Column on Coach (Updated)

Tremendous read today from ESPN.com’s Kristian Dyer: Wizards’ Onalfo a true survivor.

“He is the same person that he was before all this, which is to say that he is a terrific person,” said Arena. “He’s a fighter, on and off the field. He always was, and he still is.”

UPDATED: Posted some video footage below of Curt following the season opening victory against his former team, DC United.  Curt shares the moment with fans, his family, and the local media.  

 

KC ends road trip with draw (KC Star, Page C6)

By JASON FRANCHUK
The Kansas City Star
08 Jun 2008

Unable to score, the Wizards won’t bother to nitpick. At least Real Salt Lake also didn’t find the net, as the teams battled to a 90-minute 0-0 draw Saturday at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Finishing a six-game Major League Soccer road trip, the Wizards,…read more…

News and Notes

Not much to report on ahead of tomorrow’s fixture at RSL, but here’s what I can offer:

• Wizards Spanish broadcastor Carlos Chicas has been influential in fostering an affiliation between the 22-team Arkansas Wizards soccer club and the Kansas City pro side. 

The Wizards are affiliated with the MLS’s Kansas City Wizards and serve as a farm system of sorts for the professional club. “Our older teams get the opportunity to scrimmage against the pro-club throughout the year,” Darling said. “It gives the kids the opportunity to show what they can do against professional competition which can open the door to a career in soccer.”

• Wizards’ 2008 4th round supplemental draft pick Andrew Kartunen has been added to the team’s roster on kcwizards.com.  He was previously regarded as a league pool goalkeeper.
• On the eve of Euro 2008, Scotland’s Glasgow Evening Times has a Where Are They Now for the 1992 squad, among which former Wizard Richard Gough is featured.
• Former Wizard Edson Elcock, now with USL-1′s Puerto Rico Islanders, will be on FSC tonight at 7 pm as they take on the Atlanta Silverbacks.  Edson was selected in the third round of the 2007 MLS SuperDraft but was waived following his rookie season.
• Despite being a rookie, the Wizards 2008 US Open Cup campaign won’t be Roger Espinoza’s first.  While playing at Yavapai Community College in Prescott, Arizona, he participated in the 2006 tourney with the Arizona Sahuaros who qualified again this year.

Finally, a couple non-Wizards but KC-centric soccer stories:

• The number one team in the world was in Kansas City last night.  Who knew?  Apparently Argentina’s cross-country flight from San Diego to New Jersey was forced to layover in KC overnight due to inclement weather.  Ahead of Sunday’s friendly, I’d imagine there have been friendly wagers made between the Wizards three Argentines and their American teammates.  
• And lastly, Kansas City Star columnist extraordinairre Joe Posnanski is asking for advice on which EPL team to support.  As of today he’s leaning towards Middlesbrough, but the poll is still open. 

So, here’s what I’ve been thinking: I need a soccer team. A football club. Whatever you call it. You can teach me that stuff later. For a while I thought about becoming a fan of Arsenal because of Nick Hornby, but I never really followed up on that. I’m more committed now — thanks in large part to the upcoming soccer book Bloody Confused by my dear friend Chuck Culpepper.  Yes, I want a club. I want to buy soccer jerseys. I want to feel international (Sorry: American soccer teams are not eligible). I want to be able to use all those cool soccer words like … well, I don’t know, I’ll learn them. So, here’s the deal: My fan services are for hire. All you have to do is send along an email telling me why I should support your team. The best email wins my enduring soccer love and maybe even an occasional soccer post.

Wizards win in penalty kicks (The KC Star, Page D3)

Kansas City wins 5-3 on penalty kicks
By BOB LUDER 
The Kansas City Star
05 Jun 2008

The Wizards will play in this year’s Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Barely. The Wizards and Colorado Rapids played even after 90 minutes of regulation and 30 more of overtime, each team scoring two goals in their play-in game for the U.S. Open Cup Wednesday…read more…