Projected Starting Lineup

 

Based on the starting lineup used against the Austin Aztex, I think the beginning of the season Starting XI is pretty clear.  It looks essentially like this…

FW:		Movsisyan		Findley
ACM:			Morales
MF:		Johnson		Mathis
DM:			Beckerman
DF:	Wingert	Borchers		Olave	Beltran
GK:			Rimando

Ian Joy appears to be out 4-6 weeks due to a hamstring injury that has been bothering him all preseason and was re-aggravated during the match against the Aztex.

Borchers has also been suffering from an injury to his ankle from the bone spur surgery that he underwent in December.  However, he played in the Aztex match and appeared to be moving fine.

Robbie Russell appears back to full health and could be in the mix as well.

I’m okay with this lineup, but I could also see a couple of alterations as the season moves along.

First, although Findley and Movsisyan appear to be clearly the best two forwards at this point, I wouldn’t mind seeing Findley come off the bench in certain matches.  Not only do I like the concept of Findley bringing his pace in against the legs of tired defenders, but I think Escalada provides something that Findley and Movsisyan don’t.  He is a more technical player and can get into the mix of the tight passing game that RSL employs through the midfield.  From my brief observations in Charleston and at practice, Escalada shows signs of being a precise finisher (although we didn’t see that against the Aztex).  Like most people I’m not sold that he can do it in this league, but I’m ready to see him in some real action.

Second, I am torn between Ian Joy at left back or Tony Beltran at right back, with Wingert sliding over to the left.  I like Ian’s grit and experience, and he’s a great professional to have out on the pitch.  However, Ian doesn’t have a lot of pace and seems a little hesitant at times to push forward.  Beltran on the other hand is inclined to push forward at every chance.  This can be good, or bad.  He can get caught out of position, but his pace and recovery ability can make up for his occasional defensive lapses.  We’ll see how Beltran does during the first few matches of the season.

There are some other players that I am also interested to see how they fit into the mix: 

• Ned Grabavoy – it didn’t seem like he was really fitting in yet with the group in Charleston.  I’m curious about what contribution we’ll see out of him this season.
• Andy Williams – I assume that we will see a similar reserve role out of Andy where he comes in late in matches to either help close out a game with his ability to help the team hold the ball, or in pressing for a goal.
• Robbie Russell – a talented player, with a lot of good experience.  I think he’ll play a lot this season in fill-in roles, but he doesn’t have a designated position which may keep him from being a regular starter anytime soon.

What are your thoughts?

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Practice at Rice-Eccles: Friday May 9, 2008

A couple of us made it to today’s practice at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Here are a few observations:

• There was a new player participating. He has some good height. He appeared to be at least as tall as Borchers. Looked like they were trying him at outside back. I am pretty sure he is a foreigner, possibly from somewhere in Africa, but that is based on nothing other than my own questionable speculation. We didn’t really see enough to establish any kind of opinion, but he didn’t appear to be very nervous.


• Talley and Joy were no where to be seen. Sturgis and Nimo jogged around the field.


• After some basic warm-ups the players were divided into three teams of eight players each. Some members of the coaching staff were involved. They ran what at first appeared to be a somewhat complicated drill that might be difficult to describe. The area they played in had two smaller areas at each end and a dead zone in the middle. One team of eight players would begin making short passes within one of the small areas. Four players from another team would run in from the dead zone and begin trying to take the ball away. The remaining four players from that team stayed in the dead zone. After a given number of successful passes, I believe it was seven, they would attempt to cross it over the dead zone to the third team whose eight players were waiting in the other small area. If, instead, they were dispossessed they would have to immediately run to the other small area to prevent that team from completing seven consecutive passes. There was no doubt that the players were into it. There were a number of small, semi-lighthearted arguments over this and that which reminded me of the one sided view that players, coaches and fans always take during an actual match. Dema seemed to be somehow involved in most of these. It is really hard not to like him. I have no idea what rewards there are for these type of drills outside of making a case for playing time, but there was no lack of motivation at all.


• They followed this up with a 9v9 half-field scrimmage with three teams again. Williams is looking very good right now. Findley still does not look sharp. Horst is very vocal, especially for a rookie, and appears to be coming along well. Kevin Reiman looked good working the ball down the flanks with his quick feet. Robin Fraser participated and missed a couple of open shots on goal. The rest of the coaching staff were happy to give him a hard time.


• They finished up with some work on, what else, finishing. Cordoba looked especially good here today.


• The overall mood of the practice was intense and competitive, yet somehow laid-back at the same time. It is encouraging to see the way this team practices. Can they start to translate this into results in the near future?

Update

Just received some new information:

The outside back seen at practice today is a trialist named Yombe Williams, who was a teammate of David Horst's at Old Dominion and was drafted by Kansas City in the most recent SuperDraft. His look with RSL is independent of the Talley deal, and Garth/Jason will be looking at several options for the open roster spot.

Ian Joy did rest today because of the bone spur, but RSL hopes he will be back out there next week.

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And your starting lineup is...

