KC vs DC postgame thoughts

Wow I was way off when I predicted this game. Only thing I got right was both of DC's goal scorers and one of KC's.


4-2 final.

What can I say other then, PLEASE let this be the Eddie we see all season. Eddie Johnson showed the type of player he can be tonight, he was strong on the ball, fast, attacking players, beating players one on one, passing well, and finishing. A good night for one of the major scapegoats of last season.

The Wizards came out strong early, as Michael Harrington received a flick on header from Eddie, drove down the line beating Facundo Erpen, who slipped, and then beating Troy Perkins 5 whole to put the Wizards up 1-0 in just the third minute.

Five minutes later, a quick counter from a DC corner had Scott Sealy on the left side crossing to Johnson who clamly brought the ball down, looked up, and found Sasha Victorine making a run down the right. A nicely slotted ball later, and it's 2-0 Wizards and it looks as if the route is on.

It wouldn't last long though, as Luciano Emilio pulled one back in the 11th on a goal that appeared to be offside, but none of the replays from FSC showed a definitive view to say he was on or not.

In the 34th, things were all even. Christian Gomez broke away from the midfield, and was bearing down on Jimmy Conrad when Sasha Victorine gave a slite tug on Gomez's jersey and Gomez goes down earning the free kick and Sasha a yellow. Two things wrong with this, 1 why is Sasha pulling on Gomez, I mean he's going right at probably the best center back in the league, I had all the confidence in the world that Jimmy would have stood Gomez up. Two, what a weak foul that was. The goal was just as weak, as the free kick went to Hartman's right, Hartman got in front of it, but his parry of the ball went under him and into the net to make it 2-2.

In first half stoppage time, a take away off of Gomez in the midfield put Johnson in one on one with Perkins, and Eddie made no mistake slipping it under Perkins to restore the Wizards lead heading into halftime.

In the 54th minute, KC was able to put the game away, again it was Eddie Johnson making it happen, a long ball from the midfield found Eddie behind DC's defense, Perkins saved his first shot, but the rebound went right to Sealy who made no mistake.

Overall my thoughts on the game are a bit mixed. While I'm happy that the Wizards won and played well at times, there were a few things that bothered me. The first was the amount of possession we gave up. Yes we were leading and trying to protect the lead, but DC spent way to much time on the ball, especially in our own defensive third. Also, while overall Hartman played well, that gaff on the second goal could have cost us. I'll give his play at the end of the game though making up for it. Other thoughts on the game: DC's defense is horrid, Erpen got beat way too many times tonight, I'm starting to see why DC fans get so frustrated with him. The KC defense locked it down in the second half, after a shaky start, Hohlbein played well filling in for Nick Garcia.

3 STARS OF THE GAME:
1.) EDDIE JOHNSON - Kansas City - No contest here, easily his best game ever in Wizards blue, he looked like the Eddie of old running at defenders, using skill and speed, it was a thing of beauty, a goal and 2 assists, as well as basically setting up the fourth is nice.
2) SCOTT SEALY - Kansas City - Held the ball up well and played great off of EJ. Had a great cross into EJ that set up the second goal, and did what every good striker is taught to do on the fourth, follow the play.
3) CHRISTIAN GOMEZ - DC United - A wicked freekick for the second DC goal. Gomez played well in the middle of the field helping DC to keep possession and keep KC trapped in their own end of the field, especially in the second half when KC had trouble clearing it out.