KC pleased with results in Mexico

Since arriving south of the border, the Kansas City Wizards have had a couple of chances to gauge how well the early portion of the preseason is going.

With a 3-0 win earlier in the week against partner club Atlas AC and a 1-1 draw Thursday with CD Guadalajara (more commonly referred to as Chivas), by and large, the results have mainly been positive for head coach Curt Onalfo's bunch.

"It's gone fine," Onalfo said. "I really enjoy playing teams outside the U.S., Latino teams in particular, because they play a little bit differently. Theyre very technical. They have a little different tactical way of playing the game, which forces our players to make decisions that arent as predictable when you are in MLS."

Mexican clubs are known for having great pace and ball control, leaving opponents scrambling to find on goal opportunities.

"(Chivas) was a good test for us on how to solve problems," Wizards defender Jimmy Conrad said. "We are facing teams down here that play a style that we don't normally face in MLS."

Conrad said only two MLS clubs -- D.C. United and Chivas USA -- play similarly to what the Wizards have seen thus far.

"These games are good because the relationships we need to fine tune, whether that's me to the right back, or the right back to the right mid, these relationships and the communication that exists between them are really going to determine how successful we are in tough games," Conrad said.

"We're definitely making progress on all fronts, and I'm really looking forward to the season."

Chivas took seven shots on goal in the first half, which led to a 1-0 lead in the 27th minute. Kansas City's adjustments in the second half limited Chivas to only one shot, which opened the door for Wizards rookie midfielder Graham Zusi's tying goal in the 81st minute.

Onalfo was pleased with how his team took to the in-game adjustments on the fly.

"When you go into an MLS game, you have a very in-depth scouting report and a pretty clear picture of what the game is going to look like," Onalfo said. "In these games, you don't know. So, it forces guys to respond and make decisions on the field that help them progress and become more astute tactically.

"We've been developing an environment where our players are beginning to understand the game better. So, it's nice to see that they respond well to the comments that we help them with. That is a good sign."

So, things are better than expected?

"Not necessarily," Onalfo said. "I think we are pretty much where I thought we would be. Having said that, we still have a long way to go both from the defensive side of the ball and offensively."