Home Sweet Home

Some thoughts on tonights match:

• Great outcome but should have been expected. Temporarily puts us 3 games out of 1st in the West. A word of caution though - we are just starting a phase heavy on home games. We are undefeated in 5 home games this season. We NEED to win these due to the inability we have shown to pick up points on the road.
• Kreis indicated that an article in todays newspaper (presumably Michael C. Lewis' article yesterday actually) may have provided motivation for the team.
• Chris Wingert: good game getting forward and helping to create havoc in the final 3rd. Was this elevated play on his behalf or just a result of him having more freedom due to San Jose's inability to put pressure on RSL's defense?
• Javier Morales: Man of the match. Probably best match of the season. Scored a goal and an assist to put him in the league lead in that category.
• Robbie Findley: Break out game or anomoly? The goal he scored was a solid strike (although I'm a bit surprised that Cannon didn't get a hand on it. He showed decent touch and actually did something with the ball on several occasions.
• Fabian Espindola: reportedly left the game with a slight injury. Appeared visibily upset on the sideline, and was dressed and exiting the stadium within about 3 minutes of the end of the match. Is there something beyond the injury at play here?
• Kenny Deuchar and Ryan Cochrane had an emotional, heated personal battle that lasted throughout the match.
• Word on the street is that the Leo that appeared at the match was an imposter.

(click images to enlarge)

MLS POSTGAME QUOTE SHEET (courtesy RSL communications)
REAL SALT LAKE 3 : 1 SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES
SATURDAY, MAY 31, 2008
RICE-ECCLES STADIUM – SALT LAKE CITY, UT

REAL SALT LAKE FW ROBBIE FINDLEY

On the flow of the game:
“The first half was a little bit sloppy, we didn’t have a real good flow of the game. But for the second half we got a little talking [in the locker room], got us riled up and we went out and played like we wanted to.”

On the pressure to win:
“We knew we had to get (the win), but we’re at home, we’ve been doing well at home so far, so we just had to go out there and keep doing the same thing we’ve been doing and be able to hold them for 90 minutes.”

REAL SALT LAKE FW KENNY DEUCHAR

On the play of Robbie Findley:
“I’ve got to hand it to Robbie, he came into the game and started the game for us with a goal and an assist. He was excellent for us today.”

On RSL’s home-field advantage:
“It’s real important when you play in any league that your home form is good. That’s obviously five games, six if you include the Open Cup game, that we’re undefeated at home. We’ve got a lot of good wins right here as well. We’ve got to concentrate on keeping this place a very had place to come to. Teams don’t like coming here, and if they know we are good at home they’re going to like it even less.”

SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES HEAD COACH FRANK YALLOP

On what happened after the good start:
“We did well in the first half and came into halftime nil-nil, which away from home is what you try to do. Obviously a goal would’ve been good but we didn’t even really look like scoring the first half. It’s just disappointing the goals that went in, the first one was a good goal, it was a good strike by [Robbie] Findley, the second one looked a little easy but I’d have to look at them on tape. It’s always a little difficult to figure out.”

On playing in Salt Lake City three times in seven weeks:
“I’m not in love with the field to be honest; it was a terrible game to watch. The first half was awful. It’s just tough for our players to come and play on it, that’s hard. We play them in a couple weeks and we better be ready for that one. We had the Open Cup and we conceded four goals and tonight three, so we need to make sure we’re ready for the next game.”

SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES MF RAMIRO CORRALES:

On the Earthquakes’ performance tonight:
“I think we did a good job in the first half. We were very compact and did a good job, but I think we lost our shape a little bit in the second half and then they scored the first goal and it was pretty much over after that. It felt like we started dragging a little more after the first one, and then they got the second, and then the third, and it’s tough after that.”

On missing key players:
“I think the guys that came in for the other guys did A-OK. I don’t think it was that [missing key players], I think we just lost it a little bit in the second half.”

SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES DF NICK GARCIA:

On starting strong and falling apart:
“We fell asleep. In the first half we were fortunate for Joe [Cannon] to come up big on that penalty kick, and the second half was just a luckless effort and we were punished for it. The steady slippery slope began from that point on and we were punished. I don’t think Salt Lake’s three goals better than us. We’ve given up seven goals in the past two games; the one was an Open Cup (game), so I don’t really count that, but they were the better team tonight.”

On what San Jose can take from this result::
“We’ve just got to get it going from the beginning. It just can’t be one of those things where they score a goal or two and then we get going. We’ve had a little bit of a roller coaster ride in the beginning of the season, with some wins and some ties and some losses, and for us we’ve gotta get the ship on course. We’re almost a third of the way through the season, so for us we’ve gotta get some results; whether it’s home or away we need to start winning because losing is never fun. We’ve got to get that bitter taste out of our mouth and make the most of it.”

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

Real Salt Lake -vs- San Jose Earthquakes

from the perspective of Big Soccer poster Lurking

_______________________________________________________

When San Jose takes the field vs. Real Salt Lake on Saturday, it will be a matchup of two teams two wins, five losses, and plenty of question marks to keep their respective fan bases buying Pepto Bismol by the case.

