The Beautiful Game

Hate Week - RMC Style

2011-10-11T10:43:00.001-06:00

RSL plays the cRapids this Friday - ESPN's Game of the Week - in what is sure to be a heated match. RSL is in a bit of a slump, the cRapids are back on the rise after a rough stretch. However, in this rivalry game, you can throw everything out the window in terms of the season. History has shown that this game will be incredibly dramatic and played hard til the final whistle. For RSL, it's a chance to right the ship with a big win (or even draw) and all but lock in that third overall spot. For the cRapids, its a chance to move up into the higher wild card seed and come into form at the end of the season. One thing is for sure: this game is going to be wild

History of the Cup: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocky_Mountain_Cup

This match is huge. If you ask a supporter of either side they'll tell you the same thing "If my team could only win one/two games this season, it would be this one". There is no love lost between the two sides, not even the players. It is one of those truly heated rivalries that you typically only see in college or high school sports now-a-days. The fans, the players, the organizations, etc. They all hate each other. It's awesome. It's what sports, when it really comes down to it, is truly all about. Us against them.

Because of this heated nature, this game is sure to be a bit chippy. Hopefully the ref is understanding of the fact and calls his game accordingly. He shouldn't be quick to the cards, but he shouldn't just let things go, either. It's a very thin line that he'll have to find a way to walk. The hope, for both sides, is that he doesn't play a significant role in the game itself. There is plenty of hatred out there, we don't need to bring in some extra guys.

3 Keys for an RSL Victory

1. Use the emotions of the match correctly.

The moment that turned this rivalry into what it is today. What will be known forever as the "Pablo Shirt Incident" has turned this game from a somewhat friendly rivalry into a complete hatred rivalry. Fun fact: cRapids haven't won a RMC since this incident. I like to call it the "Curse of Pablow"

- We've seen what high emotions can do to this team, both good and bad. They can cause this team, when pressed against the wall, to play incredibly great soccer. Hustle, grit, tenacity, and energy can all be derived from the emotions that are sure to be in this one. However, these emotions can have negative consequences as well. We've seen RSL succumb to the cheap shots, dirty play, and ultimately ejections of a high intensity match. These emotions have to be bridled. RSL needs to play with - as Dunseth loves to call it - a controlled anger.

2. Contain the speed of Cummings and Nyassi

The one and only current cRapid player I wouldn't mind switching shirts.

- Speed. Both these players have loads of it. RSL's defense has been more than shaky the last couple of games. To right the ship in this one is more than necessary, it's vital. Cummings, if given space, will burn the RSL defense. The key is to keep him in front of the back-line. He isn't anywhere near as dangerous once that happens. Nyassi is the same way. Tremendous speed and will burn you in open space. If he is forced to play at a defense instead of behind them, though, he loses a lot of his edge. Still great players, but they can be limited if defended properly.

3. The Javi to Espy Connection


The Argentine connection can be incredibly lethal. Fabian builds off of the play of Javi. Javi builds off the play of Fabian.

- It's no secret that these tow players really play well with each other. Espy, in particular, seems to really step his game up once Javier is on the pitch. With Javi back from injury and playing beyond what most people expected, I'm hoping we see that good old Argentine flair return on the big stage.

My Starting XI for RSL
GK: Rimando
LB: Wingert
CB: Olave
CB: Borchers
RB: Russell
LM: Williams
CDM: Alvarez
RM: Grabavoy
CAM: Morales
FW: Espindola
FW: Saborio
- The suspension of Beckerman and the loss of Johnson to injury will really suck in this one. Hopefully the rest of the guys can step it up. In particular, Yoradny Alvarez has to play at the top of his game. In fact...

Key Player for RSL: Yordany Alvarez

- This game is always won in the midfield. Though it comes down to the last minute a lot of times, it's the midfield for each team that does the work for the length of the game to set those last minute heroics up. Without Beckerman, RSL will really need Alvarez to play a huge match. Simple, calm, cool, and collective. If he can do those things and make the big tackles, RSL can win this game.

Prediction: RSL 2 - cRapids 1
- Goals from Espy and Morales
I see the cRapids getting the first goal of this match and then RSL fighting back. A goal around the 75th minute for RSL will push the cRapids into a high attack mode - allowing RSL some counters. Espy will get the late one to ice it.

FORZA REAL!

Cheers,

15 to 32

ps - YOU BETTER BE MAKING THE TRIP!!!

Rock Bottom? PLEASE!?

2011-10-07T11:02:00.001-06:00

RSL got their butts handed to them by the expansion side Vancouver Whitecaps last night. Sure, the officiating was suspect and RSL was without a few key players, but those are just excuses to cover up the truth of the matter. RSL should be able to, even with that many players missing, handle an expansion side. In fact, Vancouver didn't even use all of their starters so it could be argued that the match was level in that department. So, at the end of the day, RSL got beat by probably the worst team in the league this year. All I can hope is that this is rock bottom. With two games left on the season and the playoffs around the corner, it's time for this team to right things or they will push the Red Sox for worst ending to the season of 2011.

A lot of excuses are being thrown around by RSL fans and media about this one. Missing players. Officiating. Unfair scheduling. Turf. etc. In the end, RSL didn't deserve to win this game. I don't know how anyone could argue they did, or that they even deserved a draw. RSL looked the worse side of the two, which is incredibly telling at this time of the year. It's the end of the season, teams are really starting to come into form around the league. Seattle, LA, New York, Kansas City, etc. These teams are clicking, showing defensive power, and know how to finish when given a chance. RSL, on the other hand, seems to be losing everything. The defense that was billed as the best in the league has given up 12 goals in 4 games. The midfield that was supposed to be the MLS's version of Barcelona suddenly can't string together any passes that have purpose. And the offense? Good lord, its pathetic. RSL is simply in a free-fall right now with teams having zero sympathy upon them.

Man of the Match: Camillo

It's hard to pick a man of the match in this one considering neither side looked incredibly good on the night. Camillo slotted away the two penalties and was a thorn in RSL's side a lot of the night.

Wankers of the Match: RSL's Whole Team

Simply pathetic. Every player, every position, every coach, all of them were bad. Rimando got beat on his near post once again. Wingert is not the same player he was before injury. Borchers and Olave were out of position more times than they weren't. Schuler is so unorthodox it's painful to watch on turf. Russell couldn't defend a person standing still. Grabavoy had possibly his worst RSL game ever. Warner, even before the red, was simply terrible. Andy would have brilliant touches and then pass the ball to nobody afterwards. Gil is not a forward. Paulo Junior's 15 minutes of fame are long done. Arnoux and Agorsor were two of the brighter spots in this game - which just goes to show how bad things are. These 2 probably wouldn't make the roster for half the teams in this league. Terrible: RSL

Looking Forward: Rocky Mountain Cup, Leg 2
- RSL has 8 days to recover, fix their shit, get players healthy, and get this team back on track. The game at Colorado, in my book, is going to be the tale tale sign of the rest of the season. If they can find some better form, lock things down defensively, and pass with some purpose (attack!) then the playoffs are still a realistic (though very thin) chance of success. If they play anything like they have in the previous 4 games? This season is done for. This team loves to have it's back against the wall. Not sure how much more pressing they need...

FORZA REAL

Cheers,

15 to 32

Fixing our problems, Starting from the back

2011-10-05T10:19:00.001-06:00

RSL heads to Vancouver for a match that was originally scheduled back in the middle of July. Because of some poor weather, a grass pitch laid over a turf one, and mostly Vancouver valuing a friendly over a league game this match will now be on quite possibly the worst date possible for RSL. It's almost funny as it is a sign of just how bad the luck is with Real right now. They will be missing close to an entire lineup (11 players) because of injury, suspension, national team duty, and visa issues. This game should be one that RSL simply dominates as Vancouver is arguably the worst team in the league. What is likely to happen, though, is that RSL will struggle with a reserve filled lineup. One thing I can almost guarantee you, it ain't going to be an attractive match to watch.

RSL is on a 3 game losing streak with 3 games left on the season. You don't want to enter the playoffs in the form that RSL is in right now. Thus, this game, I feel, is the beginning of this teams playoff form. They can either right things on this ship, or set course for some really dangerous and likely short-lived (in terms of games played) waters. For RSL to right the ship, a lot of things need to be worked on. Specifically for this game, these three things must done if RSL wants to get any points:

1. Keep Hassli in check

- The big man for Vancouver plays a very similar role as Saborio for us. He is the target man that releases pressure from their middle and back line. Having seen a few Whitecap matches, there is a common theme: Hassli initiates the offense. Borchers and the rest of the back line have to make sure to keep Hassli in check, force him into quick touches, and not let him have room inside the 18 when a cross is whipped in. Stop him and you hinder a lot of the offensive abilities of the Whitecaps.

2. Team Defense - Win the ball higher

- Vancouver's defense and midfield are decent, but they tend to be sloppy with the ball when put under any form of pressure. Thus, RSL would do itself a huge favor by implementing a high line of defense and working as a unit. In order to achieve this, the strikers for RSL have to have a high work-rate and force the defense of Vancouver into rushed decisions. PJ is a sure thing to start up top, so his work-rate has to be increased tenfold from what its been since he has returned from injury. We need the old PJ that was willing to work hard and use that burst of speed.

3. Quicker Ball Movement

- If RSL wants to have any success all at come the end of this season and playoff time, they need to start moving the ball better. This means a lot of things, firstly is that the actual ball movement needs to be quicker. Instead of taking 3 or 4 touches to get a pass off from the defensive line, players like Borchers and Wingert need to be able to do it in 1 or 2. The quicker we move the ball forward, the more space our midfield and forwards will have to work with. This also means there needs to be better movement by the players off the ball. Borchers and Wingert can't make a 1 or 2 touch pass if the player they are passing to isn't into the space needed by that time. RSL, especially lately, has become very stagnant off the ball. This has to be improved upon if we are going to win games come late October and November.

My Starting XI for RSL
GK: Rimando
LB: Schuler
CB: Borchers
CB: McKenzie
RB: Wingert
LM: Warner
CDM: Grabavoy
RM: Williams
CAM: Gil
FW: Paulo Junior
FW: A. Alvarez

Key Player for RSL: Paulo Junior

- No Espy (suspension) and no Sabo (Costa Rica) means that PJ has to step into a starting spot at striker for RSL. It also means he is going to have to shoulder the load of offensive threat. His form of late suggests we could be in for a long night in terms of getting a good attack. However, this kid has surprised us before. I'd love for him to do it again. Please?

Prediction: RSL 0 - Vancouver 0
- I simply don't see RSL having any ability to score in this game. With the following players likely missing: Agorsor (injury), Alexandre (Haiti), Y Alvarez (Visa Issues), Beckerman (USA), Beltran (injury), Espindola (suspension), Gonzalez (injury), Johnson (Canada), Morales (turf), Olave (turf), Reynish (injury), Russell (injury/turf) and Saborio (Costa Rica) RSL is going to struggle. That's 13 players that RSL could very easily be missing. Kreis might force some players - Olave, Morales, and Russell - to play despite them likely needing a rest on the turf, so who knows. If I was Kreis, I wouldn't risk it, not with how late we are in the season. Olave's knees, Morales' ankle, and Russell's whole body are not worth risking on this plastic stuff.

I think our defense is a whole lot better than they've played lately and will be the main focus of this match. These last 3 games will be about building upon one third of the pitch and then moving forward. In Vancouver, it's about fixing the defense. At cRapids it'll be midfield play, and hopefully against Portland we can get the strikers hot again.

FORZA REAL!

Cheers,

15 to 32

Tale of Two Teams

2011-10-03T10:28:00.001-06:00

RSL found a way to lose, yet again, down in LA this weekend. Despite having a first half advantage and playing a whole lot better than they have in their past two and a half matches, RSL came out of LA with 0 points. When looking back on this game, something really jumped out at me: who these teams are. RSL started this season wanting to be the best MLS team of all time, winning multiple trophies, and proving its depth. In reality, we're an above average team that can't figure out how to grind out results lately.

Who RSL actually is: Sloppy, slumping team
-Watching this game, these last few games, hell this whole season has been an emotional roller-coaster. RSL started, as they did in this game, as a team with high hopes. They look to have the talent and skill to accomplish them as well. I mean, Javier Morales and Fabian Espindola, when on, are next to impossible to stop in this league. Those two can simply tear teams apart. Olave and Borchers in the back? Forget about getting any goals there. On paper, this team is as solid as they come. Strong in every position and depth on the bench to back it. Too bad paper isn't where the game is played...

In reality, RSL has shown (and this game really epitomized it) a complete lack of mental strength in tough situations and a lack of discipline overall. The first LA goal was a text book 2011 RSL mess up. Olave has Barrett shielded off, Rimando has a line to the ball, it should be easy pickings. But, for whatever reason, not only does RSL fail to execute, but they allow Barrett to sneak around, chip a ball from feet away, and score what has to go down as one of the ugliest conceded goals of the year. Not to be outdone, only minutes later our defense showed again its lack of discipline late. Poor defending on Beckham's original set piece allowed Dunivant the opportunity to get the ball on the far post. Some terrible luck and poor marking/positioning made it so Borchers scored an own goal via assist from Chris Wingert.

Stuff like this hasn't been happening all year, but RSL has really struggled this season to put it all together. The offense, the defense, set piece defending, midfield movement, etc. Something is always failing and usually destroys this team in the 90 minutes. RSL, in actuality, is a team that lacks composure and mental endurance. Kreis is still figuring the job out - its going to take quite awhile - and his team is proof of where he needs to improve. It's a collective deficiency in this team. Everyone is partly to blame for why we have zero trophies, are not in the Supporters Shield race, and will be praying to god we somehow can make a run in November. The hopes for this team were rightly high, the execution has been below par.

