Pioneers vs Natural Disaster

It's time for the annual 24th of July weekend game for RSL, lets all hope it goes much better than the game on the 4th of July. Real will play host to the San Jose Earthquakes, a team that has given RSL fits at the RioT for the past few years. Hopefully they can buck this trend and come out victors in a very important league match.RSL opened the 2011 season with a very rainy trip to San Jose in which they drew but were maybe a bit unlucky to not win. This time around, they are looking to get the full three points. After nearly 2 weeks of rest, RSL should be hungry to go out there in front of a decent sized crowd and win in a convincing manner. Not only will the altitude play a factor, but the comparative rest for each team should play in as well. San Jose played host to Vancouver last night in a match they tied 2-2. It seems everything is in favor of RSL getting a win; which scares me.
San Jose is comprised of some very interesting players that could be a great challenge to RSL if they are on. Starting from the back they have Jon Busch in goal. This guy always seems to have a career night against RSL. The midget, much like Rimando, gets to shots you wouldn't think possible when looking at his size.

In front of Busch is a decent defense with player such as veteran Chris Leitch, big man Bobby Burling, and Jason Hernandez. Those three alone present our forwards with a great test of getting in behind. Burling, in particular, will likely be marked up against Sabo because of his size.

In the middle RSL caught a huge break with midfielder Simon Dawkins - a former Hotspurs player - picking up a hamstring strain against Vancouver. He had to be subbed off and thus is very unlikely to play in this match. This does not mean, however, that Vancouver lost all of their midfield presence. Khari Stephenson, in particular, will most definitely give the RSL diamond midfield a test. The guy is a very talented player with the ability to shoot from range.Up top is where San Jose has the potential to be the most dangerous, though. Between former Crew man Steven Lenhart (the MLS Napoleon Dynamite) and last years Golden Boot winner Chris Wondolowski, the RSL defense will have to be on top form. Wondo, in particular, is the player to watch out for. He scored both of the goals for San Jose in their match against Vancouver and will hope to carry his form into the RioT.


Given the amount of rest and time until the next RSL match, Kreis should not hold back anyone in this game. The best XI guys should be put out there to get the win. The starting XI I would hope/like to see is as follows:

GK: Nick Rimando
- Nicky will likely be called on a couple times in this match. Wondolowski and Lenhart have the ability to create chances out of nothing. Hopefully he takes the slap of not being selected to the all-star game as a challenge and goes out ready to prove he is one of the best keepers... definitely better than Tally Hall

LB: Chris Wingert
- It's time for Chris to become a staple in the starting lineup again. When on, he can be one of the best left backs in the league.

CB: Jamison Olave
- After receiving the news that he was selected to be in the all-star game next week, hopefully Olave will go out there ready to prove that he is deserving.

CB: Nat Borchers
- Like Nicky, hopefully Borchers takes the slap of not being selected to the all-star squad as a challenge. We need our anchor to be solid. No 3rd minute red cards, Nat.

RB: Tony Beltran
- With how Tony has been playing lately, you can't kick him off the starting lineup. Sorry Russell, Tony is just better right now.

LM: Will Johnson
- The little energizer bunny should be fully charged and ready to run a tired San Jose side into the ground.

CDM: Kyle Beckerman
- Kyle will have to play a huge match in the middle to keep RSL in this one. With his selection to the all-star game (probably undeserved) hopefully he steps up and shows it was in fact deserved.

RM: Ned Grabavoy
- Grabs just has to do what he always does, be that role player who plays incredibly well but gets little acknowledgement or respect.

CAM: Andy Williams
- Bomma's legs should be fully rested after a pretty tough stretch. Andy can be magical when on, lets hope he is on Saturday.

FW: Alvaro Saborio
- After serving his "suspension", Sabo should be ready to come out to prove to the fans, media, and most importantly coaching staff and fellow players that he is focused. We need out big man up top to have a good game.

FW: Fabian Espindola
- Fabi has been, in my opinion, the best RSL player this season. Him not getting selected to the all-star game is just ridiculous. I hope this disrespect fuels Espy that much more to prove his worth. A focused yet fighting Espy is simply unstoppable.


