CARY - After 120 minutes of play Tuesday night, players for the Carolina RailHawks looked exhausted and whipped to the bone. Some sat on the grass. Others stood with their hands behind their heads.

Sweat poured from their pores. Disappointment filled their faces. No one smiled.

There wasn't any reason to be happy. A 4-2 overtime loss to the Kansas City Wizards at WakeMed Soccer Park had knocked the energy from each player and ended the RailHawks' pursuit of the 2008 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

The Wizards, a Major League Soccer team, traveled here and battled back a determined opponent from the United Soccer Leagues First Division, rallying from a two-goal deficit and securing an overtime victory before 3,116 fans in attendance.

Afterward, RailHawks coach Scott Schweitzer protested crucial late-game calls by the officials.

He had words for his players, too, who sat on a two-goal lead and allowed the Wizards to score goals in the 68th, 82nd, 94th and 119th minutes.

"It's the most dangerous lead in soccer," said Schweitzer, who after the game walked directly to the referees and voiced his displeasure, following them to the tunnel that leads to the locker rooms.

The RailHawks, in their second season, are 2-3 against MLS teams in exhibition and regular competition. Last season, they defeated the Chicago Fire in the third round of the U.S. Cup before falling to the New England Revolution in the semifinals.

With a spirited effort on Tuesday, the RailHawks nearly kept alive their chances of moving deeper in the American soccer tournament that matches professional and amateur teams from various North American leagues.

After taking a 2-0 lead, then giving the Wizards two goals back in the second half, the Wizards won this game in the moments that define soccer teams.

Kansas City forward Ivan Trujillo, a substitute who came in the second half, scored from the top of the box to put his team ahead 3-2 in the 94th minute. It was his second goal after knocking in a shot in the 68th minute.

"At the beginning, you could tell that they started off with their non-starters," defender Mauricio Segovia said through an interpreter. "In the second half, they had their starters and it was a big difference."

Early in the second half, it seemed as if the RailHawks might end the night with a hard-earned yet relatively simple victory. Santiago Fusilier had given them a 1-0 cushion in the 44th minute of the first half and they appeared stronger than the Wizards all over the field.

Their momentum encouraged orange-clad RailHawks fans, who at times this season watched the team struggle to score. They clapped and stomped in the bleachers after midfielder Matt Watson's goal gave the home team a 2-0 lead in the 58th minute.

Goals always draw yelps of joy, but this time the screams were an appreciation of the spectacular play that made the goal possible.

Chasing down a throw-in, defender Martin Nunez tracked down the ball near the left corner flag and lobbed a ball back into the box to forward Dan Antoniuk. He headed the ball to the feet of Watson, who booted a shot to the lower left corner of the net.

The RailHawks, who play in the United Soccer League's First Division, are 4-4-5 in league play this season. Midway through the season, they next face the Seattle Sounders at home on July 3.

Kansas City Wizards 4, Carolina RailHawks 2

Kansas City0211--4

Carolina1100--2

First: 1, Carolina, Fusilier (Solle) 44th minute.

Second: 2, Carolina, Watson (Antoniuk) 58th; 3, Kansas City, Trujillo (Harrington) 68th; 4, Kansas City, Lopez (penalty kick) 82nd.

First overtime: 5, Kansas City, Trujillo (Lopez), 94th.

Second overtime: 6, Kansas City, Pore (penalty kick) 119th.

Goalies: Kansas City--Eric Kronberg; Carolina--Chris McClellan.

LINEUPS

Kansas City: Eric Kronberg, Matt Marquess, Tyson Wahl, Aaron Hohlbein, John Leathers, Roger Espinoza, Kerry Zavagnin (Kurt Morsink 77th), Ryan McMahen (Claudio Lopez 64th), Chance Myers (Michael Harrington 46th), Ryan Pore, Carlos Marinelli (Ivan Trujillo 46th)

Carolina: Chris McClellan, Steven Curfman (Frankie Sanfilippo 72nd), Mauricio Segovia, David Stokes, Kupono Low, Santiago Fusilier (Chad Dombrowski 89th), Ryan Solle, Matt Watson, Martin Nunez, Jamil Walker (Connally Edozien 54th), Dan Antoniuk (Caleb Norkus 62nd).

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