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Sealy's goals lift Wizards into playoffs

Oct 21, 2007 - 4:00 AM FRISCO, Texas (Ticker) -- With one of the last two MLS playoff spots up for grabs, there was a sense of urgency in the pace of the Kansas City Wizards on Saturday at Pizza Hut Park.

Scott Sealy scored two goals one in each half to lift the Wizards to a 2-0 victory over FC Dallas. The victory enabled Kansas City (11-12-7) to clinch the seventh of the eight postseason berths in next week's MLS playoffs.

"It's been, in many ways, a very consistent year in that we've kept kicking in every game," Kansas City coach Curt Onalfo said. "We haven't always scored the goals when we got the chances and we've had defensive lapses at long and critical times, but tonight was a night where we put it all together.

"We wanted it a lot and played well. We finished our chances, even though we had a slew of them."

FC Dallas (13-12-5) had already clinched their place in the playoffs, but will enter the postseason with only one win in its last seven matches (1-4-2).

Dallas will play either Chivas USA or Houston in the first round and will host the first of the two-game, home-and-home series either next Thursday or Saturday.

While FC Dallas coach Steve Morrow was clearly unhappy about the way his team played over the last month of the season, he said he prefers to look ahead rather than back at the poor form his team has displayed.

"It was a disappointing way to finish the season," Morrow said. "The game meant something different to Kansas City than it did for us, and that showed in our performances. But we're going to remain positive, have a positive week of training and be ready for the playoffs."

After Kansas City's Eddie Johnson missed an open-net goal just past the half-hour mark, Sealy made up for Johnson's misfortune by scoring the only goal of the first half in the 39th minute.

Davy Arnaud intercepted a clearance from FC Dallas defender Clarence Goodson and sent a long ball into the box to Sealy. The Kansas City striker collected the cross, turned and beat goalkeeper Ray Burse from 10 yards in front to give the Wizards a 1-0 edge going into halftime.

Ten minutes into the second half, Sealy collected his second goal off a cross from the right side by Jack Jewsbury. Sealy was left wide open at the far post and put in an easy chip to the back of the net to make it 2-0.

"I wasn't necessarily surprised (at being wide open), but I felt like I was able to pick good spots to be in, and that's how I've been playing all season," Sealy said. "I got open on two occasions and that's the kind of mentality I need to go into the playoffs with.

"On the first goal, I was at the back post and Davy (Arnaud) played it beautifully over everyone's head and I got a good first touch on it and finished."

Sealy could have actually completed a hat trick, but he missed a wide-open shot in the 49th minute, gathering in another long ball from Arnaud but missing high from the 12-yard spot.

Sealy was then forced to exit the game in the 66th minute with a right quadriceps injury. He was replaced by Eloy Colombano, who then strained his left hamstring six minutes later and had to be replaced by Lance Watson.