James Edward is reporting that Luis Escalada will indeed be signed for the remainder of the year prior to the April 15th contract decision date. Not a surprise as word from the organization in recent weeks has been that they like what they have seen.
The surprise however comes at the news that another striker will be joining the club. Edward is reporting that striker will be none other than Fabian Espindola who will rejoin the club after his recent sojourn to Venezuela. Of course, if you are a regular reader of Keepin' It Real you knew that we had first discovered this as a possibility back in January. I'm glad to hear that it's really going to happen.
If both of these do indeed get finalized next week, and Ian Joy and Robbie Russell return to the pitch soon this becomes a pretty stacked club. Many of us questioned the club's direction during the offseason, but with the early quality (and somewhat unexpected) performances of Mathis and Findley, and with Espindolas reported return the team appears to have the attacking quality that some of us feared they would lack.
What are your thoughts on this development?
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Escalada Stays, Espindola Returns
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Today's Updates: Tuesday July 29, 2008
RSL Takes Four-Point Lead in West -> Goal.com
In what was a rare Monday night game at Rice Eccles stadium, the script seemed well-written. Real Salt Lake managed to extend its unbeaten streak at home by outscoring Toronto FC 2-1 in front of an announced crowd of 12,319.
RSL avoid late-match meltdown -> MLSnet/John Coon
But Robbie Findley refused to let the game become the latest to get away from Real in the closing minutes. Findley keyed a 2-1 RSL victory at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Monday night when he stuck a dagger in the Reds' comeback hopes with a spectacular game-winning goal in the 87th minute.
Summertime Fun: RSL 2 - Toronto FC 1 -> RSL.theoffside.com/Akeem Samuels
The game was scoreless until the 63rd minute when the Colombian, Jamison Olave headed in a beautiful cross from 20 yards away, past Toronto FC Goalkeeper Greg Sutton. However after an unnecessary take down by Olave in the 83rd minute, Toronto’s Amado Guevara directed a free kick into the top left corner pocket to bring the game at 1-all. In the dying minutes, Robbie Findley put a Sutton deflection into to the net to extend the team’s points lead over Houston and Los Angeles to 4, extend the team’s home unbeaten streak to 11, and going into this unprecedented 18 day team break on a high note.
Real Salt Lake: Real-ly above .500 after Monday night win -> Deseret News/James Edward
"To give away a goal late in the game and to react the way they did makes me incredibly proud ... to not only be leading this group but to feel like I'm part of this group," said Kreis.
Real Salt Lake defender Olave is hitting his stride in time -> Deseret News/Dan Rasmussen
"He's been nothing short of spectacular," said RSL's coach.
Real Salt Lake notes: Russell makes quick debut for RSL -> Deseret News/James Edward
"It was just that first chance to get a feel for the league and what the play is like, and we got a win so I can't complain," said Russell. "It was definitely interesting getting used to that turf. It was only my second day on the turf."
RSL: RSL's win keeps home spotless -> Salt Lake Tribune/Michael C. Lewis
Just when it looked as if Real Salt Lake would end its first home game as a first-place team the same discouraging way it finished so many others while languishing in last, Robbie Findley slid to the rescue.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Gameday: RSL -vs- Chicago
INJURY REPORTS:CHI - OUT: FW Andy Herron (concussion); DF Dasan Robinson (R ankle
sprain); FW Calen Carr (L knee sprain); DOUBTFUL: DF Gonzalo Segares (L
mid-foot sprain); PROBABLE: MF Brian Plotkin (SI dysfunction) …
strain); QUESTIONABLE: MF Nathan Sturgis (L hamstring strain); PROBABLE:
DF Tony Beltran (L adductor), DF Ian Joy (R hamstring), MF Alex Nimo
(R hip flexor strain), GK Kyle Reynish (R hamstring strain)
RSL: RSL looks to get rolling on road -> Salt Lake Tribune/Michael C. Lewis
Sunday, July 13, 2008
FIRST PLACE!!!
Real Salt Lake notes: New starters provide spark -> Deseret News/James Edward
"It was really just looking Kenny and Robbie in the eye and seeing they were getting a little bit frustrated," said Kreis. "I know from my history of being a goal-scorer that it can become very mentally fatiguing, and I thought those two they needed a break, and I also thought that Yura and Tino over the past couple of weeks have deserved the opportunity."