Player to watch for RSL: Alvaro SaborioThere are going to be a lot of eyes looking at what Sabo does this game. After his last match at the RioT, it's likely deserved. He stormed off in frustration with being subbed. It has since been dealt with by the team and all confidence seems to be behind him. When Sabo is the team player we all know he can be, he is what makes our offense work - especially without Javi -. It's time for a big night from the big man.


Prediction: RSL 3 - San Jose 0
Goals from Sabo, Espy, and Olave
- We should be able to wear this team out with our passing, altitude, and much longer rest. If we get them chasing early, it'll all be roses at the end.

FORZA REAL

Cheers,

15 to 32

Chance for Revival

RSL heads up to expansion side Vancouver Whitecaps FC tomorrow afternoon in what should be a good chance for RSL to gain some valuable road points. Vancouver is considered by many to be one of the worst, if not the worst team in the league this year. Back in June, RSL showed just how much better they were than this side with a very dominant performance at the RioT. This truly is a wonderful chance for RSL to gain 3 massive road points.
On paper, this match is incredibly one sided. RSL has more skilled players in every position compared to Vancouver, even when you take into consideration that RSL will likely rotate a few players. With the game being shortly after a very hot game in Dallas, and on turf, Kreis would do well to give some first team guys a break and send out a mixed lineup to get the win. There is no excuse in this one why they shouldn't be able to pull it off.

This is not to say that the task will be easy. For starters, the game is in the middle of the day. For whatever reason, RSL tends to struggle with these games when it comes to effort, energy, and intensity. Also, this will be a first time for this team playing at Empire Field. While it is by no means a place where the Whitecaps dominate their opponents, it is an unknown place for almost all the RSL players. The fans in Vancouver show up in large numbers, even with their side struggling, and tend to make it another difficult place to play much like Seattle and Portland. RSL will have to show its maturity and class to overcome these obstacles and gain the full three points. Anything less, honestly, would be a disappointment.

For RSL to win, I see these three keys as the deciding factors:

1st: Play with heart and energy from the opening whistle
- When you look back at previous road games, there seems to be a reoccurring theme; RSL struggles to play with energy. Whether it's right from the opening whistle or for really long stretches in either half, RSL simply hasn't put together a game with high energy on the road at all this year. I'm not expecting them to be sprinting the entire 90, but it would be nice to see RSL take it to their opponent early, continue to do that, and not have gigantic lapses that burn them.

2nd: Defense on dead ball situations.
- The last 5 goals that have been scored on RSL have all come from dead ball situations. 3 of them have come directly from set pieces around the box, the other two have come from goal kicks. This is good in that RSL has not given up a goal in the run of play for the past three games, however it screams that they are not focused enough when the ball stops and the restarts again. Set pieces typically determine tight games, we have to be on the winning side of this, not losing.

3rd: Quicker ball movement
- Since the loss of Javi, this has been one area RSL has really struggled with. We tend to hold onto the ball too long or make what should be a single pass into two passes. To break down opponents, we rely on our ball movement. We don't have the speed, wing play, or size to really break down opponents in another fashion. If our beautiful passing style is to work, the tempo of the passing (and the movement off the ball) has to increase.

Player to watch for RSL: Alvaro SaborioAfter sitting out a match for a small dispute with coach Kreis, Sabo is back for RSL. If he wants to silence those saying he is losing form (which he is not) and that he isn't a good fit for the team (which he really is) then what better time to do it then now. We've seen that when Sabo gets mad, he can be a true beast and impossible to defend. Please, Sabo, get mad and prove these haters wrong.

Prediction: RSL 2 - Vancouver 1
- Sabo and Espy with the goals

FORZA REAL

Cheers,

15 to 32

Same Sad Story

RSL goes to Dallas and loses, yet again. There wasn't much there that was out of the ordinary for an RSL trip to Dallas.After a very promising performance on Saturday, RSL looked it's bad self again in Dallas this past Tuesday. The question is why did RSL look so bad shortly after having possibly one of its best games of the year? This was never going to be an easy match for the guys, but things got especially bad for RSL in three key ways:

