Real Salt Lake blog

by Micah Olson

Predicting a winner for tonights game is proving more difficult than I had originally thought it would be, especially when considering past cup games, current MLS standings, and SuperLiga performances…

If we looked solely at current MLS standings the NE Revs are completely dominating every other team in points.  But can they actually pull off a cup win?  I don’t know if they are up to it, and I don’t think they do either.  Honestly I do not think that they had a very commanding win to get to this cup game.  And to be perfectly honest…  On a personal note I really hate Steve Nicol’s arrogant attitude.  He thinks that his team is superior to every other MLS team, in ability, and class.  I think that hurts them.

Houston on the other hand seems cool and collected.  They got a win against Pachuca that should have been a closer game due to a ball offsides call, and then continued with a 2-0 win against Columbus back in MLS play.  While that may boost their spirits, I wonder what it will do to their fitness, considering that New England hasn’t played since July 30th.

I am going to go with a Houston win.  They have the confidence.  They are not trying to prove anything.  And they are simply enjoying themselves.  The score, you ask…  Houston 2 (I would have gone 3 but they will be tired) - New England 1 (simply because that is what they have gotten in every game they played in SuperLiga).

One side note.  After RSL makes it to the finals this year, I will be excited to see them play in SuperLiga 2009!

Lets get the MLS action reviewed!

By Meanie Genie

DCU 2 – KC 1

D.C. United beats K.C 2-0 to hop back onto the winning bandwagon. After DC got stuffed in Superliga and by Houston in league play, D.C. gets back to their winning ways with a thoroughly dominate game against a K.C team still looking for answers. On a positive note for D.C., they overcame injuries to key players to seize the win to end a four-game losing streak in all competitions, and to gave Zach Wells and his defense their first league shutout of the 2008 campaign.

In short, K.C. didn’t look threatening. On the other hand, the finishing of Emilio is proof that MLS needs more talented strikers. You just can’t teach finishing like that!

Chicago 1 – Chivas 0

I love to watch the Goats lose! I can’t lie. I hate Chivas. I have many reasons. Why? Simple: the first year of RSL existence I had to endure Chivas fans being louder than our own at the games in RES. Petty reason? Maybe, but those fans really irritated me. So, watching a rookie get an extremely lucky shot to win the game made me smile. Some may think that Nyarko has skills, but I simply think the ball was lucky to stay low and end up in the net.

Chivas? I think you are in trouble when you field 3 former RSLers from the 2007 season. Atiba, Talley, and Eskysucksidarian were not my favorite players then, but now? I hope to see them all play against RSL in the near future with RSL 2.00.8 laying the smack down!

Houston 2 – Crew 1

I personally would have liked to have seen the Crew win so that RSL could maintain their first place standing with a larger cushion. However, Houston looked like the real deal in their win. Did the Crew look like challenging? No, not really. Houston was by far the better and more aggressive team on the field, so they deserve the win. What the win does is prime Houston to beat NE on Tuesday in the Superliga final, and set up a nice little possible first place showdown with RSL in the near future.

Superliga Prediction

I think Houston has NE’s number in championship games. NE may bet a regular season win, but somehow, Houston picks it up a notch when a trophy is on the line. Houston 2 – NE 1 (anyone else remember that score line?).

by Micah Olson

MLS teams have shut the Mexican side out of the SuperLiga cup this year! Congrats MLS, adios MEX.

HOU v PAC

After such a disappointing loss in 2007 to Pachuca in the semi’s, Houston stepped up big in the second half verses Pachuca Tuesday night. PAC seemed to have the upper hand until they had a goal called back for offsides. After which Houston came up with 2 beautiful goals, and Pat Onstad played like a champion making save after save after save! Great Game.

NER v ATL

Only two comments about this game… 1) Steve Nicol ought to have Mansally’s head for his mis in the 62′ minute! What in the world was that!?!?!? 2) The Atlante players showed themselves to be very poor losers as they started taking hacks at anyone they could catch up with, pushing players, and generally have a REALLY looser attitude.

Own goal off header, just out of reach for Joe Cannon with in opening few moments of match. Sucks so bad when that happens. I bet poor ol ‘ Denton, he of the waived C.Rapids ilk, feels like a real schmuck at this point. I bet Frankie isn’t pleased with that. Meanwhile, Joe sits in disbelief at the constant reminders of what could have been in LA, and that which actually was. We all saw it, that cool facial hair bit right as Golden Balls arrived. Joe does look that much better without it though; I can’t lie.

Goal 13^th minute 1^st game in MLS Huckerby (from England) Nice job following through and following the ball. Nice job finishing. However, I have to attribute an assist to Conway there. What was he thinking as he perfectly palms the ball to an onrushing Huckerby, who slot the ball home into the left back of the net. It has to be a nice feeling when you get a goal so early in your MLS career, especially having recently defected from across the pond, and right past Toronto. Hey Toronto, didn’t need a striker? Why would you give your striker to SJ? Right, the lovely fieldturf that all things English are afraid of. So, with the management decision of synthetic over natural, they guaranteed themselves of having serious hurdles to overcome before any player of high caliber arrives with a smile at the BMO Palace. Wait! You mean the Hammers and All-Stars didn’t want to play at BMO Palace? Who knew.

