written by Jason Benfield
(3rd Degree is a very professional FC Dallas blog that has been around for years. This preview is a sample of their wonderful original content, and I thank them for allowing us to reprint this here. Check out the original on 3rd Degree for better formatting. The editor of 3rd Degree, Buzz Carrick, frequently has his work on ESPNsoccernet and other mainstream soccer outlets and is particularly well known for his Superdraft previews. Jason Benfield is the author on some match reports and other articles, and his match previews are particularly well written. High quality site - make sure and pay them a visit.)
Real Salt Lake Formation
Jason Kreis has RSL playing a very aggressive, attacking style of soccer. They line up in a 4-4-2, but push a lot of players forward. The defense consists of two physical center backs who stay home and two outside backs who are free to move forward at will and support the attack on the wing. In the midfield, one player stays home centrally and has a defensive role, but the other three have primary roles in the attack. They may be listed as lining up in a diamond formation, but both outside players are expected to push forward, and all three attacking mids move and switch constantly, with the outside mids comfortable diving in and the central attacking mid drifting wide. All of this movement creates a lot of possession and chances on the offensive end, but the lack of organization leaves RSL susceptible on defense. Up top, Kreis does want to play with a target, but is looking for skill and activity from the second forward more than just pure speed.
All of these strategies combine to make RSL a very entertaining team to watch. They hold possession well, move forward in numbers, flood the box, and constantly create chances on goal. At this point in the season, they are having problems with maintaining the offensive pressure over the full 90 minutes; at home, they tend to run out of gas at around the 30th minute, while on the road they only show up in the second half. However, this should improve over the course of the season as the team gains its fitness. Fans of the team may be frustrated with the results so far, but in less than a year at the helm, Kreis has completely turned over the roster and puts a very entertaining product on the field. If the backline can gel a bit and the team can play with a little more consistency, the results will start to come in the second half of the season.
The past three games, Kreis has switched RSL to a 3-4-3 formation after halftime, but this has been in games where RSL have trailed or was tied and he is trying something new. Because of the attacking nature of the midfielders, this formation tends to expose the team at the back significantly and places too much weight on the shoulders of the keeper. I do not expect this experiment to continue for much longer.
Real Salt Lake Roster
Just a reminder of the rating system:
1 = Developmental player
2 = Solid bench player
3 = Below average starter in MLS
4 = Above average starter in MLS
5 = All-star caliber player in MLS
6 = Superstar
Kyle Beckerman - 4 - Beckerman made his name as more of a holding midfielder in Miami and Colorado, but with RSL has reprised the attacking midfield role he thrived in as a youth. After playing in the middle last season, he has featured on the left wing this year. Beckerman was always a player with immense potential, and last year saw him finally step up to the next level. He was fantastic in 2007 for RSL, becoming a team leader and often pushing the team to play better than its talent should have allowed. He has been a little inconsistent this season, but is the type of player that can take the entire team with him if he steps up yet again. He has vision, a nice first touch, is a good passer and has a strong work rate. The potential is there to be a perennial all star the rest of his career if he can tap into it.
Tony Beltran - 2 - Rookie is currently a backup right back, but is expected to move into a starting role by midseason. Good athleticism and really nice speed. Has played a bit ahead of schedule due to the injury to Ian Joy, but Wingert will be the one eventually pushed to the bench. Fits the Kreis ideal outside back because of his penchant for getting forward. Held his own in his first start last week, but is not completely comfortable defensively and was pressured into some bad decisions when on the ball. Not up to the speed of play of the league yet. Will eventually develop into a very good outside back, though.
Nikolas Besagno - 1 - Former number one pick is buried very deep on the roster at both central defense and defensive midfielder. Off season acquisitions at both positions indicate that Kreis believes he is nowhere near ready to contribute. Has not developed into a player that can match expectations. Has been completely overwhelmed in limited appearances. Not enough size, not enough speed, and not comfortable on the ball. Still very young, but needs to start showing signs of progress.
Nat Borchers - 4 - Former Colorado standout has returned to MLS and is returning to all-star form. Makes up for athletic limitations with very sound positioning. Strong tackler and very good organizer. Is a leader on defense and is already the rock of the team at his center back position. Adequate passer and decent when going forward on set pieces. Athleticism may limit his progression to the national team level, but he is a very, very solid club player.
Matias Cordoba - 3 - Young Argentine was expected to start at left midfield, but has only seen one minute thus far. Because Kreis allows the other three midfielders to stay forward, Beckerman can’t play at the holding midfield spot because he won’t stay home. This creates a logjam at the attacking midfield slots because veterans Beckerman, Morales, Williams, and Kovelenko can all play in those spots, as well as draft pick Nimo. Essentially, he has been beaten out by Morales, Williams and Kovelenko, who all showed up to camp fit and in great form and pushed Beckerman out to the left. Will be a decent player and illustrates the depth of the midfield.