San Jose will almost certainly stay in Frank Yallop's version of the 4-4-2, but the side will be forced to make a couple of changes from the lineup they fielded in their home win over the Houston Dynamo. Out will be Kei Kamara and Ivan Guerrerro, both away on international duty for Sierra Leone and Honduras respectively. Recent acquisition and familiar RSL advesary Jovan Kirovski will likely take Kamara's spot up top. Guerrerro's stand in is a little less certain, with the likely additions being Joe Vide or Shea Salinas. Vide would slot into the center of the park, with either Grabavoy or Corrales moving to left midfield while Salinas would likely play on the left directly. Yallop seems to like Salinas, using him consistently as a sub in the 2nd half, so the less disruptive outside midfielder for outside midfielder move seems more likely.

Offensively:

San Jose likes to transition quickly into the attack, driven by their outside midfielders and forwards. They will move forward in numbers, but this tends to be more a product of players waiting for more help, then out of an attempt to build slowly from the back. They have been hit and miss this season with this approach, scoring 2 goals 3 times, but being held scoreless 5 times. Their road form in particular has been noteworthy, as they created excellent chances in their 2-0 win against Colorado, but looked hapless in their other 3 road games. Which team shows up is the question most fans in San Jose will be asking themselves going into this one.

Defensively:

San Jose has been remarkably solid for an expansion team, tied for 6th in the league giving up 1.375 goals per game. They tend to play a little lower pressure then San Jose teams of old, but are well organized defensively and do not give up many good looks at goal for their opponent. Their weakness defensively has largely been a product of weakness in midfield, where players have been caught in possession, leading to transition opportunities.

A look at the likely starting lineup:

Ryan Johnson - FW - Last week his insertion into the starting lineup at forward created lots of havoc on Houston's back line. He is big, physical, and has good speed. While a bit raw at times, he really threw himself around on the field with a lot of energy. If he can pressure the Real back line as effectively as he did against Houston, San Jose should be able to create some chances.

Jovan Kirovski - FW - This will likely be his first start for the Earthquakes, so it will be interesting to see how well he integrates into the team. A known quantity in MLS, hes not going to blow anyone away. San Jose will be hoping that he can link up with Johnson, make good off the ball runs to open space for teamates, and to take any chances that might come his way.

Ronnie O'Brien - RM - Hes played fairly deep on the right side for San Jose, perhaps not getting as far forward as Earthquake fans might like. Hes a smart player, whose put in some good work on the ball. Dont expect him to try to take his man 1v1, hes going to look to combine with teamates, and might send in some early crosses from the right.

Shea Salinas - LM - He has lots of pace, and the technical ability to apply it to good effect, but the rookie doesnt quite seem to have the tactical acumen to apply those tools for maximum effect. He also tends to be overly aggressive, so Salt lake may have a chance to exploit Denton behind him. Young players like Shea can be inconsistant, so hes a bit of an X-facotr in this one.

Ramiro Corales - CM - Not a dedicated ballwinner, but he is the more defensive of the two center midfielders. His job is going to be take good defensive positions, link up with teamates. He has been victimized in losing possession in dangerous areas, so if San Jose is not moving well off the ball, pressuring him can create a goal scoring oppotunity in transition.

Ned Grabavoy - CM - His role in the offense isnt entirely clear at this stage. Like Corrales, he will have signifigant defensive responsibilities, but he will be the more forward of the two. However, wether that role is primarily a distributor, or more as a link player is uncertain. While he can be dangerous at times, he seems mostly to fall into the distributer category for San Jose.

Eric Denton - LB - Seemingly out of the league, hes back, and playing pretty well. Hes shown a good left foot, and while he wont wow anyone with his defenisve play, it has been solid.

Nick Garcia - LCB - A tough veteran presence, he will make quite a few right place and right time defenisve plays. Hes not big, or physically dominating, he does play with veteran savvy.

Ryan Cochrane - RCB - Like Garcia, he is not a physically imposing back, relying more on savvy. He can be mistake prone, so RSL might get a chance or two from a breakdown.

Jason Hernandez - RB - Somewhat limted going forward, he has godo speed, and plays well defensively. A solid right back.

Joe Cannon - GK - An excellent shot stopper, he has had communication issues at times with his back line. His distribution is somewhat lacking from free and goal kicks.

These teams have already met once in the open cup in Salt Lake, with the home side taking an easy 4-0 victory. However, before fans of either team start penciling in another RSL victory, it should be noted that the game featured a brutal collision between San Jose's centerbacks Jay Ayres and Ryan Cochrane, knocking both players out of the game. Cochrane would miss the next two games with a concussion, while Ayres is still out with a facial fracture that required surgery. As the home team, RSL has to be the favorite in this one, but expect a more competitive game this time around.

Prediction:

1-0 to RSL.

Real has shown good home form, and based on their previous road games, the safe bet seems to be against San Jose from having a strong performance. That said, the Earthquakes cant be counted out, as they have shown good form at times this season. Particularly on the road against Colorado, a result that probably brought a smile or two from Real Salt Lake fans.

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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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