Columbus at RSL player grades -> DNews Blog/James Edward
RSL: From worst to first -> Salt Lake Tribune/Michael C. Lewis
One hundred and ten games and 1,197 days since the team played its first game in Major League Soccer, after the arrival and departure of 51 players, the reconstruction of a coaching staff and front office, and a long public battle over the construction of a new stadium, the team has finally reached first place.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
GAMEDAY: Columbus at Real Salt Lake
INJURY REPORT:
REAL SALT LAKE - OUT: FW Fabian Espíndola (L MCL sprain), MF Brennan
Tennelle (L adductor strain); DOUBTFUL: MF Nathan Sturgis (L hamstring
strain); PROBABLE: MF Dema Kovalenko (R cervical strain) …
COLUMBUS CREW - OUT: DF Gino Padula (L hamstring strain); QUESTIONABLE:
MF Eddie Gaven (L ankle sprain)
Week 16 Preview Part Deux - SuperLiga et al -> MLS.TheOffside.com/Travis
Impressively enough, Real has remained undefeated at Rice Eccles, taking advantage of the turf situation. Makes me wonder if once they move out they’ll start losing on a more consistent basis.
Game Preview: Crew at Real Salt Lake -> The Columbus Dispatch/Shawn Mitchell
How it might play out: Robbie Rogers hasn't scored for Columbus since May 10, but the recent play of Emmanuel Ekpo on the right flank might draw some attention away from the young left winger. If Rogers is allowed to get into space and Guillermo Barros Schelotto is on his game, expect the Crew to add to the five points it has earned in three previous trips to Utah.
Real Salt Lake game day -> Deseret News
RSL is in a third-place tie in the Western Conference with Houston but can move into first with a win ... This is the fourth chance it has had to take over first in the West this year with a win, but it has failed to score a goal all three games ... RSL defender Chris Wingert is suspended because of last week's red card ... RSL striker Kenny Deuchar will earn an automatic one-game suspension with his next yellow card ... Forward Fabian Espindola (knee) is still out, while Nathan Sturgis (hamstring) is doubtful.
Real Salt Lake takes aim at first place again -> Deseret News/James Edward
"We're going to win tomorrow. The team's confident," said Kovalenko. "Fourth time, we've got to take it. I don't know if it's going to happen again."
RSL: Morales hoping for All-Star slot -> Salt Lake Tribune/Michael C. Lewis
Javier Morales said he would like to be chosen for the Major League Soccer All-Star Game later this month, but the Real Salt Lake midfielder knows it won't be an easy accomplishment.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Daily Update: July 9, 2008
RSL: RSL looking to kick-start offense -> Salt Lake Tribune/Michael C. Lewis
But considering that RSL - for all its recent sniping at the referees - has scored only three goals in its past six Major League Soccer games, coach Jason Kreis is viewing it as a game that potentially gets his team into a rhythm again as it fights for the first playoff appearance in its four-year history. "Maybe somebody figures out how to score in that . . . game, and that just follows through to Saturday and then we get on a little bit of a roll," Kreis ventured.
RSL to host Major League Soccer's All-Star Game -> Salt Lake Tribune/Michael C. Lewis
With construction of its new stadium nearly complete, Real Salt Lake and Major League Soccer will announce today that the team will host the annual MLS All-Star Game next season. Sources close to the decision confirmed it, though team and league officials declined to comment Tuesday; they are holding a news conference today at 10:30 a.m. at the stadium in Sandy to make their announcement.
Real Salt Lake: Offense may need friendly fire -> Deseret News/James Edward
RSL coach Jason Kreis believes his team is creating enough opportunities, but the confidence just isn't there to finish them off. He's hoping a visit from Mexican club Santos Laguna for tonight's international friendly at Rice-Eccles Stadium helps cure the scoring rut.
Real Salt Lake: Long-shot Nunez showing he belongs -> Deseret News/James Edward
For players bypassed in the more prestigious SuperDraft, they have approximately a 50 percent chance of making an MLS roster their first year. Within two years, there's about a 15 percent chance they'll even still be around. Real Salt Lake forward Tino Nunez is hoping to defy those daunting odds.
MLS to bring '09 All-Stars to Salt Lake -> Deseret News
Real Salt Lake is expected to announce at a press conference this morning that it will host the 2009 MLS All-Star game at its new stadium in Sandy. RSL will hold the press conference at 10:30 a.m. inside its 20,000-seat stadium, which is under construction but expected to be usable later this year. Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. will be on hand, as well as owner Dave Checketts, MLS president Mark Abbott and local politicians.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Daily Update: Thursday July 3, 2008
REAL SALT LAKE - OUT: FW Fabian Espíndola (L MCL sprain); MF Nathan
Sturgis (L hamstring strain); MF Brennan Tennelle (L adductor strain); PROBABLE:
FW Yura Movsisyan (R meniscus surgery) …
DF Pat Ianni (R shoulder sprain); MF Richard Mulrooney (R knee swelling)
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Daily Update: June 28, 2008
INJURY REPORTS
KANSAS CITY WIZARDS -OUT: MF Kevin Souter (MCL sprain), QUESTIONABLE:
MF Kerry Zavagnin (foot strain); PROBABLE: FW Ivan Trujillo (ankle
sprain) …
REAL SALT LAKE - OUT: MF Nathan Sturgis (L hamstring strain);
FW Fabian Espíndola (L knee contusion); QUESTIONABLE: FW Yura
Movsisyan (R meniscus surgery); FW Robbie Findley (concussion)
(injury reports and projected lineup courtesy of RSL Communications)
Real Salt Lake: Win would vault Real into first place -> Deseret News/James Edward
Sitting in second place in the Western Conference, Real Salt Lake is quickly shedding the losing culture that plagued the franchise the first three years. There's legitimate talk of playoffs as the club prepares to move into its new stadium in the final month of the 2008 season.
