Quakes aim to end RSL home reign -> MLS Net
One of only two teams still unbeaten at home on the season, Real Salt Lake return to Rice-Eccles Stadium for their second meeting of the year against the San Jose Earthquakes.
Real Salt Lake Weekly Update -> Our Sports Central
RSL Returns Home for Double-Dip Week against Earthquakes and Revolution
SBI MLS Power Rankings: Week 12 -> Soccer by Ives
RSL moving up!
Preki laments commitment in loss to RSL -> American Soccer News/T Bruce
Although starting with an experienced lineup the red-and-Whites struggled to make an impact in front of goal. Real Salt Lake sat in with a 4-5-1 formation quite content on absorbing all the pressure that Chivas could bring, looking to hit on the counter.
Battered Quakes Travel to Hostile Salt Lake -> American Soccer News/M Diamond
If the Quakes hope to earn a better result, they must seek to keep the ball from Real’s dangerous midfielders. Morales and Beckerman lead this group that has been Real’s center both literally and figuratively.
An M.D. in M.L.S. With a Prescription for Goals -> The New York Times/Jack Bell
Deuchar is apparently the only certified M.D. to play in M.L.S. His father is also a doctor back home in Gretna, Scotland, and Deuchar is leaning toward a specialty in rheumatology, sports medicine or perhaps as a general practitioner after his playing days.
RSL Returns Home this Week -> Our Sports Central
Fresh off claiming its first road win of the 2008 season at Chivas USA on Saturday, Real Salt Lake (4-5-3, 15 pts.) will look to continue its climb up the Western Conference standings
Real Salt Lake: Great opportunities for Talley -> Deseret News/James Edward
He loved his time in Utah and plans on moving back when his playing days are over, but there are great opportunities for him with his new club in Southern California.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Daily Update: Tuesday Jun 17, 2008
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
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.
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.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Practice at Rice Eccles: May 2, 2008
Practices prior to game day are typically very brief, and interesting. Even though everyone is trying to conscientiously not overdo it, you can usually sense a special intensity in the air. Today was no exception. Here are some of my observations:
- Injury report: Sturgis had low-impact workout - light running and stretching. Nimo did not participate at all. Espindola seemed to be at full speed. Mantilla didn't participate in the last 20 minutes or so (not sure if this was injury related).
- No signals about starting lineup, but here is what I gathered from an informal poll of media in attendance. Espindola likely to team up with Deuchar. Midfield most likely to remain the same as DC match (sorry Talley critics). Cordoba and Bomma will be waiting in the wings if Talley struggles early. Most likely Olave and Borchers in central defense, although its nearly a toss up with Mantilla if he is fully healthy. Wingert is a lock as one outside back, possibility of Beltran on the other side especially because his speed could come in handy to counteract Donovan.
- There are 2 members of a Scottish newspaper (I think the Sun?) in town this week following Kenny Deuchar around. They were telling us that if he gets good service he can dominate a game inside the box.
- At the end of practice, the team took shots from various spots on the field. They had the outside backs out wide, and they were practicing getting off crosses. Looks to me like we are planning on focusing on this in the upcoming match (to take advantage of Deuchar).
- Goldenballs and Don Garber teamed up this afternoon for a media blitz at the site of the new stadium.
(click to enlarge)
Saturday, April 12, 2008
RSL -vs- DCU: Apr 12, 2008
A win! A win! A win! Sorry, but I can't hide the excitement.
I don't want to give a match report, there are or will be plenty of those out there. But here are some of my thoughts on tonights 4-0 victory over DC.
- After 1 goal on 28 shots in the first two matches, we netted 4 goals on 11 opportunities tonight.
- A four goal differential in a game is our highest ever.
- We have a positive goal differential (+2) for the season. When was the last time we could say that?
- What was DC's strategy? Did they underestimate us? Their lineup and formation was horrible.
- Can we resist the temptation to point to this game as an indicator that we are a good team? I think we need to chalk this one up mainly as a bit of a fluke. However, there certainly were some good signs. Let's see if we can carry this into the match next week against Toronto.
- The crowd atmosphere was excellent tonight. A lot of chanting, and yelling.
- I think this will more or less lock the lineup in until we are either forced to make a change due to injury (or other absence) or until it proves ineffective. This is good news for the anti-Talley crowd as Sturgis should retain this starting spot next week.
- I loved the use of Deuchar in this match. He seemed to be causing DC fits, and I think he really got into their heads.
- Is it too early to say we'd be in the playoffs if they started today?
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
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!
Player Profile: Carey Talley
Position: Holding Midfielder
Date of Birth: August 26, 1976 (31)
Place of Birth: Memphis, TN
Height: 6 ft 1 in
Weight: 181
Previous Clubs: FC Dallas, Kansas City, DC United
National Team Exp: United States (U-17, U-20 & U-23)
Jersey Number: #3
Current Status: Senior Roster
How Acquired: Trade with FC Dallas
Personal summary: Carey was born in Memphis. Married to Kirsten with a son named Max.
Professional summary/highlights: Drafted by DCU in 1998. Played 4 seasons for DCU and was a key contributor in all but his rookie season. Played right back and defensive mid for KC during 2002 and 2003 seasons. Played only part of one season with Dallas before breaking a rib. Has been a key member of RSL for the last 3 seasons.
Webpages/Myspace/Facebook:
Youtube/video links: Galaxy goal, Crew goal, Chivas goal, Player Profile (must see - w/ Dunseth), AYL Double Talk (must see - w/ Borchers)
Other links: MLS Player profile: Carey Talley/MLSnet, Wikipedia Page: Carey Talley/Wiki
Keepin It Real Expectations for 2008: This one took me a long time to arrive at this conclusion, and I’m sure many RSL fans are jumping for joy over this, but I believe Carey will be a starter especially early in the season. I actually like much of what Carey brings to the table with this group of players, and his leadership should not be underestimated. I think the poor performance of Cordoba and the seemingly lack of a good fit for Kovalenko have precipitated this move.
Fans Scorecard Ratings: Talley Rating
Interesting Fact/tidbits/quote: Is a fan of the show “The Office”. Is wicked on Call of Duty 2.