1st: The game was in Dallas.- RSL is 0-9-1 in Dallas in league play. As in we simply don't know how to win there. Allowing the game to be played in Dallas sucked and was a task that RSL simply couldn't overcome. While blame can't be put squarely on the RSL Front Office, some blame is surely deserved. It was made public knowledge that Kreis and the staff were placing this tournament high on the list of priorities. This was, in their opinion, the easiest route back to Champions League Soccer.
The process is, I will acknowledge, completely absurd as to who gets to host these games. Teams submit a blind bid to USSF and thus (one can assume) the higher bid wins out. There is no time to make a response, no time to negotiate, it's a one and done type thing. Thus, RSL had to bid a price and simply hope Dallas didn't place a higher one. Obviously, this tactic didn't work. As my friend who writes the blog asthegameends.blogspot.com pointed out a little while ago, this is one area that could really be improved upon in the tournament. However, I don't see where their incentive to change is as I'm sure they receive a lot more money via this blind bid than any other fashion. USSF is all about the money, we all should know that.

2nd: Poor Lineup Choices from Kreis
While I am very happy we won the match on Saturday, it played a huge factor in us not winning on the following Tuesday. By forcing first team players to play in both matches (save a couple changes) Kreis put out a very tired and lethargic squad. His post match comments called out the guys for having a lack of effort and fight, he might need to acknowledge he is partly to blame. While these are professional athletes, they aren't machines. Forcing them to play two highly contested games of soccer this close together, with all the other elements combined, was a bad decision.
Dallas coach Schellas Hyndman, on the other hand, showed just how much he trusted some of his players by rotating out key guys in place of younger and more fresh legs. This was what gave them such an edge in the midfield. If we lose in the midfield, especially against a team like Dallas, our chances of wining are slim to none. Kreis got out-coached in this one, it's as simple as that.

3rd: Team SpeedThis deals more with RSL in general than this game in particular. However, this game did show just how much team speed we lack. While it is true we have a few players on the team with some wheels on them (Olave, Paulo Junior, Beltran, etc) the team overall lacks speed. This is especially true of our midfield and current healthy forwards. We simply don't scare teams in the offensive end with a speedy guy. Teams continue to clog up the midfield on us by bringing up their defensive line and adding more guys to the middle of the pitch. Until we find a player who can be consistently healthy and has speed on the offensive end of the ball, this trend will continue. Dallas exposed this weakness on us in both games, we were just lucky to find a goal first in the MLS match on Saturday.

In the end, Dallas very much deserved to win this game. It wasn't a case of RSL playing below its standards (though they did a bit) but much more of a Dallas side simply being better on the night. There is no shame in admitting they were the better team.

Man of the Match: Ugo IhemeluMany of the FCD players are deserving of this award but I felt it necessary to give it to Ugo. The former cRapid held down the back-line for Dallas very well and was constantly there whenever RSL looked to be building an attack. I've never been a big fan of Ugo's, but on Tuesday he played a very solid match.

Wanker of the Match: Dallas FansIt is somewhat rude to do this, but it must be said. The Dallas fans are rather pathetic. There was an announced attendance of 3,189 to this game. A quarter final match in any tournament deserves better, especially when you consider how much time they had to move tickets and how big of a match this actually was. This was not out of the norm, however, for Dallas home matches. They struggle to get people out there no matter the opponent. It's truly sad to see when they have such a good team to showcase. Hopefully things will change, but I seriously doubt it.


Moving On: One Focus - Supporters ShieldNow that we have unceremoniously crashed out of the Open Cup, there are only two more big trophies left to obtain for RSL. First, and the one that should now take their entire focus, is the Supporters Shield. I have talked recently that they need to find their form if they want to win this; what better place to start than these weekend against Vancouver. I'll have a pre-match post on this tomorrow or Saturday morning.

FORZA REAL

Cheers,

15 to 32

Nostalgia

Saturday night at the RioT was truly an awesome night. Not only because RSL was able to once again win, but because of how they did so. It was beautiful to watch, thrilling to be part of, and felt like the not so old times where we simply were the class of the league. It was a nostalgic night, for sure.This game was, in all honesty, the best game of soccer I've seen at the RioT in quite some time. Both teams had rather attractive and attack oriented styles. Dallas may have been using a bit more of a counter-attack, but it wasn't in a shell at all. Right from the opening whistle you could tell both teams were valuing this match very highly. It was, as they say, a true 6-point match. It could either separate Dallas from us that much more while also staying equal on the games in hand. Or, as it turned out, it could pull us that much closer while also keeping the same amount of games in hand. In the end, the home team prevailed. It wasn't, however, an easy win by any means.

