Sorry but the heart wasn't in it for an updated yesterday - here is todays "news"...
Real Salt Lake: Turnabout is fair play: D.C. United crushes RSL -> Deseret News/David Driver
"You give up a penalty kick and it changes the game," said Real captain and midfielder Kyle Beckerman, who grew up in nearby Maryland. "You give up a second and it changes it even more. Then two great finishes from two great players (Quaranta and Gallardo). End of story"
Real Salt Lake game at a glance -> Deseret News
RSL at D.C. United player grades -> DesNews Blog/Dan Rasmussen
RSL: Calls, kicks lead to another loss -> Salt Lake Tribune/Jimmy LaRoue
Two questionable penalty kicks given to D.C. United, and then converted by Jaime Moreno, put Real Salt Lake in a hole that it was unable to climb out of, falling 4-1 before 23,269 fans at RFK Stadium Saturday night.
D.C. extends RSL road losing streak -> MLSnet/Chris Snear
Javier Morales, who replaced Matias Mantilla in the midfield from last week's starting 11 against Toronto, latched on to a ball that skipped through Stratford but his strong right-footed half-volley was straight at United goalkeeper Zach Wells. (huh?)
Real Salt Lake stunned by United -> MLSnet/Chris Snear
Real Salt Lake coach Jason Kreis sat alone in his corner of the locker room perplexed, pondering, after his team's 4-1 loss at D.C. United. He stared blankly, almost expressionless, his right leg crossed over his left, his fingers clenched together sitting softly on his knee.
United exacts revenge on RSL -> MLSnet/Charles Boehm
Rebounding from a two-game losing streak -- including a 4-0 loss to Real Salt Lake two weeks ago -- D.C. United on Saturday reversed the result in emphatic fashion, getting two goals from Jaime Moreno and two world-class finishes in rolling to a 4-1 victory against Real at RFK Stadium.
RSL vs DC Match Report -> AYL Soccer/Paul Barnhardt
MATCH QUOTES - Courtesy of RSL Communications
D.C. United Head Coach Tommy Soehn
On the win:
I think it’s important to get the result, but we still have to be hard on ourselves and know that on the day I don’t think the soccer was good enough, especially in the first half. I thought the effort was there, but we still have some things to work on. Winning is a habit, and if you get a result, it’s important for us right now. But building on that we have to continue to do things better.
On the team’s week of practice:
It’s been awesome. We haven’t had [practice] since spring training, and as you get in an influx of games there’s guys who now have to get in the mix who haven’t had that much work because of all the games we’ve had. We haven’t had quality sessions and you fall into bad habits, similar to last year. I still look back to last year and it took us a couple of weeks, even though we got results, it took us a couple to get to form, and I felt it was the same tonight. We’re still not where we need to be. We’re going to work darn hard to make sure that we’re going to clean up some of those things.
On Santino Quaranta:
His goal was a great finish. I think he still has to manage the game a little bit better and recognize when to take people on, and when to hold it. That’s part of maturity. He’s been great so far, as far as his attitude and his approach to his career, and he’s going to continue to work hard ands we’re going to continue to focus to make sure we’re pointing out what he needs to improve on. Meeting him early this year and having quite a few meetings with him, you can tell his focus and his mentality is totally different than when he was here last time.
On starting Dan Stratford:
He’s done a great job in training. It’s always hard for a young kid coming in for the first time especially when the team’s really pushing to get a win. I told him when we took him out to keep his head up, he’s been doing everything great in training and that’s what gets him on the field, and he has to continue to do that. We thought Rod [Dyachenko] would come in and make the soccer better, which we needed, because we weren’t holding the ball enough, and we weren’t getting Jamie [Moreno] and Marcelo [Gallardo] involved in the play enough. It was something we needed to do and I think Rod did a pretty decent job.
On Jamie Moreno as a leader:
Jamie leads in so many ways. The ball he sent over to Santino, a lot of guys don’t recognize those passing situations and he just has a maturity about him that makes people around him better. He leads in so many ways, but his play is one of the best ways he can lead.
On Marcelo Gallardo:
We talked all week about getting involved in the attack a little bit more and pushing himself a little bit higher, and to his credit he listened, and I thought he got involved a little bit more – he got involved in the attack a little bit more and he scored a goal.
