KCW vs Atlas AC Running Commentary

92nd minute: With the kick, the final whistle blows. Kansas City, using a team of largely reserves, defeats Atlas AC 2-1 in front of 7,061 fans at CommunityAmerica Ballpark.

92nd minute: Atlas plays a ball wide for Sanchez, but Wahl pressures him into letting the ball run for a goal kick. Final whistle coming soon.

91st minute: GOAL!! After a hand ball call on Atlas in midfield, Kansas City takes a quick restart wide to Pizarro running free behind the defense. His low, hard shot is stopped by by Hernandez, but the ball squirts free. Kraus hustles to the loose ball and slides it into the net just before falling out of bounds to give the Wizards a 2-1 late lead!!!

89th minute: Guest player Geoff Miles is into the game and wins a battle with Colotto on the left wing. Espinoza is fouled shortly after. After restart, Marquess hits Kraus who chests ball through to Miles. His attempted off-balance cross goes out of bounds for goal kick.

89th minute: Hernandez winds up and punts the ball all the way down the field, one-hopping it to Pardo in the penalty area. Dang...big boot.

88th minute: McMahen sprays the ball wide for Watson up the left flank. He runs at the defense then crosses, but it's blocked out for a throw in.

86th minute: Marquess sends a long curling ball behind the defense toward Pore and Espinoza breaking up the middle. Hernandez comes out but bobbles the ball...he's out of his area but kicks the ball upfield to clear.

85th minute: The referee sets the wall and signals play to begin. The two players in front of the ball split and Bottinelli sends a shot high over the bar without troubling Pardo.

84th minute: Pacheco is fouled 22 yards from goal in the center of the field. Several Atlas players including Bottinelli are around the ball in a huddle.

83rd minute: McMahen swings the ball out at the penalty spot, but Hernandez is quickly off his line to punch clear.

82nd minute: Marquess plays a great ball along the ground behind the defense for Espinoza sprinting wide left. Espinoza cuts back inside and is fouled. McMahen's in-swinger is headed out of bounds by Atlas for a CK.

81st minute: Atlas attempts an attack up the left flank, but Myers slides in to knock the ball into touch.

79th minute: Atlas plays a ball in behind defense toward Pacheco, but Pardo is quickly off his line to hold the ball at the top of the area.

78th minute: Attendance is out...7,061 on hand tonight for this international match against our partner club Atlas AC.

76th minute: Myers' long throw gets behind the defense but is cleared over the bar for another CK. Espinoza serves to Wahl at the back post, who heads centrally before Atlas clears.

75th minute: McMahen plays the ball short and Pizarro is almost behind the defense, but Atlas pokes it away for a CK. Espinoza's CK is headed out by Atlas for a throw on the opposite side.

74th minute: After a long clearance from Marquess, Pore collects a free ball running toward goal. He is fouled from behind 28 yards from goal. Pore and McMahen are around the ball.

72nd minute: Leathers is fouled in the center 30 yards from goal. Kraus enters for Leathers immediately after. McMahen's cross is cleared...KC keeps possession after ball goes back to Pardo.

70th minute: McMahen curls the ball just wide of the back post. Atlas' goalkeeper looked a little nervous at first, but the ball fell harmlessly out of bounds.

69th minute: Myers pushes up the right and is flipped about 30 yards from goal. McMahen is over the ball, as the Wizards center backs get into the play.

67th minute: Wizards earn a corner on the left...Espinoza serves in but is cleared deep. Pardo comes off his line quickly and plays wide to Marquess who clears.

64th minute: NOW Ayala comes off. D Ricardo Jimenez is on. Wahl called for a foul on the right flank 25 yards out, Bottinelli sends it in. KC clears for throw in on opposite side.

63rd minute: Correction...Ayala moved from left back to right back. Vidrio came off when Flores entered in 58th.

62nd minute: Espinoza spins the ball in toward the back post, but Atlas clears. Leathers breaks up a pass, otherwise Atlas would have been on the break.

62nd minute: Leathers feeds Pizarro running up the right flank behind the defendse. Pizarro's cross is blocked out for CK.

60th minute: McMahen's pass is cleared out for a CK after landing on top of the goal. Espinoza swings a ball in that is deflected to Wahl beyond the back post...Wahl fires toward goal with his right foot, but the ball is blocked out of bounds.

60th minute: McMahen fouled 34 yards from goal on the right side, standing over the ball.

