How Will Espindola Fit In???

Now that the news about Espindola’s return is final, how will he fit in? First of all, he should come in game-fit so that shouldn’t be an issue. Second of all, he should know the players and system fairly well from last season. So he should be able to be integrated right away.

Does he deserve to start? What combination of forwards is our best? Findley/Movsisyan? Espindola/Movsisyan? Espindola/Findley? Here are some of my thoughts:

Each of the three forwards has their strengths and limitations.

Findley:

Robbie has great pace as everyone knows. He also has tremendous leaping ability and is our best forward in the air by far. He is also a surprisingly good passer as witnessed by his quality backheel to Javi for the game winner against DC. Robbie also was 2nd on the team in 2008, with 5 assists.

The biggest knock on Findley has been his first touch, but he has shown a great touch so far this season. His ability to catch the ball on his knee from a long overhead pass by Borchers against DC was phenomenal. However, that play also demonstrated another weakness which is the fact that he doesn’t have a lot of on-the-ball strength. On that play he was easily knocked off the ball and failed to get off a shot with any power. Findley also does not have a powerful shot and must rely on precision to get the ball past the keeper. He can be very opportunistic. He’s a decent finisher in this regard, but he will always need a fairly open chance to score.

As you can see below of the 3 forwards he gets shots off with the least amount of frequency (a shot every 33 minutes), and he gets a shot on goal with much less frequency than the other two (every 82 minutes). He scores a goal every 192 minutes, which is just over every two matches, not a bad statistic. However, Robbie has shown to be streaky since joining the team and disappears for long stretches.

Movsisyan

Yura’s combination of strength, speed and determination are what makes him a quality forward. He’s great at holding off the defender to get to the ball. He also can make some moves with his feet, but in general struggles to get separation. Yura has a great work rate and the hot streak he had at the end of last season put him among one of the most productive forwards in the league, but can he continue that this year?

He’s taken far too much criticism for lacking quality finishing ability, but he has not shown the ability to consistently take advantage of opportunities. For his size, Yura is also not particularly good in the air. Early last season Yura tried to get to crafty with the ball and do far too much on his own. He tallied a single assist despite having the ball at his feet in the final 3rd quite often. This year he appears to have a renewed interest in passing, and this could help the team to see a deadly strike duo emerge this season.

As you can see from the stats below, Yura isn’t shy about getting shots off taking one every 19 minutes. That’s 4.7 shots per 90-minute game. He gets about half of these shots on frame which isn’t bad. Unfortunately he is only able to put one in the net every 214 minutes. That’s nearly 1 goal every 2.4 games. Not horrible, but considering how often he gets shots off it could improve.

Espindola

Fabian has a good combination of strength on the ball, determination and technical ability. He’s not the fastest guy out there but he can cause fits for defenders on the left side of the box. Being a left-footed guy also helps the cause on a team lacking true left-sided players. He’s also a player that is willing and able to run at defenders with the ball, which is different than either Movsisyan or Findley.

Fabian’s finest moment last season came against Colorado at home. It was a game that Espindola dominated, scoring a brace, and nearly getting a hat-trick. Espindola’s biggest negative in his time with RSL was his health as he missed a number of games with injury.

The thing that Fabi demonstrated last season was a dealiness and ability to punish the opposing defenses that the team has always lacked. As you can see from the stats he managed a shot every 26 minutes which is respectable, and put an extremely high percentage of these on goal. However, his best asset was the clinical finishing he demonstrated putting every 5th shot in the back of the net to score every game and a half.

Robbie Findley
Year	Min/Sht	Min/SOG	Min/G
2009	29	77	77
2008	34	83	249
Totals	33	82	192
Yura Movsisyan
Year	Min/Sht	Min/SOG	Min/G
2009	23	45	-
2008	18	37	176
Totals	19	38	214
Fabian Espindola
Year	Min/Sht	Min/SOG	Min/G
2009	-	-	-
2008	26	38	128
Totals	26	38	128

Combinations

While it’s impossible to project how well a forward combination will do together until they actually get together on the field, here are some brief thoughts:

• Movsisyan/Findley: We have seen this combination, and it works reasonably well. However, I think this combination may lack the ability to create their own chances against some of the top defenses in the league. Movsisyan does the heavy lifting in this duo running down balls, and keeping defenders off of him with the shoulder. Findley takes the opportunities that present themselves and uses his pace to get behind defenders. He also gets his head on crosses.
• Movsisyan/Espindola: This combination could produce some results. Both players like to have the ball in the final third. Both will look to shoot first, but Espindola in particular will recognize good passing opportunities. Neither will scare opponents with their speed. Neither play a back to the goal style. Both are tenacious. Espindola’s technical ability and aptitude to run at defenders could allow more ability to create opportunities on their own than the Movsisyan/Findley duo. This combination would also allow Findley to play a super-sub role and get the most out of his blazing pace against tired defenders late in games.
• Espindola/Findley: With Movsisyan coming into the season as the “annointed one” based on his hot streak last season, I have a hard time imagining a lineup without him. I still think he has a lot to offer. However, I like this combination more than the other two. The reason: these two have are the most different. Espindola can pick out Findley with a cross for a header. He can slot the ball through when Findley makes a well-timed run and he can play the ball out in to space for Findley to run onto. He also can work with the ball out on the left side, opening up the middle for Findley and the midfielders.

What are your thoughts? Who should be the starting forwards once Espindola comes into the mix? (please note, I’ve left Escalada out of the mix simply because I don’t know enough about him to judge his abilities).

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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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A Real World Review: Monday June 30, 2008

A Real World Review

A Review of Week 15 for RSL

By Paul Bernhardt (aka, BalanceUT)

Key Developments: RSL continues to struggle on the road with the loss in KC. Fortunately, the performance of other Western Conference teams allowed RSL to maintain their 2nd place position in the conference. Now at the halfway point of the season, the team at 19 points means they are just shy of the points typically needed to make the playoffs.

What’s Right in the Real World: Defense. Even though giving up a goal due to an error in judgment Saturday night in KC, the 2008 edition of RSL has the overall best defense in franchise history. The center tandem of Olave and Borchers may be the best pair in the league. Wingert has shaken off some early season jitters to play solidly. Beltran is clearly a rookie, but has high skills and sufficient speed for recovery such that he does not cause the high level of worry of previous outside backs. Compared to previous seasons, this past couple of months is the first time that we could count on seeing the same four consistently in the back and know that they will serve the needs of the upcoming match.

The midfield is also right in the Real World. While it was not terribly obvious in KC, Morales, Williams, Kovalenko and Beckerman fundamentally do what is asked. What makes RSL’s midfield not look to be high quality, particularly at home and at KC is narrow pitches. A narrow pitch crowds players such that the space for passing is restricted, leading to less of an apparent flow. The proof for me, however, is in the fact that KC looked essentially as restricted. That means our crew was doing as much to them as they were to us. Play that is essentially a draw when on the road is what you need for your team and the midfield provided that.

What’s Wrong in the Real World? Still, finishing. While not the horror of missed opportunities that we saw hosting San Jose last week, RSL blew some clear chances, any one of which could have made KC work for a draw or even resulted in stealing 3 points. Notably, Dr. “Goals” did not produce again. This has been blamed on lack of service from the midfield. But, I think that is misplaced blame. I believe that Deuchar is not getting open in positions where the midfielders want to give him the ball. He is fighting constantly in the box and often losing that battle. That continued in the KC game. Deuchar would get the ball either too far out from the goal and alone with no options but to try to work the ball with his feet, a disastrous choice. He is called for fouls all the time while fouls against him seem never called. Findley seemed to be still suffering from the effects of his mild concussion from the week before. The lack of production of Deuchar and Findley, appropriately, lead to their being substituted off in favor of Movsisyan and Nunez, who did no better. Part of that is Movsisyan’s inability to keep his head up and pass to others. When, oh when, will Espindola return? And, when he does, will he be the same player he was so many months ago?

A certain amount of the problem for RSL in KC was due to the coin flip. When the coin flip allowed KC to put the sun in Rimando’s eyes, RSL had to play a very defensive first half. Many times all 11 were in RSL’s end of the field. Kreis likes to have RSL come out attacking, but it was clearly not an option in the match. When KC came out the second half very aggressive, RSL did not adjust well and it was a dicey start to the half.

In the end, what scuttled RSL’s road point was a careless foul by Cutler. Sometimes it seems that Cutler’s role is ill-defined. Defensive, yet carries himself to the attack very easily. This sounds like Beckerman, but Cutler does not have Beckerman’s talent level. So, Cutler, in trying to recover going back, fouled and that set up the opportunity for KC.