The first 45 minutes were somewhat sloppy. Their was an added intensity about the match as both teams really wanted to be the first on the scorecard. Dallas was looking to find Brek Shea as much as possible and RSL was using Sabo as a point man. Neither team was overly successful as both teams feature some solid back-lines. Even with Borchers out, RSL looked solid with Schuler filling in just fine. Dallas, on the other hand, had a few scary moments. Their outside backs weren't having the best of nights as Gil and Sabo kept finding space behind them. Eventually, this was going to be their downfall, you could sense it. The most dangerous moment in the first half came from for RSL near the end of the allotted time. Will Johnson found some space on the outside of the box to the left side and hit a strong shot low and somewhat towards the far post. Hartman was complaining their should have been an off sides called as Andy was slow getting back. He never touched the ball or made an attempt to go towards its, though, so it was hard for the ref to interpret. Regardless, Hartman made a pretty ridiculous save as he got down towards his far post and pushed the shot away. At the end of 45 minutes, it was locked up and both sides were very level.

The second 45 started in a rather strange fashion. It was obvious Kreis had put some emphasis on coming out attacking. Right from the whistle RSL was on the attack. Just a couple minutes in they were awarded a free kick about 25 yards away from goal. It was in a position that was perfect for a left-footed player... of course we didn't have one on the pitch. Instead, Andy and Kyle stood over the free-kick to run a well rehearsed set piece. Andy knocked it to KB, who settled it for Andy to bend over the wall. Andy's shot was well hit and had loads of bend, but it went right at Hartman. For whatever reason, Hartman misjudged the ball slightly and it rolled, after striking his hands, into the back of the net. An odd goal, but a goal nonetheless. For the remainder of the half we witnessed some truly attractive soccer. Dallas had to, especially as the game wore on into the latter minutes, push forward with numbers. This allowed space for RSL to exploit once they got the ball. It was a back and forth game in which both teams defenses kept winning the battle in the most desperate of times. In the 85th minute, it looked as though Dallas had broke through. A nice chip found Brek Shea on the right side of the 18 just slightly in. He cut passed a diving Rimando and played the ball to an open Jackson. Jackson's one time shot lacked pace but was going into the back of the net. That was until Chris Wingert made the save of the match. He was originally marking Shea who had got in behind him. As every defender should do, he kept tracking the play and covered the goal once Rimando came out. He pushed the shot off the line and deflated the Dallas attack. As the game died out Dallas got more and more strectched and eventually made a pretty bad mistake in the back. A horrible outlet pass found Will Johnson in on goal with 2 defenders in front of him. Will found Espindola who juked by both defenders and coolly slotted the ball into the bottom corner. The final whistle blew before their could even be a restart. A wonderful way to finish the game.

Man of the Match: Tony BeltranIt was no secret that RSL's game plan was to stay composed defensively and then turn that into an attack. The primary goal on the defensive end was to limit the touches Shea received. Tony Beltran shut him down wonderfully. Shea was visibly frustrated by the play that Tony was exercising and upset he couldn't find a way in behind him. Shea tried later on to switch to the other side. Wingert was just as ready. Numerous players were deserving of this award, I felt Tony was the top player of the match, though.

Wanker of the Match: Kevin HartmanHis blunder lead to the win for RSL. However, it wasn't just this mistake that won him the award. This guy has to be the slowest at taking goal kicks in the league. Even down a goal, he seemingly took forever to get the ball back into play. I've never been a fan of his and was really happy to see him and such fault. Hey, Hartman, IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!


Looking Ahead: Tuesday's RematchThe turnaround is really quick for both RSL and Dallas. Tomorrow they go at it again, this time in Open Cup play. It's no secret that Kreis really wants to win this thing. With the news that they will host the semi's if they find a way to beat Dallas, I'm sure Kreis will risk his starters on short rest. If RSL wants to win, this is a must.