Who RSL wants to be: LA Galaxy

- What made this game much more painful was watching LA execute what RSL set out to do this season. The Gals have proven themselves to be a really really good team - especially at home. They don't drop points when they are in a position to get them, and they make a team fight like hell to even get one point off of them. Their team, even with a substantial amount of money invested in few players, has shown itself to have great depth. They are very much in CCL still and look to probably be able to advance to the knockout phases. They've all but locked up the Supporters Shield and look to be the team to beat going into MLS Cup.
When the season started, this was the team everyone thought RSL was going to be. Hard to beat at home. Hard to even get a point off of. Solid defense that doesn't make bad mistakes. Enough discipline to not get suspensions and ejections. Depth to deal with international duty and injuries. Etc. etc. LA has shown itself to be what we wanted to be. Their win in this game essentially sealed the deal for the Supporters Shield. So, RSL, you got to see first hand what it takes to close out on something you set your sights on.

Man of the Match: David Beckham

- I really don't like the guy and his whinny antics, but he was largely responsible for the two goals LA scored on RSL. His set pieces and ability to place a ball in a dangerous position were too much for our defense to handle in the second half. Again, I hate the guys play, but have to give credit where it is due.

Wanker of the Match: Jason Kreis

- I struggled with which RSL player/coach to put here. Rimando deserves a lot of blame for his complete lack of effort on the first LA goal. Borchers scored a game winning OG, that's never good. Wingert had the game winning assist - pretty rare. Chris Brown is in charge of the defense as a whole, which doesn't look too great right now. etc etc. In the end, though, it falls on the manager - it's part of having the job. Kreis team has gone from super club to faltering foe at the exact wrong time. While he struggles to figure out this team, he needs to really take a long hard look in the mirror. RSL has given up 10 goals in its last 4 games. For a coach who harps on defense as a team, something isn't going right. Oh, and his subbing patterns in the last few games? horrific.

Moment of the Match: Taking off Espy

- With a yellow card already to his name and his history of getting chippy in tight situations, it somewhat made sense for Kreis to take off Espindola. What didn't add up, however, was that Espindola was already suspended for the next match with that yellow - something Kreis better have known - and was pretty much our only form of attack in the final third. Once Espy went off, we had nothing up top. Paulo Junior continued his run of losing form after injury. In fact, I think Paulo spent more time in our middle and defense third chasing balls he lost rather than being the outlet he is supposed to be. It sucks to say this, but Espy is this teams attack. Without him out there, we're not dangerous at all against a team that has even a somewhat decent defense.

Looking Forward: Vancouver Makeup with Scrubs
- This Thursday RSL will travel up to Vancouver for the makeup game from earlier this year. It couldn't come at a worse time for RSL. Multiple players will be missing this one for international duty, suspensions, and injuries. In fact, I'm not 100% positive RSL will be able to have 18 players to put on the game day roster. Missing will be: Alexandre (Haiti), A Alvarez (El Salvador), Beckerman (USA), Beltran (injury), Espindola (suspension), Gonzalez (injury), Johnson (Canada), Reynish (injury), Saborio (Costa Rica) and maybe a few others that I'm missing. The starting XI and bench is going to be really interesting for this one. I highly doubt Kreis even travels Olave and Morales given it will be on turf. This could be really ugly - at least Vancouver will probably get their first win in beautiful BC Place.

FORZA REAL

Cheers,

15 to 32

Just don't give up another hat-trick

2011-09-30T10:24:00.001-06:00

RSL heads to LA this weekend and I have zero reason to be optimistic about the game. RSL, in their last two and half games, has looked anemic. We can't defend, we can't attack, we can't really do anything. Add that to losing one of the most vital pieces to our team - Beckerman - and there is plenty of reason to be doubtful of points this weekend at LA. The Galaxy are riding high, coming off a huge midweek win against Morelia in CCL action and have tons of momentum on their side. Unless something drastically changes for both teams, this game could very easily be quite one-sided.

I think the best RSL can hope for in this game is a draw. To achieve that, they'll have to play one of the best games of the season. Here are three key areas to RSL having any form of success at the Home Depot Center:

1. Don't give up many set pieces

- LA has Beckham on their team, a guy who can pick out any single players head on a set piece. Or, if he is in the mood, pick out the top corner on a shot of his own. RSL can't let LA have multiple set pieces in this game or they will be burned on them. Highlights of LA's goals this year are filled with corner kicks and dead balls roughly 20-40 yards away. Our defense is rather shaky on these, so avoiding them is key.

2. Limit space for LA on the ball

- LA's midfield is absolutely stacked. Between Beckham, Juninho, and Donovan RSL will have their hands full. To disrupt their play, RSL's midfield has to do a lot of movement off of the ball and be willing to close space out wide. In the last two games we've really lacked composure on closing down players space quick enough and have been burned for it. LA has better players than DC and Chicago, so its obvious this area needs massive improvement.

3. Be willing to make a dangerous pass

- In the offensive end, RSL is going to have to be willing to take some risks if they want to score on a very stout LA defense. A lot of this responsibility will fall on the attacking mid - likely Luis Gil. Instead of making the predictable pass every time to simply keep possession, Gil needs to be willing to try something a bit more creative and dangerous. We do this, and we might be able to catch their defense off guard.

My Starting XI for RSL
GK: Rimando
LB: Russell
CB: Olave
CB: Borchers
RB: Wingert
LM: Johnson
CDM: Alvarez
RM: Warner
CAM: Gil
FW: Paulo Junior
FW: Saborio
Bench: Melia, Schuler, McKenzie, Williams, Morales, Alvarez, Espindola
- Williams and Espy, in my book, are in need of a bit of rest in this one.

Key Player for RSL: Yordany Alvarez

- Yordany will have to step in, once again, for KB in the center of the park. This time, though, it'll be against a much better opponent. He struggled really bad in the Chicago game with his positioning, but part of that is because he was having to cover so much down with us being down a man. Hopefully he can play like he did in New York - simple and effective.

Prediction: LA 2 - RSL 0
- LA is just too damn good - especially at home - to get a result in this one. RSL has the talent to possibly pull it off, but recent form of both teams suggests this one will be very one-sided.

FORZA REAL

Cheers,

15 to 32

Lack of Discipline

2011-09-29T10:36:00.002-06:00

Last night's RSL game defined this season for RSL. A complete and utter lack of discipline ruined what should have been an amazing night. This wasn't the first time, nor likely the last, that RSL has shown to lack the mental strength required to win in tight matches. Marco Pappa made RSL pay. Kyle Beckerman lost his temper - again. What separates great teams from good things is execution in the small areas. RSL, this entire season, has shown itself to not have the proper discipline to move to that upper echelon.

There are a lot of things that could be said about the match. I feel it a waste of time to discuss them. Rather, I'll focus on how last nights match epitomized the 2011 RSL season. 3 big areas - and a lot of smaller areas - were not only poorly executed last night, but this season in general. Here are the three:

1. Dead Ball Laziness

- In numerous games this season RSL has shown a complete and utter lack of focus when defending a dead ball situation. Whether this is a goal kick, set piece, or - in the case of last night - a simple throw-in RSL just losses focus for some strange reason. It's hard to say why this is the case or what can be done about it. It's not a secret, Kreis points it out time and time again and harps on the players in training. Off of dead ball situation, especially throw-ins lately, we just seem inept to defend. We're a step behind, far too much reaction rather than pro-action. Pappa's first goal came directly off the laziness of Russell and Beckerman on a throw-in. Those two got beat by one pass and Olave was forced to defend two players on the edge of the 18. Pappa got the ball, and showed why he - just like DeRo days ago - can not be left alone around the 18.

2. Predictable Play

- A lot of blame for RSL's lack of creativity lies on the fact that we have been without Javi so much this year. However, that is a pathetic excuse, in my opinion, for how predictable this team can be. Last night, again, showed just how bad this is. From my seats at the top of section 14 I could tell you where pretty much every single RSL pass was going before it was being made - even a couple of passes before it was being made. While it is nice to have a team that wants to keep the ball and work it around, some risks have to be taken with the ball, especially in the offensive third, in order to break down a team with a decent defense. Losing Gil due to Beckerman's red card (and Beckerman for the same reason) killed RSL in this department last night and this whole season. With how we play, we really need players that will do the unpredictable, will pass up the easy pass for a more dangerous one, and are willing to lose the ball occasionally instead of keeping it with a pointless pass. Javier is possibly the saving grace in this regard, but he isn't going to be 90 minutes fit until the playoffs - likely - so banking on him is a bad route to take.

3. Ejections, Suspensions, and Mental Lapses

- Far too many times this season has this team had to play a man down or make a lineup rotation because of an ejection or suspension. If I was forced to pick one area that has killed RSL this season in regards to winning any silverware, it would be this area. The CCL final had to be played without KB. Why? Lack of discipline in the match at Monterrey. We won't be winning the SS this season. Why? Because we've been too busy serving suspensions and dealing with ejections to get enough points. Beckerman isn't the only player responsible, there have been plenty, but he should carry a large portion of the blame in this department. Not because he has quite a few, but because he wears the captain's armband. More should be expected of him, and he knows it. More should be expected of this team in this department, and Kreis needs to figure a way to get that message across effectively.

Man of the Match: Marco Pappa

- Dude made our defense and midfield look just as bad as DeRo did on Saturday. At the rate we've been going in the last two games, Donovan and Keane should be really looking forward to playing us on Saturday as one of them is in store for a hat-trick.

Wanker of the Match: Kyle Beckerman

- After his ejection the wheels came off. Saborio did have one chance to level things up at 1 a piece, but with how the rest of the game went, it really wouldn't have mattered. Kyle killed us not only because we were playing down a man, but also because we had to sub off Gil - thus losing our lone creative AM - and we lost his services and defensive presence in the middle.

Moment of the Match: Javi's Return

- A new piece I'll be adding to posts: moment of the match. Last night's, despite the 3 goals and ejection, was easily the moment Javi returned to the pitch. If I could have just come for this, I'd have left a happy man. Well done fans, hopefully the players will make amends for their effort in this game through the rest of the season. And hopefully Javi can in fact be our saving grace.

Looking Forward: Things could get Ugly
- RSL has 4 games left on the season, the next 3 of which are all on the road. The game this weekend at LA looks impossible to get points out of. LA is on fire, RSL is self-destructing. Following that, RSL has to travel to make-up that game at Vancouver. This game should be one RSL could get points out of, but if things continue the way they are, they won't. Add to that that many players that are starters won't be playing due to the artificial surface and you will understand why my hopes are bleak for that one as well. Following that is the second leg of the RMC at the cRapids. Both teams could be in a tail-spin unless they figure things out in the games before. I wouldn't hold my breath on a win in that one, but you never know what to expect in a RMC match. Lastly, we finish with Portland at home. If they are at all in the playoff picture on the last day, this game is going to be just like the one last night. A team throwing everything they have at us.

With RSL sitting at 51 points and playing the way they have since the 45th minute at New York, I'd be surprised to see us get over 55 points. I want to be wrong, but this team looks to be losing form really bad at a very key moment.

FORZA REAL

Cheers,

15 to 32

Fire @ RSL - Potential Trap Match

2011-09-27T10:07:00.004-06:00

After having their reserves get the living crap beat out of them, especially in the first half, RSL returns home to play against the Chicago Fire this Wednesday. This match, in my opinion, is being overlooked by many. A lot of focus is being put on the LA game this weekend, Javi's return, playoff positioning, etc. rather than pure focus on this single match. Chicago has been playing some very good soccer lately, in fact in their last 5 league games they are 4-1. The lone loss in that group came against San Jose, at San Jose. They haven't been beating top teams, but they have been winning nonetheless. Confidence and momentum are huge, especially in a league like MLS where parity is abundant. This midweek game is, in my opinion, one of the most important games left on the schedule for RSL.

The most simple reasoning for the importance of this game is Concacaf Champions League. RSL needs to finish in the top 3 spots (overall and in the West, likely) to set themselves up for the best chance to get into the 2012-2013 CCL. As I stated in my last post, RSL would benefit from finishing high because both LA and Seattle will likely already have CCL tickets and thus any additional tickets they punch (going to the MLS Cup) would slide down to RSL because of their standings.

This match is also important because it is the last game in hand for RSL. After Wednesday, no longer will RSL be able to state that they are back in the standings because they haven't played the same amount of games as Seattle or LA. A win would put us level on points with Seattle, but I believe they have the tiebreaker. Thus, it is obvious why this match is so important.

3 Keys to the Match for RSL:
1. Contain Pappa and Grazzini

- If you have watched the Fire play at all this season then you will know their attack runs through the middle of the pitch, particularly through Marco Pappa and Sebastian Grazzini. Pappa, in particular, has shown his skill time and time again. Beckerman will likely have the responsibility of defending him, a task that will be incredibly difficult. Grazzini is also a player of great skill. A lot of his good showings are due in part to the attention Pappa draws, but also because of his passing vision. The guy can play a lethal through ball if given the space. Its the players that run onto those through balls that are equally dangerous...

2. Respect the Speed of Oduro and Nyarko

- Dominic Oduro and Patrick Nyarko are what make Pappa and Grazzini's passes so dangerous. Both players have speed that has burned pretty much every team in the league some time or another in recent years. Not only are they fast, though, but both have great finishing touches - especially Oduro this season. In order to not get burned, the RSL defense will have to be ready for the speed and be setup in a fashion to not get burned. Olave, in particular, will likely play the role of covering. He can't get caught out of position or Chicago will make us pay.

3. Speed of Play - Possession

- To counter a team with good speed, RSL has to value possession and move off the ball well. This falls on the midfield, and largely to the two central players: Beckerman and Gil. These two have to move well off the ball to both keep it and to keep Chicago off balance. The more Chicago has to chase RSL to get the ball back, the less they'll be able to punish us with their speed. KB has to have another great night in the middle - nothing new.