RSL: Worst to first? -> Salt Lake Tribune/Michael C. Lewis
Since sitting one loss away from last place in all of Major League Soccer, RSL has executed what could turn out to be a season-saving turnaround by building a franchise-record five-game unbeaten streak. And if they can extend the streak by winning at slumping Kansas City tonight, RSL will vault over the glamorous Los Angeles Galaxy - for one day, at least - and into first place in the MLS Western Conference for the first time in their history.
Streaking RSL invade K.C. -> MLSNet
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Daily Update: June 1, 2008
Real Salt Lake: RSL shakes off blues versus Earthquakes -> Deseret News/James Edward
"I think there was quite a few players, myself included, that wanted to feel sorry for ourselves at that point," said RSL coach Jason Kreis. The moping seemed to last until halftime, but when the players finally got over the early letdown the rout was on. Spurred on by a fantastic performance from second-half substitute Robbie Findley, RSL dominated the rest of the way en route to a 3-1 victory over San Jose in front of 15,977 fans at Rice-Eccles Stadium
Findley's play the difference for RSL Saturday -> Deseret News/Michael Black
He really energized us from the first moment he came on," said RSL coach Jason Kreis. "I thought he was bright and sharp. He has been playing particularly well in the training sessions for the past few weeks. Really, I felt like for a while it was just a matter of time until Robbie puts his best foot forward and tonight he did that."
Real Salt Lake: Players are 'better spaced,' RSL coach says of defense -> Deseret News/James Edward
"The players seem to be better connected, better spaced, we weren't so strung out from top to bottom," said RSL coach Jason Kreis. "I think that we're learning."
San Jose at RSL Player Grades -> DesNews Blog/James Edward
Javier Morales (8) -- The only thing that prevented him from a higher grade was missing a third minute penalty kick, and seemingly pouting about it for about a half hour. He was outstanding in the second half though with a goal and an assist.
RSL: Still unbeaten at home -> Salt Lake Tribune/Michael C. Lewis
"Quite frankly, I thought we were miserable in the first half," coach Jason Kreis said. "Very, very disappointed, because I thought we were going to see 90 minutes of quality soccer tonight. . . . So at halftime, we challenged them quite a bit, and I was very, very proud to see the way they came out and reacted to that challenge in the second half."
RSL roster heating it up -> Ogden Standard Examiner/Jasen Asay
"He has been playing particularly well in the training sessions for the past few weeks so really I felt like, for a while, that it was just a matter of time until Robbie puts his best foot forward and tonight he did that," said RSL coach Jason Kreis.
Real Salt Lake roll past San Jose -> MLSNet/John Coon
Findley came on for starting forward Fabian Espindola in the 45th minute and immediately torched the San Jose Earthquakes -- scoring one second-half goal and setting up another to propel RSL to a 3-1 victory at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Saturday evening.
Quakes lose in Salt Lake City -> San Francisco Chronicle
Robbie Findley scored in the 48th minute and assisted Javier Morales' goal 12 minutes later, leading Real Salt Lake to a 3-1 victory over the Earthquakes on Saturday night in Salt Lake City.
Quakes routed by Real Salt Lake -> Monterey Herald/Andrew Aragon
The Quakes were lethargic on offense, managing just two shots on goal in a demoralizing 3-1 loss to Real Salt Lake in front of 15,977 fans at Rice-Eccles Stadium. The loss dropped the expansion Quakes to 2-6-1, and robbed them of a chance to crawl out of the basement in the Major League Soccer Western Conference standings.
