WIZARDS PLAY 2010 SEASON FINALE AT HOME ON SATURDAY:

The Kansas City Wizards will close out their 2010 season with the home finale at 7:30 p.m. CT on Saturday as the Wizards host the San Jose Earthquakes at CommunityAmerica Ballpark. As of Wednesday, there are a limited number of tickets remaining for Saturday’s match which can be purchased online at KCWizards.com or by calling 888-4KC-GOAL.

Kansas City remains in third place in the Eastern Conference standings, but will miss the playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the first time in team history. Kansas City has only lost once in their last 10 regular season finales and the Wizards have six straight home wins over the Earthquakes dating back to 2004, including postseason and U.S. Open Cup competition. The Wizards will be without midfielder Stephane Auvray, on international duty, and defender Jimmy Conrad’s return is questionable as the concussion-like symptoms he suffered in the Chicago game have subsided and he continues to recover from a strained neck.

The Earthquakes, in sixth place in the Western Conference, will have postseason positioning to play for on Saturday, as they currently hold the eighth seed and could surpass Colorado or Seattle depending on results in the final weekend of MLS action. San Jose is coming off a 1-0 home loss to Houston on Saturday and hosts Chivas USA tonight at 9:00 p.m. CT.

The Wizards are 17-20-6 all-time against San Jose, and 13-7-1 at home in the series. The Earthquakes won 1-0 in the previous meeting this season on August 14th at Buck Shaw Stadium, handing the Wizards their lone loss in a ten-game span when the Wizards went 6-1-3 to climb up the Eastern Conference standings.

Saturday’s match will be telecast live in high definition in both English and Spanish on KCWE Channel 29. It will also be broadcast live in Spanish on La Gran D 1340 AM.

WIZARDS FINAL MATCH AT COMMUNITYAMERICA BALLPARK WILL INCLUDE SEVERAL SPECIAL EVENTS:
The Wizards have several special events planned for Saturday’s final match at CommunityAmerica Ballpark, including a pre-game merchandise sale, 2010 team awards announcement, post-game fireworks display and the annual team autograph session for fans at the end of the night. After three seasons at CommunityAmerica Ballpark, Saturday night will mark the final match the Wizards play in the venue as the team moves into its state-of-the-art stadium next season. The Wizards will also have customer service representatives at the stadium for fans to place their $50 initial payments for season tickets for the 2011 season.

Weather permitting, Wizards fans will be allowed onto the field after the completion of Saturday’s match for prime seating to view the fireworks performance, sponsored by Sprint. Following the fireworks, the team will then hold an autograph session on the field, behind home plate. Fans will have the unique opportunity to purchase various Wizards signs and banners from CommunityAmerica Ballpark to have signed at the autograph session with a $10 donation per item to the Kansas City Soccer Foundation.

The club will also announce its 2010 team awards -- voted on by players, coaches and media -- in a pre-game ceremony on Saturday. Additionally, the Wizards will be holding a special merchandise sale for ticket-holders to buy items discounted at least 50 % off of their retail price. Gate B will open at 5:00 p.m. CT to admit supporters with a ticket to Saturday’s game to shop at the sale. All fans must exit the stadium by 6:00 p.m. CT, with all gates opening at 6:10 p.m. The sale will continue throughout the game.

STEPHANE AUVRAY JOINS GUADELOUPE NATIONAL TEAM:

Kansas City Wizards midfielder Stéphane Auvray has joined the Guadeloupe National Team ahead of their participation in the Digicel Caribbean Cup 2010 later this week. Auvray, who debuted for Guadeloupe in the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup and captained the country at the tournament two years later, will miss the Wizards season finale on Saturday as a result of the international duty.

Auvray will step into a Guadeloupe side that is in the second stage of qualifying for the Carribean Cup, drawn with three other island nations in Group E. Guadeloupe will face No. 151 Saint Kitts and Nevis on Friday, October 22 in the group opener, then meet No. 170 Puerto Rico on Sunday, October 24, before closing the group against No. 128 Grenada on Tuesday, October 26. All three games will be played at National Stadium in St. George’s, Grenada, and the top two nations from the group will advance to the eight-team Caribbean Cup final tournament in Martinique in late November and early December.

