Tweaked lineup probable for Wizards

KANSAS CITY -- Last week at Houston, the Kansas City Wizards had to "improvise" when it came to their lineup after fullback Matt Marquess came down with cramps before the match and again when center back Aaron Hohlbein pulled up lame and was forced out at halftime. This Saturday against the Los Angeles Galaxy at Arrowhead Stadium, the lineup will be more planned but likely just as new.

Marquess continues to have intestinal difficulties and Hohlbein and veteran midfielder Sasha Victorine will likely both be held out by hip flexor strains.

Of the starting 11, Wizards' head coach Curt Onalfo said, "We're tinkering with some things and will make some final decisions [Friday]."

That tinkering also revolves around incorporating recent acquisitions Abe Thompson and Herculez Gomez into the attack, whether up front or wide in the midfield.

Onalfo said the chances were "very good" that each would be in the lineup and tried out the following lineup at training this week: Michael Harrington, Tyson Wahl, Jimmy Conrad and Jonathan Leathers across the back; Claudio Lopez, Jack Jewsbury, Davy Arnaud and Gomez in midfield; and Josh Wolff and Thompson up front.

One could wonder whether that offensively-loaded lineup will actually become a 3-4-3 formation as Kansas City played in the second half in Houston last Sunday in an eventual 3-1 loss. The possibility would fit with both the expected wet conditions and attacking a Galaxy defense that is statistically the most giving in MLS, while keeping the ball away from Beckham, Buddle, Donovan and company.

"[The forecasted rain] will make the game fast, and that makes for a good game to watch from a spectator perspective," said Onalfo.

Holding up the ball for others to get into the attack will be Thompson, who is very familiar with the Galaxy. With his former side, FC Dallas, Thompson felt the full brunt of L.A.'s attack in a 5-1 loss at home back in May and then taking them to task with a 4-0 table-turning in July.

"The first game we played them, we had a couple of chances early that we didn't put away that perhaps would have changed the outcome of the game," said Thompson. "The second time around, we were much more clinical with our finishing early on, then we were more alert in the back in stopping their chances: shutting down things earlier than we had before, putting pressure on them. We need to make sure that we're sharp, physical, alert, and that we don't give up anything soft."

Neither side has played a more important match this season as they look to make up six points on the teams each trails for a playoff spot. Hopefully, Onalfo will happen upon a lineup that can get the job done and earn three points.

"It's a pivotal [game]. We want to take the game to them and make sure that we do a good job of neutralizing their attack," said Onalfo. "[We're] going to put it all on the line Saturday."