Match Photos: Real Salt Lake vs San Jose Earthquakes -> AYL Soccer/Chris Nicholl
Match Report: RSL 3 San Jose 1 -> AYL soccer/Aaron Bentley
There's No Place Like Home -> RSLBoz
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Gameday! San Jose versus Real Salt Lake
INJURY REPORT
REAL SALT LAKE - OUT: FW Yura Movsisyan (R meniscus surgery), MF Nathan Sturgis (L hamstring strain); QUESTIONABLE: DF Ian Joy (L ankle bone spur); PROBABLE: FW Fabian Espindola (L hamstring strain), MF Javier Morales (R adductor strain), DF Jamison Olave (R MCL strain) …
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES - OUT: DF Jay Ayres (facial fracture); FW Gavin Glinton (sports hernia); FW Peguero Jean Philippe (R knee internal derangement)
PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Daily Update: Saturday May 24, 2008
Injury ReportFC DALLAS - OUT: DF David Wagenfuhr (concussion); MF Dax McCarty
(hernia) …
REAL SALT LAKE - OUT: FW Yura Movsisyan (R meniscus surgery),
MF Nathan Sturgis (L hamstring strain); DOUBTFUL: MF Javier
Morales (R adductor strain); QUESTIONABLE: DF Ian Joy (L ankle bone
spur); PROBABLE: FW Fabian Espíndola (R ankle contusion), MF Alex Nimo
(R quad strain), MF Brennan Tennelle (R intercostal/rib strain), DF Chris
Wingert (R gluteal strain)
HEADLINES
No time to lose for FC Dallas' replacement coach -> Dallas Morning News/Diego Aparacio
Marco Ferruzzi, appointed Tuesday as interim coach, will try to deliver FC Dallas' first win since April 20 against Real Salt Lake. A home game Wednesday against two-time defending champion Houston and a road game a week from Sunday at Colorado complete what could be the most crucial stretch of the season.
Real Salt Lake: Kreis says Dallas firing too hasty -> Deseret News/James Edward
"From our standpoint, from a coach's standpoint, you'd say that seems to be a pretty hasty decision for a team that was first place in a our conference a couple weeks ago," said Kreis, who spent the majority of his playing career with Dallas. "All teams take a little bit of time to establish their identity and gel as a unit, and I'm sure Steve would feel the same way, that he wasn't afforded enough time."
RSL: Wins on the road still far away -> Salt Lake Tribune/Michael C. Lewis
Kreis said there's no particular problem, though, that has prevented RSL from faring better on the road. "I really can't put my finger on any particular one thing," he said. "If we can do all of the facets of the game a little bit better - be mentally a little bit better, tactically a little bit better, a little bit better defensively, one-on-one battles. Everything. A little bit sharper in front of the goal. I think we need to do just a little bit better in all the areas, but continue to do what we have been doing, because overall, I'd say our play has been pretty good."
Match Day 9: Real Salt Lake at FC Dallas - 3rdDegree.net/Jason Benfield
Things have changed a bit since the two teams met a couple of weeks ago, and not just from the obvious Dallas angle. After playing a 4-4-2 all season long, RSL came out in a 3-5-2 against Dallas before substituting Olave out in the first half and reverting back to their original formation. Against Colorado, they stuck with the 4-4-2 but it had a much more defensive feel to it. After starting the season displaying a very aggressive, attacking style of soccer, Kreis changed the look of the midfield and as a result did not press forward in numbers for the first time this season. I think we can probably expect a similar strategy against Dallas on Saturday.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Daily Update: Thursday May 22, 2008
RSL needs a healthy Morales, ASAP ->DesNews Blog/James Edward
"I think Andy, maybe because he hasn't played there in a while, I think he dropped off too much. I don't think he kept himself in advanced positions, he didn't keep himself close enough to the forwards to help them," said Kreis. "Tactically I think for certain we'll have a chat and talk about when he plays that role he needs to be in more advanced positions. He got the ball too deep in the field too many times. He was the one making the forward passes but there was no one to support the forwards."
RSL: Reality check for Real ->Salt Lake Tribune
Week Nine Preview -> MLS.theoffside
The French Connection -> Behind the Shield
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Daily Update: Wednesday May 21, 2008
RSL: Defender Joy eager for return to lineup against Dallas -> Salt Lake Tribune/Michael C. Lewis
Defender Ian Joy returned to the practice field for Real Salt Lake this week, thrilled to finally be off the stationary rehab bicycle and poised to return to the lineup at FC Dallas on Saturday. Several of his teammates were not so fortunate, though. Midfielders Javier Morales and Nathan Sturgis remain "very questionable" to be available for the FC Dallas game, coach Jason Kreis said, because of lingering injuries. Striker Fabian Espindola is uncertain, too, and striker Yura Movsisyan is out for several weeks after having surgery to repair the meniscus in his right knee, a team spokesman said.
Real Salt Lake: Team looks to shake road woes -> Deseret News/James Edward
Unbeaten at home, winless on the road, and just over a quarter of the season in the rearview mirror, a trend is starting to set in for Real Salt Lake — and it's not one that leads to the playoffs, either.
Steve Morrow Out as Dallas Coach -> Goal.com
“We have set high standards, expectations, and goals for this team and organization,” said FC Dallas General Manager Michael Hitchcock in a statement. “I feel that the team was not heading in the direction we had planned, and believe it is in the best interest of the club to make a coaching change at this time.”