My Starting XI for RSL:
GK: Rimando
LB: Wingert
CB: Borchers
CB: Olave
RB: Russell
LM: Johnson
CDM: Beckerman
RM: Williams
CAM: Gil
FW: Espindola
FW: Saborio

Key Player for RSL: Jamison Olave

- Defensively Olave will have to be the beast we know he can be. His closing speed will be the deciding factor in many leg races between himself and Oduro. What Olave must also bring is his size on set pieces. Chicago isn't a huge team defensively and thus Olave might be able to burn them on good set piece services. The Verb will need to be in action Wednesday for an RSL win.

Prediction: RSL 2 - Chicago 0
- Goals from Sabo and Olave
- Javi makes an appearance for the last 8 minutes
This game is going to be tight, even tighter than the 2-0 margin I'm predicting would suggest probably. Chicago is playing for their playoff lives. They have to get at least a point out of this one, in my opinion, to have a shot at one of those last wild card spots. They'll put it all out there. RSL has to be ready for it or they'll get burned.

FORZA REAL

Cheers,

15 to 32

Embarassing

2011-09-26T09:57:00.004-06:00

Real Salt Lake went into DC this weekend with a chance to make up ground on LA and the Supporters Shield. Instead of taking the challenge head on, though, Jason Kreis put out a reserve filled lineup that got thoroughly worked. In a bit of a "taste of your own medicine" opening half, DC United found the back of the net not once, not twice, not even three times. No, in the opening half hour DC United found the net a whopping 4 times against RSL. It wasn't just a bad showing, it was really embarrassing.

A lot of the blame for this rather pathetic showing can be put on the manager. Kreis took a huge risk with his starting 11. 8 players were, in fact, making either first time debuts, returning from injury, or were guys that typically are fighting just for a spot in the 18. Up top he put in Jean Alexandre and Paulo Junior. Alexandre was incredibly out of position, Paulo still has yet to come back to the form we have come to expect. Those injuries have damaged more than just his leg muscles, they seem to have hit his confidence quite severely too. In the middle of the pitch, where the game was being lost from pretty much the opening whistle, Kreis put in Collen Warner, Ned Grabavoy, Arturo Alvarez, and Kyle Beckerman. This midfield has potential, but simply didn't get the job done. Grabavoy, like Paulo Junior, is still in recovery mode. Warner continued his year of disappointment. Beckerman had far too much to handle in this one as everyone in front of him was having a bad game. And lastly, Arturo Alvarez proved just how bad of a signing he has proven to be. The most glaring deficiencies for RSL, though, were in the defense. Blake Wagner made his first MLS start for RSL, one he'll want to forget. Rashawn McKenzie was paired with Borchers in the middle and he simply isn't at the level of Olave or even Schuler. Chris Wingert returned from a long injury and it showed in some of his decision making. Overall, the lineup was a recipe for disaster.

I understand that Kreis wanted to give some guys rest and was showing his faith in the bench with this one. However, looking back on it, this game pretty much officially eliminated us from Supporters Shield contention. The team was on a tear, 5 straight wins, and making up ground on LA. This one loss, though, slowed it all down in a horrific crashing fashion. It was a tall order to win the SS no matter the result, but I'd rather us make the right moves at the end and push LA than pretty much mail it in. No matter what though, it seems the SS is out of reach and RSL is destined to finish either 2nd or 3rd - both overall and in the West.

Man of the Match: Dwayne De Rosario

While it could very easily be argued DeRo shouldn't have been playing in this match but should have been serving a suspension, the guy punished RSL with ease. Maybe Kreis was assuming the disciplinary committee was going to suspend him or something because his team had absolutely no answer for the Canadian. Regardless, the guy had a tremendous night. Gotta give credit where it is due. I'm more and more convinced this guy should be league MVP. If DC can get into the playoffs, it'll be almost all in part because of DeRosario.

Wankers of the Match: Blake Wagner, Arturo Alvarez, and Jason Kreis

Blake got his first start in an RSL shirt... I wouldn't be too surprised if its his last as well. Horrible night. Exposed early and often for his lack of positioning and speed.

When we signed Alvarez in the off season almost every single RSL fan was ecstatic. The guy had burned us so many times for San Jose he just had to be a great player. Well, there was a reason San Jose was fine with him leaving. I don't think the guy even knows how to spell the word "right" because everything with him is left. It is utterly shocking to me that a guy can play at this level yet not even use his weak foot to make routine passes. Alvarez has been possibly the biggest bust in RSL's short history.

Kreis took a huge gamble and paid severely for it. Lesson learned, hopefully. He doesn't belong in this category all the often, but I have to be honest. A lot of the blame for this loss belongs with the manager. Not his better night at all. Maybe he had a deal with DC United? Because we helped them a ton these past two weeks.

Looking Forward: Securing a top 3 spot
RSL's new task for the rest of the season is simple: get healthy and get into form. We have yet to win a single piece of hardware this year - one in which we started with discussions of pulling off the "quad". RSL almost has to win the MLS Cup, in my mind, to not label this season as a bit of a disaster. To do that, we have to find form. The playoffs are all about who is in the best current form, not who is the best team over the whole season. We've shown we can get hot and win a handful of games in a row both home and away. That's exactly what is in store with the playoffs.

Not only would it be beneficial for RSL to secure a top 3 spot (preferably 2nd) in terms of playoffs, but for next seasons CCL as well. LA is pretty much a lock for the Supporters Shield, thus they will have a ticket punched for next season's CCL edition. Seattle looks to have the USOC locked up as well as its on their home field against the Fire. That means that if we get into the playoffs on the Western side all we'd need to do to make the playoffs is have LA win their first round match up against the wild card. This is because if they advance, one of RSL, LA, and Seattle will be in the MLS Cup. Both the Cup winner and runner up go to the CCL. If a team holds two spots (as Seattle and LA would if they made it to the final) the second spot would be passed to the next best team on the overall table - which in this case would be Real Salt Lake. I'd much rather have RSL qualify through earning a spot (making it to the final) but I'd also rather be in next year's CCL no matter how its earned. Thus, despite what many may think, finishing in the top 3 and thus in the Western Conference for the playoffs has huge advantages.

The bottom line is this, though: RSL needs to get into form and play some good soccer here in October and November. They do that, and they'll surely be in next year's CCL. Something we all know we want after having the final on our pitch and then not even get into the group stages of the current edition.

FORZA REAL

Cheers,

15 to 32

Potentially Huge Weekend

2011-09-23T10:19:00.000-06:00

RSL travels to DC this Saturday to take on DC United in what is truly a massive game. Both teams are in the hunt for playoff spots, though both at different ends of the playoff standings. DC United is just a point out of the last spot in the playoffs while RSL is in second place, looking to possibly make a move on the Galaxy for that top spot. This game, and this weekend, are huge for MLS. We could see the Supporters Shield essentially be put away by LA, or it could suddenly become a 2 or even 3 team race in the last weeks.

3 Keys to Win for RSL:

1. Midfield Domination

- With Kyle Beckerman expected to return to the starting lineup, RSL should be that much better in the middle of the park. At New York, on Wednesday, the opening half was pure RSL midfield domination - the second half, not so much. If RSL wants to find a way to get a massive win this weekend, they have to win the midfield battle. DC is without Chris Pontius and the status of De Rosario is still up in the air (possible suspension for his dive). Between Beckerman, Johnson, and whichever other two midfielders Kreis plugs in (Gil and Williams, likely) RSL should be able to win the midfield battle. Win the middle - win the game. That's the typical RSL mantra.

2. Contain Charlie Divies and DeRo (if he plays)

- The DC attack is built around these two players. Quaranta and Najar will surely make contributions, but these are the two most dangerous players out there for DC in my opinion. Borchers, Olave, and especially Beckerman have to be at the top of their game. I'd also be in favor of an early hard tackle on Davies for the dive he did when DC visited RSL earlier this year. KB has a fresh start on yellow card accumulation, look for him to likely deliver the blow.

3. Samurai Espindola

- RSL's attack is at its best when Espy gets the ball in dangerous places. The guy is simply on fire right now. RSL needs to use this to their full advantage. Espindola is a headache for every team in this league with how he plays: controlled aggression (great line from Dunseth). He and Sabo work great off of each other when Espy does this and Sabo finds the spaces as a target man. DC's defense showed just how porous they can be against Chivas midweek, time to show it again.

My Starting XI for RSL:
GK: Rimando
LB: Wingert
CB: Olave
CB: Borchers
RB: Schuler
LM: Johnson
CDM: Beckerman
RM: Williams
CAM: Gil
FW: Espindola
FW: Saborio

Key Player for RSL: Luis Gil

- I fully expect to see Luis return to the starting lineup for this match. In the second half of the New York game it became very obvious we were lacking an attacking midfielder to help release pressure. Luis has shown he can be that guy. To get a win, Luis will need to be on the top of his game. He is the connection between the stout defense and deadly attack.

Prediction: RSL 1 - DCU 0
- Goal from Espy
This is going to be a tight game that could easily be quite sloppy. With both teams coming in off of very short rest, expect the level of play to not be high for the full 90. RSL has a huge advantage, in my opinion, with Beckerman coming in after a suspension. His work rate in the middle could very well be what makes the difference in this game. He and Gil have to work hard for the win. I think they can do it.

Why this Weekend is so big:

- I mentioned at the beginning of the post that this weekend has huge implications; here is why. While RSL travels to DC this weekend, Seattle and LA will also be on the road. Seattle heads up to Vancouver for the last game at Empire field for the Whitecaps. I'm sure Vancouver really wants a win from that one and thus it should be a great game. LA, who played and lost in Costa Rica on Wednesday, heads to Columbus Saturday for a game that has huge implications as well. LA looks to be faltering a bit, the schedule congestion likely catching up to them, and their once firm grasp on the Supporters Shield is slipping.

LA sits on top of the table with 58 points through 29 games. If they lose (which I fully expect given Columbus will likely need to win to stay on top of the East), they'll obviously stay at 58 points. Seattle (51 points through 29 games), after a tough midweek loss at home, will have their hands full in Vancouver. The loss of Rosales could really sting if they fail to pick up the full 3 points. I expect that game to end in a draw as Vancouver will be throwing everything at them to make their fans happy. Thus, I expect Seattle to be at 52 points come Sunday morning. RSL, 51 points through 28 games, has a huge opportunity on their hands then (assuming these things happen). With a win, they could be just 4 points back of the Galaxy with still one more game in hand - the game next week at home against Chicago. This weekend could very easily, as I said before, determine the Supporters Shield or turn it suddenly into a 3 team race.

FORZA REAL

Cheers,

15 to 3

Half Amazing, Half Brutal, All Awesome

2011-09-22T10:16:00.002-06:00

RSL went into Red Bull Arena last night and did something I don't think anybody really had predicted. Not only did they jump out to an early lead, but they thoroughly demolished the home side in the first 25 minutes. The rest of the first half was impressive, though not as much as the first 25 minutes. The second half, on the other hand, was incredibly brutal. Lucky for RSL, they had done enough in the first half to play as bad as they did in the second. All in all, an incredibly huge win for Real not only in terms of playoff positioning, but confidence as well.

From the opening whistle this game looked like it was going to be wildly entertaining. New York was throwing numbers forward and RSL was answering right back with attacks of their own. The break through came off of a controversial corner kick call. Espy went to whip a ball in from the wing with Albright defending him. Upon replay, Espy crossed the ball into his own foot but the sideline official thought the ball had struck Albright and gone out. Regardless, the defending the NY exercised on the subsequent corner was inexcusable. Saborio got open far too easily and headed the ball home into the near post - where a defender was not for some reason. Only minutes later RSL added to their lead. Tim Ream, who continues to show just how over hyped he truly is, went to play a back pass to Rost, the goalkeeper for NY, as Espy applied some pressure. The back pass went maybe 5 feet and sat right in front of Espindola. He coolly touched the ball around Rost and fired into the open net. As if things couldn't get any worse for the home side, in the 21st they were broken down again. A nice combination play in the midfield found Warner alone in the middle. He split the two center backs for New York with a simple - though very beautiful - through ball and Espy was in again. His toe poke past Rost made it 3-0 to the visitors with only 21 minutes taken off the clock. The rest of the first half was much like the opening minutes. Both teams were throwing numbers at each other and the game looked to be very much in RSL's favor. Halftime came and you could tell the home side, and especially their fans, were simply stunned.

The second half was something completely different. Possibly Kreis told his side to take it easy (hopefully) or RSL just thought the lead too large for New York to come back. In any case, the second half was all New York. RSL didn't look to possess the ball much, nor did they look to overexert themselves past the midfield stripe. In fact, it seemed the game plan was to solely win the ball and then subsequently dump it long to Espy and Sabo and have them figure it out on their own. To say it simply: that didn't work. New York was applying pressure and it became incredibly obvious by about the 60th minute that they were going to find the net. Lindpere nearly opened up the scoring shortly thereafter for the home side with a shot that was absolutely indredible. Equally incredible was the save by Rimando, it must be said. This shot served as a warning, not desperation, though, as New York found the back of then net only minutes later. With 20 minutes remaining, New York had all the momentum and was only down by 2 goals. The chances came for them to get another one back, but they simply couldn't do it: the story of New York's season right there. In the end, RSL walked away rather comfortably (overall) with a 3-1 win. A massive win, it can't be understated. Like the win at Seattle, against KC, and at Chivas, this win showed that RSL is capable of playing beautiful soccer and ugly soccer - in the same match - to get a win.

Man of the Match: Fabian Espindola

A lot of players were in the running for this. Schuler, once again, showed he is a capable replacement at outside back. He got burned a few times by Richards, but that was to be expected. Will Johnson, similarly, had an incredible night I thought. Saborio, especially in the first 45, looked very dangerous. Even the new guy in the middle, Cuban Alvarez (not to be confused with Lefturo Alvarez), had an incredible night given the expectations. Espy, though, was the man. With the brace he put the game away. Dude is on fire, lets hope it continues through October and especially November.

