Wizards start nationals with comeback win

Little Rock, Ark. – Trailing by two goals and running out of time, the Kansas City Wizards Juniors U-19 boys team rallied in the last 15 minutes to win its opening match 3-2 Wednesday at the 2008 U.S. Youth Soccer National Championships.

Maryland’s Freestate United moved ahead 2-0 with goals in the 30th and 66th minutes before substituting its attacking papers in an attempt to kill the game, but the Wizards left the game late with goals of their own in the 75th, 84th and 85th minutes.

The tournament opener began quickly for both sides, as Freestate looked for counterattacks and pushed two shots wide of the post. Kansas City’s first shot came in the seventh minute on a long range effort that went wide of the near post.

Freestate’s counterattack yielded the best early chance, as striker Nirav Kadam got around Wizards goalkeeper Alex Burton, but the move left Kadam at a tight angle and without support, allowing Burton and his defense to recover and clear the ball without allowing a shot.

Two minutes later, the Wizards got their best chance of the first half. Brett Heinz got free on the wing before sending a cross to an unmarked Coleton Henning, who headed his shot over both the goalkeeper and the crossbar.

The end to end action continued as Burton came off his line to stop a breakaway. The Wizards moved the ball quickly forward, and Henning sent a shot wide at the other end. Two minutes after Henning’s shot, Willie Koss made space for a low shot from about 20 yards out. Freestate goalkeeper William Swaim looked beaten, but the shot went inches wide of the post.

Despite the Wizards increasing offensive pressure, it was Freestate that scored first. After Freestate cleared a Kansas City corner kick, Kadam fought off Wizards defender Austin Eanes near midfield to create a breakaway, which he converted with his right foot low to Burton’s left.

Responding well, the Wizards generated two quick shots on goal, but both were straight at Swaim. Substitute striker Chase McCoy sent a glancing header wide of the post after finding space underneath another dangerous Heinz cross.

In the 43rd minute, Eanes was cautioned for a late slide tackle on the Wizards’ right wing, a similar foul to one the referee had warned Heinz for about 20 minutes earlier.

The halftime rest refreshed Freestate’s attack, and the early second half saw chances at both ends. Burton came off his line quickly in the 47th minute to keep Kadam from doubling his tally. In the scramble for the loose ball, a Freestate player fell in the box, eliciting a penalty cry from the team and its fans, but the referee waved the play on.

Wizards striker Giovanni Edward got the Wizards’ attack back on track in the 51st minute. Edward muscled his way into the Maryland side’s penalty area. From a tight angle, he attempted a shot, beating Swaim, but a defender cleared the line to protect Freestate’s lead. Edward beat Swaim in the 59th minute, out-jumping the Freestate goalkeeper for a loose ball, but the referee ruled that Edward had pushed the goalkeeper and disallowed the goal.

In the 66th minute, Freestate doubled its lead. A free kick from the wing found its way to the far post. Burton dove to stop the initial shot from the tight angle but spilled the rebound into a crowd in the goal box. Mostafa Ebrahimnejad scrambled the loose ball home through the crowd. With a two goal cushion, Freestate began making defensive substitutions and attempting to possess the ball.

The Wizards responded aggressively. Head coach Jon Parry changed the formation from a 4-4-2 to a 3-5-2 and began pushing Henning and Koss forward. The Wizards quickly rewarded the change, as Curt McDonald played a through ball for Edward to finish with a hard, low shot from a tight angle.

Seven minutes later, a corner kick nearly provided the equalizer. Tyler Schwab played an in-swinging corner kick, which Swaim misjudged. With the goal standing open, Henning leapt to meet the cross, but his header hit the post and went out of bounds, leaving Henning holding his head in frustration.

Two minutes later, that frustration was alleviated when Henning finally nodded one home (pictured at right). Eanes gathered the ball on the right wing and sent a dangerous out-swinging cross near the penalty spot. Henning beat Swaim to the ball, and sent his header through his arms into the net.

With all the momentum on their side, the Wizards kept up the pressure, and they found a winner about a minute later. Koss won a tackle in the midfield. After taking a few touches forward, he unleashed a shot from about 30 yards out that went over the diving Swaim and into the side netting at the far post, completing the comeback and sending the Wizards into a frenzy (seen at the top of this entry; thanks to Laurie Westberg for sharing her photos).

With the lead, the Wizards focused on possession for the last five minutes, knocking it around the midfield and killing it in the corner. At game’s end, Parry warned his players that they’ll need to keep a better shape on defense in their next two games, but he praised them for continuing to attack after falling behind.

“That’s the sign of a great team,” Parry told his team, “when you don’t play your best and you find a way to win.”

KCW Juniors starting line-up
GK Alex Burton, LB Michael Parry, CB Kyle Miller, CB Matt Griffin, RB Austin Eanes, LM Tyler Schwab, CM Coleton Henning, CM Willie Koss, RM Brett Heinz, F Giovanni Edward, F Curt McDonald

Discipline
KCW - Austin Eanes, 43 (caution, tackle from behind)
FU - Joshua Zipin, 58 (caution, elbowing)

Statistics (KCW-Freestate)
Shots: 15-10
Shots on goal: 7-7
Saves: 5-4
Corner kicks: 7-0
Offside: 1-1
Yellow cards: 1-1
Red cards: 0-0