Park City TV Interviews: Beckerman, Williams, Alexandre

Check out these interviews courtesy of Park City TV.

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Other Media Day Tidbits

A few other tidbits from today:

Russell
Robbie is coming off of recent shoulder surgery (rotator cuff) that he had done here in Utah. He is not supposed to have contact for 4 weeks, but can participate in light practice. He isn't sure what happened to cause the injury, but indicated that he did receive an elbow in the back during the NYRB game (if I recall he came off the pitch for this). When asked about his role this year, he indicated that he is hoping to play in the midfield this season.

Beckerman
The captain of the team indicated that this team should get out of the gate much more quickly this season. He also indicated that he is okay if the team asks him to play a holding role (although its too early to know if this will be the case), as long as the team is scoring. He said that if the team isn't scoring he's going to be up the field and in the mix of things. Good attitude if you ask me.

Bhembe
I think you'll like this kid. He explained that he grew up in South Africa, and was playing soccer at the college level there, when he was discovered by Alabama A&M. He is confident about his ability, and claims that his age is a positive, because he won't still be learning and developing like some of the younger ones. He has a bit of a Jar Jar Binks quality to him. You'll see.

Cox
This kid has a good head on his shoulders. He describes himself as a left-sided player with quickness and good crossing and passing ability. He also likes to tuck in, which will suit him well in a Kreis coached midfield. He understands the need to step it up at this level.

Kreis
He has high expectations for this season. He is focused in making sure that the team improves "in all aspects" this season. He doesn't feel that new additions are required to improve, but just being together and building consistency should help. In particular, he thinks they should be much more successful on the road, particularly early on. He doesn't feel that the stadium will dictate tactics, but the quality of the players that they have going into the season (i.e. new additions) may dictate tactical changes.

Rimando
Is rooting for Arizona in the Superbowl. It seems Larry Fitzgerald was on his fantasy team. Also explained that his buddy Ben Olsen is still feeling pain, but is going to try to give it a go this season.

Johnson
Would welcome the opportunity to play on his natural right-side, but doesn't mind playing on the left. Played with KOA (Osuwu-Ansah) with Canadian YNT. Indicated that he is a very talented player. He needs nurturing, and needs vets to show him the ropes. He's very atheletic and with some coaching and mentoring can be a very good player in this league.

Seitz
Had much more down time this offseason than last. Is looking forward to hopefully getting some starts this season. Was disappointed that this didn't happen last season.

Several Players
Several players made similar comments: Looking forward to having a preseason with this team. Hoping that the team can find a way to get developmental players some game action. Confident that the team will be able to take a step forward this year.

Not in Attendance
Olave, Viveros, Wingert and Owusu-Ansah were not present. Olave had some visa issues, but is expected to arrive soon. Viveros and Owusu-Ansah are also expected to arrive soon. Wingert of course is in camp with the National Team.

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FOR REAL: Kyle Beckerman Pt 2

FOR REAL: Kyle Beckerman Pt 2

(Continued from Part 1)