Wanker of the Match: Tim Ream

Both he and Marquez had especially bad nights. Tim Ream, though, should appear on the stat sheet for game winning assist. That alone vaults him to the top of the wanker list for this match. Though, to Marquez's credit, he did start to go at it with his own fans. As if the wheels weren't coming off enough already in New York, one of their DP's (who will be gone next season, no doubt about it) has to show just how big of a diva he truly is.

Looking Forward
This weekend could be the deciding weekend in terms of the Supporters Shield race. LA, after a tough 1-0 loss in Costa Rica last night, travels to Columbus for MLS play. RSL travels to DC for a game that looks to be a must win situation for DC. If LA losses, which I fully expect them to do after playing their first team on turf in Costa Rica, and RSL wins (very hopeful thinking) RSL will only be 4 points behind LA with still one more game in hand. Equally important is the Seattle match at Vancouver. If they get a win there (which I expect them to do) coupled with a LA loss, they too will only be 4 points back (though level on games played). Its a massive weekend. One which could all but wrap up the SS for LA, or make it suddenly a 3 team race again.

FORZA REAL

Cheers,

15 to 32

Game in Hand

2011-09-20T10:26:00.001-06:00

A common theme when discussing league standings this year are the words "game(s) in hand". Tomorrow, RSL will be making doing just that - making up one of their games in hand. While LA, Seattle, Dallas, and the cRapids all have CCL group play today or tomorrow, RSL will play a huge league match against New York at Red Bull Arena. Not only does this game have huge implications on the table because of it being one of those games in hand, but also because both teams are looking to vastly improve their playoff positions. New York, who is lucky to be in the crap conference they are, still has a shot at securing a top 3 spot out East. RSL, on the other hand, could vault themselves back into the Supporters Shield discussion with full points. Huge match.

Just a little over 6 weeks ago RSL hosted New York in a match that was all RSL. From the opening whistle to the closing minutes, RSL looked on a different level than the Red Bulls. Since then, RSL hit a bit of a bad streak but has recently regained momentum. New York, on the other hand, continued to struggle all the way until last week in Dallas. With their backs up against the wall, the Red Bulls found a way to get a win in Dallas - something RSL has never done. Thus, the two teams come into this game with their respective hopes on the upswing. RSL has won 4 straight and is starting to get into the discussion of a possible team to push LA. New York, meanwhile, could find themselves not only back in the top 3, but contending for the top of the East with a good run given the way the rest of the East plays. I don't think it can be overstated, this game has huge implications not only for RSL and New York, but for the league as a whole.

3 Keys to the Match for RSL:

1. Utilize the speed of Espy and size of Sabo

- When I look at the defenders for New York I can't help but laugh. Tim Ream is an incredibly over hyped defender that crumbles under pressure. Rafa Marquez, despite his resume, is a gigantic mistake waiting to happen. Lastly, Roy Miller is a player that Sabo not only knows very well, but has shown he can easily get the better of. Against these defenders, the combo of Sabo and Espy could really do some damage. Espindola's pace, even though it isn't tremendous, will cause havoc all game. Similarly, the size of Sabo and his abilities in the air will torment their back line. If we can utilize these tools effectively, it could get ugly for the home team.

2. Keep Richards and Lindpere in check

- New York's team is built with a lot of great firepower. When I look at their roster, the offense truly does scare me (not the defense, though). Richards in particular is the kind of player that will give RSL lots of issues. Given the injury of Beltran and Wingert, Schuler is going to have to step it up on Richards as I doubt (hope not at least) Russell will be placed on him. The kid has shown he can keep up with players like Rosales and Kamara, Richards will be a big new test. I think Schuler is capable of doing it, but he'll surely need support.

3. Win the middle third

- Vital to the success of both these teams is possession. To have possession, you have to win the middle third. This would typically be in RSL's favor largely, but with the suspension of Beckerman it becomes a gigantic question mark. Who Kreis has fill in at holding mid will decide how this game turns out. I hope he takes an aggressive approach to things and fields a midfield full of energy. With the right pieces, even excluding KB, RSL should be able to gain control of the middle and thus the game.

My Starting XI for RSL:
GK: Rimando
LB: Schuler
CB: Olave
CB: Borchers
RB: Russell
LM: Warner
CDM: Johnson
RM: Williams
CAM: Gil
FW: Espindola
FW: Saborio

Key Player for RSL: Will Johnson

Johnson's energy and tenacity will be a huge factor for this match. Will can be one of the best players on the pitch one second and then one of the worst the next. He'll have to be great for RSL to win as I think he is the right replacement for Beckerman in the holding mid spot.

Prediction: RSL 2 - NYRB 1
- Espy with a brace
I think this game has the potential to be one of the most entertaining matches of the year. Just days after a match that was incredibly brutal to watch (and play, according to KB) I think the beautiful side of the game will be showcased in this match up.

FORZA REAL

Cheers,

15 to 32

Ugly But Effective

2011-09-19T10:23:00.002-06:00

RSL and Sporting KC played possibly the most unattractive game of soccer at the RioT this past Saturday. It was the type of game that RSL, in recent years, finds a way to lose or draw. This time around, though, the good guys in red came out on top. Even with the consistent diving, bitching, and physical play from the opponents, RSL found the back of the net via a wonderful set piece (Beckerman) and header (Borchers).

As Beckerman was quoted saying after the game, this one was brutal to watch. Neither team really ever gained much of a flow or rhythm and the official never really let the game get going either. It felt like, to me at least, this game featured more whistles in the first half alone than most games feature even when they go into extra time. The ball was being set for a set piece or retrieved for a throw in more than it was actually being played by the teams. It wasn't pretty.

Much of the blame for this lack of rhythm or flow can be attributed to the way KC approached this game. Sporting employed a very physical and high line on RSL. A tactic that is known to work very well against our midfield and forwards. In this game, it worked pretty well for them. What bothered me, though, was not the way they played their defense per-say (which was very physical) but they way the approached the offensive side of things. There tactic was to get the ball wide and whip it in - again, a known way to beat RSL. Added to this, though, was an incredible amount of diving. Whether on purpose or not, it seemed KC was looking to get RSL into card trouble, especially in the back. We were already stretched thin with Schuler, a normal CB, playing outside back, so it seemed a logical approach. However, the diving should never be encouraged.

It was obvious from the opening 5 minutes this game was going to be chippy. Kei Kamara, in my book, was the one player (if you could blame a single player) that was most responsible. In the first 15 minutes he went down at least 4 times on the right wing for KC. Each time it looked as though he really was embellishing the contact, if there even was any. RSL isn't a team that likes to be victim of diving, a bit ironic, I know. Thus, the game got physical. Schuler and Beckerman were going to actually give Kamara a reason to go down. From there, it just was all down hill.

The goal for RSL, in a bit of poetic justice, came just because of this physical play. A rather stupid foul by KC roughly 35 yards from goal allowed RSL to send in the monsters. With Olave, Schuler, Borchers, and Saborio all on the pitch at the same time, set pieces were something we had to take advantage of. A very nice ball by Beckerman found the head of Borchers (who exactly was marking him is still a mystery) and the lone goal for the game. Upon replay, it looks really tight as to whether or not Borchers was on-sides. His upper body was behind everyone, but his feet were level with the last defender. Its one of those that is up to the discretion of the AR. I've seen it called both ways. In the end, though, KC has to defend better than that. Borchers was wide open, simply inexcusable.

The rest of the game was, as I said, just ugly and sloppy. KC got frustrated late and started to employ more pressure on the RSL back line and on their tackles. Suzi, who I thought to be a very good player before this game, delivered a tackle on Johnson in the closing minutes that summed up the game for me. Johnson beat him into space and looked up field, Suzi came across him and took both legs out while scissoring his legs. Then, Suzi stood over Johnson and taunted him. I'm still shocked that this moment didn't turn into an all out brawl. Maybe it was because the tackle has happened so many times against RSL when playing this team or maybe they were just ready for the match to be over, but how that tackle didn't result in Suzi getting a punch from an RSL player is beyond me.

In the end, RSL got a result that maybe was a bit on the lucky side. With how things have gone this season, we'll take it and not ask questions.

Man of the Match: Nick Rimando

The entire RSL defense deserves credit for a very well played match. The offense rewarded them (even though it was a defender who scored) by getting the one goal to make their efforts worth while. Nicky, in particular, had a spectacular night. He had a huge save in each of the halves and was very good in the air on the crosses. Well done Mr Midget.

Wanker of the Match: Kei Kamara

A lot of people were up for this award. Espinoza seemed the easy target before the game, but his antics were actually rather calm (probably scared of the RioT turning on him very quickly). In the end, Kamara is responsible for this game being as ugly and chippy as it was. The guy is a gigantic douche bag. (honorable mention to Jake Heaps and the BYU offense)

Looking Ahead: 2 Games, 1 Week, Huge Implications
RSL has a two game road trip this week that will, in my opinion, decide whether they have any chance at catching LA for the Supporters Shiled and, in all reality, just how likely they are to finish 2nd rather than 3rd in the West. The game at New York on Wednesday should be a thriller as NY is in desperate need of points. The game in DC on Saturday will likely be one of DC's last gasp hopes as well. RSL can play the role of dream crusher or reviver for their opponents. I'd love to contribute to both the teams being eliminated from playoff contention - especially New York.

FORZA REAL

Cheers,

15 to 32

Defining Moments

2011-09-16T10:41:00.003-06:00

RSL hosts Sporting Kansas City this weekend in what looks to be a very important game for both teams. RSL is sitting in 4th place out West (and overall) with 45 points. The three teams above them all played in CCL action earlier this week so their legs might be a bit heavy. Thus, this could be a grand opportunity for RSL to jump in the standings while still keeping those 2 games in hand. In fact, if everything went RSL's way this weekend, they would be in second place by Sunday morning.

On the other side of things, Sporting KC is sitting at 40 points and second in the East. With a win and a Columbus draw or loss, they would take the #1 spot in their conference. From starting the season on the road 10 straight games, to having a ridiculous amount of home games, Sporting has made a resurgence to the top of the league standings. They still sit 7th place overall, but things can change very quickly for a hot team; they would know.

Not only is this game massive for this weekend, but both teams are about to go into a series of games that will define their season. RSL plays, including this game, 6 games in the next 20 days. KC, on the other hand, will play (including this game) 4 games in the next 15 days. We are to the point of the season where you either step up to the challenge and prove your worth, or shy away and show you actually buckle under pressure.

3 Keys to the Match for RSL

1. Build on the RioT's energy

With the band OneRepublic playing a post game concert, ticket sells are through the roof. Considering this game is on the same day as the Holy War, I'd thought we would be lucky to get 10K out. According to the ticket office (I was down there Thursday afternoon) we will have over 19K and likely a sellout. This is important for a couple reasons, most notably is that Sporting hasn't played a road game since mid-July. They are used to having a good crowd on their side. At the RioT, it'll be the opposite. RSL has to use this to their advantage.

2. High Pressure, High Energy, High Work-rate

One of the reasons this team was successful up at Century Link Field last Saturday was just this. They kept the energy, work-rate, and pressure high for most if not all of the game. Doing this at home should not only be easier, but it should be more rewarding. Again, since KC hasn't been on the road for such a long stretch, they aren't likely to be very acclimated to the altitude change. By the 75 minute, if RSL can keep the energy high, they should be rewarded by a drop in play from the visitors. To get there, though, they'll have to earn it.

3. Wing-play Defense and Long Throw-ins.

One of the most common themes to defeating or taking points off of RSL is using the wings. Sporting KC is a team that, from what I've seen, likes to get the ball wide and then bring it back in. With RSL not able to field either of Beltran or Wingert, Robbie Russell's wing will be the main target and the opposite side (likely filled by Schuler) will be a target as well. Similarly, Sporting has the ability to deliver throw-ins anywhere near the 18 into the danger area. They treat there throw-ins like a corner kick, essentially. RSL will have to be on their toes to not get burned in these two areas.

Starting XI for RSL:
GK: Rimando
RB: Schuler
CB: Olave
CB: Borchers
LB: Russell
RM: Johnson
CDM: Beckerman
LM: Williams
CAM: Gil
FW: Espindola
FW: Saborio

Key Player for RSL: Robbie Russell

If Sporting KC has done any homework on this team, they'll know that Russell has been the weak spot in the usually strong RSL defense. Teams have been exploiting his aging legs and poor positioning all year long, I don't expect it to change this game. Olave, Borchers, and Schuler will all be there to back him up, but if Russell can't get it done SKC has enough talent on the field to burn us regardless. Robbie needs to have a great game for RSL to get a win I think.

Prediction: RSL 2 - Sporting 1
- Goals from Espy and Olave
This is going to be a tight game that is likely a bit chippy. Both times this season when this team has met there have been ejections. Both times they featured Roger Espinoza. I guarantee early on in this match we see Espinoza suffer a hard tackle from an RSL player. From there, things are sure to be heated. Hopefully the ref will be on top of things or it could get out of hand. Regardless, though, I think RSL will prevail. Sporting is a good team, but not having played on the road in such a long time will test them, especially at the RioT.

FORZA REAL

Cheers,

15 to 32

Massive Win

2011-09-12T12:12:00.001-06:00

I would have wagered nearly all the money I have (and then some) that RSL wouldn't win against Seattle on Saturday. With how things were going, Seattle just looked far too good to be beaten at home. As luck would have it, though, RSL found a way to win. Sure, it was anything but pretty. In fact, it was one of the ugliest and weirdest games of soccer I can remember. In the end, though, RSL picked up 3 gigantic points in the playoff race. They are right back in the thick of things in the West. Something I thought was long gone just a few weeks ago. It's funny just how quickly this game turns.

The first 45 minutes of this game were absolutely bizarre. The match was obviously going to be a physical one. Seattle had snapped RSL's home winning streak against MLS teams and thus RSL was playing with a bit of anger. Similarly, Seattle was being billed (by myself included) as the best team in the league right now. They weren't going to just be pushed around, especially on their home... field (if you can call it that).

