Are you like me and jonesin' to get your fix of the latest Real Salt Lake news during the offseason? Frustrated that you haven't even been able to find a kernel of info about what direction the team will be taking over the next 3 months? If so, you'll probably want to scour the web for info, even if it only serves as a distraction. Here are some of the resources with RSL specific info that I routinely check out:
Big Soccer: This is the one that's uncool to admit to following, kind of like telling your friends that you watch Desperate Housewives. The info comes a bit fast and loose and with alot of opinion dressed up as fact, but it's a great resource and can be quite entertaining. Clearly the preeminant source of soccer forums.
Goal.com: The US version of this site is headed up by a fine soccer journalist, Greg Lalas (don't fault him for familial reasons). They are making a big push in the US market as seen by the hiring of talented writer and editor, Andrea Canales, as chief editor. Included on the list as they are gradually working to build a team-by-team focus with resources and coverage in each market. The site has assembled talented writers including Lalas, Canalas, Kyle McCarthy and Shane Evans. In addition, they have recently launched their own forums - check them out.
Behind the Shield: The official team blog. Good information, although at times it can be a bit slow to arrive. Also some entertaining stuff, as here you can find the regular editions of the Javi and Kyle Show as well as things like Scot Lake City.
AYL Soccer: These guys have been kickin' it with RSL info since early on. Has some good information, and some entertaining aspects as well. I especially love Double Talk and the Podcasts (or the RSL Show as its officially known).
Deseret News Blog: James Edward is the most respected RSL writer in the business and between him and Michael Black they provide good info to RSL fans. In the offseason, much of this will likely come in small tidbits via the blog.
Salt Lake Tribune Blog: I knew about Michael C. Lewis from his days as the Jazz beat writer, and I dismissed him as a basketball guy. While he is admittedly not a "soccer guy" he has really done a great job writing for RSL and I've particluarly been impressed with his work in the last year or so. Again look for most of his information this offseason to come via the blog.
MLSNet: The official RSL resource. This site is great for match information and game day coverage. You can also find roster info, schedules, and press releases on this site. Typically not the fastest site for breaking news, but a resource nonetheless.
Here are some other RSL related blogs that I would recommend, some of them updated more often than others: RSL Boz, Soccer Unites Utah, The Fans Scorecard, The Mind of Scads, Denz' Soapbox, Donk's Blog, RSLFM, Philosophy, Footy, etc.
In the next few days I'll provide a list of some of the general MLS resources that I like to use. In the meantime, please peruse these websites and especially give the bloggers some encouragement for the hard-work that they do that benefits all of us.
If I've left anyone off, please let me know.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
RSL Resources on the Web
Friday, December 26, 2008
MLS and the Economy
Look for some insight into the impact that this slow economy is expected to have on RSL in 2009 coming your way in January on Keepin' It Real. In the meantime, here is some reading from recent articles on the impact of the economic downturn on Major League Soccer:
Sometimes Less is More. Dec 22, 2008. BigAppleSoccer.com. Michael Lewis.
"We've always had to manage our business as if we were dealing with difficult times because soccer is an emerging sport in this country," he said.
"We don't have the luxury to take our eyes off the ball in terms of efficiency. We have always managed our business efficiently.
"I hope we can get through this without having to make some of the staffing decisions that some of the other leagues have had to make."
The Best Positioned League for the Downturn? MLS. Sports Marketing and PR Roundup.
"MLS has done a great job of slowly building their model and not overspending."
Economic Uncertainty Makes Miami MLS Bid Stronger. Dec 18th, 2008. MajorLeagueSoccerTalk.com. Kartik Krishnaiyer.
"While other cities will be in my opinion preferable markets for MLS, the league’s race to expand despite the financial crisis probably means Miami should be and very well may be a lock for a new team."
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Bone Marrow Drive for Marcia Williams
I was able to attend the recent bone marrow drive for Marcia at Rio Tinto Stadium. It really was an easy process, and I'm glad I went. Unfortunately we had some snow and freezing temperatures that morning which probably affected the turnout. However, it's still easy to sign up to be a donor, read here to find out how. Please sign up to be a donor - it's quick and painless and can mean life or death to someone else. If you are selected as a donor, it's not likely that you'll have surgery. Surgery is required only 20-30% of the time. The rest of the time its a process similar to platelet donation.