11. So what were your initial thoughts after that? How did you feel? Well, at first, I mean it was pretty much always happy. Actually the night before it happened Chris Wingert had come back to get his stuff. He was leaving the next day. So we went out to dinner and we were just telling him “you’re going to be in a great situation. That’s awesome. And we’re really happy for you. Here it’s the same thing. Nothing’s changed. It’s really, it’s not good here”. So we are telling him all this and then the next morning I find out. So I was sad to leave the city, because I like the city and I like a lot of the players, but I was okay with it. I thought I was ready to get out of there.
12. So when you first arrived how did the situation compare to Colorado? Well, the first thing I had to do was fix…not fix things up, but I had to talk with Carey Talley cause we had some pretty heated games. But I walk in and sure enough his locker is right next to mine. So it got fixed really quick. So we had a bit of a hole, I think we only had one win at the time. So we really needed to do some work right away. But the first thing I noticed was that the training was a lot better. The practices that the coaches put on are better. You work hard. We try and work on things that we didn’t do good in the game before, and that wasn’t the case in Colorado. So I really enjoy that. The transition was pretty easy with moving, cause Chris was right there and so we were roommates in the hotel. And so that was really easy. But I’d have to say the training. And another thing in Colorado, you didn’t really know what you were doing. We kind of went out, and it was kind of a crapshoot how we were going to do. We didn’t know, we could win this game, we could lose this game going into each game. But you didn’t really know how you were going to win. So when you won it was such a big high, cause you didn’t know how you just did this. It was usually a mistake, we somehow got a goal and then we defended like, everybody worked, or at least some guys did, but we got the win and it was amazing. But when we lost we usually came out and got our butts kicked. We didn’t get a shot on goal, we got absolutely crushed. So it was such a low. We’re terrible. So it was these high’s and lows. And when I came here , Cassar mentioned “you’ve got to try and keep it on an even keel. When you win don’t get too high and when we lose don’t get too low”. So that was a big change that I definitely like. Cause when you go into a game you expect it, and when you get goals you know yeah this is what we’ve been working on. We expect to score like that.
13. You mentioned that you were taking a more prominent position in Colorado. Have you taken even more of a leadership role since you’ve been here? Definitely. Wearing the captains armband you want to take more responsibility. I feel like we have a real young team – more promise to come. I’ve been trying to do some more things, lead by example. I started to wear the armband in Colorado when Pablo wasn’t around. So I got some practice with that. When I was given it here so far, you just don’t want to let the team down. You know when things are good it’s great, but you gotta be there when times are tough too.
14. Does that make it harder in the game, put more pressure on you? Sometimes. Sometimes I feel like I have to do more, but I try not to, I don’t want to try and do too much because that’s not going to help too. I try to do what I’m asked with the coach, and then also just on leadership, just be more vocal and lookout for the young guys and make sure everyone is up for the game. Just little stuff like that. It’s not just about getting yourself ready. You ‘ve gotta make sure that every guy on the bench is ready. Some players, and it’s natural, are going to get down when they aren’t starting or dressing. You’ve gotta look after those guys too. When you’re younger you are looking out for yourself. How do I get ready? Am I starting? So it’s just little things like that.
15. Does it help recently having a Nat Borchers, and Clint and maybe Robbie Russell around, does that help you out? Yeah definitely. With Rimando, I would say he’s one of our captains. Dema, Borcher’s has got some experience. Wingert has experience. Andy Williams. These guys are all captains themselves. I just happen to wear the armband. So I think definitely with those guys around it definitely helps.
16. Now that you’ve been here, how is the Rocky Mountain Cup on this side? Yeah it was great winning it last year. Cause we had to win the two games. It was neat winning it last year, especially on the home field of Colorado. That was big for the guys last year. For me, switching teams it was kind of different. I still like it. It’s good. If you have a trophy to win, you definitely want to win it. I think we’re looking at bigger things now with trying to make the playoffs and having a go at that. Yeah it’s a thing we’d like to win but it’s definitely not our biggest priority.
17. What are some of the biggest accomplishments you’ve had in your career so far? Well team-wise it would be winning a couple playoff games, a series against Dallas in Colorado which was pretty tight. For me, it would be getting capped for the National Team. But there are definitely a bunch of things out there. I want to win a championship. I know everybody does. You always feel like it’s just going to happen. And some guys are lucky like that. Some guys come into the league and they get on a team that wins it right away. But being a small market team it’s not as easy. You don’t get as many, it seems like the New York’s, the LA’s and DC’s tend to get the players with the bigger names because of the city that they are in. So it’s a little bit more difficult for us. Also I feel like the league, they would rather a New York, or DC or LA, they’d rather them win the MLS cup. It would be better for the MLS. It’s definitely, it’s tough to win it here.
18. How do you think you are positioned now as far as that goal of getting to the MLS cup? Yeah it’s definitely better. We’ve upped the squad. There is more competition for spots. And it’s a young team too. A lot of guys that are just going to get better. Their doing big things this year, and they’re just going to keep getting better, and more experience. So I think we are setting ourselves up for a chance to really make a run. If you look at some of the teams that win a lot of them have been around for quite a few years.
19. You’ve had a couple of caps on the national team, do you have a goal for yourself to get back there at participate with the national team? Yeah I’d love to. That’s one of my goals, but definitely not my top one. My top one is to do good with Salt Lake. I feel that’s the most important thing. And I feel if that happens the national team will follow. And so that’s nothing I can really control. All I can control is doing good with Salt Lake. And I feel if we continue to do that, I think not only myself but others on the team can get in there and be regulars.

(Part 3)

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Daily Update: Sunday Jul 13, 2008

Tired of ties, Real finish Crew -> MLSnet/John Coon
"Today we had an opportunity we just couldn't let go by," midfielder Javier Morales said. "I think the whole team came out with their minds in a totally different place."

A 'first' for Real Salt Lake -> Deseret News/James Edward
"It's cool, it's great we got there, but the main thing was getting three points tonight," said Real midfielder Kyle Beckerman. "Right now's not the most important time to be in first place — that will be at the end of the year — but it's big that we can actually do it."

RSL Moves Atop Western Conference -> Goal.com

RSL is the only team in MLS that is undefeated at home, upping its mark to 5-0-4.

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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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Verdict In: Beckerman Was Onside

Here is the Lessons Learned from Week 13 by US Soccer that addresses the Controversy over Beckerman's disallowed goal against San Jose. The discussion clearly indicates that he was not in an offside position and the goal should have stood up. It does not directly address the issue over whether or not the referee consulted the scoreboard, but does address the actions and communication of both referee and assistant. Enjoy...

Video Clip 6: San Jose at RSL (77:55)

This is a complicated offside situation in which clear communication must occur between the referee and the AR. The clip must be watched carefully to understand the points of emphasis. The mechanics used to make the correct decision are critical to the success of the referee team.

As you view the clip, remember the approved mechanics (found in U.S. Soccer’s “Guide to Procedures” manual) that must be utilized when a goal is scored and the AR is not sure whether the player scoring the goal was offside or not: the AR must stand at attention at the corner flag, with his flag down, and not run up the touchline as he normally would to signal a goal.

