(Sports Network) - The Kansas City Wizards overcame a slow start to the 2008 Major League Soccer campaign to squeak into the playoffs thanks to some strong play and tense moments toward the end of the season.

One of the club's main goals heading into 2009 is to get off to a better start by using the momentum gained from the end of last season.

"The best thing we have going for us at the beginning of this year is how we finished last year," Wizards central defender Jimmy Conrad told The Sports Network. "I think it took us about 20 games to get the lineup that gave us success and really be something special in this league."

"As we move into this season, what we want to do is build on a really strong finish to last season," Wizards coach Curt Onalfo told The Sports Network. "We have a lot of the same players back, we've added some players to make us a little better. So going into the season we feel fairly good about our roster and where we are. We're optimistic going into the season but, having said that, there is enormous parity and enormous competition in MLS so we know that every game is going to be a dogfight."

Saturday's season opener at home against Toronto FC should be just that - a dogfight.

The Reds are entering their third season in MLS, and will be looking to finally squeeze into the upper echelon and challenge for a playoff spot in 2009. A number of offseason acquisitions could help the Canadian club do just that.

"You add Dwayne [De Rosario from Houston], who was a big important piece in moving forward. When we got him, then other things started to fall," TFC director of soccer Mo Johnston told the league's official website. "We bring in Pablo Vitti, then we get Adrian [Serioux], that's three big signings for us. On top of that the three [first-round] draft picks and then we added the pair of Gambians [Emmanuel Gomez and Amadou Sanyang]."

With those additions among others, hopes are high within Toronto's rabid and growing fan base that this is the year the team could get over the hump, and it all starts Saturday at CommunityAmerica BallPark.

Toronto will start the season without forward O'Brian White and defender Nana Attakora-Gyan because of injuries while Serioux is probable with a hip ailment. The Wizards will be without forward Adam Cristman and defender Chance Myers, both because of foot injuries.



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