Despite the temporary absence of stalwart coach Liz Lamere, the Kansas City Wizards were 16 strong on Sunday as they faced Real Salt Lake at Battery Park Fields. The game ended in a 3-3 draw.
New addition Tyler Rohan had it made in the shade in the first half, as the Wizards rotating defense of Tyler Adams, Cameron Burger, Julian Chow, Max Kong and Gabby Rutherford kept the ball near the Real goal. He did make four good saves, including squashing a fast break from Real’s Brody Sharoff.
The Wizards’ sideline exploded when another newcomer to the team, Liam Fuerst, took a pass from Jackson Kaufman and shot it past Real’s Simon Curtis-Ginsberg for the first goal of the season. Real tried to catch up, with good defense from Milo Bernfield-Millman, Grace Bristol and Lachlan Robinson, and excellent footwork by Brandon Mirabella. Luke Dilworth handled the ball a lot for Real as well, but couldn’t get past midfielders Nick Winokur, Lucy Winokur and Dante Vega-Lamere. The score remained 1-0 until a Fuerst assist to Ryan Porcaro made it 2-0, Wizards.
Real kept pushing back, with great passes between Olivia Lemonides, Eva Roso, Anna Miliakos and Sophia Stoch, allowing Leon Wildt to dribble past the Wizards defense, scoring minutes before the half ended, with the Wizards ahead by one.
Real seemed to have renewed energy for the second half. Wildt scored quickly in the second half for Real with an amazing header into goal, off a cross from Sharoff, tying the game at 2.
The play continued with slide tackles, headers, and great passing by both teams, as the strikers and forwards fought for the ball and the chance to take the lead. Vega-Lamere played tirelessly on both sides of the ball for the Wizards, and teammate Graham Moore stepped in to assist in the second half. Moore dribbled up the side past Real’s defense, but was kept at bay and returned the ball to their goal. Dilworth took advantage of his teammates’ size, moving the ball towards the Real goal until it settled with Sharoff. Rutherford, at sweeper, blocked his first shot, but Sharoff took his own rebound, sneaking behind her and sailing it to the up-stretched arms of Wizards’ goalie Douglass Stapler, who stopped the ball and managed to sweep it to the side as he was falling down. Real got the rebound and scored, putting them in the lead for the first time in the game.
With only minutes left Karam passed the ball to Rutherford, who sent it back to Karam. His shot was deflected at goal and Porcaro pounced on the loose ball, dribbled through the penalty box and sent the ball in for goal number three for the Wizards.
— Diane Rohan
