ST. LOUIS (April 3, 2010) – AC St. Louis kicked off their first home match at The Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park against the Kansas City Wizards in front of 2,950 with a 2-1 loss. The exhibition game was the final preseason tune up for AC St. Louis before opening league play in the USSF Division 2 Pro League next week Saturday night in Carolina.

The match started slow despite the AC St. Louis fans adding to the atmosphere with flairs and smoke bombs. Kansas City fired the first two shots in anger just past the ten-minute mark, and then controlled play for the next nine minutes. AC St. Louis got their first chance of the game when Mike Ambersley was played through on the right wing into the penalty area,  but the play was blown dead for offsides.

Kansas City struck first blood when St. Louis keeper Alec Dufty bundled a back pass that took an odd hop. Zoltan picked up the loose ball, moved around Dufty to the left and finished into an open net.

Minutes later Matt Besler picked up the first caution of the game as he took down Mike Ambersley 50-yards from goal just as the AC St. Louis forward had been played into space. At the half Kansas City had outshot St. Louis by a 9-0 margin, yet only had a 1-0 lead .

Six minutes into the second half AC St. Louis was given the chance to equalize when Wizards keeper Jimmy Nelson collided with an attacking St. Louis player inside the box just as the ball was played away. The referee immediately gave the foul and Elvir Kafezic stepped forward to finish off the penalty and knot the game at 1-1. The penalty was the first official shot of the game by AC St. Louis.

Minutes later Zoltan Hercegfalvi left the game with an apparent knee injury after colliding awkwardly with a St. Louis player. Zoltan left the game on a stretcher.

Late in the second half Kansas City retook the lead. A St. Louis foul on the right wing set up a free kick for the Wizards. Craig Rocastle delivered a driving cross inside the six-yard box that Santiago Hirzig got a touch to to squeeze it past Alec Dufty at the near post.

AC St. Louis vs. Kansas City WIzards – Exhibition Match

April 3, 2010 – The Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park,  St. Louis, MO

SCORING SUMMARY:

KC 31st minute            Zoltan -unassisted

AC 53rd minute            Kafedzic – penalty kick

KC 84th minute            Hirzig 0 assisted by Rocastle (from free kick)

LINEUPS:

AC-STL: Dufty; Bauer, Velten, Lesko (Barna 86), O’Garro; Kante, Bloom, Cole (Moore 45), Kreamamlmeyer; Kafedzic (Cosgriff 70), Ambersley (Pogesyan 72)

KC: Nielsen; Espinoza, Besler, Conrad (Escobar 62), Harrington; Bunbury, Rocastle, Hirzig, Jewsbury (Zusi 63), Kamara; Zoltan (Aiyegbusi 57)

SUBSTITUTES: (unlimited)

AC 45th minute            Ryan Moore for Troy Cole

KC 57th minute            Aiyegbusi for Zoltan

KC 62nd minute            Escobar for Conrad

KC 63rd minute            Zusi for Jewsbury

AC 70th minute            Jeff Cosgriff for Elvir Kafedzic

AC 72nd minute            Gilbert Pogesyan for Mike Ambersley

AC 86th minute             Dillon Barna for John Lesko

MISCONDUCT SUMMARY:

KC 34th  minute             Yellowcard – Matt Besler – (Reckless Foul)

STATS SUMMARY:

AC            KC

Total Shots:     2            16

Shots on Goal: 1            8

Saves:             6            –

Fouls:              6            4

Corners:           2            –

Offsides:           6            1

Referee: Landis Wiley Referee’s Assistants: Justin Mack, Kevin Mesman 4th official: Mark Boyco time of game: 1:56 attendance: 2,950 weather: 60, fair, partly-cloudy, cool.