Friday, May 16, 2008
It's Now or Never: Matias Cordoba
This is an attempt to chronicle the short career of Matias Cordoba at Real Salt Lake and examine his status and future with the team. As an admitted fan of Cordoba's I can't claim to be completely objective. I believe that the coaching staff is obviously more informed than us fans, and are looking out for the best interest of the team. This is not a critique but simply a case of me trying to understand the situation. Your insight would be very much appreciated.
FLORIDA
Matias Cordoba started off with RSL on the wrong foot. Highly touted in the offseason, and described by Garth Lagerway as the "most important offseason acquisition" and as "a mix between Kyle Beckerman and Javi Morales", he seems to have failed to impress to this point. Obviously there were extremely high hopes that he would be a key contributor this season. He arrived in the United States meeting up with the team in Florida on Feb 15th for the opening day of practice there. The first observation came from James Edward's DNews Blog on Feb 15:
• Fatigue and a knock or two got the better of RSL's jetsetters. Singapore trialist Indra Sahdran appeared to tweak a calf muscle about 20 minutes into practice. He tried to gut it out for about five minutes but eventually came off the field. The same goes for Argentine midfielder Matias Cordoba. He was noticeably laboring throughout practice, and eventually called it a day when fellow countryman Matias Mantilla clipped him on the shin.
He saw his first action in the second half of RSL's preseason match against FIU. He played alongside Javi Morales in this match, which is what I believe was the original vision for him. Afterwards Garth Lagerway had this to say (from James Edwards DNews Blog on Feb 16):
• Garth Lagerwey had the following interesting comments about a few of his players: "You've got a guy like Matias Cordoba that's really struggling with his fitness and the long flight, all that takes a couple days to get adjusted. You see the flashes you see the talent, and now you want to give them a couple days, I'd say ditto on that with Indra.
On Feb 19th RSL suffered a preseason loss to Lynn University and Cordoba was again alongside Morales as part of the team that took the field, but was substituted at half when it was a scoreless draw.
On Feb 22nd, Cordoba saw his first action against an MLS foe as RSL faced the Colorado Rapids in another Florida preseason match. He came on at the 60th minute as Javi Morales was subbed out at the same time. From the lineup he appeared to be playing the #10 role for the club, and it payed off with him teaming up with Espindola for an assist. The next morning he played the full match as RSL wrapped up the Florida leg of its preseason as the midfield position was shorthanded with Talley and Morales sitting out with injuries.
That next day word got out that RSL was acquiring Dema Kovalenko. Described as a move to add depth and toughness to the midfield. Was this the first signs of a lack of confidence in Cordoba? Probably not, as this was less than a week into his arrival with the club.
On February 28th, Garth Lagerway held a chat at Applebee's with a handful of fans and said essentially that if there is a player that they have been disappointed with "it's Matias Cordoba". As I understand there were repercussions as a result of this and either Garth or Jason had to sit down with Matias (presumably through a translator) and work through this issue as Matias was upset at the comment.
ARGENTINA
At this point I assumed that all would be well as the team headed off to Argentina. Cordoba saw action along with Carey Talley against a lower-level Newell's Old boys squad on March 5th. He played the full 60 with a team composed mostly of RSL rookies, and the result was a scoreless draw. He did not see action against Newell's main team.
On March 10th, Cordoba came on at the half against Jockey Club Rosario and scored from the spot to help the team in a 3-0 victory. Two days later Cordoba came on at the 67th minute as the team played to a 2-2 draw against Rosario Central as their Argentina leg of training camp came to an end. It was obvious that at this point Cordoba was on the outside looking in, with fitness as the issue identified by the club and media alike.
In the final preseason match against Kansas City, Cordoba did travel with the quad but did not see any action as he was reportedly ill.
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER SEASON
Since preseason, Cordoba has played in two league games. First, he came on at the 90th minute against the LA Galaxy. He also came on in the 84th minute in Thursday's match against Colorade. It was this latest match that apparantly led to some frustration on Cordoba's part as as James Edward explained in his post game blog on May 15th:
Matias Cordoba (6) -- Only played six minutes, and he seemed extremely ticked off about it after the match. He was the first one to leave the field, and on his way out he kicked Nick Rimando's water bottle next to the goal as hard as he could. He obviously believes he should've been inserted into the game much sooner when he could've done some good.
Matias also played 58 minutes in the USOC match against San Jose as the #10. He had a wonderful takeaway that led to a beautiful assist to Yura. He followed that up with another takeaway a few minutes later, but was brought down from behind on his way toward the top of the box (with no call from the referee). Cordoba has also scored 3 goals and 2 assists in 3 reserve matches this season.
QUESTIONS
With the recent trade of Talley, and the injuries to Morales and Sturgis, Real Salt Lake's preseason depth at midfielder appears to be rather anemic. For the Colorado match, RSL had 5 midfielders available in the 18 man roster, with Kenny Cutler getting the start and Cordoba being the only one of the group on the bench. Kreis' recent comments after the Dallas match on Saturday telegraphed this, but it was still a bit surprising as Cutler was thought by many to be on the bubble when roster cuts were made prior to the season opener.