Ejections:
The ref was out of his league, by a long shot. His first yellow card on Tony Beltran was weak to say the least. Tony went into a tackle and got plenty of the ball. Sure his studs were exposed and it might have deserved a foul, but not a yellow at all, especially considering he hadn't been warned or anything. His second yellow made the first one look legit, though. Tony went into a tackle literally a half second too late. He barely caught Rosales (who went down like a ton of bricks) and the ref went to his pocket. It was instantly obvious that the ref didn't realize it was Beltran's second yellow. He looked in his book and discovered his gaff. No way that was deserving of an ejection. Regardless, he painted himself into the corner and had to send Beltran off.

Only just a few minutes after his horrible call on Beltran to see him off, the ref made another gigantic blunder. The Seattle center back, Hurtado, won a ball off of Saborio deep in his own half. Sabo went to challenge for the ball and caught the elbow/hand of Hurtado in his upper chest. Sabo went down. Not theatrically diving, but instead just out of shock and surprise. The official, who was literally just a few yards away, instantly went to his back pocket and leveled the ejection count for both teams. 10 a side, it now was, on two horrendous decisions by the ref to send players off.

Goals/Non-goals:
Despite the officials attempts to eliminate scoring in the game by sending players off, the teams found the net. It came, however, in some equally strange fashion to the ejections. First, before Beltran had even received his first bogus yellow, came the opening goal. Espindola, causing havoc like he always does, found space on the left wing and headed towards goal. He looked up, saw Sabo making a run on the far post, and tried to whip it into him. The ball was too deep and too close to the keeper, though, for Sabo to get to. The ball was, however, very well struck and dangerous. Keller, the Seattle keeper, knew he had to meet it and awkwardly made a slide to get to it before it went to Sabo. In the process, however, Keller mishandled the ball somehow. He spun nearly 180 degrees and placed it into his own net. Everyone, including those watching on the television, were just stunned at what had happened. Did it really go in? Yes, probably the worst own-goal you will ever see; especially from a keeper of Keller's calibre.

Only minutes later, though, would the craziness continue. Seattle instantly was on the attack, trying to level the score. A ball into the box found Mike Facito. His first touch was heavy and got away from him. Robbie Russel went into a tackle which could attribute to that touch. The ref examined this slide by Russell, however, as late and impeding the run of Facito (who went down WAY too easily for me). The official pointed to the spot. It looked like we were going to be level. Mauro Rosales stepped up, sent Rimando the wrong way, but fired wide. Bizarre. RSL held onto their undeserved 1-0 lead for the rest of the normal time in the first half and looked to be getting into the break with a lead.

This wasn't the case, though, as Seattle put together one last attack before half. Rosales, now running down the left wing for Seattle, played a nice 1-2 with Montero just outside the box. Rosales got behind Russell far too easily and made his way to the touch line. All of the Seattle players in the box looked to be marked so Rosales tried to squeze a ball into the near post run. Borchers deflected the cross just for it to land at the feet of Montero. Olave, who had initially been marking Montero, lost his mark and was made to pay for the mistake. Montero settled the ball well and fired home a shot Nicky had no chance of saving.

The decisive goal for the match came in the second half. Fabian Espindola, once again, found space on the left wing and went at the Settle defense. He looked up and saw Sabo on the far side, top of the 18, and hit a really nice cross to him. Sabo connected with the ball just for it to hit off the Seattle defender. In the next 5 seconds, the reason soccer shouldn't be played on turf was displayed. The Seattle defender should have easily cleared the ball, but because of the spin and the turf, the ball took a weird bounce. It struck both players and fell to the feet of Sabo again. Saborio, pouncing on the mistake, took a touch to the left and fired home a well struck ball to the far post. Once again, just bizarre.

The rest of the match:
Despite the ref, the match still had a good level of soccer to it (outside the strange moments that defined the game). RSL did well to counter what Seattle threw at them. The first 60-65 minutes were especially impressive from RSL as they looked to not be chasing at all. Some rotations by Kreis, however, made the last 30 minutes very nerve-racking. At half Kreis burned his first sub by taking off Gil and replacing him with Schuler. Chris went to the outside left back position and, I have to say, didn't look much out of position at all. Maybe its something about Seattle, but Schuler has now shown twice (center back last year and left back this year), on the road up there, that he can fill in at this level. In hindsight, this was the move that saved the game for RSL. Schuler was a beast and prevented Seattle from building down that wing more often than not.

The other two rotations by Kreis, though, were a bit strange and nearly cost us. His second rotation was to take off Saborio and replace him with Grabavoy. A sub that, at the time, seemed a very smart idea. However, upon hindsight (and common sense) this move killed our ability to get the ball into the attack while the defense was under pressure. There is not a single player on this team that is capable of doing what Sabo does for us up top. That being releasing pressure while also keeping possession. His size and skill in the air are what starts numerous attacks for us. From the time he came off, we never once were able to win a ball in the middle to offensive third that was in the air.

The last sub was the worst of the three. Even at the time, contrary to the rest, it seemed the wrong move. Espindola had been simply destroying the Seattle defense. Even when it was him vs 3 defenders, Espy was causing chaos. Kreis decided that it was time for the Argentine to rest, though, and brought on Paulo Junior. Last year, when Paulo was healthy, this would have been a golden sub. This year, though, Paulo just doesn't have the same speed or tenacity to make it work. Once PJ came on, all of our attack went away. Not only did he not release pressure but he forced the ball back into the midfield on a few occasions - the exact opposite of what he should have been doing.

Despite all this, though, RSL found a way to win. It must be said, it was very much a team effort. The spine of this team (Nicky, Olave, Borchers, KB, and Espy) were the reasons we won. Each had tremendous nights with most the rest of the guys complimenting them very well.

Man of the Match: Kyle Beckerman

I really wanted to give this award to Espy. Had he stayed on even until the 80th minute, it would have been his. Kyle, though, was simply a beast. Seattle couldn't get things going in the middle of the park and that was all due to this guy. He played the full 90 against Philly, went to Belgium on 2 days rest and played a solid 45, then came back and played another full 90; he still was the hardest working player on the pitch. KB is playing some of the best soccer I've ever seen him play right now. Borchers and Espy better watch out, KB is making a charge for team MVP.

Wanker of the Match: Mark Kadlecik

The center official had a really really bad day in this one. His two ejections were just horrid and his overall consistency was just atrocious. I find it very interesting that MLS scheduled this guy to be the center after he officiated the first game between these two earlier this year (a game that saw Olave get sent off too, go figure). All I know is that Kasey Keller did everything he could to earn this award and still got beat to it by the ref.

Looking Ahead: Home Test
This Saturday RSL hosts Sporing Kansas City in what should be one of the biggest games of the year. It won't seem this way, though, as the University of Utah plays BYU in football the exact same day at the exact same time. RSL needs to get the full 3 points in this match to stay in the chase in the West. Games at home, this late in the season, are beyond vital to a team's success.

FORZA REAL

Cheers,

15 to 32

6 Point Swing

2011-09-08T10:25:00.002-06:00

RSL travels to Seattle this weekend in what I am calling their biggest road test of the MLS season. Amidst all the waves of emotions, bad calls, dives, etc. from this season so far, RSL finds themselves in a spot to make a statement and put themselves back in the discussion of best team in the league. By all accounts, Seattle is the best team in MLS right now. Sure, LA is above them in the standings, but current form goes to the Sounders in a landslide. Thus, if RSL can find a way to even get a draw out of this one, it would be quite the accomplishment. A win? Well they would surely be turning some heads.

Not only is this game a great opportunity to put RSL back in the Supporters Shield discussion, but its also a revenge match. While Monterrey snapped the all time undefeated streak at the RioT, the Sounders were the ones who broke the unbeaten MLS streak. That rainy game back in May still stings to think about, and those 3 points we gave to the Sounders look really really important right now. A revenge game is in store for Real, lets hope they can execute.

To win at Seattle will take, in my opinion, one of the greatest games this squad has played. On turf, in the middle of the day, against a very good team is a really tall order. One that, when looking at our history, looks rather impossible to complete. This team, however, has been trending in the right direction and is on the edge, or so it feels, of really getting that RSL swagger back. To do so, and to get a win or even a draw, here is what RSL needs to do:

1. Contain Fernandez and Rosales
- These two are what makes Seattle so scary. Both are tremendous midfielders that like to get wide and then cut in to make things happen. The way to beat RSL has always been to expose our lack of width; exactly what these two specialize in. The responsibilities on the defensive side of things for RSL will fall to the outside backs. Tony Beltran will likely get put on Fernandez given Russell's injury, leaving new man Blake Wagner to deal with Rosales. Wagner will instantly get to show if he is worthy of his spot on the team (assuming Russell is in fact not capable of starting)

2. Find Sabo, then Espy, and support
- Looking at the Seattle defense I see a lot of decent defenders, but nothing overly amazing. I think Espy and Sabo will be able to get in behind them and cause chaos: the Espy specialty. To do this, though, Saborio will have to play some damn good target forward. Against the US, he did just exactly this - especially in the second half. Just getting the ball to Sabo then Espy won't get it done, though. The support has to be there from the midfield. This means players like Johnson, Alvarez, and especially Gil have to push forward on that initial ball to Saborio. If we can get numbers in the box, we've shown we can find goals.

3. Set Pieces
- As I have said in numerous other posts, tight games are typically won on set pieces. RSL has been shaky at defending these lately, but rather good at finishing them. If the first issue is addressed, and the second trend continued, RSL could find themselves in some good territory this game. Seattle has multiple players that can hit a good dead ball on goal or whip in a good cross, thus limiting these chances will be vital. Similarly, creating as many set piece opportunities (especially corners with both Borchers and Olave back) will be key.

The Starting XI I hope to see for RSL:
GK: Rimando
LB: Wagner
CB: Olave
CB: Borchers
RB: Beltran
LM: Johnson
CDM: Beckerman
RM: Alvarez
CAM: Gil
FW: Espindola
FW: Saborio

Key Player for RSL: Tony Beltran

Stopping the wing play was the first key to the match, this will fall on the outside backs. Beltran will have his hands full with either the talented Uruguayan (Fernandez) or the new, really talented Argentine (Rosales). Not only will he need to play a damn good match, but his offensive production will be key. The more he and Wagner can get up the wings and into the attack, the better we will be.

Prediction: RSL 1 - Seattle 2
- Goal for RSL from Espindola
I want to believe RSL is currently in good enough form to beat or get a draw out of this one. Sadly, I just don't see it. Seattle is simply on fire. What I hope to see, though, is continued execution on the defensive end and Espy and Sabo looking dangerous together again. I really hope I'm wrong on the prediction...

FORZA REAL

Cheers,

15 to 32

Tale of Two Halfs

2011-09-06T10:41:00.003-06:00

For roughly thirty minutes this past Saturday, RSL looked the dominant team of old. Passing, movement, creativity, flair, and finishing were all on display. Even with a large group of key players missing, RSL looked to not be missing a beat. After Philly got a goal to make it 2-1, though, things changed. This continued into the second half and RSL was lucky to hold onto the win. In the end, though, a win is a win. RSL was very much in need of the full 3 points in this one.

1st Half
With a somewhat makeshift lineup, RSL came out of the gates firing. Espindola was reeking havoc, Paulo was getting in behind even without that burst of speed he use to have, and Beckerman was simply dominating the middle of the pitch. It was no surprise, then, that RSL held a 2-0 lead by the 29th minute and was looking just as dangerous. Beckerman found the back of the net first off of a short corner exchange. He played the ball in to PJ who played it back to KB. Kyle cut across the top of the 18 and let off a rocket with his right foot. The ball hit the top far post corner, nothing Mondragon could do about it. Not too long thereafter, off of a corner once again, Kyle whipped in a beautiful cross. Chris Schuler, filing in for the suspended Borchers, rose above every defender by a good foot and finished it off. RSL was flying high and it looked as though we could be in for a blowout.
As this cruel game goes, though, Philly got one back. On a very textbook counter attack, Philly found the space left open by our attacking outside back (Russell) and then whipped in a wonderful cross to the opposite side as our defense had to make a shift. Sebastian LeToux hammered his shot right at Rimando, but Nicky wasn't able to keep it out. A lot of blame can go around for this goal on the RSL side of things. First, Russell didn't recover fast enough and was made to pay for it by the first pass of the counter. Then on the shift, Beltran lost his mark (LeToux) and got a bit too central. Had he applied more pressure, Sebastian probably doesn't get the shot off, or at least not as cleanly. Lastly, Rimando needed to do better. It was well hit and probably took him a bit by surprise, but Rimando has shown that he is a top notch keeper. In my opinion, that is one he probably should have saved.
The half was finished off by some rather cautious play by both sides. RSL knew they couldn't let themselves get exposed in the back again like that, so were hesitant to throw too many numbers forward. Similarly, Philly didn't want to undo their efforts by giving up a goal to go back down by 2 before half.

