‘Don’t count Wizards out’

Kansas City midfielder Chris Klein came off the bench to score a pair of goals, including a last-minute gamewinner, to down Tampa 4-3 July 22. He leads the team in goals with five.

SOCCER AMERICA: Kansas City in mid-summer: Hot enough for you? CHRIS KLEIN: The humidity is unbearable. One of our guys, Jesse Van Saun, passed out from heat exhaustion in training today [July 27]. Even night games, the humidity is terrible. When we played Tampa Bay, it was still 85 or 90 degrees at eight o’clock at night. SA: Under such conditions, a sub almost has to look good. CK: Coming on as a substitute, you’d better provide a lot of energy, because other guys have been playing. If you don’t have more legs than the other guy, there’s a problem. SA: You had enough legs to pick up the ball at midfield and score that gamewinner against Tampa Bay from distance with the clock running out. Was a shot on your mind all the way? CK: I had Digi [Digital Takawira] to my right, and there were one or two defenders in front of me, so I decided to have a go at it. SA: But most guys shooting from that distance just hammer the ball. Not too many try to place it like you did. CK: I think [Scott] Garlick may have been screened a bit by his defenders, and I was fortunate it slid right into the corner. SA: You started nearly every game in college at Indiana, so how are you dealing with the sub’s role? CK: I’ve been in the starting lineup for most of the season, and the last couple of games [Coach] Bob [Gansler] has felt it’s best for the team to bring me off the bench and provide a spark. SA: Two goals and an assist in 45 minutes against Tampa is quite a spark. You also hit the crossbar the next game against Los Angeles. Is it an advantage to be playing wide, where there’s a lot more running? CK: That position, outside mid, is subbed quite often because there is so much running. It does give you an advantage, as long as you’re also mentally attuned to the game. SA: The top four teams in the West are starting to pull away from Kansas City and San Jose. CK: We know we have to put a pretty amazing run together, but we’re not going to count ourselves out yet. by Soccer America Senior Editor Ridge Mahoney