FC Wichita faces crucial stretch of games

Halfway through its season, FC Wichita has one loss and sits in a favorable position to nab a top-two seed and a first-round bye in the NPSL South Central Conference.

Even after being thumped 4-2 at home by Tulsa Athletics last week, FC Wichita can still earn the top overall seed because Tulsa (8-1-1) and the Houston Dutch Lions (5-1-1) each have a draw on their record.

Starting with Friday’s game against Shreveport FC at the Stryker Soccer Complex, FC Wichita will play four times in the next eight days – a demanding stretch that includes games against Tulsa and Houston that will shape FC Wichita’s season.

“We can either solidify our spot atop the table or if we drop two or three games, then we’re flirting with maybe not even making the playoffs,” FC Wichita defender Kevin Ten Eyck said. “Not only do we play four teams in eight days, but three of the teams are in the top-four in the standings. So we don’t want to just keep our record, but we want to make a statement to those teams for the playoffs.”

It’s unlikely FC Wichita would fall out of the top six that qualify for the playoffs in the 11-team table. But falling to fifth or sixth would mean FC Wichita would have to play on the road throughout the playoffs to defend its title. Not to mention the negative momentum a handful of losses would generate going into the postseason.

“We look at this stretch as a new season, like we are 0-0 again,” manager Johnny Markey said. “If we go completely in the opposite direction, then what we accomplished in the first half didn’t really mean anything.”

Don’t expect a defensive overhaul following the team’s first defeat of the season. Markey points out the team was missing starting centerback Killian Gorman and his replacement, Christian Aldama, as well as fullback Heitor de Melo for the game.

“We made four mistakes that game and they scored on us four times,” Markey said. “That’s how playoff games usually go, so I think it was good for us to go through that and realize we aren’t invincible anymore. We have to just clean up those mistakes.”

But Markey does suspect he will have to make several changes to the lineup in the next eight days. From the start of the season, he has boasted about the team’s depth.

Now he has the opportunity to showcase it.

“We have guys sitting in the stands for us on gamedays that would be getting playing time for any other team in our conference,” Markey said. “The next eight days, you’re going to see the true depth of our team. Not even just our starting 11 or even the 18 that suit up, it’s going to take more than that. That’s our biggest advantage over other teams.”

Food drive scheduled – Fans who bring two non-perishable food items to the June 27 friendly at Stryker Soccer Complex against Tigres UANL will receive $5 off their tickets. Each donation will also equal an entry to a drawing with the grand prize two 2017 season tickets.

This story was originally published June 16, 2016 at 6:33 PM with the headline "FC Wichita faces crucial stretch of games."