59th minute: More subs now for Atlas...D Ayala, M Rergis and F Mendivil off...D Flores, M Pacheco and F Sanchez on.

55th minute: Rergis pokes the ball free from Myers on the left flank and races toward goal. Pardo comes quickly off his line to shepherd the ball out of bounds, as it was outside the penalty area.

54th minute: Just got a look at our central midfielders. McMahen is on for Zavagnin since half. My bad. Pore now wearing the captains arm band.

53rd minute: Atlas earns a CK, the ball bounces around in the area for a bit before being cleared. Rergis shoots wide from distance.

52nd minute: Watson dispossess Atlas in midfield and plays the ball around the defender, running to the other side to retrieve it. He carries toward goal, but his left-footed effort from 10 yards out at a tough angle goes wide of the near post.

51st minute: Wahl puts Espinoza in behind the defense up the left, but he is flagged for offside.

51st minute: Leathers takes a jog down the side line as Kronberg sends the ball long. Looks like he'll be fine and re-enter the match soon.

49th minute: A Wizards player is down in our goal area. Leathers was the man down. He's being helped off now in the 50th minute.

47th minute: Second half is underway with the ball going back and forth in midfield. GK Bava, M Hernandez, M Valdez and F Romero are off for Atlas. Replaced by GK Hernandez, Flores, Bottinelli and Vargas, respectively. Pardo on for Kronberg for the Wizards. Atlas earns a CK, but is called for pushing in the box again.

At halftime, traditional Mexican dancers demonstrate their talents for the crowd as Wizards reserves get loose. Looks like Pardo may be entering the game for Kronberg.

45th minute: GOAL. Herhandez's cross is popped up into the center. Mendivil rises above a crowd and heads the ball toward goal. Wahl slid along the goal line to clear the ball, but the referee judged that it has already crossed the goal line. 1-1 at the half.

44th minute: Hernandez sends it into the mixer, but Kronberg gets up to punch the ball clear. Hernandez to the other side now for a corner kick.

43rd minute: Myers again called for a foul on Rergis on the left flank, about 25 yards out. Hernandez stands over the ball for an in-swinging cross.

42nd minute: Atlas' bench of 12 players is now up and getting loose, presumably for halftime substitutions.

40th minute: Atlas' 'keeper feeds the ball long for Mendivil, but McKenzie and Wahl again lock him up and take the ball. Zavagnin is eventually fouled near the corner flag after KC double teamed an attacking player there.

37th minute: GOAL!!! After the teams played pinball in midfield a bit, Pore feeds leathers behind the defense on the right. He stops the ball on a dime, allowing a defender to run by. Leathers feeds Pizarro in the middle, who turns to his left and slots past Bava from 12 yards out for the game's opening goal. The Wizards young players have looked sharp early vs. Atlas.

35th minute: Pizarro puts Espinoza through on a mini break up the right wing. Espinoza cuts inside a defender onto his left and lays off again for Pizarro, but his shot goes high over the bar from about 15 yards out.

34th minute: Watson attempts to bend the ball around the wall toward the near post, but the effort goes high and wide.

33rd minute: Watson's cross is cleared by Atlas for a throw in, and the ensuing ball is deflected off KC, Atlas regains possession...Rergis eventually gets the ball into the center, bu tit is cleared and Wizards quickly counter. Pore is fouled at the right corner of the penalty area by two defenders. Espinoza and Watson over the ball for KC.

32nd minute: Watson is fouled on the left side of midfield and stands over the ball as the big bodies push forward for KC.

30th minute: Leathers fouls on the left flank about even with the top of the 18. Rergis sends in a low, hard cross that again skips out of play as Wahl shields off an attacker.

29th minute: Hernandez makes a nice move to get around Marquess up the right, but Marquess recovers well and blocks the cross attempt out of bounds. Hernandez sends in ensuing CK, but Atlas is called for pushing in the area.

27th minute: Watson called for a foul 40 yards from goal in the center. Atlas lines up players on each corner of the penalty area then sends them all central. Left-footed attempt by Rergis skips out of bounds without troubling Kronberg.

26th minute: Espinoza's first CK attempt is cleared for another corner...the second cleared for a throw in. Watson takes a long throw to Pore into the box, but his flick attempt goes out of bounds for a goal kick.