Auvray has 14 appearances for the Guadeloupe National Team, a member of CONCACAF and the Caribbean Football Union, but not officially recognized by FIFA due to its distinction as an overseas region of France.

Auvray signed with Kansas City in January and the 29-year-old defensive midfielder started 21 games for the Wizards in 2010, earning an assist in his debut in the season opener. Auvray will become the sixth Wizards player to take part in international competition during the 2010 calendar year, joining Kei Kamara (Sierra Leone), Sunil Chhetri (India), Shavar Thomas (Jamaica), Jimmy Conrad (USA) and Roger Espinoza (Honduras).

WIZARDS DONATE $25,000 TO BELVIDERE PARK THROUGH PEPSI REFRESH PROJECT ON WEDNESDAY:

The Kansas City Wizards and defender Jimmy Conrad donated $25,000 in runner-up winnings from the Pepsi Refresh Project to assist in the improvement of Belvidere Park in northeast Kansas City, Missouri on Wednesday. Conrad was joined by Wizards President Robb Heineman and several local dignitaries, including partners of the Belvidere Park improvement project, to present the check on behalf of the Kansas City Soccer Foundation.

The Pepsi Refresh Project contest was held amongst all 16 Major League Soccer Clubs in September, with each club choosing a player to represent a proposed project in the local area. Conrad, 2009 MLS W.O.R.K.S. Humanitarian of the Year, rallied for nearly 30,000 votes to develop soccer fields at Belvidere Park. Over 600 youth currently play soccer on these fields, and many come from diverse cultural backgrounds, including a strong Hispanic population and individuals from Somalia, Vietnam, the former Soviet Block and more than 45 other ethnicities.

With soccer being the international language in the area, the Belvedere Park project aims to help unite the youth in the area and form a stronger community. Fans can view a video of Jimmy Conrad discussing the Belvedere Park project. Conrad will also pay for tickets, t-shirts and bus transportation for 100 kids to attend Saturday’s match at CommunityAmerica Ballpark.

The Kansas City Soccer Foundation is working with the Kansas City Parks and Recreation Department, the FBI, Don Bosco Centers and the Northeast Soccer League to continue to engage the local community around Belvidere Park. The site has been the focus of an ongoing, citywide redevelopment and beautification project for the hundreds of diverse youth that play soccer at the park. In June, an FBI Community Engagement Project brought 250 volunteers to Belvidere Park to clear brush, plant trees, install bleachers, picnic tables, barbecue pits, lighting and lines for the fields. Kansas City Wizards players Stephane Auvray, Aaron Hohlbein, Kei Kamara, Eric Kronberg and Jimmy Nielsen all participated in the effort, and also held a youth soccer clinic for kids in the area as part of the 2nd annual Greener Goals event.

JON KEMPIN AND WIZARDS TEAMMATES TO PLAY IN SOCCER-VOLLEYBALL CHARITY MATCH AT BLUE VALLEY NORTH ON THURSDAY:

Wizards goalkeeper Jon Kempin and three of his Kansas City teammates will visit Blue Valley North High School on Thursday to challenge their student-athletes in a soccer-volleyball charity match to raise money for The Carpenter’s Kids, an organization that supports orphans and children with HIV/AIDS in Tanzania.

The assembly will be held in the school gymnasium from 12:30 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. on Thursday and is open to the media. Blue Valley North students can attend the assembly during their students advisory period with the donation of two canned food items or a $1 donation.

Blue Valley North Athletic Director Mickey Masterson will welcome the Wizards to the event and recognize Kempin, a 17-year-old senior at Blue Valley North, on becoming the Wizards youngest ever signing when he was announced as the club’s first Home Grown Player in August. Kempin will also speak to the student body following the soccer-volleyball charity match, which features the Wizards players using only their feet and heads to challenge the student-athletes in a traditional game of volleyball.

While being a member of the Wizards senior roster, Kempin is still finishing high school at Blue Valley North. He participates in Wizards training sessions in the morning and attends classes in the afternoon, and is expected to graduate in December.