Also, check out these related items:
Evan Mundine: an incredible 10-year old kid from Texas. Read about him on Soccer Unites Utah website.
Saturdays event at Rio Tinto: Fox News Report about the Bone Marrow Drive (including interview with Marcia)
PSA from Grammy Award Winner Shaggy (fellow Jamaican): DKMS website
Oh Christmas Tree
Here are a few shots of the Real-themed X-mas tree at our house. I believe that this is year three of the evolving tree. We used to have Real scarves that doubled as garland, but the tree is getting a bit too crowded for these now. The Real hat taking the place of the star is a new edition this year. So are the Real mini soccer balls, and the playoff banner. We'd like to get our hands on more Real bears but according to the merchandising crew, they can't get the manufacturer to do any more of these, even though it was a popular item. Any other Real trees out there? Send in the pics and we'll post them.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Offseason Musings
Dallas Cowboys soccer? Everton hero in Texas. Another Dallas DP bites the dust. Ronaldo is no Messi
Interesting soccer headlines out of Texas today. First, the new Dallas Cowboys stadium will apparantly be geared for soccer. The Cowboys have expressed interest in hosting World Cup games. Read about it in the Dallas News.
Speaking of Dallas - last year's high-profile signing, Dulio Davino, is out. After a disappointing season in MLS he is returning to Mexico. This comes on the heels of the failed Denilson experiment in 2007. Read about Davino's departure on MLS Net.
In the final Texas soccer news of the day, former Everton hero Adrian Heath will be the new manager of USL-1 side Austin Aztex. Could the former Everton midfield star be blazing a trail towards the MLS? Who knows. Read about Heath and his move to America in the Echo.
Finally, in non-Texas related soccer news, here is an article that nails it on the head when it comes to why I am a fan of Lionel Messi and not a fan of Cristiano Ronaldo, despite his on-field brilliance. Read this article about the two stars here.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Bone Marrow Donor Drive
First of all - blog updates will be sporadic throughout the month of December as news comes across. Come January updates will return to a more regular rhythm.
Here is an announcement about a donor drive for the benefit of Marcia Williams at Rio Tinto Stadium on Dec 13th. This comes courtesy of Behind the Shield:
A Season For Giving… The recent health struggles of Marcia Williams (wife of RSL midfielder Andy Williams) have been well chronicled here and in other places. Many of you have graciously offered your support time and again. Well now is the time that we can really make it happen.
As you may know, the treatment of Marcia’s condition requires the usage of a bone marrow transplant. Unfortunately, to this point, an appropriate donor has not been found. Hopefully that will change on Saturday, December 13 when Real Salt Lake hosts a bone marrow drive at Rio Tinto Stadium from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
We ask that anyone willing join us in the Center Circle Club at the stadium and undergo free testing to see if you’re a match. All it takes is a little paperwork and a swab of your cheek. In order for Marcia to survive, it is essential that a matching donor. For the sake of Marcia, Andy, and their two daughters, let’s make this happen.
If you are still curious for more information, head over to SoccerUnitesUtah.com for info on Marcia’s condition and DKMSamericas.org for more on what it means to be a bone marrow donor.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
The End of the Line
RSL comes up short in it's bid for the MLS Cup losing to the New York Red Bulls at Rio Tinto Stadium 1-0. The teams surprising playoff run comes to an end.
Since Coach Kreis took over the theme has been "Fortune Favors the Bold". This team seemed to be bold and aggressive in this match but fortune was definitely not on their side as they had three shots that clanked off of the post. All of them denying the team their chance to move on.
On the other side, a bold and aggressive attempt at a sliding tackle by Jamison Olave leads to one of the very few opportunities by New York, and they are able to capitalize. They seemed to employ a counter attack mentality to take advantage of RSL's aggressive approach and it worked.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Kamler: Western Conference Finals Preview
It was not long ago when both New York and Salt Lake were fighting for their playoff lives, three weeks to be exact. But, now both are hoping to gain a birth in the MLS Cup Finals after both squads won their first round playoff match ups. Both teams qualified for the playoffs on the final day of the regular season and both did not look well in their final games of the year.
