The Must Wins Start Now

Tomorrow the Wizards continue their path to try and make the playoffs and they have a good chance to make up ground on one of the team's in front of them as they take on the Seattle Sounders. Seattle is 9 points clear of the Wizards currently and will clinch a playoff should they beat the Wizards tomorrow. Seattle comes in on a high having won the US Open Cup on Tuesday night against Columbus. They'll want to continue their good run of form and get themselves into the playoffs. While earlier in the week it looked like Sanna Nyassi, the Open Cup hero, would not be playing due to a call up for Gambia, but now Nyassi is traveling to KC.

KC has to have this game, while they can still be alive if they don't win, a loss would virtually eliminate the Wizards and they'd need a miracle to qualify for the playoffs. So getting the points tomorrow is a definite must for KC. They'll be without center back, Shavar Thomas who is with the Jamaican national team for a friendly against Trinidad. That means for the first time since the Wizards traded for the defender Jimmy Conrad will have a new partner in central defense. The favorites seem to be Matt Besler and Jonathan Leathers, the defenders who have been making the bench lately. But other options include Nikos Kounenakis and Aaron Hohlbein, who has returned from loan with Miami FC. And while Hohlbein is likely the most match fit, I think we may see Leathers partnering Conrad in the middle of defense. The other potential question is Ryan Smith who missed last week's game against New York, and may not be fully fit to go. But in a must win game I think Smith will get the start.

Nielsen
Harrington - Leathers - Conrad - Espinoza
Arnaud - Auvray - Rocastle
Kamara - Bunbury - Smith

Key Match Up - Jimmy Conrad vs Blaise Nkufo - Nkufo is having a good run of form lately scoring all 5 of his goals in the past few games. He'll be a handful, and with Leathers and Stephane Auvray probably having the duty of staying with the speedier Fredy Montero.

PREDICTION - Absolutely 100% must win for KC. A loss here is virtual elimination from the playoff race. KC did enough last week in New York to win, except for finish. If they can put in that type of performance again but finish those chances then they'll be able to stay in the playoff race. But Seattle is going to be a much different task, they're undefeated in their last 4 league games, and have won their last 3 league games. KC needs this game more and needs to come out as such to take this game.

KC - 2 (Kamara, Bunbury)
SEA - 1 (Montero)