Leading to the last thing wrong in the Real World: Best seen in the contrast to KC’s scoring opportunity, RSL needs to be much more dangerous on set pieces. Usually Morales is quite good, certainly better than Williams ever was in previous seasons (and I am a pretty big Williams fan). But, against KC, he was off the mark. RSL needed to convert one of its several set pieces (and nearly did, but close does not count).

A Brief Look at the Week Ahead: Back in the friendly confinement of Rice Eccles, RSL will need to take advantage of the home field against a resurgent Houston Dynamo. Houston started the season terribly shaky, particularly compared to expectations. But they have recovered substantially and is a good road team, having the highest number of road draws of any MLS team. RSL and Houston are tied for 2nd in the West. This is the opportunity for RSL to make a statement that they intend to contend for a playoff spot. History says that RSL should be content with a draw against the two-time defending MLS Champions. But, given that RSL’s form at home, a defense that is very good and Houston’s problems with finishing, this game is RSL’s to take. I predict RSL 1-0 Houston.

Final Thoughts: RSL is really in pretty good shape, particularly compared to previous seasons. Kreis has completed what he initiated last season, shoring up the defense. The first step to winning in soccer is to stop losing, to stop giving up easy goals. RSL’s defense is clearly solid, and Olave is spectacular. This allows the rest of the team to go forward. I think RSL has all the pieces to be a playoff team, but Deuchar is the key. If he can ever get a proper feel for the MLS game, he will become quite dangerous. He still seems to be knocked around in the box with impunity, yet when he returns the favor he is called on the fouls. Unfair or not, he has to figure out what to do to become effective in MLS. When he does, and he shows he can convert the chances, the team will find it easier to get the ball to him, opening up options for other players. RSL can become a team that opponents dread coming to town and fear to visit, because all the rest of the team is sufficient. RSL can be playoff bound with only a little improvement in offense.

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A Real World Review: May 12, 2008

A Real World Review

A Review of Week 7 for RSL

(Review compliments of SoccerPrime, aka Ethan Gomberg)

This Weeks Results: 2-1 Win over FC Dallas
Record: 2-3-2
Points: 8

Key Developments: RSL wins, and manages to hold on to a lead against Dallas in stoppage time.

What's right in the Real World: Many things could have gone wrong here, some things did. But positives outweigh the negatives. Beckerman and Morales scored. It was Morales first goal of the season. RSL looked dangerous for most of the game and had many shots that were on target saved by the heroics of the always melodramatic Sala. Speaking of keepers, RSL’s own Rimando had some key saves, including one stuff on Thompson that looked to be a one on one situation. And Cutler with an excellent pass to Williams to setup the final goal. What alternate reality am I in?

What's wrong in the Real World: Stoppage time is still too scary at Rice-Eccles. Maybe its just me, but that 3+ minutes of stoppage time coupled with past years’ experience, made it seem to last for an eternity. Besides that, Morales coming off the pitch hurt in the 2nd half seems to bode ill for RSL’s number 1 paid player. Will we see him against Colorado? RSL’s forward thinking team seems to forget defense some times. But hey, a win is a win.

A brief look at the week ahead: Colorado is spinning after a loss in Houston, which seem to be a very hard fought battle. New attacker McManus from UK was ejected with a red after he was subbed on the bench. But dangers await. RSL isn’t use to the wide open field of Dicks. Can RSL’s narrow field mentality work here? Hello Christian Gomez!

Final thoughts: After watching all the games this year, and matches throughout their 3+ seasons of play, RSL always leaves me cringing at the end. Even when we are winning. I want that to stop, please. But I have to say, for the first time, RSL doesn’t look gassed out by the 60th minute which always seemed to be the case before the “Kreis era”. RSL seemed to fiddle with the idea of bunkerball in the 2nd half, but they quickly went back on the attack, to which I was glad to see. What do I want to see now? I want to see Deuchar more involved. I want to see the other forwards, like Findley and Moysisyan, able to control the ball and give service to the other players. And score dang it!