The question now is where does Cordoba's involvement with the team go from here. Although I believe that Kenny has worked hard to show that he belongs on the pitch, but it seems like if ever there was a time that Cordoba should see the pitch - it's now. If not, is this a sign that "he may be on his way out" as one informed RSL fan commented? I'm not sure the answers to this or what Kreis and the rest of the staff think about Cordoba at this point, but I for one would like to see him get a chance on the pitch during a league match. In my opinion, he did well in his one opportunity against an MLS opponent (the open cup match against San Jose).
If you look back over the stats, Cordoba has played in about 583 minutes (equivalent of 6 1/2 full games) over a combination of 12 league, preseason, open cup and reserve matches. In those matches he has scored 4 goals and recorded 4 assists. Not bad stats, but as a midfielder your play can't be judged on stats alone. It's also difficult to judge stats when you are playing against opponents and with teammates at mixed levels of skill.
From what I understand, Cordoba is a natural wide midfielder who plays box-to-box, with strong technical skills including good foot skills, good crossing ability, and high quality corner kicks, free kicks, and penalty kicks. These sound like attributes that could help our team. I assume that the coaches are seeing something that we aren't, but what is it? Is it still a fitness issue?
What are your thoughts?
Daily Update: Friday May 16, 2008
Real Salt Lake blows chance to climb to top of conference race -> Deseret News/James Edward
Three-quarters of the MLS season remains, but Real Salt Lake definitely missed a golden opportunity at putting its stamp on the Western Conference race Thursday night.
Real Salt Lake notes: By choice, Kreis sits in press box -> Deseret News/James Edward
"I really like being up there to see the shape and to see what adjustments need to be made," said Kreis
Real Salt Lake game at a glance -> Deseret News
RSL at Rapids Player Grades - DesNews Blog/James Edward
Colorado 2, RSL 0: RSL misses chance to take over 1st place - Salt Lake Tribune/Michael C. Lewis
"To be completely honest, I don't believe we deserve to be the first-place team in this conference," RSL coach Jason Kreis said. "We're not ready for that yet. . . . We're not ready. We don't deserve it. Hopefully, that opportunity will come again."
MLS: Colorado Goes Top with Win over RSL -> Goal.com
Colorado and Real Salt Lake have built a rivalry the old-fashioned way—playing tight, hotly contested matches. Thursday night’s edition of the Rocky Mountain derby was not different, as a contest as tight as a Bode Miller slalom finally broke in the 65th minute when Colorado’s Omar Cummings scored to give the home side the lead. Christian Gomez then iced things with an 83rd-minute penalty.
Rapids are best in the West -> Soccer America/Ridge Mahoney
RSL could have taken over first place with a win or stayed tied in second with a tie, but while head coach Jason Kreis sent out a fairly talented lineup, the pieces didn't seem to mesh. Sweat and spirit ran astray, and with Andy Williams spending far more time chasing Mastroeni than the reverse, his few effective touches came on corner kicks.
Cummings, Gomez lead Rapids past Real Salt Lake -> ESPNSoccernet
"(My goal) was simple," Cummings said. "The ball went to Colin (Clark) and I went straight into the box. It was a classic goal - the ball goes wide, is crossed in and then finished."
VIDEO: Match Recap -> ESPNSoccernet
RSL stumbles in opening leg of Cup -> MLSnet/Geoffrey Urland
Rapids Take Care of Real Salt Lake 2-0 -> ColoradoRapids.com
VIDEO: Match Highlights -> MLSnet
MLS POSTGAME QUOTE SHEET
(Courtesy RSL Communications)
COLORADO 2 : 0 REAL SALT LAKE
COLORADO RAPIDS
Head Coach Fernando Clavijo
“It was easy to see (Salt Lake’s) game plan. Their game plan was simple, they wanted to slow us down, counterattack and look to score on a set piece. It worked for them last time. When we play at home we try to be aggressive. I didn’t feel like we were that in the first half. The level of energy was not there is the beginning. We were too casual on the ball. In the second half our touches and our technique was much better. There was an improved energy. Something we mentioned at half was that the wing play was poor. In the second half Colin (Clark) and (Jacob) Peterson created more chances. You didn’t see (Chris) Wingert getting up on the wing. I was pleased with our young guys tonight, but also with the leadership of Pablo (Mastroeni). He played his third game in a row and has become more of a mentor to the young guys.”
Midfielder Pablo Mastroeni
“These games against Salt Lake are always interesting. The team who imposes their will on the other has the better chances. We came out of half time and wanted to find Christian (Gomez) as much as we could. He finds spaces and it is our job to get him the ball. With Christian being man marked, there is more space for me. It was a breath of fresh air, it was liberating. We also came out and had some good combo passing. In this formation (the 3-5-2) you have to keep the ball and I felt like we did that.”