The XI I think that could get the first RSL win in Dallas would be:

GK: Rimando
- Will likely have to make some big saves in this one. He wasn't needed too much on Saturday.

LB: Beltran
- Not sure if it'll be LB or RB for him, but he has to be on the pitch to stop Shea. Russell and Wingert just simply aren't quick enough to do so.

CB: Borchers
- After serving his unjust suspension, the leader in the middle will have to have a solid night.

CB: Olave
- He might need some rest, which he could get the following Saturday in Vancouver. He dominated the Dallas attack at the RioT. He has to be on the pitch again in Dallas.

RB: Russell
- Wingert is still recovering from hamstring issues or I would put him in. Russell didn't even dress Saturday which makes me believe he is a lock for this one.

LM: Johnson
- The energizer bunny has to show his fitness. Hopefully he'll have a somewhat better match as he didn't have a stellar one on Saturday.

CDM: Beckerman
- We can't win this one without Kyle. He has to dominate the middle of the pitch.

RM: Grabavoy
- His tenacity has to be at its highest of the whole season. The 5 man midfield of Dallas will be a solid test, especially with such short rest.

CAM: Gil
- Luis looked really really good on Saturday. If he could learn to shoot, he probably could have even earned MOTM honors. When he moved back into the middle late he looked comfortable. Warner and Andy just aren't in form right now. Play the best man, that's Gil.

FW: Saborio
- He won numerous balls for us in the air on Saturday. His antics about being subbed were hopefully just frustration about not finding the net. We need him to be ready for this match.

FW: Espindola
- It's time the Argentine got back in the starting XI. If he and Sabo are given that much time to go at the Dallas defense, I'm sure they'll find the goal.

Prediction: RSL 2 - FCD 2
- Sabo and Espy with the goals
- RSL wins in pk's.

Its going to be a hot match as the temperatures are projected into the triple digits at opening kick. Kreis has to have these guys focused and ready to lay it all on the line. A win here justify sending a reserve team up to Vancouver Saturday. All it takes is this and two more wins and RSL would be back in the Champions League. That has to be bulletin board material.

FORZA REAL

Cheers, 15 to 32

1st Leg v Dallas

RSL hosts FC Dallas this weekend in what is the first of two games the teams will play against each other in a matter of four days. This first leg, hosted at the RioT, is MLS regular season play. The second leg, in Dallas, is for a semifinal place in the US Open Cup. Both teams try to play attractive, flowing soccer; so both games should be entertaining to watch.
Dallas comes into Sandy this weekend as, in my opinion, the best team in the league. They are simply on fire, even with the injury to Ferreira, and seeming to get better each game. Brek Shea, in particular, has just had a stellar season. To be perfectly honest, at the "mid-point" of the season, I have them as best team, Schellas Hyndman as Coach of the Year, and Brek Shea as MVP. They've simply done an amazing job and continue to get great results while sticking to the attractive soccer approach.

Its because of this that the game, even without the second leg looming, would be a gigantic test for RSL. While RSL has seemed to be improving over the last little bit, the truth remains that they are just 3-3-6 since the devastating loss to Monterrey. What's even more devastating is that 2 of those 3 wins were against the Canadian teams in the league (both at the RioT) while the third was against Chivas in a game that will not be remembered for RSL winning, sadly. RSL, it seems fair to say, is struggling. Thus, we have two teams going in somewhat similar directions but one (Dallas) doing it in much better and more effective fashion.

If it were just this one leg, this game would be a huge test for RSL. What makes this match all the more interesting - and honestly hard to predict in any fashion - is the US Open Cup match just 3 days later. Coach Kreis has made it well known that he values the Open Cup very highly and views it (correctly) as the easiest way back to Champions League soccer. Kreis showed last season that he is willing to put out a team filled with more reserves than starters in league matches if it means he can save his first teams legs for a bigger match. I see this happening this weekend. Kreis will want his best XI ready for Tuesday in Dallas. This means anybody with nagging injuries, who looked gassed at the end of Monday's match, or simply is in need of rest won't be starting this Saturday.

The Starting XI is a complete toss-up, but this is what I think we'll see:

GK: Reynish
- Nicky is in need of some rest. Reynish could use the experience against a very good opponent.