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Reserve Match Review: Sunday May 4, 2008

Reserve Match Review: RSL 5:LAG 2

Sunday May 4, 2008

(Review compliments of Derek Hoopes)

The wife and I made it up to Park City this past Sunday for our first visit to Quinn’s Junction Sports Complex and we absolutely enjoyed the experience. The setting was awesome with the surrounding mountains, the field (even though it was turf) was great, and the play was entertaining. If you are a Real Salt Lake soccer fan, you have to try it out soon. I highly recommend attending at least one of these games this year. We set up our folding chairs right next to the touch-line, so we were pretty much right on top of the action. It is completely different to watch a game this close to the field. The pace of the players seems much faster up close. And you can’t beat the price…it’s FREE! Also, if you have kids that are looking for autographs or the chance to meet some of the players, there is no better place to make that happen.

Though I was unable to concentrate on as many details of the game as I would have liked, I still came away with a few impressions and they are as follows:

Yura Movsisyan: We missed the very beginning of the game, so we did not see his quick goal in the first minute of play. Maybe that would have altered my opinion of his performance, but probably not. It was mostly the same Yura we have been watching so far this year. His touches were not always good; he played with the ball too long at times and consequently lost it to the other team. To me, he seems to be the hungriest player on RSL, and wants to score a goal so bad he nearly wets himself every time he gets the ball. While I think that it’s a good thing to have such a high level of desire, I think that right now it hampers his success on the field. He pushes too hard to make things happen. I think that once he learns to play smarter and more patiently and uses that desire to push at the right time…look out! He has a ton of potential. Just remember, he is still very young.

Matias Cordoba: I thought he had an average game. Sometimes he looked great. At other times he looked a little lost. I think the communication barrier is still playing a big role in his ability to acclimate with the team. There is no doubt that he has above average skill technically. And his creativity could be a huge asset for RSL in future league games, so I really expect to see him play more and more with the first team as the season progresses.

David Horst: I stand by my earlier observations. He is a CB stud in the making. I really enjoyed the opposing players that just sort of bounced off of him as he fought for a ball (he is so friggin big). He misjudged a few balls but his speed enabled him to get right back into position.

Nick Besagno: He looked steady and solid. I wish he would stay healthy long enough to enable RSL to determine his worth. If he can’t, how long will RSL have to keep him around?

Robby Findley: He had another one-on-one that he failed to convert, though I think the pass was weighted a little heavy and thus made it a pretty easy save for LA’s keeper.

Tino Nunez: I was very impressed with Tino’s play. He did a much better job holding the ball while playing with his back to the goal than he did at the Lobo’s game earlier in the year. I thought his first touch was good and his distribution was fairly solid as well. He created some problems for LA’s back line. If he keeps progressing he just might find himself a career in MLS.

Brennan Tenelle: Brennan was another rookie that impressed me. He was fast, aggressive on defense, and even created a stir or two up front on the offensive end. My first impressions of this kid had me placing him near or at the bottom of RSL’s roster. But, he is starting to move up on my board.

Kevin Reiman: Probably my favorite player to watch this match. He showed good ability on the ball, quickness, creative footwork, and his communication with his teammates was solid as well. The goal he scored from the left side, hitting it just inside the far post, was a thing of beauty. I can’t wait to see this kid play more.

Overall, I thought the Reserves played a good match. I think the depth of this team should equate to a lot of wins in the Reserve Division. If you have a wife or mother that’s an RSL fan, maybe a trip to Park City this upcoming weekend would make for a nice Mother’s Day.

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A Real World Review: May 5, 2008

A Real World Review

A Review of Week 6 for RSL

(Courtesy of Jeremy Horton, aka "I Believe in Kreis")

This Weeks Results: 4-0 Win over San Jose (Open Cup), 2-2 Draw with LAG
Record: 1-3-2
Points: 5

Key Developments: RSL plays well but still finds a way to give up points.

What's right in the Real World: Javier Morales had the breakout game a lot of us have been waiting for. His touch was sublime, he was strong on the ball despite Joey Franchino's thuggery, his crossing was pinpoint, his vision was good, and he made solid decisions. Nat Borchers and Jamison Olave continue to impress in the center of the back line and did a great job keeping Donovan and Gordon contained. Tony Beltran played with a lot of confidence in his first start, despite the mistake that led to the first LA goal, but he is an intelligent player and will learn not to be too cute that close to RSL's goal. Matias Cordoba made some nice plays in limited minutes. Dema Kovalenko looks like a great fit at defensive mid. And finally, Fabian Espindola and Kenny Deuchar have separated themselves from the pack at the forward spot - they are working well together and are finishing chances.

