jack Jewsbury in-studio interview--105.1 Jack FM
Tuesday--8:30 a.m.--Herculez Gomez phone interview--1340 AM (Spanish)
Tuesday--12:00-2:00 p.m.--2009 Media Day at Swope Park training facility
Tuesday--3:00 p.m.--Michael Harrington phone interview--610 Sports
Tuesday--3:00 p.m.--Roger Espinoza phone interview--1250 AM (Spanish)
Wednesday--4:40 p.m.--Jimmy Conrad phone interview--1510 AM
Thursday--7:50 a.m.--Jimmy Conrad in-studio interview--Star 102.1 FM
Thursday--8:00 a.m.--Kevin Hartman in-studio interview--106.5 FM
Thursday--8:50 a.m.--Herculez Gomez in-studio TV interview--Fox 4 morning show
Thursday--3:00 p.m.--Jonathan Leathers phone interview--V-100 FM (Topeka)
Thursday--5:00 p.m.--Zona Wizards Weekly Spanish Radio Show with Curt Onalfo and Wizards player TBD--1480 AM
Friday--8:20 a.m.--Davy Arnaud in-studio radio interview--94.1 KFKF FM
Saturday--8:40 a.m.--Wizards player TBD in-studio TV interview--NBC 41 morning show
Metro Sports will also be doing a 30-minute Wizards season kickoff special that will run:
Wedneday--6:30 a.m. & 8:30 a.m.
Thursday-- 6:00 a.m. & 8:30 a.m.
Friday--5:30 a.m. & 8:30 a.m.
Saturday--6:30 p.m. (leading into the pregame show)

And now the weather for next weekend. It's looking like a pretty decent night to be out, as long as you have a decent jacket:

Cristman Out/Guests in Iowa

As many of you saw yesterday in the KC Star, Adam Cristman will be out for some time with a fractured toe (the same toe that Chance fractured). His recovery time is expected to be 12 weeks. We'll give you more information on Adam's health/recovery as we get it.

We held open tryouts over the weekend, and they're already paying dividends. Austin Williams of William Jewell and Chad Becker of Rockhurst University will be accompanying the team to Cedar Rapids and will be available for the friendlies against Minnesota. The first team game starts tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. CT. Hillcrest will be on the scene with a live blog of the first game and more sporadic updates of Game 2, the reserve game. Also with the club for the trip are Josh White (formerly of UMKC) and J.D. Warman a former KC Brass player. Interestingly enough, Josh White also attended Blue Valley West, where he was a teammate of Matt Besler's for three years.

Woah Where'd the Time Go?

Holy cow is it really 4:15? I guess it is. Hillcrest has been slacking today. I'll try to make up for it in quality. First of all, it's nine days to First Kick. Wow that's soon. A couple of tidbits for your benefit. First, we're opening a gate at 5:30 for season ticket holders. Regular gate-open time will be 6:30. Once you're in the stadium, you'll have the opportunity for merchandise discounts and purchasing player-worn gear. Show up early, you STHs!

Second, don't forget about Monday's event at Paradise Park in Lee's Summit. Read the post below for more information and to get directions.

Third, the guys are playing Saturday in a pair of friendlies against the Minnesota Thunder. Hillcrest will be on the scene with live running commentary of the first game and most of the second. We might have to coordinate some interviews after Game 1, so Game 2's commentary will likely be a little behind.

Fourth, Jimmy Conrad stopped by the office today. He saw his bobble head. He fell in love. Check out Jimmy and Jimmy in the photo below. Also, Jimmy C has joined Twitter. Twit him here. Want to get the Jimmy Conrad bobble head? Come out on April 23. Buy the three-game pack that includes the Home Opener next Saturday, the Jimmy C bobble head night and the Galaxy game later in the year.

Jimmy squared.

Offside Previews KC/Monday's Event

The Offside did its yearly preview about the Wizards. Travis did the writing, and generally said that he thinks the Wizards will be better this year than last year. Do you agree? Let us know what you think. They're also looking for a fan blogger to cover the Wizards beat at The Offside. If you're interested, read the story then let them know.

Also, I wanted to let you guys know a little something about Monday's First Kick event at Paradise Park. There is not an exit from eastbound I-470 at Colburn Road. If you look at the map below, it looks like there might be an exit there, but one does not exist. If you're coming from the west, make sure you get directions from your location and follow them. If you do that, you can't go wrong.

View Larger Map

Topeka DJ Tryout Story

DJ Forrest (left) with Larry the Cable Guy and friends.

David Streeter of the Topeka Capital Journal checks in on his blog with a story of local DJ Forrest of V100, Topeka's Rock Leader. Forrest grew up a soccer player and soccer fan and trained extensively for his chance to make a professional roster. He scored the first goal of the day for his team but was later hampered with blisters. He actually found out about the tryouts because Streeter posted info on his blog. My it's a small, small world. Read Streeter's story here.

First Kick Event Next Monday at Paradise Park

Greetings all, make sure to join us next Monday at our First Kick event at Paradise Park in Lee's Summit. All of you can enter for free and play all the games there at a great discount ($15 per person). Check out all the details over at the website and make sure you have next Monday free from 5-8 p.m.

If you want to see what kind of fun you're in for, check out the Paradise Park website. See the map to the place below:

View Larger Map