Soccer-volleyball t-shirts will be handed out to students during Thursday’s event, and the school’s Student Council will be collecting donations for The Carpenter’s Kids organization, which seeks to improve the lives of children affected by HIV/AIDS by providing clothing, food and other essential items for orphans and children in East Africa.

TEN-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF WIZARDS 2000 MLS CUP CHAMPIONSHIP LAST FRIDAY:

Friday, October 15th marked the 10-year anniversary of the Kansas City Wizards 2000 MLS Cup Championship, a historic moment in team history. The Wizards defeated the Chicago Fire 1-0 on October 15, 2000 in front of 31,159 fans at RFK Stadium to cap a record-setting season in which Kansas City won the Supporters Shield with only seven losses in 32 games.

Striker Miklos Molnar scored his 17th goal of the season in the 11th minute and goalkeeper Tony Meola made 10 saves, the most ever in an MLS Cup, for his 21st shutout of the season. The 2000 team included two members of the currents Wizards coaching staff, Manager Peter Vermes and Assistant Coach Kerry Zavagnin.

Vermes was honored as Defender of the Year, Bob Gansler was chosen Coach of the Year and Meola won triple honors as Goalkeeper of the Year, Comeback Player of the Year and the League’s Most Valuable Player.

Fans can watch a six-minute documentary of the 2000 season and MLS Cup victory on Hillcrest Road, the team’s official blog.

FIVE DAYS REMAIN IN WIZARDS ONLINE AUCTION FOR BREAST CANCER AWARNESS:

There are five days remaining in the Kansas City Wizards online auction for pink game-used and game-worn items from the October 9th Breast Cancer Awareness match against Seattle at CommunityAmerica Ballpark. Fans can bid on an autographed official Jabulani soccer ball, Wizards goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen’s pink jersey and gloves, as well as Manager Peter Vermes’ game-worn, autographed scarf. All proceeds go to The Young Survival Coalition Kansas City and the Kansas City Soccer Foundation.

“Young Survival Coalition (YSC) Kansas City is excited to partner with the Kansas City Wizards for Breast Cancer Awareness Month,” said Jennifer Johnson, YSC Kansas City Executive Director. “YSC encourages all women to know their bodies and be their own breast health advocate, and never let anyone tell them they are ‘too young’ for breast cancer.”

The individual auctions expire on Sunday, October 24 and Monday, October 25.

SPECIAL SCREENING OF PELADA TO PLAY IN OVERLAND PARK NEXT THURSDAY:

Glenwood Theatre in Overland Park, Kansas will be hosting a special screening of Pelada, the soccer documentary exploring the allure of pick-up soccer games across the world, at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 28. It marks only the third time the feature-length film has shown in the Kansas City area, following it’s premiere at Studio Movie Grille at Zona Rosa in May and, due to demand, a second screening at the theater in August.

Kansas City Wizards defender Matt Besler will make an appearance at Glenwood Theatre for the showing, and will sign autographs immediately following.

Tickets are $5.00 and can be purchased online, with proceeds helping support the Kansas City Chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. There will also be a silent auction and raffle prizes to raise money for the cause.

Glenwood Theatre is located at 9575 Metcalf Avenue in Overland Park, Kansas, on the east side of the Metcalf Shopping Center.

WIZARDS 2011 DESIGNATED PLAYER OMAR BRAVO UPDATE:

Kansas City Wizards 2011 Designated Player Omar Bravo, on-loan to Chivas Guadalajara for the remainder of the 2010 Apertura, is recovering from an injury to his right quadriceps that has kept him out of Chivas Guadalajara’s last four matches.

Bravo, Chivas Guadalajara’s second all-time leading goal scorer, could be set to make a dramatic return on Saturday in the Super Clasico as Chivas Guadalajara plays archrival Club America at Estadio Azteca. The match will air live in the United States at 4 p.m. CT on Univision (DirecTV Ch. 402/403, DISH Network Ch. 270/827/828, Time Warner Cable Ch. 26/172, AT&T U-Verse Ch. 48).