From a corner kick, a defender is stationed 10 yards from the ball but off the goal line. All other defenders and attackers are further up field and further from the goal line than this defender. Off the service, an attacker heads the ball to goal but, in route, it is touched by another attacker who has advanced toward the goal. This attacker redirects the ball into the goal. This raises the question: Was the attacker, who redirects the ball into goal, in an offside position at the time the ball was headed/played by his teammate?

Freeze frame shows that the attacking player who scores is level with the second to last opponent at the moment his teammate heads the ball. Consequently, despite his being closer to the goal line at the time he plays/redirects the ball, the AR must take a snapshot of his position at the time of the header and must use this picture as the moment of judgment. This snapshot would then provide the evidence needed to allow the goal.

As this situation unfolded in the game, the AR was uncertain as to whether the player who redirected the ball into goal actually played the ball or the ball went directly into goal from the header. The replay shows that neither case should matter as the attacker redirecting the ball was onside at the moment of the header.

In a case where the AR is unclear as to whether a player in an offside position plays the ball (interfered with play by touching/playing the ball) or interferes with an opponent, the following mechanics should be followed:

• Stand at attention at the corner flag

When the goal is scored, the AR must not run up the touch line and must remain standing at the corner flag. This is an indication to the referee that the AR is uncertain over the validity of the goal.

• Referee makes visual contact with the AR

Prior to awarding a goal, the referee must make eye contact with the AR. If the AR is running up the touch line, it is an indication that the AR agrees with the goal. If the AR is standing at the corner flag, it is an indication that the AR has a question relating to the scoring of the goal.

• Referee consults with the AR

Seeing the ARs position at the corner flag, the referee must approach him and determine why the AR has an issue. The consultation must be clear and concise. The AR must clearly communicate what he saw and why he has a question.

• Make a decision

Based upon the information received from the AR and the referee’s own perception, the referee must make a decision and indicate that decision.

As with any offside decision, the AR should give the benefit of doubt to the attack. If this principle were applied in this clip, the goal would have been allowed. The decision is not easy due to the distance between the defender fronting the corner kick and the goal mouth action. But, ARs must possess the ability to evaluate the situation and position themselves correctly to make the split second judgment. Another key element to the success of a decision like this is the positioning of the AR. As soon as the corner kick is struck, the AR must immediately move to the offside position – in this case, in line with the defender who was positioned in front of the corner kick (the second to last defender). This position provides the ultimate view of the player’s movement in the drop zone of the ball and affords the AR the best chance to get the call correct.

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Controversy

The “Controversy”: As most of you are aware, Real Salt Lake had their second major controversy of the season this week in their match against San Jose. The first controversy occurred against Toronto early in the season when 3 minutes of stoppage time was signaled, but the referee blew the whistle after only about 1 minute. In retrospect this was most likely inconsequential, but it’s conceivable that RSL could have scored an equalizer with those last 2 minutes of lifeline. This incident played a major part in Jason Kreis later being fined by the league for some critical comments in the Deseret News.

This week’s big controversy appears to have a direct result on the outcome. The play that led to the controversy happened around the 72nd minute of the game, when Javier Morales put a well-placed corner kick onto the head of Robbie Findley who flicked the ball forward to a forward rushing Kyle Beckerman who appeared to be beyond the final defender when the ball was played and just managed to get his toe onto it to put the ball into the net. My initial reaction was that he was offside on the play, but there was no such indication. A goal was indicated on the scoreboard. Both the referee, Jason Anno, and the assistant seemed to indicate a goal and trotted toward midfield for the ensuing restart. However suddenly there seemed to be confusion as the team and crowd continued to celebrate. Some discussion took place with referee and players on the field. The referee took the ball down toward the San Jose goal and pulled an RSL player in for a chat (I believe it was Javier Morales, despite the fact that Beckerman was the goal scorer and the one with the captain’s armband I believe). Next thing you knew, Joe Cannon was placing the ball at the 6 yard spot for a goal kick.



Two points of controversy came out of this. The first point of controversy was the impression that the referee disregarded the assistant who kept his flag down on the play, and was somehow influenced (either by watching the scoreboard or by the appeals of the San Jose players) to change the ruling. Many have claimed to have witnessed both of these occurring, but I have not seen any visual evidence of this, or heard any confirmation of this from anyone on the field. Obviously if the referee is swayed by the replay or players on the field, that would seem to be a major integrity issue. The second point of controversy came after the fact, when evidence came to light that there was a defender out wide that appeared to keep Beckerman onside after all. This wasn’t initially obvious because the player was out near the sideline defending the corner and Beckerman was directly in front of the goal. This controversy would have been a point of discussion in any event, but likely would have quickly blown over. However, combined with the referee’s change of heart on the call, this has received much more attention.

What are your thoughts on this situation? It will be interesting to see what conclusion the MLS officials come to when they review this weeks on the field officiating.

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Daily Update: Friday Jun 20, 2008

MLS Refs In The Spotlight Again -> Soccer America
There was some suspicion among players that the referee had watched the video replay on the Rice-Eccles Stadium big screen. He shouldn't have (but then neither should it have been shown), but if he did then his judgment's still up for question - footage at MLSnet.com shows that a San Jose defender covering the corner kick plays Beckerman onside in any case.

