Kansas City at Tampa Bay
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. (EST)
Television: WIZ TV
Preview: Porous defense, potent attacks. These two teams consist of contrasting personnel, but they both have fearsome attacks and woeful defenses, and both are coming off discouraging weekend defeats.
The Wiz attack must get some credit; after all, how many teams could come out with a split after surrendering eight goals in two games? Mike Sorber may have stabilized the midfield, but still KC’s central defense has been pathetic, and the Rapids tore down the flanks as well in romping to a 4-0 win last Sunday. The Wiz simply has no defensive presence on the midfield flanks, which is where Tampa’s Evans Wise ran riot against New York/New Jersey.
Tampa blew a 3-0 lead to the MetroStars, but could justly blame bad luck (an own goal) and horrendous refereeing (Ruben Dario Hernandez set up the second goal with a blatant handball). Still, its lack of pace in the back has been costly. Offensively, Wise played a blinder in the Meadowlands, Carlos Valderrama hasn’t yet shown his age, and Roy Lassiter is getting better every game. If they can shrug off their shock, the Mutineers should prevail. Indoor scoring machine Goran Hunjak should see some action.
PROBABLE LINEUPS
Kansas City — Harrington, Reasoner, Bowers, Ekeme, Okafor, Sorber, Preki, Chung, Gutierrez, Takawira, Johnston.
Tampa Bay — Dougherty, Pittman, McKinley, Kooiman, Yallop, Vasquez, Ralston, Valderrama, Wise, Viera, Lassiter.
Prediction: A small crowd sees Tampa winning 4-2.
Colorado at San Jose
Kickoff: 10:30 p.m. (EST)
Television: None.
Preview: Is midfielder Missael Espinoza the missing piece in the San Jose Clash arsenal? If supported by a capable defensive partner, Espinoza may supply the service needed by Eric Wynalda. Paul Bravo is showing a knack for goals with two in his last two games, but the loss of Paul Holocher to a knee injury deprives San Jose of its most effective flank attacker. Ben Iroha has shown a propensity to probe effectively on the left flank, although he is hampered with a hamstring injury and may miss the game. San Jose will again be without Guatemalan Jorge Rodas, who is on duty with his national team.
As usual, Clash defender John Doyle draws the heavyweight contest, so he and Rapids powerhouse Jean Harbor will slug it out. Colorado has played just three games, but the Rapids demolished Kansas City 4-0 last Sunday as Chris Henderson and Steve Trittschuh roasted the Wiz on the wings. The Rapids have scored seven goals in their last two games. However, Colorado’s wide play needs modification on Spartan Stadium’s narrower 64-yard field. Rapids midfielders Dominic Kinnear, a childhood friend of Doyle’s, and Marcelo Balboa know the territory; they played with several Clash players on the San Francisco Bay Blackhawks, APSL champs in 1991.
Injury Update: Ben Iroha (SJ) has a pulled hamstring and is day-to-day. Troy Edwards (Colorado) is out with a groin injury.
Quote: Kinnear, on Wynalda’s constant demands for the ball: “There’s no problem with Eric, as long as you give him the ball all of the time.”
PROBABLE LINEUPS
Colorado — Hudock, Hamlett, Kmosko, Butterworth, Cannon, Trittschuh, Benedetti, Balboa, Henderson, Harbor, Bartlett.
San Jose — Liner, Emenalo, Doyle, Dayak, Iroha, Martin, Butler, Bravo, Espinosa, Wynalda, Baicher.
Prediction: San Jose carves out its second home win, 2-0.
Looking Ahead
Saturday
| Game | Kickoff (EST) | Television |
| Tampa Bay at Colorado | 4:30 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| New England at Columbus | 7: 30 p.m. | WABU (Channel 68) |
| Dallas at Kansas City | 8:30 p.m. | Prime (delayed: 10:00 p.m. CST) |
Sunday
| Game | Kickoff (EST) | Television |
| MetroStars at Washington | 3:00 p.m. | Univision |
| Los Angeles at San Jose | 7:00 p.m. | ESPN2 |
(Previews for weekend games will be on-line Friday night.)