The Wizards signed Bravo in August as a Designated Player for the 2011 season. The 30-year-old striker and Mexico international will remain with Chivas Guadalajara for the remainder of the 2010 Apertura, Mexico’s 17-game fall season, by the terms of a loan agreement reached between the two teams and Major League Soccer.

Kansas City and Chivas have also agreed to play home-and-home friendlies at their new stadiums in 2011 as part of the agreement. The Wizards will play at Chivas’ new Estadio Omnilife during Kansas City’s preseason, and Chivas Guadalajara will play in Kansas City’s new soccer stadium after the venue opens next summer.

Bravo has 108 goals and counting in league competition for Chivas Guadalajara, with five games remaining in the 2010 Apertura to add to his total. He has also been a mainstay on the Mexico National Team with 16 goals, including two at the 2006 World Cup, in 65 appearances.

MEDIA VOTING NOW OPEN FOR 2010 MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER AWARDS:

The voting portal for members of the media is now open for 2010 MLS year-end awards. Media members may cast one vote for each of the award categories, including Volkswagen Most Valuable Player, Coach of the Year, VISA Defender of the Year, Goalkeeper of the Year, Rookie of the Year, XBox Fair Play Individual, Comeback Player of the Year, adidas Referee and Assistant Referee of the Year, Newcomer of the Year, MLS W.O.R.K.S. Humanitarian of the Year and the MLS Best XI.

The deadline to vote is Monday, October 25. The 2010 awards finalists will be announced on October 27th, followed by the announcement of award winners during the first week of November.

WIZARDS EMPHASIZE FAN INTERACTION ON SOCIAL MEDIA SITES:

The Kansas City Wizards, now in their 15th season of MLS action, continue to connect with supporters in a variety of ways, including an emphasis on interaction with the team’s fanbase through social media efforts. This week the Wizards surpassed 20,000 subscribed fans on the team’s official Facebook page, and the team’s Twitter account is followed by over 5,300 individuals.

Kansas City also launched a Wizards FanFeedr page last week that aggregates content from multiple platforms onto a single webpage for fans to receive the latest news and updates on the team throughout the Major League Soccer season. Fans can receive video, photos, scores and much more information in a real-time, personalized experience.

The Wizards have also incorporated live question-and-answer sessions throughout the season to allow fans to receive feedback from Wizards players, coaches and staff on questions that fans submit. Last week, Wizards captain Davy Arnaud conducted a live Q&A from the road in the lead-up to Kansas City’s game at New England on Saturday. The Wizards have also begun offering live chats and commentary on the team’s official blog, Hillcrest Road, during away matches so that fans can discuss all aspects of the game along with members of the team’s front office staff.

FANS ENCOURAGED TO SUPPORT U.S. EFFORT TO LAND WORLD CUP IN 2022:

Kansas City soccer fans are strongly encouraged to support the bid to bring the FIFA World Cup™ to the United States in 2022. Over 1.1 million people have showed their support by signing the online petition, including nearly 31,000 signatures from Kansas City.

In addition to signing the petition at www.goUSAbid.com/kc, supporters can register their interest by texting “Kansas City” to “22442”. Kansas City is one of 18 cities still in the running to host games should the USA bid be successful. FIFA will select the host nation for both 2018 and 2022 on December 2, 2010.

The highly successful Summer of Soccer saw over 30,000 soccer fans gather for World Cup watch parties in the Kansas City Power & Light District and a new attendance record set for a soccer match in Kansas City when 52,424 turned out to see the Wizards upset English powerhouse Manchester United 2-1 at the New Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday, July 25.

Please note: The Kansas City Wizards final home match is Saturday, October 23rd at 7:30 p.m. CT against the San Jose Earthquakes at Community America Ballpark The match will feature a post-game autograph session with Kansas City Wizards players and a firework display sponsored by Sprint. Tickets are still available and can be purchased online at KCWizards.com or by calling 888-4KC-GOAL. The Wizards are now accepting initial payments for season tickets for the 2011 season, highlighted by the debut of Chivas Guadalajara star and Mexico international Omar Bravo, and the opening of Kansas City’s state-of-the-art soccer stadium next summer.

--www.KCWizards.com--