CHUNG GOAL HELPS RAPIDS TIE WIZARDS AT INVESCO; PLAYOFFS OPEN WEDNESDAY NIGHT IN DALLAS

Rapids Finish with 13-11-4 Record and Take Fifth Seed in Playoffs

DENVER - A first half goal from each club and a pair of narrow misses at the end of regulation led the Colorado Rapids and Kansas City Wizards to a 1-1 draw at INVESCO Field Friday night in the season finale for both teams. With the draw, the Wizards finally clinched a berth in the MLS Cup Playoffs, while the Rapids squandered a chance to leapfrog the Dallas Burn for the fourth overall seed and home field advantage in the first round of postseason.

As a result, Colorado will occupy the fifth seed, opening the MLS Cup Playoff Quarterfinals on the road against Dallas, while Kansas City will await this weekend's results to learn their seeded position and first round opponent. Different combinations of results could leave the Wizards seeded sixth, seventh or eighth, but Kansas City is assured of its third consecutive postseason appearance because it would finish ahead of New England in case of a potential three-way tie should the MetroStars and Revolution draw tomorrow.

Before many fans had even reached their seats a clutch save from Rapids goalkeeper David Kramer kept the score at 0-0. Nifty work on the ball from Igor Simutenkov enabled the Russian to find Preki streaking into the right side of the penalty area in the second minute. A low skidding shot from the Wizards midfielder seemed destined for just inside the left post until Kramer went low to parry it around the goalpost.

Just six minutes later, Kansas City watched another golden chance go by the board when midfielder Carey Talley nodded a corner kick just wide of the goal.

Kansas City dominated possession during the early stages of the match as Colorado found it difficult to move the ball through midfield. Against the run of play however it was the Rapids who seized an early lead and some much needed momentum in the 26th minute.

It was rookie Zach Kingsley who began the scoring sequence for the Rapids as he bent a curling ball across the penalty area to the foot of teammate Carlos Valderrama to the right of goal. Under little pressure, the Colombian took one touch to settle the ball and calmly picked out a wide open Mark Chung in the middle of the six yard box. Uncontested, Chung easily headed the ball past Kansas City goalkeeper Tony Meola from point blank range.

Needing at least a point to secure a playoff berth, Kansas City patiently leveled the match in the 34th minute. Again it was the playmaking of Preki that yielded a golden opportunity as the veteran spotted teammate Chris Klein streaking down the right side. Kingsley looked to have cut off the attempted through ball, but his attempt to corral the ball turned disastrous. Preki's pass glanced off the youngster's thigh and fell directly to the foot of Klein who moved in alone and muscled a shot through the legs of Kramer from a difficult angle.

The second half featured just a handful of quality scoring chances as both teams were cautious and organized defensively. Things did manage to get precarious late in the second half as both teams capitalized on some good fortune at the defensive end of the field in the later stages of the match.

First it was Kansas City that barely avoided surrendering the equalizer as an attempted cross from Chris Carrieri was deflected by Carey Tally in the 81st minute. The redirection left Meola watching helplessly as the ball glanced of the crossbar and continued harmlessly across the goalmouth.

For Colorado, luck arrived off the foot of Kansas City forward Chris Brown, who sent a sliding shot attempt at an open goal directly across the goalmouth into the arms of Kramer in the 89th minute.

Colorado closes the regular season at 13-11-4 (43 pts.), while Kansas City finishes the campaign at 9-10-9 (36 pts.). The Wizards have compiled a League-high nine ties, but went 0-2-9 in overtime games this season.

SEPTEMBER 20 -- COLORADO RAPIDS 1, KANSAS CITY WIZARDS 1 (OT)

                       			1     2     OT    F
KANSAS CITY WIZARDS    	1     0     0     1
COLORADO RAPIDS        	1     0     0     1

Scoring Summary:
COL--Chung (Valderrama, Kingsley) 26
KC --Klein (Preki, Zavagnin) 34

KANSAS CITY WIZARDS--Tony Meola, Nick Garcia, Carey Talley, Peter Vermes,
Chris Klein, Kerry Zavagnin, Stephen Armstrong, Eric Quill, Preki (Matt
McKeon 99), Dario Fabbro (Chris Brown 46), Igor Simutenkov (Mike Burns 83)

TOTAL SHOTS: 10 (Fabbro 2, Preki 2, Talley 2); SHOTS ON GOAL: 5 (Preki 2);
FOULS: 19 (four players with 3); OFFSIDE: 1; CORNER KICKS: 6; SAVES: Meola
3; CAUTIONS: Simutenkov 3, Talley 68, Armstrong 91+; EJECTIONS: none;
POSSESSION PERCENTAGE: 51%

COLORADO RAPIDS--David Kramer, Steven Herdsman (Jeff Stewart 91), Rick Titus
(Wes Hart 72), Robin Fraser, Pablo Mastroeni, Zach Kingsley (Seth Trembly
93+), Mark Chung, Carlos Valderrama, Chris Henderson, Chris Carrieri, John
Spencer

TOTAL SHOTS: 18 (Spencer 6); SHOTS ON GOAL: 4 (four players with 1); FOULS:
13 (Mastroeni 3, Carrieri 3); OFFSIDE: 4; CORNER KICKS: 6; SAVES: Kramer 4;
CAUTIONS: none; EJECTIONS: none; POSSESSION PERCENTAGE: 49%

Referee: Kevin Terry; Assistant Referees: Jose Corro, David Bragg
Attendance: 25,614; Weather: Clear, 72F, Breezy, Clear

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