2nd Half
The second 45 was all Philly with sprinkles of RSL here and there. It wasn't pretty to watch as an RSL supporter at all. Philly applied a higher line of pressure and was rewarded with more possession and more opportunities. They ultimately didn't finish any of these, but they were there for the taking on multiple occasions. Justin Mapp, in fact, had probably the best opportunity of the game for Philly on a break away in which he elected to take a shot with an acute angle rather than lay the ball off to a wide open teammate who would have simply tapped it in.
On the other end, RSL was simply hoping Espy could beat 3 or 4 defenders. Ironically enough, he did so on a few occasions. He picked up a bad back pass from Philly, split the two central defenders, and got off a rather weak right footed shot that hit the backup keeper. The ball popped lose and Espy, being the hard worker that he is, continued his run. He cut to the goal only to find 2 defenders standing on the goal line. Had someone made an effort to support Espy, he could have laid the ball off to them for an easy finish. Instead he was left on his own and ultimately couldn't finish.
The last 30 minutes were marked by 2 RSL debuts and a return to play from a player who had been out for over a month. Cody Arnoux made his RSL debut at the 60th minute for Paulo Junior (and obviously timed sub as PJ looked gassed). Cody looked alright in the attack. He contains, based on this short amount of observation, a rather high soccer IQ and is willing to do the dirty work. I don't think he will be pushing for starting minutes any time soon, but he will push players for a spot in the 18. Ned Grabavoy came on around the 75th minute for Collen Warner (it should have been Williams, but oh well). After sitting out for over a month with a groin injury, it was nice to see Grabs back out there. It was obvious his fitness and strength weren't back at full power, but nevertheless they were coming along. Lastly, Blake Wagner came on late for the injured Robbie Russell. Wagner really didn't get to play too long, but his few minutes showed he had a good understanding of the game and system RSL was playing.

In the end, RSL was a bit lucky to keep the 2-1 win. Philly had ample opportunities to level it out, but they simply couldn't make that final pass. It was good news for RSL, though, as they really needed these 3 points to keep chase in the West.

Man of the Match: Kyle Beckerman

Who else could it be? The guy hit a golazo for the first goal and then whipped in a beautiful corner for the second. His play in the first half was dominating. He faltered off a little bit in the second, but that was more due to the players around him giving up the ball so easily. Great game from KB. Best of luck in Belgium later today.

Wanker of the Match: Veljko Paunovic

I'm not sure what was said between Veljko and KB, but the two were going at it all night. Whenever Philly lost the ball, you could count on Veljko coming in on a poorly timed tackle to break the play up or some RSL player. The guy is a hack.

Looking Ahead: @ Seattle
RSL goes to Seattle this Saturday for arguably their biggest road test of the season. In my book, Seattle is the best team in the league right now. They have proven to have some tremendous depth and are simply killing anyone who gets in their way. They stopped the streak of MLS games at the RioT for RSL, so it will be interesting to see if the revenge factor plays into this one at all. If RSL can somehow pull out a win in this one (very unlikely) then they will be right back in the SS race, surprisingly enough, as LA looks to be struggling a bit.

FORZA REAL

Cheers,

15 to 32

Must Win

2011-09-01T10:51:00.004-06:00

RSL hosts Philly this weekend, a game that is, as the title suggests, a must win for RSL if they want to stay in the competition for a top 3 western conference spot. Winning is going to be incredibly difficult, though, given the challenges RSL will face not only from the Union, but with personnel. When this game got bumped back it was known that RSL would likely be missing a couple key players to national team duty. What wasn't known, however, was the amount of injuries that would coincide with those call-ups, leaving RSL in a very tight spot in terms of available players. It'll take a great effort from all available players to get this win, a must in my eyes, against a solid opponent.To get the full 3 points, RSL will have to execute on both ends of the pitch extremely well and do their best to preserve energy. Here are the 3 keys I think, if executed properly, will get RSL a win:

1. Long possession
- RSL will have, according to multiple reports, between 15 and 17 healthy players to suit up for this match. That isn't a huge deal considering only 14 players could be used in the game, anyways. What is the big deal, however, is who those players are. Saborio, Alvarez, Johnson, and Alexandre all got called-up for their respective national teams. Add that to our ridiculously long list of injuries and you come to the realization that our bench will feature such known players as Donny Toia and Blake Wagner - guys most serious RSL fans don't even recognize. To counter this, RSL has to be able to hold onto the ball for long stretches during the match. This might slow things down a bit, but it will do wonders come the 70th minute when the guys aren't exhausted.

2. Keep the ball moving through KB and Gil
- When we have been successful in the last few matches, we have utilized our midfield - especially the central part. Kyle seems to be coming into some really good form (a boost in confidence from his national team call-up, no doubt) and Gil is growing every minute of every match. The more we utilize these two, the more guys like Espindola can get open in space.

3. Find Espy
- Building on the last point, RSL has to find Espindola in the final third. The guy has been one of the few bright spots in a rough couple of weeks for Real. His work rate and energy are second to none, which is quite the accomplishment when you play with guys like Johnson and Beltran. If we get the ball to Espy in the final third (using steps 1 and 2 to do so) we'll be successful.

The defensive side of things is rather simple: work as a unit. With Olave back there, I am really confident despite the loss of Borchers for this match. Olave has the ability to close on players just a half second quicker than anybody else, which makes a big difference.

My Starting XI for RSL:
GK: Rimando
LB: Beltran
CB: Schuler
CB: Borchers
RB: Russell
LM: Warner
CDM: Beckerman
RM: Williams
CAM: Gil
FW: Espindola
FW: Paulo Junior

Again, it will be key for this team to not over exert itself. Players like Paulo Junior and Andy Williams will likely be slated as subs before the match even begins. Kreis better have each and every one of these guys ready to go the full 90.

Key Player for RSL: Fabian EspindolaHis work rate and energy will be tested in this one. I don't think we have the option to take him off, so he is going to be asked to do it for the full 90 minutes like he did last week in LA. If he is on, Philly (and pretty much every team in MLS) can't do much to stop him.

Prediction: RSL 2 - Philly 0
- Goals from Espy and Paulo Junior
A goal in each half will seal the deal, I think, for the home team. Philly is, to our advantage, coming in a bit out of form. They have struggled lately to get points and have fallen from the top 3 in the East. Freddy Adu and Sebastian Letoux will surely give our defense a test, but I think the guys will be ready for it.

FORZA REAL

Cheers,

15 to 32

Gutsy Huge Win

2011-08-29T10:06:00.005-06:00

Despite playing down a man for over an hour of play, RSL pulled out what has to be one of their biggest wins of the season. A ridiculous mistake by the Chivas defense gave Saborio a cake walk of a goal. An equally ridiculous first touch by Borchers setup his ejection. In the end, the Sabo goal proved just enough and RSL walked out of the Home Depot Center with 3 points they desperately needed.This game was setup to be one of the more attractive matches of the weekend. Both sides like to posses the ball and build their attack through multiple passes. Early on, this was just the case. RSL would build an attack, Chivas would counter with their own. It was, for those first 15 or so minutes, some really nice soccer. Then came a sequence that will have Robin Fraser just shaking his head for the next full week. The outside left back for Chivas took the ball up the line, had no option, so decided to play a back pass. Instead of looking up, finding his center back, and playing a crisp ball on the ground, however, he played a no look driven ball back to where he thought his center back would be. Saborio was also in the area and, through some lucky bounces and an awful whiff by the Chivas center back, he was in on goal all by himself. A simple hesitation and side step past the keeper put him in and RSL up 1-0. It was a bit of luck that RSL had been missing quite a bit lately and was very much welcomed, and taken advantage of, by the squad.

Chivas came firing back and on two occasions nearly got an equalizer. A close range shot from their left wing was smothered by Rimando and Juan Pablo Angel saw his volley from the 18 just hit off the cross bar. The moment that defined the match, though, came shortly thereafter. Beckerman, under pressure, passed the ball back to Borchers. The ball must have had a lot more pace on it than Nat had expected because his first touch not only went into the middle of the pitch, but went roughly 10 yards away from him, right to the feet of Labrocca. Nat was the last man back and sprinted to make up for his mistake. He cut across the back of Labrocca while grabbing his jersey and dragged him down just outside the 18. Labrocca made sure to make the most of the contact, but there was indeed enough contact to constitute a foul. Stott, the center ref, really had no choice but to go to his back pocket and send of Borchers. A huge blow for the side that just got its other starting CB, Olave, back in action. RSL was now in a situation of defend first and look to counter.

To their credit, RSL did something that typically they aren't very capable of: defending for long stretches of time. For over an hour of play, RSL was able to stop Chivas from mounting anything serious. There were a few chances for Chivas, but ultimately nothing truly spectacular was required of Rimando or the back line to keep the clean sheet and the win. In the end, RSL worked as a unit incredibly well and got three points they most desperately needed.

Man of the Match: Jamison OlaveIn his first match back since picking up an injury at the all-star game, Olave showed why he is (in my opinion) the most important piece of our defense. Lots of players for RSL were deserving of this reward: Espindola, Saborio, Beltran, and Johnson just to name a few. The key difference between this match and the one in Houston, however, was the presence of "The Verb". With Olave, our defense goes from decent to really good.

Wankers of the Match: Chivas USA
It seems all the hard work this club has put together over the past couple of months went to waste in two matches in the same week. At Portland they couldn't defend properly on a set piece or finish a host of chances to at least get a point. Against RSL, at home, they couldn't find a way to score against a team playing a man down for over an hour. Fraser had this unit moving in the right direction, but it seems these last two games could really be what separates them from a wild card spot and watching the playoffs from home.

Looking Forward: Big Weekend
Despite getting the full 3 points in this game, RSL finds themselves in a position in which they really need to get the full 3 points in any game at the RioT. When they host Philly this weekend, that task will be even more difficult than it typically would. RSL will be missing, due to international duty, the following players: Will Johnson, Alvaro Saborio, Arturo Alvarez, and Jean Alexandre. Three of those players were starters in the last match and the other, Jean, was slated as a super sub. Beckerman was originally on this list, but Kreis made a phone call to Klinnsman essentially begging him to let Kyle stay home for this game - thus missing the US game vs Costa Rica. Interestingly enough, Saborio, who was called up by Costa Rica, wasn't asked to stay back. To get the full 3 points, some bench players will really have to step it up for RSL. Philly is a decent side and is in need of points to keep a spot in the East. I think the guys are capable of doing it, but it will take an even better effort than they put in down at LA to do so.

FORZA REAL

Cheers,

15 to 32

Revenge? How about just playing well...

2011-08-25T11:40:00.007-06:00

On May 8th I sat down at my computer and essentially circled the date of August 27th; revenge date. Everyone knows what happened on May 7th, a match that RSL won according to the stats but is, quite possibly, the biggest loss of the RSL season. Javier Morales went down with that disgusting ankle break and separation and we all feared the worse. Well the worst hasn't come to full fruition, but its getting far too close for comfort. Now it's time for the rematch. This game could easily be spun to a revenge match: getting level with the team that took down our star. Given the grand scheme of things, though, that seems rather pointless. RSL needs not to worry about that and instead on righting the ship that seems to be sinking fast. This road game wraps up the 3 game road swing that has been anything but satisfactory. It's time for RSL to get points, or else.Of the many story lines that could be attributed to this match, one should stand above the rest: RSL vs another playoff contender. Or, better yet, RSL vs a team that is in the hunt to take away their playoff spot. With how the season started, this tag line would have been a joke to think possible, now its far from a joke but the sad truth. RSL needs points from this one in so many ways, starting with keeping Chivas at bay.

4 Keys to the Match for RSL:

1. Keep Labroca at bay.
- The midfielder has been bounced around quite a bit in his career but seems to have found some solid ground in LA for Chivas. By all accounts, he has been their best field player this year. His passing has been superb, his vision is surprisingly great, and his work rate is very Will Johnson-esk. The guy has turned what would be a cellar dweller of a team to an actual playoff contender. Kyle Beckerman will likely hold most the responsibility of keeping Labroca in check. To do so, Kyle will need to have a damn good game. He struggled against Geoff Cameron, a player not anywhere near as good as Labroca is currently, so things don't look overly promising.

2. Forget about Mondaini.
- Yeah, the dude busted the ankle of Morales. Yeah, he could be given a lot of credit for the struggles of RSL this season. Yeah, his punishment wasn't as severe as it probably should have been. So what. RSL can't let themselves get too worked up over the guy. He should be an afterthought. The best way to stick it to another guy, in my experience, is to beat him as a unit. Make him realize just how good this team is despite his vicious tackle. It'll be hard for the guys, I would imagine, to not want to at least give him a hard hit. If he plays, just play him as we would any other striker. Physical and strong, but nothing dirty.

3. Don't lose track JPA
- Juan Pablo Angel has had a rough season, his stint with the Galaxy was quite less than stellar. The old vet, however, showed just how short his memory is when he got to the Goats. His first game he was causing havoc like always, showing that maybe it wasn't so much himself that was struggling, but that the Galaxy system just wasn't the right fit. JPA has a history of giving RSL fits, especially on set pieces. We looked pretty awful defensively on set pieces in Houston, hopefully they were a focus point in practice this week. If not, JPA could continue his resurgence against a club he has had great success against.

4. Possess the ball with purpose
- One of the most irritating things about that game at Houston was how RSL went away from their possession game after they went up 2-1. The Espy sub obviously played a huge factor, but it was painfully obvious that the team suddenly wasn't overly worried about keeping the ball. This team is at its best when it not only controls possession, but does so with purpose. We did that for quite a long time in Houston, one of the lone positives. To be successful in this game, we'll have to do it for closer to 90 minutes rather than the 60 or so we did in Houston. We can beat this team if we play that purposeful possession game we are known to do.

Starting XI for RSL:
GK: Rimando
LB: Beltran
CB: Borchers
CB: Schuler
RB: Russell
LM: Alvarez
CDM: Beckerman
RM: Johnson
CAM: Gil
FW: Espindola
FW: Saborio

Key Player for RSL: Kyle BeckermanKyle will be the deciding factor in this game. If he is on, both defensively and offensively, RSL could easily dominate the weaker Chivas side. If he is off, however, Chivas will come at us multiple times and exploit the middle of the pitch. Kyle has been quoted quite a few times lately saying things aren't as dire as fans (myself included) and the press want to believe. With a trend of 1 win and 4 losses in the last 5, they certainly aren't that great. If I'm to believe what Kyle says - this team is ok, just in a bad slump, will be out of it soon - then he better show it to me in this match. Time and matches are running thin. Its time to put up or face the reality, KB.

Prediction: RSL 1 - Chivas 1
Goal from Johnson for RSL.
- I see this game as one in which RSL plays well, like they did in Houston, but commits too many errors to get the win. I don't think it'll cost them as much as it did there, but it will be 2 points we should have got left on the table. Hope I'm wrong, but this team seems to be playing this way lately.