On putting in new players:
We’re always going to try and figure out what works best. Every year you have to evaluate what players you have, and figure out what system works best. I don’t think the idea changes how we want to play, but putting guys in spots where you think they’ll be successful is important, so we’ll continue to experiment over the course of the games, whether it’s home or away, and see what works best.
On Rod Dyachenko:
We have to learn how to play on a consistent basis, and to do that you have to take on different roles. And how he handles those roles will determine how much time he sees. The one thing to credit him is he’s worked very hard and he’s very fit right now and it’s hard to keep him out at some points because I think he’s impacted the game most every time he came on and changed it. As he continues to do that, you find different qualities in him.
On Fred’s injury:
It’s a contusion. Having been through it, it’s something that hurts and it’ll take a few days to get through, but we don’t see anything long term.
D.C. United goalkeeper Zach Wells
On the game:
I thought collectively we played a lot better. We appeared to be a cohesive unit. We were a little bit stronger defending, so some things started bouncing our way in the offensive half and we took advantage of our opportunities.
D.C. United defender Marc Burch
On Gallardo’s goal:
It was nice, hopefully goal of the week.
On playing in the midfield:
I think I was confident with the guys in the back. They were taking care of the forwards, and giving me a little bit of freedom, so I covered when I needed to. Then I got wide and got the ball when I could.
On the team:
I think we have a little bit of a different team this year and you have to adjust, but I think today it was a good enough time for me to get forward and get some crosses and get into the attack.
On the result:
It’s nice to know we could get back to our style of play. We didn’t look like it the last few games, and I think tonight we started knocking the ball around and we’re dangerous in the attack, and it was nice to put a few away and create some penalties, and that’s a good offense trying to get things done up top.
D.C. United forward Santino Quaranta
On the game:
It was a good performance from everybody. I felt we worked hard and it just shows how when we work as a team, we win. It was 11 guys that did well tonight.
D.C. United forward Jamie Moreno
On his penalties:
It’s just one of those things. I’m good at it. I’m lucky enough to score that many penalties, and I just have to keep working on it.
On the mindset coming into the game:
We knew that we had to win and no matter what and we worked so hard all week to eliminate all the mistakes all the mistakes that we’ve been having and today shows that were going in the right direction. We still have to work on some things, but a win is a win and now we have to go back to work and keep working on the things that we’re still missing, but we’re human and we make mistakes, so that’s always going to happen.
Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Nick Rimando
On the loss:
It’s tough – we knew it was going to be tough. It’s a different game, on different grass. They were hungry for a win. It was in the back of their head what we did to them at our house. We knew they were going to come out strong, and try and put it on us.
On the team’s road struggles:
We come out, we play good, and we go at them. It looks like its going to be a good game, and then they get a PK. We fall back a little bit and then we start to chase the game. I think every time we start to chase the game we open up. They get chances and then they have opportunities to score. And I don’t think its a 4-1 game; we hit the post.
On Moreno’s two penalties:
He makes a living off PKs. I think he’s made 203 career goals off PK’s. No, especially at home I’d say one hundred percent. I just want to guess the right way and at least get a touch. But what are you going to do.
On Moreno’s first penalty:
He always makes his PK’s – what are you going to do? I thought he was going to go to one of the sides. That is why he is so good, he doesn’t just go to one side, he goes to the middle.”
Real Salt Lake midfielder Carey Talley
On the loss:
It was a bit of a struggle. The two penalties definitely altered the momentum of the game.
On the second penalty given:
I think he called [Chris] Wingert for a hold, but that was outside the box. I don’t know once he got inside the box where the foul was, but he fell down. He was given the call – what are you going to do?
On the difficulty to score goals on the road:
The first fifteen minutes I think we had a couple of decent opportunities. The ball was crossed in and no one was on the end of it. We didn’t take advantage of those.
Real Salt Lake Head Coach Jason Kreis
On what need to improve:
Scoring, results, everything.
On the penalty calls:
I think the first penalty was something that some refs call every time, some don’t. And then to give that up after I thought we had done well enough… the second penalty kick, again, some referees would have called, and some wouldn’t have. And that really puts us under there. Before we gave away that I thought we were doing pretty well. To give that up, you are snowed under, especially when you are playing in DC.
On moving forward:
We got another game Wednesday night, and a game after that on Saturday. We’ll see how we recover.