RSL settles for tie after ref's call nullifies goal against San Jose -> The Salt Lake Tribune/Sunnie Redhouse
Not long after Real Salt Lake played a 0-0 tie with the San Jose Earthquakes on Wednesday night, midfielder Kyle Beckerman ran back on the field to retrace his steps for general manager Garth Lagerwey. He wasn't looking for a lost item, but rather demonstrating why his controversial goal off a header from Robbie Findley, in the 72nd minute, should have counted.

Real Salt Lake ready for Revs -> MLSnet
One game away from tying their club record unbeaten run, Real Salt Lake play host to a New England Revolution sporting an unbeaten skein of their own

Game notes: New England at Salt Lake -> New England Revolution Media Relations
The Revolution's current seven-game unbeaten run is the longest by any team in the league this season

Real Salt Lake gets the OK for 5,000 nearby parking spots -> The Salt Lake Tribune
Drivers can expect to pay $3 to $7 per car. A shuttle service will be provided between parking lots and the 20,000-seat stadium.

Former RSL coach Ellinger joins Hoops' staff -> seattlepi
Ellinger joins FCD from U.S. Youth Soccer, having served as its Technical Director from October 2007 until last week.

Ellinger brings experience to FCD staff -> MLSnet/Steve Hunt
Hyndman feels that despite not making the MLS Cup Playoffs in his two-plus years with RSL, Ellinger did his best.

Real Salt Lake details parking plans for its Sandy stadium -> Deseret News/ Rebecca Palmer
A close look at the plan, though, shows that Real officials are relying on free public parking and fans' willingness to walk several blocks.

Sounders pleased to borrow native son Nik Besagno -> The Seattle Times
"Sitting on the bench wasn't doing him any good," said Garth Lagerwey, Real Salt Lake general manager. "For him to get games with a high-quality team like Seattle, that's a good thing. We can recall him any time if we need him."

Real Salt Lake: RSL can't hide disappointment -> The Salt Lake Tribune/Michael C. Lewis
Having finally broken through for a goal in the second half, RSL moments later was denied the score on a referee's controversial decision

Down to 10 players, Quakes earn a tie -> Mercury News/Andrew Aragon
with the Quakes' history at Rice-Eccles Stadium, as well as the team having to play with a man down for more than 50 minutes, the result felt more like a victory for San Jose

Third time not the charm for RSL -> MLSnet/John Coon
RSL failed to take advantage of the Earthquakes playing a man down for the entire second half of play and ended up walking away with a second consecutive 0-0 draw amid boos at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Wednesday evening.

Real Salt Lake, Earthquakes play to scoreless draw -> KSL (video included)
"Any time you don't win at home, you're losing points," Real midfielder Kyle Beckerman said. "The games that we're tying, we're the better team on the field. We're pretty happy we're not giving up many goals, and we're not losing. That's a good sign for us to keep pushing forward."

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Photos from Practice at Rice Eccles: Friday June 6, 2008

Practice at Rice Eccles Stadium looked great today. The team chemistry seems to be getting better all the time. Everyone seemed loose as plenty of friendly/competitive banter among the players was included during play. Dema showed no signs of being sick, he was as feisty as ever. Espindola was nowhere to be seen, so look for a Deuchar-Findley tandem tomorrow. The reserve players practiced a little longer than the rest of the team (this included Mantilla). Olave appears to be starting next to Borchers again. Everything else looks to stay the same for Saturday. I'm not really expecting any surprises considering our success at home so far. Hope to see you at the game!

Enjoy-


(Left) Beckerman controls, "Pirate Style" (Right) Andy Williams practices his free kicks


(Left) Mantilla joins in after his electric-shock treatment (Right) Chris Wingert on the move


(Left) Will we see more of Cordoba? (Right) Dema lays an egg. Andy finds it rather amusing.


(Left) Nunez shows Borchers how to dance (Right) Chris is still on the move


(Left) Dema thinks about doing the "Crazy Ivan" (Right) Beltran and Kirby try for a block


(Left) Brennan's next performace will be at Ballet West (Right) Morales has six assists so far this season. He's tied for first in MLS.

Cordoba makes his move on Kirby

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Daily Update: Wednesday May 28, 2008

RSL again can't find mix on road -> MLSnet/Ryan Bergeman
"We are in a bit of a road slump," RSL captain Kyle Beckerman said after the game. "We just can't find answers right now. The fight is there, the right attitude is there. We will keep working at it and hopefully it will come around soon."

Crew oust RSL from U.S. Open Cup -> MLSnet/Nathan Linton
an exchange of shoves ensued along with some words, after which Kovalenko tossed the ball at Ekpo, hitting him in the face. Referee Jeff Gontarek held a conference with his line judge and dismissed Kovalenko with a straight red card, sending RSL a man down.

Crew sink Salt Lake in US Open -> American Soccer News/ Jim Baird
Real Salt Lake had several opportunities to get on the board in the second half, including three solid attempts that tested Crew keeper Andy Gruenebaum. However none could beat him.

Sandy moving forward without county funds for Real stadium -> Deseret News/Rebecca Palmer
The $10 million is the last step in a $45 million public funding package for the $110 million sports stadium.