What's wrong in the Real World: The reserve forwards (Robbie Findley and Yura Movsisyan) continue to be highly disappointing. I don't have a lot of confidence in RSL's ability to get a late goal from a substitute right now. Findley continues to show poor touch and is invisible a lot, while Movsisyan's finishing is beyond bad and his lack of vision and passing is killing promising opportunities. The USOC match aside, Beckerman has had two subpar games in a row - I don't believe this team can provide a consistent 90-minute effort without him on his game. And finally - I feel like we've been saying this for four years now - RSL continue to make one or two costly mental errors each game that opponents are capitalizing on. RSL need to learn to put teams away when they have a lead, get up by enough that you can absorb a few mistakes/bad calls, or learn to not make so many of those mistakes.

A brief look at the week ahead: FC Dallas @ RSL. The lack of results have put RSL in the unenviable position of having what I would consider to be a must-win game very early in the season. Unfortunately Dallas is not the team you want to be facing in a must-win game. They are a very good technical team and will try to possess the ball - a good formula for finding success on the road. RSL will need to find the defensive bite in their midfield to limit Dallas' possession. Shutting down Kenny Cooper will also be key.

Final thoughts: While RSL have done an admirable job at addressing a lot of needs in the offseason, I still see a glaring one remaining that nobody seems to be talking about. In the two home draws this season (vs. Chicago and LA), there have been some common denominators. First, RSL dictating the play most of the time. Second, solid defense.....but here's where it starts to go downhill. Third, the inability to finish good chances. Fourth, one or two key mental mistakes, and fifth - the part I want to talk about - a player for the opponent who can make you pay for those mistakes. We saw Cuauhtemoc Blanco make RSL pay for essentially its only mistake of the match. And we saw David Beckham make RSL pay - twice - for its two big mistakes.

Every team makes mistakes - there's no perfect soccer team out there. What RSL have never had is a player who can make opponents pay for their mistakes. RSL haven't had a player who is nearly automatic on free kicks or can consistenly deliver late goals in close games when the pressure is on. In other words, RSL do not have a "go-to guy".

Perhaps in the future RSL will use their DP slot on a player like this. But in the near term, this player will likely have to emerge. My hope would be Espindola emerging as RSL's hero when a late goal is needed. But until that happens and somebody steps up, RSL will likely continue to get burned for their mistakes while allowing their opponents' mistakes to go unpunished.

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Open Cup Match Review

RSL 4: San Jose 0

I usually don't like to write match reviews, but because of the weather, the weeknight, and the fact that it was an Open Cup match against an expansion team I figure there might be fewer reviews floating out there in cyberspace. Here are some of my thoughts:

• Goals by Beckerman (2), Movisyan, and Williams. Beckerman's first goal was opportunistic as it came off of a header from Mantilla. His second goal was a fantastic long-range shot well-placed in the lower left corner of the goal away from the keeper. Movsisyan's goal was off of a spectacular pass from Cordoba who passed up an open shot himself. Williams goal was off of a well placed pass from Nunez.
• Man of the Match: clearly Captain Kyle. Two goals, captain of the team, and great play all through the first half.
• Other standouts: Seitz, Cordoba. Seitz wasn't challenged a ton, but he was up to the occasion every time. He also was very vocal in organizing the defense and was pretty solid with his distributions. Cordoba had a great game in the center of the midfield. He beat his man on several occassions, made good passes (particularly the play on Yura's goal), and had some well placed corner kicks into the box. In addition, he had two wonderful takeaways: the first setting up Yura's goal, the second later in the first half in which he had a clear path to the goal, and was tackled wildly from behind about 23 yards out (thanks football lines). Mysteriously there wasn't even a foul called, when one could argue that this could have been a red (although he was a bit far out maybe to be an imminent scoring threat).
• Other solid contributors: Beltran, Olave, Mantilla, Wingert. All quite solid.
• Poorest performers: Findley, Movsisyan. Movsisyan had numerous chances, and continued his tendancy to play with the ball too much. The goal he scored was an easy shot set up completely by Cordoba. He should have done much more and had several wasted opportunities. Findley hustled, but did not make any serious opportunities develop from this hustle. His first touch continued to fail him. I noticed that his touch was typically well intentioned with him trying to put the ball in the right spots but his first touch is almost always too heavy.
• San Jose was forced to use a couple of subs early in the first half as two players (one was Cochrane I believe, not sure who the other was) heads collided. One of them was bleeding quite badly.

