Real Salt Lake blog

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.

by Micah Olson

Could Real Salt Lake’s new offensive powerhouse be Jared Borghetti? He is a striker from Mexico who MAY have been practicing with Real Salt Lake recently. There is a picture (regrettably, of the back of a head) of someone practicing with RSL, wearing number 19 (not currently used by rsl). The site that posted the picture claims that it may be Jared Borgetti.

I have a few questions about this. If someone was able to get a picture at a practice of the back of a head, why not of the front too? And how in the world could they know that this is Borghetti?

If it IS Jared that could be good. He is very experienced, and at one time retired from international play, but has recently been called back for FIFA 2010 qualifying.

After seeing this I may start posting pictures, from behind, of guys walking around Salt Lake City with RSL Jerseys on, and hinting at names that this person could be… But even with as skeptical as I am about this rumor, it has me curious enough to post about it… AND whoever this Mystery striker is, we will probably find out soon.

July 28, 2008

Prior to the game I was predicting a 2-0 victory for RSL with Dr. Almost Goals getting on the score sheet. Boy, was I wrong. It was good to get the win for sure, but I was a bit disappointed that our big Scott can’t seem to buy a goal. If you were at the game, or can find it on Youtube (someone PLEASE post it), you have to admit at least Deuchar is giving it all to get a goal for us. He has heart. He has spirit. And, He quite possibly did one of the most graceless attempts at an overhead, bicycle, or scissor kick I have ever seen. It was amazing to see legs that long extend that far to get a hit on the ball and send it goalwards. I’m sold. I’m telling you that he is going to get it together. Or, at least he will give us another good laugh in the process, and some quality highlight material. Please someone, post that clip!

The first half was a tense affair with the players maybe feeling to much pressure from the JK press clippings. A must win game for RSL or else they might be caught in the standings by before they resume the field in mid-August. Only a single point back, Houston and LA were nipping at RSL’s heel with games in hand. So the possibility of RSL being somewhere below first place before they play their next game may have been wearing on their minds. Both RSL and Toronto had quality chances clank off the woodwork of seemingly saran-wrapped goals. First Findley was robbed by the left post in what looked to be a goal. The frustration of RSL almost ended in a late first half goal when Frenchie (Robert) smacked a cross of the underside of the crossbar. I promise you last year or the year before that ball was going in. Not tonight. 0-0 at the end of the first half.

Why is Kenny F. Cutler (KFC) starting games? I can’t figure it out. Sure, he does periodically come in during the second half of games and at least help keep the defensive shape and possession games. However, he isn’t starter material. If he is the best they have. Ouch! On the other hand, I wasn’t a fan of Talley and I can’t profess to know his locker room persona, but he appeared to be a stand up guy (please correct me if I am wrong here), but shipping Talley to Chivas for relatively nothing may not have been the smartest thing from a team perspective. Maybe Talley’s ability to give goals away cost him his place. Lets hope Russell will provide the depth to keep KFC on the bench.

Williams had a quality second half and his play on the wide right helped create the space for Wingert to exploit for the opening score. Midway through the second half Wingert got to send the same cross in a couple of times with Yura being wasteful before Olave headed past a diving Sutton. RSL on top by a goal.

Complacency set in after the goal and RSL started getting the game handed to them by the Toronto midfield. On comes Cunny, and everyone at Rice-Eccles Stadium KNOWS about The Curse of the Former RSL Player. They always come back and score on us. Always. It can happen with any former RSL player. We all saw Mathis come out of slumps with goals against RSL while in the colors of Colorado and NYRB. Do I even need to mention Aleko and Atiba? The complacency in the midfield forced Olave to make a major error in the last 10 minutes of the game by trying to slide on Amado, and then reach out with his hand to trip Amado as he was beaten. Free kick; goal for Toronto. 1-1

Here we go again. Right?

The echoes of the crowd now haunting the RSL players, they had to have heard the shout from the crowd that the game wasn’t over. The next bit of the game was fast and furious with very few memorable moments from either team. Then right before the end, Beckerman gets lose and hits it straight at Sutton, who palms the ball back into the mixer and right to Findley. Findley’s touch was a bit hard and the ball bounced toward the penalty spot with not just 1, but 2 Toronto players appearing to be closer to the ball. Somehow Findley gets to it and rifles his shot under the in-sliding defender and off some part of a flailing Sutton. Can you believe this? RSL up 2-1 in the 88^th minute.

The rest of the game Toronto had half chances, but nothing that really felt would penetrate the RSL defense again. I am glad they didn’t. RSL wins 2-1.

RSL gets to keep 1^st place in the west for at least 2 weeks, and 3^rd place overall for at least a week. I still can’t believe it. They finally win the game they must win.

 Thats that!

Meanie Genie

by Micah Olson

Well, again I find myself stuck at home watching the games on the horrific, laggy, direct kick.  But it does afford me the ability to make a few very insightful half time observations.

First and foremost, Real Salt Lake can not finish worth beans.  Have I intoned that before in other posts?  I am SO ready for a new signing.  An up front guy, with moves, intelligence, and (something our current strikers can’t seem to find) ability.  Javier Morales should be the league leader in assists.  I bet that he is even more ready for a quality striker than we as fans are.

Second, Espindola is on the sub list!  I do not believe that he has been there since his injury.  If he has I simply missed it.  For me that is great news.  When he was on the pitch it was common to post big decisive wins…  4-1, 4-0, 3-1.  Add our current defensive abilities, and a new striker to play with him, and presto, RSL takes the MLS cup.

Food for thought…  When is the MLS, and FIFA for that matter, going to figure out a way to accurately track offsides?  There is never a game that does not have at least one offsides call I disagree with.

Time for half two.  My predictions?  Robbie Russel gets some time in place of Kenny “Play it back” Cutler, and does good, but nothing that we drool over.  Deucher comes in for Yura, and… does nothing.  Beckerman scores and RSL wins 1-0. OR Espindola gets in and scores along with Beckerman, and RSL wins 2-0.

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.