Sandy finds money for Real Salt Lake obligations -> The Salt Lake Tribune/Rosemary Winters
Sandy Economic Development Director Randy Sant presented to the City Council his "Plan B" to fulfill the city's pledge to RSL's $110 million soccer stadium

Real Salt Lake and Coldwell Banker Team Up -> OurSports Central
As part of Real Salt Lake's continuing outreach to Utah's Hispanic community, RSL is proud to announce a partnership with Coldwell Banker and Hispanic soccer "ligas" throughout the Salt Lake area to present the Coldwell Banker Summer Soccer Series.

Real Salt Lake Sees Run Towards U.S. Open Cup Ended with 2-0 Loss at Columbus -> OurSports Central
Real Salt Lake's run towards qualification for the 2008 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup came to a disappointing end tonight in central Ohio, as the Columbus Crew used a goal in each half to down the Utah squad 2-0

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Evening Updates: Monday May 12, 2008

Game Grades: FC Dallas vs Real Salt Lake -> 3rd Degree/Peter Welpton

Playing at Rice-Eccles stadium was already hard enough due to the surface and altitude, but when Jason Kreis actually has his young squad playing some decent soccer - well then it gets downright tough. Kudos to RSL as they dominated the match and wholly deserved the three points.

Kyle Beckerman online chat:

(courtesy RSL Communications)
Who: RSL MF Kyle Beckerman
When: Tuesday, May 13, from 1:00-1:30 p.m. MT
Where: ESPN.com SportsNation website
What: As part of ESPN2’s continuing coverage of Major League Soccer, RSL’s Kyle Beckerman will conduct an online chat on ESPN.com’s SportsNation website tomorrow afternoon from 1:00-1:30 p.m. MT. Fans can ask Beckerman anything and everything during the approximately half-hour chat, but you can rest assured that the RSL standout will have plenty to say on last weekend’s win over FC Dallas and his journey back to Denver this Thursday to square off against his former Colorado Rapids side. Fans can visit http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/chatESPN?event_id=20559 to go directly to the webpage for tomorrow’s

Dema on the radio today at 4:30 ->Behind the Shield

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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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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

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Opinion: Carey Talley

Carey Talley, Farewell Friend

A Realslfan Opinion

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".

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A View From the Other Side: RSL -vs- FCD

Real Salt Lake versus FC Dallas

from the perspective of Jay (aka FC Zippy on Big Soccer)

This Week FC Dallas head off to Utah to face Real Salt Lake. No, I’m not going to comment about the Mormon stereotype if you promise to stop believing we’re all cowboys. While no one would argue that anything like a fierce rivalry exists in the minds of FC Dallas fans about this game, there are still some heartfelt emotions at play this week.

First of all is Jason Kreis, beloved all-time leading Dallas Burn scorer. We all love Jason Kreis.

And then there is Dema Kovalenko. Dema is possibly the most hated MLS player of all time from the perspective of FC Dallas fans. You see, Dema was originally drafted by the Dallas Burn out of Indiana University and then demanded to be traded to the Chicago Fire. Dallas complied and Dema repaid them by first breaking the leg of fan-favorite Brandon Pollard, effectively ending his career, and then later breaking the leg of Ronnie O’Brien. The irony is Jason Kreis was on the pitch for both of those instances.

FC Dallas fans love Juan Toja. Please keep your Dema away.

And then there is Kyle Beckerman. Beckerman has been part of three Colorado Teams that have upset Dallas in the playoffs. Let me just say this: Kyle Beckerman’s flowing locks represent playoff failure to FC Dallas fans. I can assure you more than one prayer for divine justice upon Mr. Beckerman’s knees has been uttered by otherwise rational and decent human beings who just happen to support FC Dallas.

Oh, and let us not forget The Plastic Pitch. No one, and I sincerely mean no one, will be happier for the new stadium to reach completion with it’s glorious new digs and – best of all – real, honest to God, grown, maintained natural pitch. By the way, congratulations to you all – nice job getting the stadium financed and built. The pictures appear to show an awesome stadium in an absolutely picturesque location that has many of us thrilled for you.

So Dallas needs a win. After a solid start to the season, we saw our boys go down against the New England Revolution reserves. Then we journeyed out to Northern California to come away with only a point against the Earthquakes. Now, we need a win; two points from the last nine will not do. Many FC Dallas fans’ current sanity rests upon a positive result in Salt Lake. Trust me; FC Dallas fans are pretty sure they won’t be able to receive MLS Joy from depending on Houston to continue to be 2008’s Biggest Flop. But, my dear God, it would be so sweet.

With all the emotional stuff out of the way, let’s take a look at who and what FC Dallas is likely to bring onto the FieldTurf of Rice-Eccles. FC Dallas have mainly deployed a 3-5-2 or a 3-4-3 formation this year. In the back, new addition Duilio Davino anchors a defense that has given up only five goals in six matches, three of those against Hated Houston in one match alone. You almost forget Davino is out there. He has a definite lack of speed, but his positioning is exemplary and he has been very quick to adjust to MLS speed.