Midfielder Colin Clark
“It’s easy out there when you have good forwards who can score. On this surface the ball can skip and it is easy for strikers to put it on net in their stride, defenders have a harder time redirecting it away from goal. Christian Gomez draws a lot of attention and is good on the ball. If you have forwards with pace in front of him and on the wings he can find them and be dangerous. There is a long way to go, but it is nice to be up there (in first place).”
Striker Omar Cummings
“In the first half I think we were a little stretched so we didn’t have the legs to finish things off. Coach said we had to come out harder. (My goal) was simple. The ball went to Colin (Clark) and I went straight into the box. It was a classic goal: the ball goes wide, is crossed in, and then finished.”
REAL SALT LAKE
Head Coach Jason Kreis
“I’m a little disappointed that we didn’t come out with a better mentality in the second half. Typically we have seen a team that responds well to half times and responds well in the second half and picks up their play. Tonight that wasn’t the case for us at all. I think there was a bit of sharpness that was lacking tonight. The play was a little bit loose all over the place. I think both teams could say the same thing. Maybe it is a little bit of fatigue. We have played a few games now in a couple of weeks so that may have played a part. This is the second team we have played with a 3-5-2. I don’t think that it gave us a whole lot of problems in the first half. The players may have been a little confused about what was going on. I think the players made a bigger deal out of it then it was. When you have a player like Christian (Gomez), you have to keep on idea of where he is at all times. Kenny (Cutler) was charged with the responsibility for keeping on eye on where Christian was.”
Midfielder Kyle Beckerman
“It was just two average teams and it got to a point where the first team to score was going to win the game. They got it, they were sharp at the start of the second half and they got rewarded for it. (The first half) was solid, both sides weren’t very dangerous. It was kind of a stalemate, and then it kind of continued, but they we sharp and we were sloppy. The 3-5-2 caught us off guard. It isn’t really X’s and O’s on defense, there is some gray area and that kind of confused us for some reason.”
Midfielder Andy Williams
“We limited their chances in the first half. We know they would come out strong in the first 10 of 15 minutes, but we didn’t take good care of the ball. They kept us pinned down in the second half. Christian (Gomez) has kind of been the linchpin for this team the last couple of games. Kenny (Cutler) did a good job and didn’t give him very good shots other than the PK. We were out numbered in the midfield. They played hard.”
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Daily Updates: Sunday May 11, 2008
Real Salt Lake: RSL picks up an ugly, much-needed victory -> Deseret News/James Edward
"Honestly, I think that's probably one of the worst games we've played this season," said Kreis, who watched the game from the Rice-Eccles Stadium press box. "In some ways, maybe that's a good thing. Maybe we need to learn how to win ugly."
Real Salt Lake notes: RSL tweaks formation; Kreis up high -> Deseret News/James Edward
Two weeks ago in a loss at D.C. United, Real coach Jason Kreis wasn't pleased with how his team matched up against D.C.'s 3-5-2 formation. Facing a Dallas team that also likes to utilize a 3-5-2, Kreis thought the best way to match up was to also play a 3-5-2.
It didn't quite work out that way. Dallas came out in a 3-4-3 formation, and Kreis thought about making a change early on. "Against a 3-4-3, it doesn't look so good to play three backs against three forwards," said Kreis.
Real Salt Lake: More field time likely for Cutler -> Deseret News/Dan Rasmussen
"With the way he played tonight, he has to be in consideration to start our very next match."
Real Salt Lake game at a glance -> Deseret News
RSL earns ugly win - Salt Lake Tribune/Tony Jones
"It definitely felt great to get the win," Beckerman said. "This was the first time this season that we were ahead of a team, gave up the tying goal and came back to get the win. That was big for us. We feel like we stepped over a hurdle tonight."
Real hold off FCD in see-saw affair ->MLSnet/John Coon
Real Salt Lake continued to show they have what it takes to win on their home field, a late Kyle Beckerman goal giving them a 2-1 victory against FC Dallas on Saturday night at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
Real Salt Lake tops FC Dallas with late goal -> Ogden Standard Examiner/Jasen Asay
"They put like four or five forwards up there, the same thing they did tonight, and just sent the ball forward and got a goal," Cutler said. "I just kept thinking that this can't be happening again."
Great Match Photos -> RSLBoz
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Daily Update: Saturday May 10, 2008
RSL acquires future second-round pick RSL to receive 2010 or 2011 SuperDraft selection for Carey Talley -> Real Salt Lake Media Relations
Real Salt Lake announced a trade with Chivas USA on Friday, with RSL sending MF Carey Talley to the Southern California club in exchange for a conditional second round selection in either the 2010 or 2011 MLS SuperDraft.
