Child Abuse?

By: Michael | March 1st, 2007

So here’s a big surprise for you: half of the Kansas City Wizards (either half, in fact) is better than a group of kids who can’t buy a scratch ticket. As a way to put a positive finish on their time in Florida, the Wizards split their team and faced the US U-17 squad. Both Wiz sides won, KC “A” by a 3-1 tally and KC “B”, 3-0.

Team A was coached by assistant Chris Henderson and boasted goals from Jack Jewsbury (5th minute PK), an own-goal forced by Yuri Movsisyan, and a nifty turn-around finish by Scott Sealy, assisted by U-20 national and new draftee Will John.
Lineup: Hartman, Jewsbury, Garcia (Wahl-46), Conrad, Burciaga, Jr. (Harrington-46), John, Morsink, Zavagnin (McMahen-46), Victorine, Sealy, Movsisyan

Team B was coached by Kris Kelderman and won on a goal by Willy Guadarrama (here’s hoping we sign him) and two by someone who produces exactly zero results on Google: the illusive “newcomer”, midfielder Momadu Ba. Perhaps he turned enough heads to one day surpass me in Google hits. Kronberg (from vague training reports, anyway) seems poised to be Hartman’s backup.
Lineup: Kronberg (Konopka-46), Godbolt, Wahl (Garcia-46), Hohlbein, Thomas, Harrington (Tsiskaridze-46) Raybould, Ba, Watson, Guadarrama, Kraus

If I’m reading this information correctly - did Tyson Wahl and Nick Garcia substitute for one another at halftime? The games were run at the same time; I wonder if this is the first time either had switched games at halftime. Strange.

With many MLS teams playing the U-whatevers from the United States squad, this question arose in my mind: How much is it really benefiting either squad? As far as having warm bodies to warm up against, the U-17s do the trick, but they are really not much of a match for an MLS squad (yet) - even a squad split in two. And what do the U-17s get other than to say they were stuffed by Jimmy Conrad or burnt by a Jack Jewsbury free kick?

What does everyone out there think of this? Are the seemingly limited benefits of playing the youngsters worth the probable hassle of arranging the scrimmages? If (theoretically) your star twists his ankle off a silly challenge from a boy not able to legally drive, how upset would you be?

At any rate, the Wizards are back in KC… welcome back to reality, boys.