In midfield, new addition Andre Rocha, on loan from Brazilian sister club CA Paranaense, plays centrally on the right. Rocha is still getting his MLS legs, but seems to show something new each match. The central combination of Rocha and Pablo Ricchetti is vital to the FC Dallas possession and counter-attack game. Leading the charge forward in midfield is Juan Carlos Toja. Toja is just fun to watch, and he is the key to the FC Dallas attack. Unfortunately, he is lacking in fitness so far this season and his form has been down from last year.

Another player to watch is Dax McCarty, a player you will cheer for. Seriously. Maybe not Saturday, but this summer he will be the kid with the red hair who is literally all over the pitch for the U.S. U-23’s at the Olympics. Dax has been playing wide right for Dallas, but is now hampered with a sports hernia that should seriously limit his minutes. He most likely will not start.

Up front, Dallas features 6’3” Kenny Cooper and the speedy and left-footed Arturo Alvarez as his foil. Cooper leads the team in goals, but often drifts out wide far enough that many of you in the lower seats will be closer to Kenny than Kenny is to the goal. Kenny, play the damned central channel already!!!

And, finally, left-wing has been a bit of a mess for us this year. David Wagenfuhr was slotted in as the starter, but began complaining of headaches shortly after a pre-season friendly with CA Paranaense. Apparently, David’s got concussion syndrome and his career hangs in the balance. Blake Wagner has worked hard, but had very mixed results in taking over. Wagner has tremendous speed and good moves, but he’s young and still very mistake prone.

So, offensively, FC Dallas has been very mixed. They are very dangerous with the long-ball over the top. However, possession has been an issue. And even when possession has been maintained, creating chances in the final third has been iffy at best. The Dallas offense has been both very good and very bad moving off the ball and some of us are wondering about overall team fitness. This leads to an insane number of balls played from the back. Some of us scream.

And now the part you’ve been waiting for (already)… my projected line-up:

-------------------------Sala----------------------------

-------Moor----------Davino-----------Serioux----------

----Rocha-----Ricchetti-----Saragosa-----Wagner-------

--------------------Toja--------------------------------

------Cooper-------------------------Alvarez-----------

Note: Rocha moves wide right with McCarty limited. And I could be wrong

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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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Daily Update: Thursday May 1, 2008

U.S. Open Cup qualifier: It's Open season for RSL in rout -> Salt Lake Tribune/Martin Renzhofer
"I've been waiting for an opportunity," Cordoba said through an interpreter. "I probably didn't get a chance up to now because there were people who were doing better than I was. But I just kept working. It was a new experience for me because I had never played on an artificial field before. It's quicker."

Wednesday Night U.S. Open Cup Action -> Behind the Shield
"However, despite their best efforts the visitors couldn’t keep RSL at bay for long, as midfielder Kyle Beckerman fired home from short range off a bouncing ball in the area. Apparently Kyle wasn’t satisfied with his first effort as only 12 minutes later he blasted home a highlight-reel long range effort that squeezed into the lower left corner past a diving Burpo. Not to be outdone, striker Yura Movsisyan capped off the scoring less than a minute later, as he clinically finished a Matias Cordoba cross for the third RSL goal."

Moving On -> Behind the Shield
"The weather continued to get worse as the half went along and, as has become tradition in Salt Lake in April, the home fans saw the introduction of the famous orange ball right around the hour mark."

Match Photos -> RSL Boz

Quakes lose game, two players -> San Jose Mercury News/Andrew Aragon
"In the ninth minute of their 4-0 loss to Real Salt Lake, Quakes defenders Jay Ayres and Ryan Cochrane violently collided while battling for a high ball. Both players were taken to a hospital with facial lacerations and concussions. Coach Frank Yallop, after the game, said Ayres might have some broken cheekbones."

Major League Player Who Hasn't Forgotten His Roots -> Washington Post/Dave Yanovitz
"Kyle Beckerman has gone from Crofton to the big time. Big time as in he's the player gracing the home page on the Web site for his current Major League Soccer team, Real Salt Lake. Big time as in he is featured in more than 20 YouTube videos."

POST-GAME QUOTE SHEET
(courtesy RSL Communications)

REAL SALT LAKE HEAD COACH JASON KREIS

On what the best aspect of RSL was this evening:

“The brightest spot for me tonight was just the mentality of the group. They were very up for it, very bright in the first 20 minutes, and also were rewarded at the end of those 20 minutes by capitalizing and getting a goal. We’ve gone through a lot of times this year where we’ve had that mentality and we’ve been bright and done a lot of things in their half and walked away with no goals, so it was nice that they ended up that period with a goal.”

On RSL’s attitude:

“I think we were very pleased with the way our team’s mentality was. It would have been easy to come out a little flat and these Open Cup games can be difficult at times because of that and also because it’s so early in the tournament, but our guys’ mentality was fantastic.”

On how the RSL staff juggled personnel with two matches this week:

“We had a very set idea of how we were going to handle this game and Saturday night’s game compared to each other and, yes, it was a bit of a trial for some of the guys.”

On the play of MF Matias Cordoba:

“I thought he did pretty well. He really looked pretty gassed around minute 40; when you looked at his face it looked like he was breathing through his nose, his mouth, and his ears as well. But I thought he had a decent showing. I’m certain he [took it seriously]. One thing I know about Matias Cordoba is he’s a good guy, a competitor, and he’s been wanting for a very long time to show us what he’s about. He took advantage of the situation tonight, for sure.”