New York lost to Chicago, 5-2, on a Thursday night, in which they hardly looked the part of a playoff team. If the team had won that game they would have qualified for the playoffs, but instead they had to wait for help from Columbus with their victory over DC United and with DC’s loss, New York was in.
Salt Lake had its own troubles in their last game of the season against Colorado. A game in which coach Kreis thought it might have been one of RSL’s poorest performances of the season, seemed destined to end as a win for arch-rival Colorado. RSL pulled off what will go down in team history as one of the most important ties of its short existence with a tap in goal in what was basically stoppage time. With the tie RSL was in as well.
Not much was expected from New York or RSL going into the semi’s, but both teams pulled off upsets in the first round. No one gave New York much of a chance against the two-time defending champs, Houston and RSL was supposed to challenge Chivas, but not many believed RSL would pull the upset.
So, that brings us to RSL hosting its first MLS Conference Final. These two squads met recently at the first ever game played at Rio Tinto Stadium, which resulted in a 1-1 tie. Both teams are playing some of their best soccer of the year. Lets take a look at each of the squads.
We start with New York. This is a much different team than RSL fans watched just two weeks before the end of the regular season, with five changes in the lineup. Coach Juan Carlos Osario started the same squad in both playoff matches against Houston. This is how they lined up: Danny Cepero in the nets, in the back (left to right) Kevin Goldthwaite, Andrew Boyens, Diego Jimenez, and Chris Leitch, midfield (left to right) Dave van den Bergh, Luke Sassano, Sinisa Ubiparipovic, and Dane Richards, and at forwards Juan Pablo Angel and John Wolyniec. It is tough to see how this team conquered the defending champs, but this group followed a plan and torched Houston for a total of four goals in their two matches. It would be hard to see Osario making any changes in his lineup with the success they had against the Dynamo in that game, but stranger things have happened. We can only assume the squad will be the same.
Coming off of their miserable showing in their last game of the year, New York is playing well, very well. They had a 1-0 lead over Houston in the first game before conceding an 85th minute goal that tied the series going to the Dynamo home field. In Houston, they played a similar style as what they did when they played against Real Salt Lake late in the season. It looked as if they drew a line of confrontation (when they would start pressuring the ball) somewhere around the center-off circle in Houston’s defensive end. It would not be surprising if they did the same with RSL. Against the Dynamo (especially in Houston), they looked for counter attacks and it paid off big dividends for them.
Osario will trust the middle of the field to two young players, Sassano (a rookie) and Ubiparipovic (2nd year), who between them had 34 games played and only 20 games started. The strength for the Red Bulls is their attack and how quickly they get forward with the ball. One player RSL did not see when the Red Bulls came to Salt Lake is Dane Richards. The second year player out of Clemson is a dangerous weapon going forward as seen in New York’s first goal in Houston. He has speed, is good with the ball and is one of the main contributors to the offense. On the other side of the field is van den Burgh. He, along with Richards, provides the service to the ever dangerous Angel. Angel is the Total Package and has been the engine that has carried the Red Bulls all year. Add in veteran Wolyniec, and those four are the Red Bulls’ main offensive weapons. The big question marks for this team on offense are Sassano and Ubiparipovic. What kind of distribution will the rookie and second year players bring for their side?
The weak link in the armor for New York, in my opinion, is their back four. Although they only gave up one goal to the Dynamo in two matches, the game against Chicago showed how porous the back line could be. During the regular season they were ranked third worst in the league for goals against. Also, along with their back line being vulnerable, I think their midfield is a liability defensively as well. The Dynamo picked apart the New York defense in the second half of the game in Houston and if it were not for some of the acrobatic saves by Cepero, Houston might have tied the game before Wolyniec’s back breaking third goal.
