Match 11.09 Preview: At Kansas City Wizards

Match #: 11.09

Opponent: Kansas City Wizards

Records:
DC United, 4-1-3, 15 pts, 1st in East Conference , 2nd in MLS
Kansas City Wizards, 4-3-1, 13 pts, 2nd in East Conference, 3rd (tie-Houston) in MLS

TV: CSN / MLSLive.TV - 8:30PM

Previous Meeting: DC United 2 : 1 Kansas City, May 13, 2006 (DCenters debriefing...)

Suggested Pregame Music: The Unseen University Boys Choir - A Wizard's Staff has a Knob on the End.

The Stakes: The stakes aren't the top spot in the East, at least in my mind. No, this is about winning the MLS regular season. Really. At one-quarter of the way into the season, the Supporter's Shield situation is becoming clearer. FC Dallas is the only team above Shield Pace at the moment, having been a point under only two games ago. With two games in hand on the Hoops, DC United needs a win to follow suit. This could be one of those games early in the season that seems like it might not mean much, but a loss here would place DC three points out of pace.

There are other intrigues as well. This the second time DC has played an opponent they faced earlier in the season, and like the Red Bulls before, this second encounter is a road game. Nowak showed ability to learn from the previous encounter with RBNY, can similar success be expected here? The answer is probably not. Kansas City is a better team, and having just taken a beating from Real Salt Lake they have something to prove at home. Still, I've always believed that the World Cup period would be toughest of all on Kansas City, something I believed even before the World Cup squads were announced. The opportunity for a DC win is there, but we can't afford any of the lapses that have plagued this team.

I expect Nowak will come out in the 3-5-2, and probably one closer to the one played last year than the hybrid he's been experimenting with. With Kansas City already thinned at the front and back, if DC can establish midfield dominance it could be a strong indication of things to come.

Previews from the DCUniverse: Most of the DCUniverse is on vacation, but the SE Podcast has their thoughts...

Expected Yield: 2.0 points. My mind is telling me that it should be 1.5, coming up with all sorts of logical reasons to expect the draw. Still, emotion rules the day. (Current Expectations to Reality Level: 108% - I have overestimated DCU's performance to date.)

D's Location: At home. In Sofa. Trying to convince wife that I really need a limited edition red USMNT jersey with Olsen's name and number.

Last Words: Wizards. Really.