RB: Beltran
- Because of our lack of depth, Tony is going to have to start. I wouldn't be surprised, however to see him get subbed off.

CB: Schuler
- With Borchers suspended Schuler was already going to be a starter

CB: McKenzie
- The risk of using two younger defenders is high, but Kreis needs to get Olave some rest for Tuesday.

LB: Wingert
- This all depends on the health of Wingert, but if he can go, he should get a start to get his legs back under him

RM: Johnson
- Little Willy has an engine that seems to never stop. He'll likely be asked to put it all out there for both of the matches

CDM: Beckerman
- The choice to bench Kyle on Monday might actually pay off. I could see him actually starting in this one despite being one of the players you would circle as very important.

CAM: Warner
- He played 5 minutes against New England, his legs can take it.

RM: Grabavoy
- I would almost guarantee that Grabs gets subbed for Andy in this match. Those two need to be preserved as much as possible for Tuesday.

FW: Gil
- Espy still needs time to recover and Gil has been a great surprise up top. Give the kid another go.

FW: Aghasyan
- I want Sabo to start, but the guy has played a lot of minutes lately, he could use a night off. If Arturo can possibly start, I'd put him out there over Aghasyan.

Player to watch for RSL: Chris SchulerChris is going to have a really tough night filling in for Nat. He has done it on multiple occasions before, but nothing quite like this. Dallas is a damn good team with incredible speed. If we are going to be sound defensively, Chris will have to have a career night.

Player to watch for FCD: Brek SheaI've made it no secret that I am quite a fan of Shea's play this year. Even with that thing he calls a hair-do the guy simply is on fire. He'll be flying down the wing constantly and could really be what decides this game. If he is on, I'm not sure RSL has an answer.

Prediction: RSL 1 - FCD 1
- Gil gets his first goal in response to a Jackson goal for Dallas.
- This is, honestly, a rather bold prediction by me. We probably should lose this game, especially if we field a team with more reserves than starters. Dallas simply is the best team in the league right now. To get this result, even with the first team, would be a success in my mind.

One last note. It seems a bit foolish for RSL to place so much weight in a road game when they are in desperate need of points if they want to win the Supporters Shield. With our history on the road, especially in Dallas, this seems like we are setting ourselves up for two losses. What is making Kreis, then, so (potentially) willing to risk a loss here in order to win on Tuesday? Well, it was just announced that if we are to win that game against Dallas, we get to host the semifinal against the winner of the LA/Seattle series. That alone should be convincing enough reason for RSL to take this risk. It might sting really bad on Saturday, but it could pay off huge if we can win Tuesday and then again in the semis.

FORZA REAL

Cheers,

15 to 32

Crazy Night

What an... interesting night at the RioT.There are a lot of words I could use to describe the game last night, "interesting" seems the most fitting. It's sure to be a game that many remember for quite awhile. It goes right along with the past two RSL v New England games at Rio Tinto. This one, however, was for much different reasons. A wild night that ended in a 3-3 draw was incredibly full of drama, duds, and lackluster defending.

1st Half
As RSL walked out of the tunnel for the start of the game, one thing was noticeably different - there was not Kyle Beckerman in the starting lineup. Kyle had been pushed to the bench by Kreis because of him just getting back from his brother's wedding hours prior to the match. Kreis had to know this was a risky move as KB simply is the leader of this team. 3 minutes in, the decision looked to be a very bad one. A goal kick by New England sailed into midfield where Kyle's replacement, Ned Grabavoy, attempted to head it. He missed. The ball bounced above the back four of RSL and suddenly Benny Feilhaber was on a 1 v 1 with Rimando. The crowd went silent as it looked RSL was going to go down early to a very bad side. Instead, Nat Borchers recovered and made an incredible sliding save. Clearing the ball up off of Feilhaber and out for a goal kick. Or so it seemed. For some inexplicable reason, the center ref pointed to the spot and called a penalty. The crowd booed. Then he went to his back pocket and ejected Nat. The crowd - along with RSL players and staff - went nuts. Upon review, the call was incredibly harsh and ultimately changed the complexion of the match entirely. New England stepped up, put away the penalty, and suddenly were ahead or RSL at the RioT 1-0. It must have really been shocking to the guys as shortly thereafter New England doubled their lead. A horribly defended set piece (what was the wall covering? and what were they doing jumping!?) put New England ahead 2-0. Everyone was in shock. The players, for both teams it seemed, couldn't believe what was happening. Then, finally, RSL got mad. For the next 20 minutes it was all RSL. Attack after attack came at New England. Eventually, via a nice hit set piece by Andy Williams, RSL took the lead. The shot was pushed off the bar by Reis just to have Will Johnson hammer it home. Momentum had swung. RSL, sadly, couldn't get it level before half though.