On the double-injury to San Jose defenders Ryan Cochrane and Jay Ayres in the first half:

“I think we were benefactors of that, for sure, because one of them was Ryan Cochrane and he’s really the organizer in central defense for them. So we were certainly benefactors of that injury.”


REAL SALT LAKE GK CHRIS SEITZ

On not seeing many shots on goal during the game:

“That’s the position. Any goalkeeper might not see a shot for 60 or 70 minutes, but when the ball comes in you’ve got to be ready. You’ve got to stay warm, you’ve got to stay in the game as much as possible.”

REAL SALT LAKE MF KYLE BECKERMAN

On RSL’s aggressive mindset:

“If we can get a goal and be the aggressing team in the first 20 minutes that’s what we were playing to do and it worked out for us and then set the tone from there.”

On opening a 3-0 lead:

“We had them on the ropes, we knocked them down with the goal and then got one after that and it was no turning back for us after that. They were just chasing the game.”

On the short timing between the first and second goal:

“I was like ‘Whoa, hey man, we’re about to score again.’ We were just focused and we made sure that after we scored the second one we were right on top of them again and not giving them any breath, so it was good to get a third.”


SAN JOSE HEAD COACH FRANK YALLOP

On the Cochrane & Ayres injuries in the opening minutes of the game:

“It shocked us a little; it was a pretty bad collision, to be honest. I was sitting close, it was loud and I think it disturbed a few of our players. We just have to see how they are. I think Jay Ayres is worse off than Ryan Cochrane, but they’re both pretty concussed and in the hospital at the moment, so hopefully they’ll be okay.”

On if the wintry weather played a role:

“It’s never an easy surface to play on, and I think Real Salt Lake played well on it, to be honest, and we didn’t play good at all. Late in the game [we] had a couple of chances, but I think the game was well and buried by then.”

SAN JOSE GOALKEEPER PRESTON BURPO

On what the Earthquakes can take away from the result:

“There’s not much to take out of it; it’s a knock-out game and we lost. You can talk about the weather, you can talk about the field, you can talk about a good crowd tonight. They were pretty decent and we were [expletive]. There’s nothing to take out of it quite honestly. At this point we’re out of the tournament. We had two chances at a trophy, this was one, and now we have league trophy to look at.”

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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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A View From the Other Side

DCU -vs- Real Salt Lake

Courtesy of BolivianFeugo (aka Andrew Esprella)

[Note: Prior to each match we intend to have the a preview of the match, provided by a supporter of the opposing team. This is the first such preview, and we thank Andrew for his contribution on short notice.]


First, let me start off by congratulating Real Salt Lake on their win at their home turf COMPLETELY dominating DC United. Two very strong points that I noticed with in the two first goals were 3 men, Fabian Espindola, Dema Kovalenko, and Kyle Beckerman. These are 3 guys that definitely knew how to play at their own house to their advantage, and to a weak backline which DC United decided to try out, which consisted of Dominic Mediate on the left, in the center Big Strong Gonzalo Peralta, and on the right Veteran Bryan Namoff. A 3 man backline can be very good IF it consists of 3 very strong Defensive minded players who can hold their ground, now MAYBE we could have slowed down the beating if Martinez (our strongest and most experienced defender) was in the back given his pace, and control over the game, and his clean tackles but Coach Soehn decided to rest him this game, along with our play maker Marcelo Gallardo as our boys deserved it after a tiring two-game series with Pachuca.

With that said, our weak spot in the game was the defense with an inexperienced Mediate… whom in my opinion should NEVER start in the back ever again, unless we are in some sort of crisis (god forbid). And Peralta didn’t have much of a game great game either, constantly getting roughed up by Deuchar yet being close to 6’3 and pretty burley for his size.

Beyond that we had nothing going for us, no fire in the front, nothing really working for us in our four-man midfield, beyond Moreno trying to act as the playmaker (experimentally put in the midfield), with his holding and touch, yet his long passes were a big problem that game because they could not produce what a Gallardo pass could.

The fact is we got dominated by a very strong at home squad with proven strengths in the midfield with Beckerman and Kovalenko. Also the strong, young Argentine contingent that is Espindola, Morales, and Mantilla I expect to play a big role in the rematch at RFK. We most definitely will be watching Espindola as he scored that great goal against us in Salt Lake, and given the other argentines respectable résumés I expect all players to be guarded heavily.