Kenny Cutler - 2 - Reserve defensive midfielder who is buried in the depth chart behind Sturgis, Talley, and Kovelenko on the depth chart. Limited athletically, is mainly on the roster due to hustle and grit. Doesn’t provide much else when on the field. Is another illustration of the depth of the squad, as two years ago he was a primary backup and this year he will be lucky to see any time at all.
Kenny Deuchar - 3 - Target forward who comes to RSL from the SPL. Good size, broad shoulders and very strong in the air. Scored a nice goal last week off of great service. Will be limited in MLS because good service from the wings is hard to come by in the league as a whole, and most of the players on the wing for RSL like to cut inside. Is slow and has not shown much with the ball at his feet. An important role of a target forward is the ability to hold the ball and distribute under pressure, not just flick the ball on with his head. He is lacking in that area. Good work rate and does pressure well defensively. More disciplined than Cooper and stays in the central channels, but has much less ball skill. Needs to improve in that respect to hold onto his starting spot because good crosses don’t come often enough in MLS to justify playing someone who is only good with their head.
Fabian Espindola - 4 - Young forward who is going to be a very good player in MLS. Has struggled with injury early this season, but had quite an impact last year for RSL and has scored a couple of nice goals already in 2008. Has speed, a good work rate, is decent in the air, and is very capable on the ball. Very quick feet, and a good passer. Combines well in small spaces. Very athletically fluid player who just looks smooth on the field. Makes good decisions on the field for when to hold possession and when to press forward. Has the potential to be a Jaime Moreno type player for RSL if he can continue to mature and improve. Is the first choice as the second forward.
Robbie Findley - 3 - Young forward who had some good performances last year. The fact that he is a reserve this season after nine goals in his rookie campaign is yet another indicator of the improved depth of the squad. At this point in his career is overly reliant on his speed. This was exposed at the Olympic Qualifying tournament when opposing teams bunkered in and required US forwards to break them down with skill rather than just putting the ball over the top. Is not a good passer and struggles to break players down in 1v1 situations. First touch needs to improve as well. Speed and athleticism are so good that he is a strong player to have in a backup role or coming off the bench, but is in the bottom tier as a starter in the league.
Ian Joy - 3 - First choice left back was brought in after stints in lower divisions of Germany, Scotland, and England. Is not the best defender, as he is a bit reckless with his tackles and can get caught out of position. Fits the mold of a Kreis outside back as he enjoys getting forward. Good distributor, makes quick decisions with the ball at his feet, and is a very good crosser. Needs to improve defensively in order to be regarded as one of the better left backs in the league. Currently is doubtful to play against Dallas because of a bone spur.
Dema Kovalenko - 3 - Former standout in the league is now a very good backup. Is the second choice right mid and third choice defensive mid for RSL. The fact that he can’t move past Talley or Williams indicates a slip in form, but he is in good shape and has looked pretty good in his appearances this season. Hard tackler who has always let his emotions get the best of him. Kind of a tweener - he likes to get forward, but his lack of speed moved him into the midfield from forward at the start of his career, and his lack of vision on the ball pushed him back further to defensive mid. Reckless tackling can lead to poor fouls and dangerous opportunities for the opposition. Can be frustrated and takes himself out of the game. Even though he has seen a downturn in overall form, he is still an excellent player to have off the bench in MLS.
Matias Mantilla - 3 - Solid, experienced central defender. Started most of the games he was available for after signing with RSL at the end of last season, and helped solidify the backline for their strong run at the end of the year. Was a starter to begin this season, but was always expected to lose his spot to Olave. Lacks some speed, but is decent in the air and a very good tackler. Will challenge for a starting spot all season and gives RSL excellent depth in the central defense.
Javier Morales - 4 - Attacking midfielder was another great late season acquisition for Kreis last year. Silky smooth on the ball. Very good vision and a good passer. Can cross very well. Good work rate. Can be inconsistent and disappear for stretches of a match. Once he finishes adapting to the league, shows the potential to be an all-star caliber player. Combines very well with Espindola, but is struggling to connect with the target forward. In the South American leagues, balls are often dumped to the corners for the forwards to run onto, whereas in a target system, you hold the ball more and play it wide to the wingers to keep the forwards in the center. His assists last week could be a sign that he is adapting to the system and that he is ready to take the step up.
Yura Movsisyan - 3 - Forward has shown flashes with both KC and RSL, but is still very young and has the potential to develop into a quality MLS striker. Has good size and decent speed. Can struggle with his first touch and gets caught with his head down on the ball. Not a good passer at this stage of his career. Is the backup target striker behind Deuchar. Can make the occasional spot start, but at this point is not a solid everyday MLS player.