Real Salt Lake bids Talley farewell -> blog.roguecavaliers.com/My Soapbox
“We would like to sincerely thank Carey Talley for his three years of service to Real Salt Lake,” said RSL General Manager Garth Lagerwey.
Real Salt Lake: RSL looks to regroup for FC Dallas -> Deseret News/James Edward
FC Dallas (2-1-3) sits atop the Western Conference standings along with Colorado with nine points. RSL (1-3-2) has earned five points through six games, but a win tonight at 7 would go a long way toward narrowing the gap.
Real Salt Lake game day -> Deseret News
Chivas' roster keeps evolving -> dailybreeze.com/Phil Collin
"Carey is an experienced, consistent defender who can play both in the middle and on the outside," Preki said. "We're glad he's joined the squad and think he'll be a good fit for us as we move forward."
Besagno on the rise at Salt Lake -> Seattle Post Intelligencer/Mathew Gaschk
"Obviously there were a lot of expectations on me. I was just thrilled to be in the league. I didn't put any expectations on myself, I was just happy to be here," Besagno said May 2, before playing a match with Real Salt Lake's reserve team. "As of now, I'm not going to be happy until I'm starting and playing for my team."
Friday, May 9, 2008
Opinion: Carey Talley
As you probably know by now, Real Salt Lake has traded Carey Talley to Chivas for a future 2nd round pick. -> Deseret News/James Edward
Some would say, "good riddance" or "it's about time". I may be in the minority on this, but I'm not comfortable with either of these sentiments. It's true that Carey wasn't the most skilled player. It's true that Carey wasn't up to his previous form, circa 2006. And it's true that he had a difficult first few games of the season.
However, I believe that Carey has meant more to this club than any of us really know. If you attended a practice you'd quickly realize that Carey was the vocal leader for us, and was a mentor for the young players in practice. This aspect of his role on the team was vastly underrated. There is a reason that Carey has been our captain over the last couple of seasons. I also believe that as much as anyone could, Carey was the glue that held our team together during our difficult season in 2007. Finally, I think that anyone who knows Carey much knows that he was extremely competitive. Whether it was on the field trying to get a late equalizer or in practice trying to best his teammates in a drill, he gave it all. For these reasons, I think we should bid adieu to Carey with a kind and grateful "Farewell friend".
Now the natural question is why trade Carey now? Was it to free up cap space? (maybe) Was a 2nd draft pick to tempting to pass up? (doubtful) Was it to free up a roster spot for a impending roster addition? (who knows) Is it a signal that Matias Cordoba has earned the confidence of his coaching staff, and will continue to see a bigger role on this team? Only time will tell.
Where does this leave our midfield? For a group originally touted as very deep, this coupled with Sturgis' injury leaves us quite thin. We have two "wing" players (Beckerman and Williams) who both play very tight in the formation and converge toward the goal in the opponents end. We have a central midfielder, formerly a striker (Kovalenko) playing defensive mid. We also have a player that Garth described as a box-to-box player with strong technical skill (Cordoba) who has largely played a playmaker role with the team but primarily in a reserve role. Cordoba is the only player who may be a "natural" wide player as he predominantly played that position in his native Argentina. Either way we are lacking in true wide midfielders. Also since Beckerman has established himself much more in the attacking end, its doubtful to see him moving back to a holding role. This fact, and the fact that Dema isn't naturally a defensive midfielder means that we will be a bit shorthanded at this position with Sturgis currently hurt and on tap for the Olympics later this year. If we do make a roster move, I'd assume that it would be to address one of these two issues.
Then again an outside back is a real possibility as well (see our practice update coming soon).
Either way, let's all come together and bid best wishes and "Farewell friend".
Evening Update: Friday May 9, 2008
Talley traded to Chivas USA -> Deseret News/James Edward
Here's the official press release from Real Salt Lake about the Carey Talley trade that went down today.
RSL vs. Dallas: Three Things to Watch For -> AYL Soccer/Jeremy Horton
Trade helps Chivas USA fill void -> Los Angeles Times/Lisa Dillman
With two defenders out and one questionable for Sunday's game, team acquires Carey Talley from Salt Lake.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Additional Updates
Real Salt Lake: RSL's Kreis suspended one game for comments to News -> Deseret News/James Edward
Real Salt Lake coach Jason Kreis has been fined $1,000 and suspended for one game for comments made to the Deseret News on Monday.
RSL: Kreis suspended for criticizing officials -> The Salt Lake Tribune
Kreis will miss Saturday's game against FC Dallas at Rice-Eccles Stadium. He will be allowed in the locker before the game, during halftime and after the game, but is not permitted to go on the field or sit in the press box. During the game, he will be limited to a private suite or a team-provided reserved section.
The RSL Show: Episode 47 - Hey! Do You Know That Bono Guy? -> AYL Soccer