RSL also came off of a poor showing in its last game of the regular season, but was able to rally with a tie. Since then, they have played their best soccer of the season. I would not expect too many changes in the side that Jason Kreis puts out on the field. The only question marks would be: 1. Will he re-insert Joy for Russell? 2. Who will man the right side of midfield, Kovalenko or Williams? So, I can only speculate at how I would start, so here it is: Nick Rimando in goal, in the back (left to right) would be Chris Wingert, Nat Borcher, Jamison Olave, and Robbie Russell. In the midfield Kyle Beckerman at holding and (left to right) Will Johnson, Javier Morales, and Andy Williams, with Clint Mathis and Yura Movsisyan up front. Again this is only speculation. Even if Joy is close to healthy, I don’t think you start him because you do not want to use a sub for one of your backs in a game (as was done in the first game against Chivas) like this. If you are not in the lead late in the game, you want to be able to bring on as many offensive weapons as you can. As for Williams instead of Kovalenko, they both played superbly when they started. Williams provides more possession for RSL and his creativity will be needed to break down a Red Bulls team that will more than likely sit back and wait for RSL to come to them. Plus, there are the emotional feelings Kovalenko has towards his old team that might get him in trouble card wise.
Salt Lake’s ball movement over the past two games has been better than it has all season. Runs off the ball have been great and no player is holding the ball too long. They have also created more chances in the run of play than I can remember in two consecutive games. But, if they are to move on to the final, they need to take their opportunities better. Real could have been going into their away game at Chivas with a comfortable win, but did not finish its chances at home. When they had the chance to close the game out at Chivas with a late goal they squandered their opportunities, which left the door open to the tie which sent them through.
It seems as though the defense which RSL fans were used to seeing throughout June and July has somewhat returned and Nick Rimando has come up with a couple of big saves (the two saves that didn’t even count because of Nagamura’s off sides come to mind). But, here is where I have a problem with the last ten to fifteen minutes of that game. Once again, RSL gave up a goal in the last ten minutes to finish a game. Sure, all they needed was a tie to move through, but it has been a common theme throughout the season. RSL was in the bottom half of the league in goals given up in the last fifteen minutes. Should RSL be ahead in the last ten to fifteen minutes of the game, they need to make a stand and finish any chances they have to put the game out of reach.
So, that brings us to the break down of the actual match of New York Red Bulls verse Real Salt Lake and what RSL needs to do.
- Salt Lake needs to come out with the same presence it did in its first home playoff game. The first ten or so minutes they need to put pressure on the Red Bulls all over the field as they did against Chivas. They have to do it as a team and not be disjointed as they were against Colorado in their last game of the season. If they do not do this as a team, New York has the weapons on offense, as mentioned above, to make them pay.
- New York will play the same way it did the first time it came to SLC and the way they did in Houston. I believe they will draw a line of confrontation somewhere around midfield and then start to put pressure on RSL. What this does is take away the ball over the top that Movsisyan feeds off of. RSL will need to move the ball quickly and retain possession in order to break down New York’s half field defense. If RSL is given the chance to counter, they must do so quickly, because I don’t think there will many opportunities to do so unless RSL is up a goal or two.
- Make New York work defensively. This is similar to what was said in the previous statement, but the possession game will be key. Chivas struggled to catch a second wind and was visibly tired in the second half. RSL must use the altitude to its advantage.
- Danny Cepero has been fantastic in two playoff games for New York. To get an early goal might deflate this young player’s confidence as well as the confidence the back line of New York has built up from the series with Houston. The more pressure RSL is able to put on Cepero early in the game the better.
- New York is a great counter attacking team with van den Bergh, Richards, Wolyniec, and Angel. RSL must stay away from bad give-aways in their own end and be aware of these four players. This means it must have a good offensive shape when going forward, making sure you have enough players back. Out of the four weapons New York has, Richards is the only one that will kill you with his speed.
- Finishing chances will be a key for both sides. There are too many times in soccer where a team gets one chance and finishes while the other side creates numerous chances with no results.
- Find Morales, early and often. Its no secret Morales is the engine offensively for RSL, but they tend to stop getting him the ball at different times during the game.
- Get service into the box. Two out of the three goals for RSL in the playoffs have come off of crosses and many other chances were created by getting the ball wide for service.
- On the flip side it will be important to close the service quickly provided by van den Bergh and Richards. Angel thrives off of their service and he is able to take even a bad service and turn it into a chance on goal. They also need to pay attention to Wolyniec who is a savvy striker in his own right.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
WINNERS!!!
The following three people have won our ticket giveaway:
Rory Bruggerman (1st correct response)
Aaron York (random draw)
Jesse Crowley (random draw)
The correct answer was Robbie Russell, with Rosenborg in 2004 where he played right back.