FORZA REAL

Cheers,

15 to 32

The Game is 90 Minutes Long...

2011-08-22T09:59:00.005-06:00

In what shouldn't be much of a surprise, RSL fell short in the dying moments of their game down in Houston. For whatever reason, whenever we play that team - especially in Houston - the level of drama raises just that much more. What stings the most in this particular case, however, is not that the goal came in stoppage time but where RSL had been in the game previously. Someone obviously needed to remind the guys: "hey, the game is 90 minutes long".
There are a lot of things that RSL did both great and awful in this game. Ultimately, the negatives won out (in horrendous fashion) and now RSL is quickly finding themselves in the chase not for the top 3 spots in the West, but in the chase for one of the wild card spots. Just weeks ago RSL had itself separated from the mess that was the spots roughly 5-12, now they are very much in the thick of it.

The positives from the game at Houston:
- Early pressure (first 45)
- Possession oriented (first 45 and parts of the second half)
- Finding Espindola in space
- Trying to use width to help continue possession (first 45)

The negatives from the game at Houston:
- Horrible start and finish to the second half
- Lack of pressure on Brad Davis in the second half around the box
- Long balls to nobody to end the game - desperation
- Paulo Junior looked completely lost
- Robbie Russel's defending
- Giving away WAY too many set pieces, especially corners
- Lack of focus to end the game

In all, the negative list not only is longer than the positive list, but it was much more daming. On the road, you have to play a solid full game, or at least very close to. RSL played about 70 minutes, being generous, of good soccer. They were punished, however, for their 20 or so minutes in which they simply looked awful. That is how this game works, especially on the road. We make those same mistakes at the RioT and we might not be as badly punished. When you are at other people's home stadiums, though, you have to be sharp for at least 80 minutes.

Man of the Match: Brad DavisIt was very obvious that Houston had watched our film against the Crew just a few weeks back in which Robbie Rogers torched us down the left flank (our right). The Dynamo's go to guy couldn't have been in a better position to beat us. He constantly was a threat during the run of play and then, to make matters worse, was even more dangerous on set pieces. The guy has a hell of a left foot and should be making his way into talks for MVP this year. His play has been simply phenomenal.

Wanker of the Match: Robbie RussellLots of players - and coaches - for RSL are deserving of this reward. Russell drew the unlucky straw of having to mark Brad Davis and, especially in the second half, failed. His failure to make a tackle led to the first goal and his man was the guy who got open to head in the second. Also, the attack that ended up with their third started down Russell's wing. Not a great night, but he shouldn't feel too bad. Rimando and Kreis were also very serious candidates for this lovely award.

Wrapping up the Road Trip:
RSL heads to Chivas this coming Saturday on their final stop of this 3 game road swing. It has been, to be perfectly honest, a gigantic failure thus far. RSL has been scored on 4 times in 2 games and only put the ball in the net 2 times themselves. Against possibly the worst team in the league they couldn't find the net. Then, against a mid level team that is now a challenger for a playoff spot, they couldn't hold on to a lead despite gaining it two times. Things don't look very good for RSL. Chivas USA is starting to figure things out and will be hard to beat no matter the circumstances. Fraser would love nothing more, I'm sure, than to beat his former team. This road swing could see RSL go 0 for 9 on points. Something that would surely kill any momentum they had started to gain previously.

FORZA REAL

Cheers,

15 to 32

Water Break?

2011-08-18T10:06:00.004-06:00

RSL travels to face the cream-sickles in Houston this weekend in what is shaping up to be a very important match for both teams. Houston is very much in the hunt for a playoff spot in the East. If the playoffs started today, based purely on points, they would be one of the wild cards. In fact, they would play RSL in the wild card match-up. Both teams are looking to improve their playoff standings in hopes of avoiding that dreaded wild card play-in game.Typically this game would be just an assumed loss. RSL struggles quite a bit on the road, especially in Texas, and especially in Houston. In their entire history, RSL has never won the road game in Houston. They have salvaged one draw, but never a win. What is interesting, however, is that unlike the Toronto record, RSL has scored in each game they have played in Houston. Yes, that is not a typo, RSL has scored each and every time they've traveled to the Dynamo's home. If you know your RSL history, you will know this game tends to be one of the craziest games of the year (both home and away). For whatever reason, when we play the Dynamo things get heated, there is typically a lot of goals, and usually an ejection or two by the end of the 90 minutes.

For this particular game, RSL might just have a bit of luck on their side. While injuries continue to pile on (Wingert out six weeks with a busted wrist) RSL caught a break in that Houston had to travel to New England yesterday to play the Revs. The game was hard fought and looked to be a win for the Revs going into the 90th minute. In the dying moments of the game, though, Houston drew level 1-1. Many Houston fans were chalking that game up as a must-win, so while the draw (and the fashion it came in) were nice, it was still a disappointment. Thus, it will be interesting to see how Houston approaches this game Saturday. By all accounts, they need to get points, especially at home, if they want to maintain a playoff spot in the very crowded East. I would assume they will come out flying, even on the short rest, looking to get an early goal instead of leaving it up for late heroics.

RSL, similarly, is in need of points. As I stated before, if the playoffs started today they would be in the wild card match, not something they would like to do, you can imagine. They have to find a way to get back into the top 3 of the West, which means they HAVE to find a way to get points on the road. What better time than now? To do this, they will have to play one of their best games of the season. Houston is a very good side at home (7-3-3 record) and in relatively good form lately.

The lineup I think would best to use in this match-up is as follows:
GK: Rimando
- Will have to be big between the pipes. Some blame can go on him for the TFC goal last week, lets hope he makes up for it.

LB: Beltran
- Replacing Wingert on the left is pretty easy when you have 3 capable starters. Tony will have to be solid. I wouldn't be surprised to see him switch with Russell so that he would mark Brad Davis.

CB: Borchers
- Stone wall and Mr. Consistent has to be those two things. Against Ching and Costly, he is going to have his hands full.

CB: Schuler
- Olave might be able to get back in the lineup for this one, but at the same time it's not an ideal opponent for his first game back. Olave and Ching have a very colorful (literally, red and yellow) history with each other. I'd probably sit him out this one and let Schuler replace him.

RB: Russell
- Like I said with Tony, he might switch sides. Russell's marking has to be solid this game or he will be the reason we get burned.

LM: Alvarez
- Having to replace Will because of suspension sucks, especially when you have to pick between Alvarez and Warner. Neither have been good this year but I think I'd prefer Alvarez at this point. Hopefully he will be willing to use his right foot, or even the right side of the field, at times.

CDM: Beckerman
- He finally got a full weeks rest so hopefully he is set for a very big game. He has to be solid in the middle or we'll lose, plain and simple.

RM: Williams
- I wouldn't be surprised to see Warner take Andy's spot. Andy really struggled in Toronto and simply doesn't have the legs to be a 90 minute guy every week. He was supposed to be a solid sub for us not all year, not a starter.

CAM: Gil
- Luis struggled in Toronto at times and at others looked solid. His work rate will have to be high for us to get anything going in the offensive third of the field. Shoot the ball kid, please.

FW: Espy
- Fabian did everything but score in Toronto. The poor guy couldn't buy a goal. Hopefully he makes up for it at a place I've seen him score at before.

FW: Sabo
- If we can use him as our target more and work off of him we will succeed. The more he is in the middle of the pitch as the target, the better our offense will work.

Key Player for RSL: Tony BeltranIf you have watched any Houston games this year you will know that their attack runs through Brad Davis. I'd assume and hope that Beltran gets the assignment to mark him. If we are going to get even a point out of this game, we will have to take Davis and his solid left foot out of the equation as much as possible.

Prediction: Houston 3 - RSL 2
- Goals for RSL from Espy and Beckerman

Like many trips to Houston in the past, I expect this game to be wild and have some late heroics to it. I bet we go into the last 20 minutes of the game tied at 2 just for Davis to whip in a ball that Ching or Costly puts in to win it.

What I would give to be wrong, but history down there suggests it'll be ugly.

FORZA REAL

Cheers,

15 to 32

Stumbling out of the Gate

2011-08-15T10:02:00.005-06:00

RSL ultimately failed in their first road game of this 3 game road trip. They went to Toronto with a lot of confidence and a full week's rest, but walked away with 0 points and, once again, 0 goals for. On paper, the game was by far the easiest left on the schedule. Toronto is a cellar dweller that was leaking goals at an alarming rate. Not only did RSL fail to get a point, but they failed to score. Which, to me, was the most alarming point of the match. The lack of production up top is starting to become a really big issue, especially away from home.This game could be used for coaching lessons throughout the world. It was a prime example of "getting punished for not taking advantage of your opportunities". In the first 25 minutes, it looked as though TFC was going to be the team punished. They created chances quite a few times, yet couldn't find the net. At around the 25th minute, things changed. Suddenly RSL took hold of the game and attacked. Like TFC, though, they simply couldn't score. For whatever reason, RSL looked simply confused once in front of goal. The crossbar did come to the rescue for TFC on two occasions, it's true, but RSL should never have let the ball go that high. It was a painful half to watch in regards to finishing. So many blown chances.

In the second half it was much the same. RSL looked dominant but simply couldn't find the net. As the game wore on, though, it became much more level. TFC, as the home team should, took some risks and threw numbers at RSL. Ultimately, this paid off. A bizarre and rather weak shot found the back of the net, and sank the hopes of RSL. Thus, RSL was made to pay for their lack of finishing. The chances were there for RSL to put this one away both in the first half and in the second. TFC made us pay.

Man of the Match: Torsten FringsMoving Frings to CB, I thought, was going to be a bad idea. Instead, it paid off rather well for TFC. The veteran lead from the back and played a role in RSL's scoring woes. The guy has played at the top level, you can tell. Wonderful addition to MLS.

Wanker(s) of the Match: RSL's AttackNot scoring on the leagues leakiest defense is simply inexcusable. Hell, this same team gave up 3 goals to a 10-man DC United just last week. I know they made adjustments to disrupt our play, but not scoring was simply embarrassing. This can be spread across the whole squad, but is especially reserved for Saborio, Espindola, Paulo Junior (was nice to see him, though), Alvarez, Johnson, Williams, Gil, etc. The supposed lethal offense of RSL looks incredibly tame once it leaves the confines of the RioT.

Reason to be Nervous:
RSL has scored only 5 times away from home this year (9 games). We are almost the league worst when it comes to goals scored on the road (second to Portland by .01). With 8 more games to be played on the road, there is plenty of reason for RSL to be nervous. RSL has to pick up points in some of these games to make the playoffs; it's becoming that dreadful. Relying on the rest of the home games for the points to get in is not only a risky venture, but it's not an assured one either. Teams above us in the standings are separating themselves. Similarly, teams behind us are closing the gap. This team that was once in the discussion of Supporters Shield winner is now having to wonder if they have what it takes to make the playoffs.

Reason to Not be Overly Nervous:
On the positive side of things, RSL has only given up 7 goals on the road this year. We are the only team in the league with a goals against average on the road that is less than one (both Philly and LA average exactly 1 GA on the road). Thus, the defense is doing their job. The offense has to be able to find the net a whole lot more than they have been. While teams are starting to separate themselves from RSL, it is key to remember those games in hand that RSL have. The cRapids are now 4 points ahead of RSL, but they also have played 4 more games. Seattle is 6 points ahead but has also played 3 more games. Dallas is 7 points ahead but has played 3 more games. LA is quickly becoming out of reach, though, as they are 12 points ahead having played 3 more games. Similarly, the teams behind us are in fact gaining ground but still have all played more games than us. Chivas USA, the most immediate threat, is 6 points back and has played 2 more games. On the other side, Houston is 5 points back having played 2 more games and Sporting is 6 points back having played 1 more game.

Thus, it isn't time to become overly worried, but there should be a bit of nervousness in the air for RSL fans. Things aren't awful, but they aren't trending in a positive manner at all. This team is really struggling to find the net away from home yet has twice as many road games left as home games. I said it before this road swing began and I'll say it again, this is the true test of this squad. The next two teams are potential playoff contenders. If the playoffs started today, Houston would be the last team in while Chivas would be the first team to miss the cut. These are the kind of games that RSL has to show they are a top level team against. I'm not saying they have to win both to do so, but picking up points is key. Where this team is will be pretty well understood come August 28th.

FORZA REAL

Cheers,

15 to 32

Road Trip!!!

2011-08-11T09:40:00.004-06:00

It's that time of year for RSL: road trippin! This Saturday RSL starts its 3 game road swing up in Toronto, Canada. TFC has been possibly one of the worst teams this season thus far. However, they have made some big changes in the past few weeks and look a totally different side than the one we played here back in late June. It's going to be a big test for this RSL side.This first road game is, in my opinion, the most winnable for RSL of their three road games through the rest of August. Toronto is a cellar dweller that is nearly already eliminated from playoff contention with 3 months left in the season. They have made drastic changes to the team and coaching staff yet remain near the bottom of the incredibly weak Eastern Conference. Confidence in the team making the playoffs is dwindling by the hour, it seems, and the focus has quickly (and understandably) shifted to their play in Champions League.

Yes, it's quite painful to see, but TFC is back in CCL this year. Playing in Canada has HUGE advantages in this regard. This does come to the advantage of RSL, though, for this particular game. Toronto has a road game in Panama City just 5 days following this match. That game is very pivotal in them finishing in the top half of their group. Getting road results is what typically separates teams in group play. So long as you get full points at home, one or two road points can see you through to the next round. Thus, TFC would likely want to get those road points out of the way right off the bat. If I was in their coaches position, I would highly consider resting my best guys this weekend in preparation for the big match ahead.