Looking at the records for both teams, with RSL having only 1 win (against us), 2 losses, and one tie this game in DC is very important for RSL as they need to work on the number sitting in their W column. The same goes with United (1-3-0), sitting last place in our division, we need a win to regain back the support from a lot of the fans because at this time many are very disappointed in play so far, as our team with our first DP that is Gallardo was expected to be the next coming of Marco Etcheverry, who so far has not quite lived up to the hype, by only seeing limited flashes of his ability. The bottom line is that Gallardo as our team’s engine is not failing but succeeding at what he does best, finding open players, opening up space, creating dangerous through balls for the forwards to finish. Truthfully it is not his fault that we have started out so bad, it comes down to how fresh our defense and offense is. It seems though that a lot of fans are having Gomez withdrawals, wishing that he was back in place of Gallardo, or trying to compare the two. The truth of the matter is that both are two different

Up front we are missing a very much needed Olsen who knew how to work the right side, with his passing, holding, touch, and creativity along with his decent strikes on goal. Instead because of injury we are left with a universal player who is Devon Mctavish, who as a temporary fix is nothing close to what Olsen brought to United, in any of the categories above mentioned. Up front also we are lacking finishing, with Moreno for a couple years now not being the same finisher he was in his past seasons with DC and more so a withdrawn forward that doesn’t score as much but can hold the ball and open up space for others. He seems to be getting a handle on Gallardo’s play which is good. What DC is lacking also is a very strong finisher that was Emilio last year, he happened to be at the right place at the right time to finish off those perfect opportunities up front. Well sadly it seems the league has finally caught on to his style of play, and are shutting him down, it also does not help that he came a little out of shape to Pre-season and seems to still be struggling with his fitness

Speaking on our defense/Goalkeeper situation, we have replaced a somewhat shakey semi-inexperienced back line that was Bobby Boswell and an aging/slow Greg Vanney with a speedier Gonzalo Martinez, an ex. Colombian International and a Gonzalo Martinez coming from a strong Argentine Second division side being their captain to add strength to our defense. Both have their strengths over our early American counterparts, and in my opinion surpass them both in foot skill, touch, and defensive ability. But it seems that Marc Burch once considered a strong Offensive wing Defender with semi-decent defensive skill for being a converted forward, has completely lost any defensive vision or skill he had before. We have a hole in the back left and it seems to be a big problem that teams have figured out about. In order to come out with a good result it will largely depend on that left side being able to close down any threats.

On the goalkeeping situation it is the exact opposite compared to the defense, we have lost a veteran keeper that was Troy Perkins to Valarenga (Norway), who was a great fit for the MLS, very athletic, not scared of confrontational tackles with forwards and just all around very strong in the net. Now what did we replace Perkins with? Zack Wells, a 2nd string keeper for Houston Dynamo that happened to play pretty well versus a semi-strong Costa Rican Puntarenas, and going down fighting to last years CCC champ Pachuca in the next round. I so far have not been all that impressed with Wells. He shows a lack of Goalkeeping vision and intuition of how to keep himself positioned or when to go for the ball in that he seems fearful of possibly getting hurt. Although the last part is my own theory it very well could be true and just shows right now why DC fans miss Troy so much at this point, as he brought strength, leadership, to our backline with the defenders. That is also another issue that others haven’t really touched on, our 2 central defenders first language is Spanish and personally I feel although Carvallo went down in flames against RSL, is still deserving of a second chance to play at home and see how well he could do with our 2 strongest defenders understanding him completely.

The bottom line for this game is DC has to win it, or else more people will continue to lose faith, this will all fall on our forwards and Goalkeeper. We have to score in order to win this, and we have to stay strong in the back to not concede any dumb goals which could be prevented. As generic as that response sounds it is all true from my perspective.

With all that said, I for see Tommy Soehn fielding a very conservative 4-4-2 that has been proven to work so far this season:



------------------------------Wells-------------------------------

-------Namoff--------Peralta-------Martinez------------Burch

------------------------------Simms------------------------------
Mctavish----------------------------------------------------Fred
-----------------------------Gallardo----------------------------
-----------------------------------------------Moreno-----------
--------------------------Emilio----------------------------------

I don’t foresee Coach Soehn to gamble much this game unless we happen to maybe get a good lead going, I predict Franco Niell coming in at the 70-ish minute to replace Moreno or at the same time that could also be Santino Quaranta, who has been given the job of possibly replacing an aging Jaime Moreno as both play very similar. Personally I would like to see Tommy try Niell up front with Moreno working together up front to start, but I doubt that will happen as it seems we most likely will play it safe, I assume. I see the rest of the team staying in for the remainder of the game beyond those 2 subs depending on their performance.

This Saturday it seems that we will have a great and enjoyable game with two sides needing a win badly, and will be in for a dog fight for those 3 points. Although I predict a DC win (trying to think optimistically), I don’t think it will be anywhere close to easy.

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Do You Youtube?

You may already be aware of this but Real Salt Lake has a Youtube channel (whatever that is). Check it out HERE. I suggest bookmarking it and checking it out often.

Also, if you haven't seen them, Kyle Beckerman and Javier Morales do a bit of a role reversal in these clips:

The Javi & Kyle Show:Episode 1
The Javi & Kyle Show:Episode 2

These are hilarious, I hope to see more of them.

You can also see Boz's, All Things Real Salt Lake channel. Especially check out the stadium construction shots. Nice work!

I hadn't seen these before, but here are some soccer tips courtesy of Chris Klein and PCTV.

Passing
Dribbling
Shooting

And Punting featuring Jay Nolly and PCTV.

There's also plenty of game highlights and goals (most of them scored against us). Dig around on Youtube and I'm sure that you'll come up with DC highlights, Real Madrid highlights, Boca Juniors highlights and maybe even Dunseth's legendary first goal at Rice Eccles.

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