I also received the following guesses:
Will Johnson with de Graafschap. They did win a lower division (Eerste Divisie), but it was in March 2007 but Will joined them the following season.
Will Johnson with Heerenveen. Heerenveen did not win a championship while Will was with the club.
Kenny Deuchar with Falkirk. Of course only Rangers and Celtic have ever won the SPL (since it became known as such in 1998), however Falkirk did win a lower division, but not while Deuchar was there.
Ian Joy with Manchester United. As I understand, Ian only played with the ManU youth program.
Thanks again to the folks at VW and MLS with their "VW Road to the MLS Cup" promotion for making this possible.
More Tickets!!!!!
Thanks to our friends at Volkswagen and Major League Soccer and their "VW Road to the MLS Cup" promotion, we have two additional sets of tickets and goodies for the Western Conference Finals. For these two sets, I will be randomly selecting the winner from those submitted by 5:00 PM today. The winner for the first set has already been selected based on being the first correct response and will be announced along with the other two tomorrow at noon. So if you haven't submitted your answer please do so according to the below instructions. In the meantime, watch the latest "VW Road to the MLS Cup" promo video, which features Sacha Kljestan, Ben Olsen and former RSL-er Chris Klein.
In order to win these tickets and swag answer the following trivia question:
One current RSL player has won a first (top) division championship in Europe.
Name the player, team and year.
EMAIL YOUR ANSWERS ALONG WITH YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS TO: REALSLFAN@YAHOO.COM.
Here is what each of the three package winners will get:
- 2 Tickets to Saturdays contest
- 2 MLS All-Star scarves
- 2 MLS All-Star fitting baseball-style caps
- 4 VW note pads
- 2 VW t-shirt
- 2 VW bandana
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Win 2 Free Tickets to Western Conference Finals
Keepin' it Real is pleased to be able to offer one reader the chance to win 2 Free Tickets to Saturday's Western Conference Finals matchup at Rio Tinto Stadium. In addition, there is some additional swag. The package includes:
- 2 Tickets to Saturdays contest
- MLS All-Star scarf
- MLS All-Star fitting baseball-style cap
- VW note pads
- VW t-shirt
- VW bandana
In order to win these tickets and swag you'll need to be the first to answer the following trivia question: One current RSL player has won a first (top) division championship in Europe. Name the player, team and year. EMAIL YOUR ANSWERS ALONG WITH YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS TO: REALSLFAN@YAHOO.COM. Contest ends at noon Friday.
The tickets and swag come courtesy of "VW Road to the MLS Cup", sponsored by Volkswagen and the MLS. See their promotional video clip below:
Western Conference Press Event
RSL President Bill Manning spoke first. He spoke briefly but tried to put where we are at in perspective.
Coach Kreis spoke second. He mentioned that he had only reached the finals twice in his 11 year career. He also mentioned that Robin Fraser had spoken to the players a few weeks back and mentioned that the coaching staff has believed in the players all year long, and that now they need to really believe in themselves. Since that time, they seem to have done so.
Nick Rimando and Dema Kovalenko spoke as players who have reached (and won) the MLS Cup before. They reiterated that this is a rare opportunity and that the team needs to capitalize on it.
The final speaker was GM Garth Lagerway who stole the show. He gave a passionate speach about the current coaching staff and their involvement in the 96 playoffs. Garth was a rookie at the time, making it to the Conf final and just assumed that he would be back again at some point, but never made it. He also gave a plea to all fans who have supported the team to come out en masse to the game and to cheer the team loudly.
After the speeches the players broke off into individual discussion with the media. The consensus was that this may be a rare opportunity and they need to "Seize the Day". There was also a consensus that it's not about what NY can do on the field - if RSL just plays their game, they will come out on top.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
RSL is Movin' On!
Golden Boot and I managed to head down to SoCal for a last minute trip to see leg two of the RSL/Chivas playoff. Other than the speeding ticket the trip was great and very worthwhile. Here are my thoughts on the entire experience:
Trip Down
The trip down actually went quite quickly. We left Friday night and landed at the Oasis in Mesquite. In the lobby as we checked in there were a couple of people that yelled out "Real Salt Lake" as we were wearing RSL gear. We also ran into Kenny Cutler who happened to be down there with friends for an engagement celebration of sorts for one of the group. He chatted with us for quite a bit while playing blackjack at the same time.
