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New Name for the Wiz
The team officially extended its name to “Wizards” following the 1996 season, ending the short, but memorable, a life of the “Wiz” moniker.
In 1997, the re-christened Wizards finished 21-11 and atop the Western Conference, but surprisingly bowed out in the first round of the playoffs. Preki led MLS in scoring with 41 points and was named League MVP. He was joined on the MLS Best XI squad by Mark Chung and Richard Gough.
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MLS Champs in 2000 – Wizards
In 2000, their first full season under Bob Gansler, the Wizards opened the season on a 12-game unbeaten streak. Goalkeeper Tony Meola recorded an MLS record shutout streak at 681 minutes and 16 shutouts and won MLS Goalkeeper of the Year and MLS MVP. Peter Vermes was named 2000 MLS Defender of the Year. The Wizards finished the 2000 regular season 16–7–9, the best record in the league, winning the MLS Supporters’ Shield.
In the 2000 playoffs, fell behind 4 to 1 to the LA Galaxy, but Miklos Molnar scored a penalty kick in game three to send the series into a tiebreaker, where he scored again to send the Wizards to their first MLS Cup. At RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., the Wizards, with the league’s best defense, faced the team with the league’s best offense, the Chicago Fire. The Wizards took the lead on an 11th-minute goal by Miklos Molnar. The Fire put ten shots on goal, but Tony Meola and the defense held, and the Wizards claimed their first MLS Cup Championship. Tony Meola was named 2000 MLS Cup MVP.
For the majority of their existence, the franchise were known as the Kansas City Wizards. The team rebranded in November 2010, coinciding with its move to their home stadium, now known as Children’s Mercy Park.
In 1997, the re-christened Wizards finished 21-11 and atop the Western Conference, but surprisingly bowed out in the first round of the playoffs. Preki led MLS in scoring with 41 points and was named League MVP. He was joined on the MLS Best XI squad by Mark Chung and Richard Gough.
Established
1995
City
Kansas City
League History
1996 – Present / Major League Soccer
Team History
2010 – Present / Sporting Kansas City
1997 – 2009 / Kansas City Wizards
1996 / Kansas City Wiz
Nickname
Wizards – Following the 1996 season, the Wiz changed names, becoming the “Wizards,” following legal action from electronics retailer The Wiz.
“Lamar claims it had nothing to do with The Wizard of Oz,” says Rob Thomson, SKC’s Executive Vice President, Communications and Digital. By virtue of being with the organization since 1997, he’s the club’s invaluable font of institutional knowledge. He also notes that claim from Hunt was “curious,” given the team’s ties to (Dorothy’s) Kansas and the (somewhere-over-the) rainbow color scheme that made the team’s early jerseys stand out.
Championship
MLS Cups 1
2013, 2000
Stadium
2011 – Present / Children’s Mercy Park
2008 – 2010 / Community American Ballpark
1996 – 2007 / Arrowhead Stadium
Owner
2006 – Present / Sporting Club
1995 – 2006 / Lamar Hunt
Retired Number
*Blue is this team’s history
