Major League Soccer

Shorthanded Kansas City regroups to blank Rapids 2-0.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Saturday, May 1, 2004) -- Ten players turned out to be plenty.

Despite playing a man down for more than a half, midfielder Chris Klein and striker Josh Wolff scored short-handed goals, their first tallies of the year, allowing the Kansas City Wizards to hand the Colorado Rapids their first setback of the season 2-0 tonight before 24,740 at Arrowhead Stadium, the second highest regular-season attendance in Wizards history.

Kansas City left defender Jose Burciaga, Jr., received a red card in the 45th minute for delivering an elbow to the head of Rapids right back Matt Crawford as both went for a header, reducing the Wizards to 10 men after a dominating first-half performance. Still, the home team adjusted, containing the Rapids and scoring two goals while taking only three shots in the second half.

Colorado outshot the Wizards 9-3 after the break, but came up empty. "I think when you play a man down there is more of an awareness of the defense," Kansas City defender Jimmy Conrad said. "When you're even, everyone has a man and sometimes you pass them on. But when you are a man down, there is no letting your man pass you by. Tonight, we knew we needed to just get behind the ball and make it as tough as possible for them to score and we would take our chances when we got them.

"We ended up finishing both of the chances we were given. Playing a man down took the pressure off us. We knew we had nothing to lose with the disadvantage and our backs against the wall."

Burciaga was making his first Major League Soccer start since he tore an anterior cruciate ligament last May 3. He replaced Nick Garcia who was out with an inflammation in his right foot.

Goalkeeper Tony Meola recorded his MLS-leading 51st career shutout; he and the Wizards' defense have allowed just one goal during a 2-1-1 start, good for seven points.

In the 63rd minute, Kansas City striker Davy Arnaud streaked down the right side. As several defenders approached, he played a square ball to Klein at the top of the penalty area for a first-time blast that deflected off defender Ritchie Kotschau and rolled past goalkeeper Joe Cannon for a 1-0 lead.

Twenty minutes later, Wizards midfielder Diego Gutierrez, who moved to left back after intermission, advanced 50 yards on a spectacular solo run down the left flank, beating several Rapids players. He then fed an unmarked Wolff who calmly advanced into the box and drew Cannon off his line before beating him with a shot inside the far post for a 2-0 advantage.

"Diego sent it in and I had to make sure I was onside," Klein said. "Once I realized I was on, I just concentrated on making two good touches and getting in a good spot. I made Joe (Cannon) come out and I just slipped it to his right. Those are sometimes the toughest ones, because you almost have too much time. But it was good to just get it in."

Gutierrez said, "I kept poking the ball forward enough to where I could keep going. I got a lucky bounce that deflected forward and once I got a clean look at the field, I saw Josh. I was actually struggling to keep my balance and tried my hardest to make contact with the ball so he could get on the end of it. By the time I passed off to Josh, I was about on my knees."

The Rapids (1-1-2, 5 points), without injured captain and forward John Spencer, were unable to establish a rhythm and had trouble stringing passes together, especially in the final third of the field. Despite holding a majority of the second-half possession, the only real scoring threat produced by Colorado came on a 25-yard shot by second-half substitute Seth Trembly which was blocked by Meola.

The Wizards controlled first-half action and outshot the Colorado 8-1 with Meola not having to make a save. The best chance of the opening 45 minutes came in the 22nd minute, but Arnaud's header of a Diego Walsh cross went directly to Cannon.

In addition to Spencer, Colorado was also without with midfielder Darryl Powell and striker Zizi Roberts. Central defender Pablo Mastroeni replaced Spencer as captain and regular right midfielder Chris Henderson moved to a withdrawn forward role behind lone striker Jean Philippe Peguero to start the match. Zach Kingsley assumed Henderson's place on the right flank for his first start of the season.

"Our performance was not ambitious enough and the quality of our play was below standards," Rapids coach Tim Hankinson said. "We need to raise our game so that we don't fall behind. But our reaction to this will be to just get back to work."

Referee: Baldomero Toledo. Referee's assistants: Thomas Supple, Bahij Salman. Attendance: 24,740 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. Time of game: 2:18. Weather: Partly cloudy, 58 degrees.