Next morning we woke up and headed the rest of the way down. We were tired from the drive down and glad to arrive at our hotel after several hours on the road. The trip down had been full of lots of good convo including RSL and the playoff possibilities.
Pre-Game
After checking in and changing we grabbed some excellent BBQ thanks to a great tip. The excitement for the game was building, and so we headed over to the HDC early along with a couple of newfound RSL fan friends who had flown down and needed a ride over.
Stadium
The stadium was pretty impressive from the outside. Our first impression once inside was also a good one. I like the layout from a fan perspective. However, as we started to get in position for picture taking I became less impressed. Nobody who worked there seemed to know what was going on, and they seemed to be less than interested in helping find out.
The grass looked in much better shape than some of the games I had watched on TV a couple of months ago. However, it was way too long and thick. Perhaps gamesmanship to slow the field down?
The field appeared extremely large. Not sure of the dimensions but you definitely notice the difference from Rio Tinto.
The picture taking area is in the dirt. Why? Not sure. But for someone trying to protect lenses and equipment it isn't ideal.
The way the players enter the field sucks. It's through the endzone like RES, but they both go through the same spot in the advertising boards and up the same tunnel. To make things worth the VIP seats get to their spots through exactly the same location.
The Atmosphere
I was impressed with the Chivas fans at Rio Tinto, and they were even more impressive and in greater numbers at the HDC. They had a huge banner along one endzone that covered the entire end. That same endzone peppered the net behind Rimando with streamers, which was on one hand an annoyance, but also a great demonstration of the passion for their club. I was on the opposite end right in front of the supporters groups who were loud, with chants going on throughout the entire match. They didn't let up even when it was apparant that their team was on the losing end of the series.
Cheerleaders are for American football. They help that sport by keeping the fans in the game during the lulls that occur in that sport. In soccer, there are no lulls, and cheerleaders are not only extraneous - they are annoying.
The GameWhat's there to say? Great result for the team. Great moment for the franchise. The team showed heart, maturity and mental toughness that we have not seen in previous seasons. In fact, we didn't see that during this season until the last month or so. After the match, Jason commented on this and mentioned that he was proud of them for this.
I was really glad to see that we didn't fall apart after the initial goal. We seemed to stay committed to being aggressive. That header by Dema happened right in front of me, and it was a great finish off of Javi's cross. Javi mentioned that the pass was really for Yura, but Dema snuck in and stole it.
The second half was a battle and a bloodbath. Javi, Yura, and Olave seemed to be the most physically affected. It was obvious that toward the final stages it had taken a toll on the guys as they were exhausted. Kyle even ended up with a shiner courtesy of Nagamora.
Once again I was surprised that RSL sustained through the onslaught by Chivas who pushed tremendous numbers forward very early in the 2nd half. It's amazing that the withheld and were able to get a 2nd goal in the other end. They did a great job of finding their chances in the second half, and although they missed a couple of finishes they remained dangerous and didn't give up the attack.
The Traveling RSL Fans
There were a few less of them than at Colorado, but there was still a sizable group. They were also very vocal and I could hear them throughout the match. They also appeared to be well behaved from everything I saw and heard. Unfortunately there were a couple of negative situations that I heard about. First, an RSL fan was assaulted by Chivas fans who first took their RSL scarf and then decided they were going to attack him. Second, there were some threats and harrassments after the game that led to the HDC staff asking some RSL fans to remove their RSL gear and then escorted them outside. However, I believe all of these incidents were relatively minor.
Post-Game
Once again the team was very happy about the result, but very subdued. Afterwards everyone headed back to the hotel and hung out around the bar area. Most of the players/coaches were there and a small handful of fans as well. It was very relaxed and everyone chatted with each other.
Trip Home
Worst part of the experience by far. Spending 10/11 hours on the road at one time is never any fun. And oh yeah, there was that issue of a speeding ticket as well. The one good time we had on the way home was during the Houston/NYRB game. We received regular phone updates from Golden Boots bro and it was great to hear about the result which will leave us with one more home game this year. Can't wait.