2nd Half
To start the second half Kreis brought on Beckerman to get things straightened out in the middle. The second sub of the night for RSL proved to be a very important one as Kyle dominated the middle of the pitch the remainder of the night. Had he started, we likely wouldn't have been in the situation. Hindsight, like they say, is 20-20. It didn't take long for RSL to level the score. A harmless cross into the box deflected off of a New England defender and out for a corner. However, the ref pointed to the spot and called penalty. Honestly, when I say this play in live action, I thought the ref blew yet another call. Upon review, there was contact made. It might have been a bit harsh, but it still wasn't anywhere near as harsh as the penalty in the first half. Sabo stepped up and slotted home the equalizer - after much time wasting and gamesmanship by New England - and the momentum was entirely on RSL's side. Sadly, though, momentum isn't everything. A questionable foul by Olave just minutes later resulted in a New England set piece roughly 30 yards from goal. Joseph, the lone New England aerial threat, somehow beat out all of the RSL defender's to put New England ahead, once again, 3-2. Totally against the run of play, but deserved for the piss poor defending RSL showed on yet another dead ball situation. Espindola was brought on right after the goal and instantly was a game changer. He gave New England's fits all night until eventually he found the back of the net off of a wonderful pass from Saborio. After 85 minutes the game was tied 3-3 and it seemed all RSL needed to do was get one more chance. They didn't have it in them, though, and the game ended (with loud and much deserved boos from the crowd) 3-3.

It was a wild one. One that many will remember for simply atrocious officiating. To think this would be correct, however, it wouldn't be the full story. Honestly, RSL looked very bad on the defensive side of the ball during any dead ball situation. The first goal resulted from not dealing with a goal kick. Grabavoy completely missed on the header and the back line for RSL didn't bother marking Feilhaber. The second goal was just bad play by a whole host of players, again. Rimando's wall was not at all in position and the wall itself did not do itself any favors by jumping (Andy in particular). The last NE goal was just the cherry on top. Olave lost Joseph and a nice ball from Benny punished RSL. The officiating crew had a horrible night. There is no doubt about that. The RSL defense on set pieces, however, had just as bad of a night. RSL doesn't give up that many goals at home. We just don't.

Man of the Match: Alvaro SaborioThere were quite a few players that had good nights. Also, quite a few that didn't. I personally thought Sabo had a really good one and worked his tail off to keep RSL in it. He coolly finished the penalty for the second goal and made a sublime pass for Espy to put away the third. He is starting to really come into form again.

- Honorable mention to Kreis for his subs. They were risky, but they paid off.

Wanker of the Match: Benny FeilhaberI was really excited to see Benny play at the RioT. He has been a favorite player of mine since his ridiculous goal in the 2007 Gold Cup Final against Mexico. In this game, however, he proved just how much of a prima donna he can be. His antics the entire game were tiresome and his reaction to being pushed off the ball was childish. If Olave is in a worse mood, Benny probably leaves with a couple less teeth.

- Honorable mention obviously goes to the officiating crew. A truly awful night by them for both teams. New England has quite a bit to complain about too, if you look at the match. Just a horribly inconsistent night from a bad center and two terrible assistants.

Looking Ahead
RSL has their hands full this coming week. On Saturday they host what I am starting to think is the best team in MLS - FC Dallas. That alone would be worrisome as they only have 5 days to rest for the match. The part that makes this especially interesting, though, is that RSL plays the same team just three days later in an Open Cup quarterfinal. Kreis has already said that he values the Open Cup and that it is one of their targets for this season. To do this, I think it means he'll need to rest some players this weekend. This means, sadly, that the game this weekend might be an ugly one. If Dallas decides to take the Open Cup seriously as well, then they might rest players. If not, well their first string guys - that are killing the rest of MLS - will have a shot at our second string guys. Not a bright outlook at all.