24th minute: Wizards keep possession for quite a while, Wahl eventually freeing Pizarro up the left flank. Ball is headed out for KC throw in...Wizards keep possession, Espinoza crosses...cleared for CK.

22nd minute: After the ref warns both teams about pushing, Rergis finds Colotto at the back post. He heads the ball high in the air, but it is cleared by KC.

22nd minute: Ayala crosses off the back of Myers from the left flank for a CK...Rergis with the left footed attempt.

20th minute: Zavagnin again puts Pore through behind the defense, again a step too late as the offside flag goes up. Atlas is keeping a VERY high line tonight.

20th minute: Zavagnin and Watson stand over the ball, with Zavagnin's effort missing the upper right corner by a decent margin.

19th minute: Espinoza cuts out a pass then dances around a defender into the Atlas half. He is fouled going toward goal about 23 yards off the touch line in the center of the field.

17th minute: Marquess dribbles through a couple of defenders on the left flank and earns a corner kick. Espinoza crosses but Atlas clears.

16th minute: Watson spins free of a defender after collecting a loose ball in the left side of midfield. His shot form 30 yards out is held easily by Bava.

14th minute: Myers fouls Mendivil about 25 yards out on the left flank. Hernandez again over the ball, but header from Ayala goes over the bar.

13th minute: Leathers gets to the end line and crosses a ball toward the back post, but Vidrio clears for KC throw in.

12th minute: Mendivil fights off Myers challenge for a high ball near the top of the 18 and attempts to head the ball over Kronberg, but Kronberg holds the ball cleanly.

11th minute: Torres sends a low cross into the area from the left flank near the end line. McKenzie clears for Atlas throw in...throw in deflected out of play for goal kick.

10th minute: Atlas keeps possession and Vidrio attempts a shot from deep on the right wing that sails just high and wide of the back post.

9th minute: Robles gets free up the right flank and crosses toward Mendivil...the pass doesn't connect after Mendivil goes down in the area. No call.

8th minute: Hernandez fakes once then spins in a poor low free kick that Zavagnin clears easily.

7th minute: Myers called for a foul 25 yards off the end line on the left flank. Hernandez over the ball.

7th minute: Hernandez sends a ball behind the defense for Romero, but McKenzie stands him up and Wahl helps clear...good team defending by KC.

5th minute: Zavagnin puts Pore through behind the defense, but the offside flag is up. Atlas' 'keeper was 45 yards off his goal line when the whistle blew.

5th minute: Pizarro and Leathers dispossess Atlas in midfield, but Pizarro's cross looking for Pore sails out of bounds.

3rd minute: Kansas City gets momentum going forward, with Myers finding Pizarro in the right corner. Pizarro's cross is sent central by Pore but eventually cleared away by Atlas.

3rd minute: Atlas tries a long ball over the top, but Marquess is there and calmly shepherds the ball out of bounds for a Wizards goal kick.

1st minute: And we're off. Atlas kicks going right to left and controls possession along the back line.

We're 8 minutes to kickoff and the teams are making the walk through the human tunnel to the center circle. We have to PA announcers tonight, Bobby Day doing his usual wonderful job in English. He also has a Spanish-speaking counterpart for the occasion. The FIFA anthem is playing as I type. Quite a nice song, If I do say so myself.

Here's your spot for running commentary of tonight's match between the Wizards and our Mexican partner club Atlas AC of Guadalajara, Mexico. Lineups for tonight:


KCW- Eric Kronberg, Chance Myers, Rauwshan McKenzie, Tyson Wahl, Matt Marquess, Jonathan Leathers, Kerry Zavagnin, Roger Espinoza, Lance Watson, Nelson Pizarro, Ryan Pore

subs- Boris Pardo, Jed Hohlbein (Aaron's older brother, guest player), Ryan McMahen, Kurt Morsink, Michael Kraus, Geoff Miles (guest player).

Atlas- Jorge Bava, Diego Colotto, Jorge Torres, Hugo Ayala, Nestor Vidrio, Luis Robles, Jorge Hernandez, Christian Valdez, Eduardo Rergis, Mauricio Romero, Ulises Mendivil

subs- Pedro Hernandez, Omar Flores, Ricardo Jimenez, Gerardo Flores, Carlos Armas, Darvin Chavez, Luis Ramos, Oscar Vera, Edgar Pacheco, Ganzalo Vargas, Dario Bottinelli, Alfredo Sanchez