Before we get too excited about this win, it was only an Open Cup game against an expansion team. However, this team has played very well at home this season. This match was the second home game in a row with a 4-0 result, and the second home game in which Beckerman came up with a brace.

(click to enlarge)

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Player Profile: Tony Beltran

Tony Beltran

Position: Defender/Midfielder
Date of Birth: October 11, 1987 (20)
Place of Birth: Claremont, California
Height: 5 ft 9 in
Weight: 150
Previous Clubs: none
National Team Exp: United States (U-20)
Jersey Number: #2
Current Status: Developmental Roster (GA)
How Acquired: 3rd pick in 2008 Superdraft

Personal summary: in Claremont California. Started college at St. John’s before transferring to UCLA where he majored in history.

Professional summary/highlights: Drafted by RSL at the 3rd pick after a successful career at UCLA. Played a significant role in the U-20 World Cup for the US.

Webpages/Myspace/Facebook:

Youtube/video links: AYL doubletalk (with David Horst)

Other links: MLS Player profile: Tony Beltran/MLSnet, Wikipedia Page: Tony Beltran/Wiki, AYL podcast: Coaches show - 4/8/08, AYL podcast: RSL show - Episode 38, Riley show (via AYL)

Keepin It Real Expectations for 2008: I was among those questioning this pick on draft day. However after watching him in practice, I believe that this kid is going to be a quality player in the very near future. Because we are thin at outside back, he is likely to see some action at some point during the season. Is he ready for this? We’ll find out.

Fans Scorecard Ratings: Beltran Rating

Interesting Fact/tidbits/quote: Has won the prestigious “beep test” drill on at least two occasions. Played club soccer with Arsenal FC along with Yura Movsisyan.

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Player Profile: Yura Movsisyan

Yura Movsisyan

Position: Forward
Date of Birth: July 6, 1987
Place of Birth: Baku, Azerbaijani
Height: 6 ft 0 in
Weight: 180
Previous Clubs: Kansas City
National Team Exp: none
Jersey Number: #14
Current Status: Developmental Roster
How Acquired: trade w/ Kansas City

Personal summary: Born in Azerbaijan, but considers himself Armenian. Left Azerbaijan in 2000 with family seeking asylum in the US. Family settled among Armenian community in LA. In high school scored 32 goals in 13 games. Played soccer for 1 year at Pasadena City College where he scored more than half of his team’s goals. Father, Sergei Movsisyan, coaches an Armenian soccer team in LA.

Professional summary/highlights: Drafted by Kansas City as 4th pick in 2006 Superdraft. Played only a little over 200 minutes in his first year. In 2007, scored 5 goals in 666 minutes before being traded to RSL.

Webpages/Myspace/Facebook:

Youtube/video links: How ya doin' Pat?

Other links: MLS Player profile: Yura Movsisyan/MLSnet, Wikipedia Page: Yura Movsisyan/Wiki

Keepin It Real Expectations for 2008: Yura seems to be in a word, determined. There is no questioning his athletic ability, his effort on the pitch or his desire. In addition, at times he has above average footwork, but this isn’t consistent and he still appears to be quite a raw talent. This is your classic case of major upside. Can he put it all together this year? If he can, he could help RSL be a force to be reckoned with.

Fans Scorecard Ratings: Movsisyan Rating

Interesting Fact/tidbits/quote: First played organized soccer in 2000.

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Player Profile: Robbie Findley

Robbie Findley

Position: Forward
Date of Birth: August 4, 1985
Place of Birth: Phoenix, AZ
Height: 5 ft 9 in
Weight: 165
Previous Clubs: LA Galaxy
National Team Exp: United States (1 Cap)
Jersey Number: #10
Current Status: Senior Roster
How Acquired: traded (w/ Nate Sturgis) from LA Galaxy for Chris Klein

Personal summary: Parents are Trinidad & Tobago émigré’s. Robbie qualifies for dual citizenship because of this. Played for Oregon State, and scored 10 game winners there, earning all PAC-10 honors in the process. Robbie has been a fixture with the US YNT in recent months.

Professional summary/highlights: Selected by LAG in the 2nd round of the Superdraft. During his brief MLS career, Robbie recorded 8 goals while starting just 14 games, and coming on as a substitute in 11 others. He showed glimpses of a quality finishing touch to go along with his tremendous pace.