Either way, I'll be there. I'll cheer and hope for the best even if it looks like the result could be a very bad one for RSL. With all the bad luck we've had lately, maybe this is the game it turns around and the luck goes our way again. One can only hope.

FORZA REAL

Cheers,

15 to 32

Independence Day Football

A lot of freedom to be had this week. For starters, my beloved University of Utah is now free of the terror that was the Mountain West Conference and it's ridiculously stupid TV channel. Along with little brother to the south, the Utes are moving on to bigger and better things. Utah now finds themselves in one of the premier conferences in the country, the PAC-12. BYU is on their own, they call it "independent".But that's for another blog that I don't write nor intend to. This July 4th RSL plays hosts to the New England Revolution. Quite ironic on many levels. Real, as we all know, is Spanish for Royalty or Monarchy. This team from Boston we are welcoming to our fortress is named after the American Revolution. I guess the language barrier might be a bit difficult... or maybe it's more of a modern twist to the story. With the increased amounts of immigrants from nations to the south, the revolution is being revolted against. This is getting way too political...
Point is, the game is ironic. And it's aired on national television. If the last two years have told us anything, its that RSL will make New England look like a kid's team. In 2009 the final score was 6-0. All six came in the second half. In 2010 it was 5-0. Again, a complete destruction of a pretty bad team. RSL isn't on the same high they were the past two years, though, as they welcome the Boston team in to town. In fact, RSL is in a very strange situation that is hard to define. They have started to slowly get results again, but it has lacked that dominating fashion we've seen in years past. The Toronto game aside, RSL simply hasn't had a game where they dominate the other team. Not even against the lower division Hammerheads did RSL exploit its obvious superior talent. It's because of this that the game against New England is a mystery.
By all means, RSL should - and hopefully will - win this game. They are a much better team, playing at home, superior talent even with the injuries, etc. The addition of national television should make RSL want it that much more. The last time they were playing on national television was a 0-0 draw against Houston (fox soccer). The time before that the horrific ankle breaking match against Chivas that ended in a 1-0 win that felt more like a loss than ever (telefutura). And the time before that, the 1-0 loss in the champions league final against Monterrey (fox soccer). This game is an opportunity to reverse that trend of bad games and make a statement. It's time to announce to the league: We are back.
Having nearly a full week's rest since their last game (Open Cup) I expect Kreis to play his best XI. They have a game the following Saturday against Dallas in which I expect Kreis to rotate and rest starters. The open cup game the following Tuesday (July 12) seems to be the focus. Thus, this is who I'd expect to see on the pitch opening whistle:

GK: Rimando
- Hopefully he won't be called on too much in this game.

LB: Wingert
- If his hammy is still not good enough, Beltran will slide to this spot

CB: Olave
- NE plays a 4-5-1, Olave will kill the single man up top

CB: Borchers
- Anchor and torture.

RB: Beltran
- If Wingert can't go then Russell will take this spot as Tony slides over

LM: Johnson
- The little engine just keeps going

CDM: Beckerman
- Will have his hands full with the NE duo in the middle

CAM: Warner
- Probably his last chance to stake the claim as starter

RM: Grabavoy
- Work rate will be key. The 5 NE midfielders will test our midfield

FW: Saborio
- This could be a huge game for him.

FW: Espindola
- If he can't go, Gil should get the start.

The key to this match, and every other RSL match, is dominance in the midfield. New England has a decent duo in Joseph and Feilhaber. If we can shut down their presence, it should be smooth sailing. Saborio could really destroy their weak backline if given the right service.

With the night also featuring a post-game presentation to Kreis for his work with the club, I'd expect the players to come out of the gate flying. A convincing win would be a great present to Kreis on his night at the RioT.

Prediction:
- RSL 3 - New England 0
Sabo with 2 and Johnson finally puts on in the net.

FORZA REAL

Cheers,

15 to 32