Alex Nimo - 1 - Diminutive rookie winger is not ready for the speed of play in MLS or the physical nature of the league. If he had more size, would have been a top pick in the draft last year. Great skill on the ball and is still very young. Projects to be a little more skilled version of Corey Ashe.
Jamison Olave - 3 - Columbian central defender was essentially acquired to come in and take Pope’s spot as a starter in the central defense. Acquired in the preseason, it took him a while to get fit and he is just now moving into the starting role over Mantilla. Very physical with decent speed and good tackling skills. Will move up to a 4 once he is fully integrated and comfortable with his teammates.
Nick Rimando - 3 - Starting keeper may have been the team MVP last season, but still has not fully recovered from devastating injuries suffered during his stint with DC United. Best stretch of his career was with Miami before they folded. Positioning has never been good, and always relied on extremely quick reflexes and great athleticism. Knee injuries have removed some of his leaping ability and athleticism, so his height can be exposed. His lack of positioning and deterioration of athleticism were shown last week in both of the Beckham goals. Still has great quickness and makes some great instinct saves because of it. Quick to come off his line and good in 1v1 situations. Is not one of the better keepers in the league and would be coming off the bench if Seitz were ready.
Chris Seitz - 3 - Had a chance to lock down the starting job last season but was unable to do so. Is the starter for the US Olympic team, and started in the U-20 World Cup last season. Has great size, but athleticism needs to catch up to his body as he looks pretty awkward at time. Distribution needs vast improvement. Quick to read plays and come off his line in the Olympic Qualifying games, but needs to be stronger in the air for his size. Once his movements become more comfortable and his athleticism catches up to his size, he will take the starting job from Rimando.
Nathan Sturgis - 4 - Solid player who can play several positions (left back, central back, defensive midfield), but plays in the defensive midfield for RSL. Is the starter of choice, but has major injury issues and cannot stay healthy. Has major upside. Good size and a good first touch. Has the size to play as a center back, but can be exposed for speed and his ball control and passing ability make teams want to play him in the midfield. Can be a little soft for such a big player. Should mature into a very solid MLS starter and should eventually challenge for a national team position. Will miss the FC Dallas game through his latest injury.
Carey Talley - 4 - Second choice defensive midfielder, but still sees a lot of time with Sturgis’ injuries. Had his best seasons with Kansas City a few years ago, but also played extremely well two years ago for RSL. Form slipped a little last year, but has been an excellent fit this season for the one holding midfield slot in Kreis’ midfield because of his positioning discipline. Does not commit very many bad fouls and has a surprisingly good shot from distance. Always seems to be in the right place at the right time to disrupt the attack. Is doubtful for the Dallas game with a quad injury.
Andy Williams - 3 - Seems to have finally found a fit with RSL at right midfield. Has mostly featured in central midfield in past stops, but his tendency to hold the ball too long labeled him as a selfish player. On the wing, he has more time and space to play with the ball, and he does not disrupt the attack by holding it too long. Still needs to be more consistent to move up to a 4 level as he gets lazy and disappears for long stretches of time. Fitness has always been a concern for him, but he seems to be in pretty good shape right now and is having a very positive impact on the team.
Chris Wingert - 3 - Can play on either side of the defense, but is the starter at right back for now unless Joy is hurt. Is decent going forward, but has always struggled defensively with his positioning. Not incredibly comfortable on the ball at times, even though he likes to get forward, and can be pressured into bad giveaways. Does not possess top level athleticism. Is a nice player to have come of the bench because he can play both sides of the field, but is a lower tier starter in the league.
David Horst, Dustin Kirby, Tino Nunez, Kevin Reiman, Kyle Reynish, and Brennan Tennelle are all developmental players I have never seen and as such I have no report to give.
EXPECTED SALT LAKE LINEUP
------Duechar------Espindola------
-Beckerman---Morales---Williams-
-------------Kovalenko-------------
Wingert--Borchers--Olave--Beltran
-------------Rimando--------------
EXPECTED DALLAS LINEUP
--------Cooper--------Alvarez-------
----------------Toja-----------------
-Wagner--Ricchetti--Saragosa--Rocha-
----Wallace-----Davino-----Moor----
-----------------Sala-----------------
KEY TO THE GAME
This should be a very entertaining game to watch. Last week was a bit of a sleeper as San Jose are incompetent in the attack and Dallas refuses to push numbers forward. This match should be up and down and very faced passed. RSL floods numbers forward into the attack, especially when they hold possession. This leaves them vulnerable to the counter, which is where Dallas have excelled this season.
With each team missing two defensive starters (Dax and Serioux for FCD and Sturgis/Talley and Joy for RSL), several chances should be created in this wide open game. The difference in the two teams could come down to which goalie performs better. Sala should see most of the action in front of his goal, but has been in top form. Rimando still struggles to cover the entire goal, but won’t be tested quite as often. The goalie that comes up with a key save that allows their team to score first will be a major factor in the game.
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