By minute 38 I felt a snooze coming on. However, things picked up when they dinged a ball right off the refs face. I have to wonder if it was by design either beneficially or maliciously. In any event, Mr. Ref kept his cool and control of the game. I have seen players dropped with less. The common day pansy-players always overselling every nick and touch always drives me nuts. If Mr. Ref can take it in the face and keep on refing, some of these so called athletes should get thicker skin or more pads, or something.

The first half finishes with a flurry of pseudo activity with both teams pretending to be going for anything other then a 1 - 1 tie. Not too boring, but not too exciting either.

Ok, I really wish there was a game being played so that I had something to watch. There isn’t, so I’m not. Get it? Seems like a tennis match out there with so much back and forth over the center line. Is anyone going to create?

Woolyneck takes a tumble when Ryan (“I ain’t getting no more championships”) Cochrane takes a nice touch ahead of him and slyly follows through and takes out his legs. I think the whole sequence was set up by Angel. I wonder why he would do that. Oh, BTW, Ryan (“I ain’t getting no more championships”) Cochrane ain’t getting no more championships as long as he is on SJE.

Oh, in the 75^th minute, something almost happened. Nope. Never mind. Lets see more of this giveaway game. Just as I was typing, Sealy decided to take matters into his own hands and kick the NY defense (while they were down). No, seriously, Sealy started kicking the guy, can’t tell who, while he was on the ground. Classless or effort?

OMG! 80^th minute and Woollyneck touches Guerro, who immediately lays down and flops around like a dead fish. The funniest part about his lame acting bit was the breakaway chance by SJE that just went down the drain. It always cracks me up when one of these guys fakes injury and kills their own momentum. Serves him right.

Stoppage time now. Nothing. Nada. Nope. and that is a wrap. Huckerby tried a last minute run, but nothing came of it.

In summary, good first outing for Huckerby. Either he feels great with his game or is wondering what lies ahead in MLS. Could all MLS defenses be so porous? Will he be able to repeat the feat week in and week out? I personally don’t think so. Without the poor shot of Sealy and worse effort by Conway, Huckerby gets a good welcome from the MLS.

July 27, 2008 FC Dallas v. Las Angeles Galaxy

I watched this game and could not believe how Kenny Cooper (Cooper Boy) took the “improved” LA defense to the ladies room. I thought Abel Xavier was bad, but the display in Frisco was terrible. How do you score 4 goa1s against the Galaxy defense? Simple. You shoot it 4 times. No, seriously, I thought Cooper’s first goal was highlight quality because of the way he pulled the ball back and slotted home. There may have been a Galaxy defender in the way so that the ball deflected past Cronin, but the ball ended up in the back of the net. Then, Dominic Oduro screams dobwn the field after being released by Cooper Boy, and then give it back like a nice gentleman so that Cooper oy can pad his statistics before his impending move across the pond. Chalk that 2 goals for Cooper Boy (Cooper Man?)

Oduro wasn’t done. Where did he get those feet? Is this “Flash” in disguise? Who knows, but after tearing past the LA defense, Oduro drove right at Cronin only to change direction and make Cronin the fool as the ball rolled into the net from a tight right angle.

Abe Thompson took care of the rest with a later finish that really showed how bad the Gals defense, even sans Abel, really is. The Gals may make the playoffs, but they won’t go far. Isn’t the age-old axiom that defense wins championships? No defense for the Gals equals no championship this year.

My synopsis is that the Donavin on the left and Beckham on the right isn’t the answer. By placing both of their most creative players on opposite sides of the field, LA didn’t get a chance for them to play with each other. The result: no goals, and very few LA shots on goal.

July 27, 2008 C.Rapids v. The Crew

This game was rather enjoyable because it means the C.Rapids took another one on the chin. Lenhart put The Crew on the board but ended up with the proverbial shot in the foot, when he landed an elbow on the jaw of one of the Crapids and was ejected before the end of the first half. The C.rapids thought they were in the clear with the extra man on the field; however, they needed more than an extra man to impact this game. They simply could not finish. The crossbar kept impeding the way for any of their attempts at goal, as well as great goal keeping by Hesmer (man of the match). Jason Garey was able to muscle his way around the porous defense of the Crapids, and poor Ihemelou was left in the dust, just in time to see the ball hit the roof of the net.

This win for the Crew felt so good as an RSL fan, simply for the reason we have all seen how arrogant and obnoxious the C.rapids have been at Rice-Eccles during all of the matches they have ever played here. Pablo Mastroeni was left impotent and it felt so good to watch.

July 27, 2008 KC v. Fire

Pass. This was such a boring game, I can’t even comment on it.

Predictions for RSL v. Tornoto today: RSL 2, Toronto 0. Cunny doesn’t get one this time around! Look for Dr. Low Goals to get back on the score sheet. Olave and Nat take care of an impotent TFC attack that just doesn’t have anyone up front to finish. Also, without Edu and Marvel Comic, TFC can’t stop the RSL attack.

As I am sitting here watching SuperLiga, and seeing Atiba Harris, and Carey Talley taking guys down it is hard not to reminisce a bit.  Both players have really knocked around a few of the Santos Laguna players quite a bit, and we are only in the 10′!  It is fun seeing some of our old favorites getting to enjoy play in a meaningful tourney.

Lets hope that they play well, and represent the MLS well!