(okay so this is only my version, not an official one)

FW: Espindola, Deuchar
CM: Morales, Williams, Beckerman
HM: Talley
DF: Joy, Borchers, Mantilla, Wingert
GK: Rimando

potential subs: Findley, Olave, Movsisyan, Beltran, Kovalenko

FORWARDS: This one is the most up in the air in my mind. I think there is no question that Deuchar will be a starter this season. This may not happen in the first match, since he has missed a couple of weeks of recent practice due to work permit issues, but it will happen. My opinion is that Deuchar is our odds on favorite for a 10+ goal scorer this season. However, if he doesn't integrate with our playing style or our playing style doesn't adapt to him, then he could end up being a bench-warmer. I don't think this will happen. Espindola, Findley and Movsisyan are all pretty similar - young, with great potential, need experience, and need to prove they are finishers. I have chosen Espindola because of his crossing ability, his foot skills, he can play on the left, and because he may be the most accustomed to the style of play that has been advertised for our club this season. You could easily argue Movsisyan based on his preseason, he seems very focused, has good speed and a little more strength than Espindola or Findley. You could also argue Findley as our returning Golden Boot winner. I think he may be more suited as a second half substitute.

Midfield: There seemed to be alot of options from a personnel standpoint. Unfortunately, my opinion is that two of the options have not taken the step forward that we would have liked. Cordoba does not appear to have yet lived up to the advance billing that we received. The fact that he has recently performed with the reserves (and did not appear to standout) and that he did not start against KC in the final preseason match seems to confirm this. It also does not appear that Kovalenko has yet found a great fit into our roster. We have essentially asked him to play a bit out of position, and he hasn't yet flourished in this wide midfielder role. Beckerman? Solid. Can really play all over the midfield, and the way he moves, he will. Talley may be a bit of a disappointment for some fans, but with this group I don't mind this at all. In a pure holding midfield role he is plenty capable. And his leadership ability will help us out in the defensive side of the ball. Finally Javi Morales - my pick for most surprising player this season. I believe the league will take notice as he shows his stuff.

Defense: This seems like it has evolved pretty nicely. Joy, on the left side will leave his heart on the field. May be a bit lacking in the speed department. Will support the offense with good crossing ability. We've all heard about his tough tackles. Let's see it on the field. Borchers is a no-brainer. Good size and skill, and great experience and leadership on the field. Mantilla can be a bit erratic but brings good energy and a tough attitude. Will he hold off Olave (a monster on the pitch) from cracking the lineup? Probably - especially early in the season. Wingert is being challenged by Beltran who has been impressive in the preseason, and enters the opener trying to overcome an injury. But his experience should keep in the starting lineup for the early part of the season.

Goalkeeper: Nick Rimando. 'Nuff said.

Style: Tough hard-nosed physical play in our 1/3rd of the field. Short, tight passing with the ball flowing out of the back through the midfield into the offensive third. Mix in some balls over the top to Deuchar. Can this all fit together? And quickly? Let's all hope.

Go Real!

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Player Profile: Ian Joy

Ian Joy

Position: Defender (Left Back)
Date of Birth: July 14, 1981 (26)
Place of Birth: San Diego, California
Height: 5 ft 7 in
Weight:
Previous Clubs: St. Pauli (2 Bundesliga), Hamburg SV, Columbus Crew, Chester City, Kidderminster, Montrose FC
National Team Exp: United States U-20 (16 caps)
Jersey Number: #13
Current Status: Senior Roster
How Acquired: Free Transfer from St. Pauli

Personal summary: Born in San Diego, Ian was raised in Scotland from the age of 4. As a teen he left home to train with Manchester United.

Professional summary/highlights: After his youth efforts at Manchester United, he continued his training with Tranmere. Played for the US Under 17, Under 20, and Under 23 during this time. Played in 2000/2001 with FC Montrose. Then played the following season with Kidderminster. In 2002/2003 Ian plied his trade with Chester City before coming stateside for a brief stint with the Columbus Crew. In 2003, he returned to Europe playing for Hamburg SV in the German third division. In 2004, Ian moved to St. Pauli in the Bundesliga 3rd division, where he helped the club ascend to the 2nd division.

Webpages/Myspace/Facebook: IanJoy.Com

Youtube/video links: Preseason

Other links: MLS Player profile: Ian Joy/MLSnet; Wikipedia Page: Ian Joy/Wiki

Keepin It Real Expectations for 2008: Ian should start in this spot all season, as the club is quite thin at experienced, outside back. Our guess is that Ian will be a solid player, and will make us forget about backline players like Kotschau, Forko, and Kipre who all had their moments, but made you cringe at times.

Fans Scorecard Ratings: Joy Rating

Interesting Fact/tidbits/quote: Ian holds dual British/American citizenship as his mother is from Scotland.

Ian contacted Garth Lagerway out-of-the-blue about joining Real Salt Lake: “Major League Soccer has always been a dream of mine, and I didn't want to be 30 years old and finishing my career when I joined. I still want to learn and, in the meantime, help our players with the experience I have gained over my years in European soccer,” said Joy. “Why Real Salt Lake? I love a challenge and I think that with a great staff behind you, a great coaching staff pushing you, and the right players, there is a great chance of success. I have come to Real Salt Lake to do the best I can, to become a better soccer player and learn from the coaches, but most importantly I have come to win. It’s in my blood and I will do anything it takes to walk off the field after every game a winner.”

Ian actually lived within a few miles of Kenny Deuchar in Scotland, and talked to Deuchar before Kenny made the final decision to join RSL.

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