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Wizards win season opener, blank D.C. United

Mar 30, 2008 - 5:06 AM By Marc Bowman PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

KANSAS CITY, Kansas (Ticker) -- Ivan Trujillo picked a good time for his first MLS goal.

Trujillo's goal in the 47th minute sparked the Kansas City Wizards to a 2-0 win over D.C. United on Saturday in front of a sellout crowd in the season opener for both clubs.

Michael Harrington lifted a pass over the defense to the right side of the box, where Jack Jewsbury pushed it to a sliding Trujillo, who beat United keeper Zach Wells from 10 feet away.

"I was very happy to score my first goal here in Kansas City," said Trujillo through an interpreter. "The ball came right through to me. I wanted to get ready to hit it with my left foot, but I got pulled down a little by my elbow. Fortunately, (the ball) went right through to my foot."

The Colombian striker - one of two notable offseason acquisitions by the Wizards along with Argentine Claudio Lopez - was expected to help replace Eddie Johnson, last year's leading scorer who left for Fulham of the English Premier League in the offseason.

"We thought it might take a while for them to adjust to the league," said Wizards coach Curt Onalfo of Trujillo and Lopez. "And you could see that early in the first half. When we started the second half, we talked about seeing things quicker and we made better adjustments. They were playing well off each other."

Kansas City (1-0-0) also got an immediate payoff from Lopez when he added an insurance goal on a breakaway in the 61st minute.

"I didn't expect to score one quite like that, but it's a great start," said Lopez through an interpreter. "I saw the pass and looked around and saw the goalie starting to come out, and I quickly decided to try to chip it over."

Lopez's rightfooted shot from the top of the box was tipped by Wells but skipped over the outstretched goalkeeeper and into the right side of the goal for a 2-0 lead.

Kansas City goalkeeper Kevin Hartman stopped three shots, including a 25-foot blast by Luciano Emilio, the reigning league MVP, to preserve a scoreless tie in the 34th minute.

"It definitely turned the tide in the game," Hartman said. "I was able to time it right and I was lucky to get a save on it and tip it over the bar. I think sometimes it's about weathering the storm. We were able to weather the storm and kept the score on the right side."

United managed only five shots the rest of the way - one on goal - as Hartman recorded the 68th shutout of his MLS career and sixth with the Wizards.

"In the first half, we had to play against the wind," Hartman said. "In the second half, they had to play against it and it might have had an effect, but we played smarter in the second half. It shows a little bit about our maturity. It was a good team win."

It was the 68th shutout of Hartman's MLS career and his sixth with the Wizards.

In his first game for United (0-1-0), Wells stopped just one of three shots on goal.

The contest, played in cold, blustery conditions, was the first soccer match played at the Wizards' new temporary home, CommunityAmerica Ballpark, which also serves as the home of the the Kansas City T-Bones, an independent Northern League baseball team. The Wizards will occupy their new stadium in 2010.