Webpages/Myspace/Facebook:

Youtube/video links: Most significant goal in RSL history?, AYL Double Talk (with Beckerman)

Other links: MLS Player profile: Robbie Findley/MLSnet, Wikipedia Page: Robbie Findley/Wiki

Keepin It Real Expectations for 2008: Robbie should arguably be a starter this season given the potential he demonstrated last year. His goal production (8 goals in 1,300 minutes) was much greater than either Movsisyan (5 goals in 1,200 minutes) or Espindola (2 goals in 600 minutes) last season. I believe that Findley and Deuchar will emerge as RSL’s top two forwards this season. However, his pace coming off of the bench can be a great benefit in the second half. Also, questions still remain if Robbie can again demonstrate (and improve upon) the touch that he showed last season. His National Team experience should prove dividends down the road for him and for the club.

Fans Scorecard Ratings: Findley Rating

Interesting Fact/tidbits/quote: Robbie is a cousin of NBA guard, Mike Bibby. Another cousin, Shaun McDonald plays wide receiver in the NFL.

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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: Fabian Espindola

Fabian Espindola

Position: Forward
Date of Birth: May 4, 1985 (22)
Place of Birth: Merlo, San Luis, Argentina
Height: 5 ft 9 in
Weight: 160
Previous Clubs: LDU Quito, Aucas, Talleras, Boca Juniors
National Team Exp: none
Jersey Number: #9
Current Status: Senior Roster (International)
How Acquired: transfer

Personal summary: Born in Argentina. Best known in Salt Lake for his backflip after scoring a goal against Kansas City.

Professional summary/highlights: Played at the age of 20 with Boca Juniors. Then moved to another Argentine club, Talleras. After a year there, he played for 2 different Ecuador teams, Aucas and LDU Quito. Joined RSL in 2007 along with fellow Argentines, Javier Morales and Matias Mantilla.

Webpages/Myspace/Facebook:

Youtube/video links: Kansas City goal

Other links: MLS Player profile: Fabian Espindola/MLSnet, Wikipedia Page: Fabian Espindola/Wiki

Keepin It Real Expectations for 2008: To me the race for the second forward (after Deuchar) is a 3-way race between Findley, Espindola and Movsisyan. I have selected Espindola despite Findley seemingly being the lead candidate after winning the Golden Boot for RSL last season, and despite Yura having a seemingly stellar preseason. Why? Primarily his left footed ability and his crossing ability. Also, Findley may be more effective bringing his fresh legs and speed at later stages in a match. I could really see this one going any one of the 3 ways, but since I had to make a pick…

Fans Scorecard Ratings: Espindola Rating

Interesting Fact/tidbits/quote:

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Realslfan's Underdog #1

YURA MOVSISYAN

Why he's an underdog.

With the acquisition of Kenny "The Good Doctor" Deuchar, most of the national media attention seems to be on Deuchar and sophomore striker Robbie Findley as the odds on favorite for the starting postion. However, I think many knowledgable RSL fans understand that this race is much more wide open than that.


Why I'm rooting for him.

REASON #1: Intensity! Although it was a really dumb move on his part, I loved the passion he showed as he collected a red card last year after knocking Pat Onstadt to the turf in our match against Houston last season. This was at a point in the season when the heart and effort of many players was in question. From the moment he joined the club, he never stopped hustling.

REASON #2: Ability! His combination of speed, size, and even skill could make him a deadly attacker in this league.

REASON #3: Background! Although I don't know all of the details, I can only imagine what he has gone through. Yura is of Armenian descent, and grew up amidst the instability of Azerbaijan before his family came to the US under political asylum in 2000. Upon arrival in the US he began playing the first organized soccer of his life - a few short 7 years ago! Recently his father has had some health issues and this makes me want to pull for him even more this season.

REASON #4: We need him! In certain circumstances, Findley may not be a good option from a tactic standpoint. Findley will also likely be away from the club quite often with the Olympics looming. In addition, Findley has had a few bumps and bruises since he joined RSL, and may not endure an entire season fully healthy. As for Deuchar, he seems like the 'Real Deal', but can he adapt to our style of play or can we adapt our style of play to fit him? Either way, having Movsisyan playing as a real threat can only help our chances this season. Let's face it - we need goals!

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