It is very unclear if this will actually happen, though. Mathematically, TFC is not eliminated from the playoffs. They are lucky to be in the East where a 3 game hot streak could easily put them right back in the playoff picture. I wouldn't be surprised to see Winter (TFC's head coach) save his best guys for next week, but it might be still too early in the season for him to get away with it and not get a lot of heat from his front office and fans. RSL should go in expecting their best XI to be out there and nothing less.

For RSL, the key to this match is rather simple: build off of the New York home performance. Against the Red Bulls, RSL showed signs of working as a unit again. In that two game losing skid RSL experienced one thing that was very noticeable was the amount of individualism being practiced as opposed to the team, as a unit, working together. This changed against New York as RSL pressured them and attacked them collectively. To get points at Toronto, they will need to continue this trend and even do better with it.

This means, and it's been stated by players and coaches constantly this season, that RSL has to focus on team defense first. A higher line, a team defensive effort starting with the forwards, and a high energy rate will be the first step to RSL playing well. If they execute this first key step, then the second is easy to achieve. With that high line RSL wins the ball higher into their attack, has more space to work with, and has more players into the attack. We saw it against New York and we should hopefully see it against TFC. Team pressure, team attack, and team win.

The best XI players for RSL, for me, would be as follows:
GK: Nick Rimando
- Big between the pipes. We didn't call on him against New York too much, that might be a bit different this match.

RB: Robbie Russell
- I have no problem with Tony Beltran playing, however the play of Russell against New York was key to our attack. His crosses are the best on the team, hands down.

CB: Chris Schuler
- He put the two bad games behind him and had a solid night against New York. Hopefully this continues against a decent TFC front line

CB: Nat Borchers
- Our most consistent player has to be just that, consistent.

LB: Chris Wingert
- The more he gets into the attack, the better we are playing.

RM: Andy Williams
- A full weeks rest was much needed for Andy. He should be ready to go and looking the skillful guy we know he is

CDM: Kyle Beckerman
- With him going the full 90 against Mexico on Wednesday he could be in need of a rest. Jean Alexandre would be my replacement. I hope Kyle has the ability to start, though, as he tends to be the glue that holds us together in the midfield.

LM: Will Johnson
- Johnson in Canada = playing well... or that's the hope. He hasn't had his best games recently, hopefully he takes a more composed role this game and plays solid for us on the left side.

CAM: Luis Gil
- The kid was tremendous against New York, I'd love to see it continue at Toronto. He'll have some better midfielders in their defending him, so the test will be tougher. I think he is up for the challenge

FW: Fabian Espindola
- When Espy plays as part of the team he can be one of our best assets. When he tries to do a bit too much himself, he can be the part of the machine that ruins it all. He is more the first than the second, but we tend to remember the second much more.

FW: Alvaro Saborio
- Against TFC Sabo should be able to do his trademark post-up game. Their center backs simply aren't as skillful or talented as the others we have played in recent games. I honestly think Sabo could have a huge game against these guys, they wont know how to handle his size and aerial attack.

Key Player for RSL: Luis Gil - Dude, he's only 17! Gil will have a target on his back for this game. Not only from the TFC midfield and defense, but from the watchful eyes of RSL supporters. His game against New York was superb and people want him to be the next big thing; that's a lot of pressure. How he will handle it is to be seen. If this season has been any indicator, though, he'll take it in stride and continue his hard work.

Prediction: RSL 2 - TFC 0
- Goals from Sabo and Espy
It's a roller coaster watching this team and trying to predict what will happen. The last game always weighs far too heavily in my predictions, but it is what it is. I think this team is very capable of getting the full three points in Toronto - something we have never done. If the past 6 games are any indicator of how the game will go for RSL then whoever scores first will win. In each of the past 6 RSL matches, the first team to score wins and shuts out the opponent.

FORZA REAL

Cheers,

15 to 32

Predicting The Future

2011-08-10T09:17:00.010-06:00

It's time for my yearly predictions of the big leagues in Europe. I'll make my predictions of the EPL, La Liga, and Serie A. Along with that I'll make predictions of the various trophies within each those leagues and the mother of all, the UEFA Champions League. With all the movement of players and teams looking to figure out a way to beat Barcelona, this could be a very interesting year in European football. This is how I see it shaking out:

English Premier League
Champion: Manchester United- There is too much talent on this roster to not win it. While I think De Gea will cost them a few points here and there, players like Young, Smalling, Gibson, etc. will make a huge impact. With Rooney having an actual off season, I think he'll terrorize the rest of the league. Rooney, Nani, Chicharito, Giggs, and Hernandez? Yeah, good luck stopping that one.

2nd Place: Chelsea
- As much as it pains me to say it, Chelsea has a very talented squad. If Torres, and this is a huge if, can find form then they'll push United for that top spot. If not, well then they'll be in a dog fight to stay in a Champions League spot.

3rd Place: Manchester City
- It's ridiculous to look at the roster of this team and imagine them not winning anything this year. That, however, is exactly what I think will happen. It's wonderful to have a bunch of stars, it's something entirely different to build chemistry and be a good team. City simply lacks that team mentality. Wonderful talent all over the field, but they have yet to show me the ability to consistently put it together into something meaningful.

4th Place: Arsenal
- Many people are saying this will be the year Arsenal finally falls out of the top four; I'm not seeing it. The Cesc issue is beyond annoying, but no matter what they will field a very capable team. It'll be a dog fight for these spots as Liverpool and Spurs will be right there, but I see Arsenal finding a way to pull it out in the end.

Relegated: Wolves, Norwhich, and QPR.
- Two of the three newly promoted sides, I think, will find their stays in the premier league very short. I want QPR to do well, but I just don't see it happening. I think Swansea has enough talent and plays well enough that they will find a way to not only stay up, but finish near the middle of the table and possibly even push for a Europa spot. Wolves stay in the top flight has been remarkable, but I think it'll come to an end this season.

The FA Cup
Champion: LiverpoolThis team simply has too much talent to not win anything. Without the congestion of Champions League (I doubt they put a ton of effort into Europa) they'll make a push for this one to please the fans that are understandably a bit frustrated. Believe me, I don't want them to win it, but it seems a logical choice.

Runners Up: Manchester City
- They'll put a large focus on retaining this cup, but in the end come up short to a team with a bit more flair in the final third.

Spanish La Liga
Champion: Barcelona - I want to believe that Real Madrid has what it takes to knock them off this year, but I don't think anybody in the world can. Barcelona could easily be the best club team of all time right now. They have talent at every level and seem to only be getting better. Their defense, as is always discussed, seems a bit thin. However, the very best defense is the Barcelona offense. If the other team never has the ball, they can't score.

2nd Place: Real Madrid
- I think it will be a very tight race, but in the end Barca will get enough points off of Madrid to keep them separated. Those classico matches will be key in determining the champion this year, no doubt in my mind.

3rd Place: Valencia
- They will be the best of the rest. Like in years past, the points difference from 2nd to 3rd will likely be in the double digits. It's no secret among the rest of the teams in La Liga that it's simply a race for that 3rd and 4th place spot for Champions League.

4th Place: Athletico Madrid
- The other Madrid side, in my opinion, will have a very good season and edge out the likes of Villarreal and Sevilla for the last Champions League spot. It's hopeful thinking, I know, but I'd love to see Forlan back in the champions league.

Copa Del Rey
Champion: Real Madrid - I think Madrid will, once again, get the better of Barcelona in this tournament. Mourinho can't lose to Barca in everything and once again, this will be the place he is dominant. Lets just hope Ramos isn't allowed to hold the trophy on the bus again.

Runners Up: Sevilla
- I honestly think the Madrid v Barca match will happen in the semis. It's all about the luck of the draw in these things, and that seems a likely action. Sevilla will get into the final and then be blasted by Madrid.

Italian Serie A
Champion: AC Milan - While other teams, especially Inter, have struggled to bring in anybody of interest this off season, Milan has been on the move. Their transfers have setup a team that, in my opinion, could very easily surprise quite a few people both in league play and in champions league. So long as the midfield and defense stays healthy, this team could do something very special this season. I don't see anybody in the Italian league standing a chance against them so long as injuries don't become too severe.

2nd Place: AS Roma
- I think Roma will make a jump back into champions league soccer this season with a very strong performance in Serie A. They have enough talent on that team to really make a move.

3rd Place: Inter Milan
- They'll be in a dog fight this year to stay in champions league football. They have some wonderful players on that team, no doubt, but it all centers around Sneijder. I'm not convinced he is staying. If he does, they should easily finish in the top three. If not, they'll have to pull out some amazing results to even finish 4th, I think.

4th Place: Juventus
- The return of the "big 4" in Italy will be completed with Juve finally making it back near the top. I think they have enough chemistry between them that they won't be thrown off by a team like Napoli or Udinesse as they were last season. It looks a bit predictable, but I really think it's the year for Italian football to return to the "norm" that people expect.

Copa Italia/Tim Cup
Champions: Roma
Roma will mark their return to the top of Italian soccer with a Copa Italia win, something they haven't done since 2008. I see them as the side beating Milan in the semis and having an incredible derby match in the final.

Runners Up: Lazio
- It'll be something to watch if this does in fact come true. A derby with this kind of importance added to it would be something you wouldn't want to miss. I think Roma will get the better of them, but that it will be a hell of a match.

UEFA Champions League
Champions: FC Barcelona - Believe me, I want to be wrong about this. However, I think this team is the best of any club team by far. The talent they possess, especially in the middle and offensive third of the pitch, is just simply incredible. When will their dominance end? I don't know. It could very easily be this season. If I was a betting man, I'd wager it's not this season, though. They have far too much skill to not be the best in the world.

Runners Up: AC Milan
- I think my Milan side has the skill to really make a run in the Champions League. With the right draw (which this really heavily relies on) they could be in the semis without many people taking notice. Shalke did it last season and they aren't near the talent that Milan is. The years of getting beat by stupid English sides will come to an end with Milan knocking off United in the semis.

Wishful thinking? You better believe it.
I'll be lucky if even a few of these picks are right. But, as of right now, that's what my heart and eyes tell me. No matter what happens, I think we all can agree that its wonderful for the Europe season to be on our doorstep.

FORZA MILAN & RSL

Cheers,

15 to 32

Cautiously Pleased

2011-08-08T09:33:00.005-06:00

RSL made a rather bad New York team look simply awful this weekend. While it could potentially be something for this team to rally behind, I'm going to remain cautious and just say it was another game in the bag. Given who they played (on paper) it should be a magnificent result that the guys are fully proud of. However, when you look at how New York has played this year, some of that luster goes away rather quickly. Either way, though, it was nice to see RSL play with some heart and exert itself on the opponent rather than the other way around.From the opening whistle it was apparent which team was looking for a win and which team was just hoping to stay alive. New York's travel caught up to them, as did their extensive injury list, and RSL took full advantage. Even after the early spell where it seemed possession was 70% RSL, New York never settled into the game. RSL was always a threat, New York looked lost once they got the ball past midfield. The first RSL goal came off of hard work and relentless pressure on the New York back-line. Beckerman whipped in a ball that bounced out to Andy Williams on the top of the 18. Instead of taking the route that RSL has far too often this year and make a back pass, Andy tried his luck with a shot to the far post. The New York keeper did well to push it away and out of bounds for another RSL corner. This was key. Had Andy decided to hold up or not test his luck, we likely don't get that subsequent corner; which Borchers put away. Some terrible marking from the US wonder-kid Tim Ream left Borchers wide open on the 6. His downward powerful header hit the back of the net before Rost could even make a move.

The second RSL goal came from a type of play we really haven't seen much this year. Our midfield, with the loss of Morales, has lacked that ability to get in behind players in the middle of the pitch. We typically don't even attempt to probe in the middle part of the field because we don't have the work rate or technical ability that Javi brought. Gil changed that, though, in this game. His quick turn in the middle was beautiful and the strike on goal was to match. While Rost may have been a bit shielded from the shot, it would have been hard for him to keep it out even if he did. The ball found the side netting, putting RSL up 2-0 right before half. Good teams, it is always said, tend to score goals at key moments in the game. Any goal within the last 5 minutes of a half is key.

The second half was not that much different from the first. New York emptied their bench rather quickly because of injuries, sadly, and all but sealed the deal by doing so. They have nothing off the bench, right now at least, that can change the game dramatically. RSL continued to pressure and was awarded a really soft penalty. New York has room to complain, but the goal ultimately was pointless. Sure, it might hurt/help the teams in terms of goal differential come seasons end, but the result was all but determined. Sabo stepped up and calmly put the penalty away and the game was officially out of reach. A good result from the team, and a solid performance that didn't feature a 10 minute spell, like in the previous two matches, where we completely lost focus. The team played the whole game through and should be proud of the way they did.

Man of the Match: Nat BorchersI was really tempted to give this to Luis Gil for his solid effort on the night along with his first ever RSL goal. However, I had to be honest with myself. Borchers not only got the game winning goal, but had the Henry assignment all night. Henry had a rather quiet night, given his standards, and that's largely to do with the way Borchers defended him. Consistent Nat finally got some recognition from me...

Wanker of the Match: The New York Red Bulls
A team with that much talent, even if it is just reserved to the starting XI, should play a whole lot better than they did. Yeah, they travelled and have been experiencing injury problems, but the fact remains that they looked awful. They have been so bad this year, in fact, that as of this moment (by points per game) they are out of the playoffs. Incredible when you consider 10 teams get in this year. A team of that much skill deserves a whole lot better than players like Dax McCarty and Mehdi Bollouchy in the middle. The Dero trade looks more and more awful each day.

The Road Gauntlet Begins:
The true test of where this team is at now begins. The next 3 matches for RSL are all away from home. They are, however, at mediocre teams. The next game is against possibly the worst team in the league, Toronto FC. They managed to tie a game 3-3 against DC over the weekend despite having a man advantage from the 7th minute on. This game, on paper, looks incredibly winnable for RSL. We did it last year in CCL, so we know the team is capable of doing so. The game following that is at Houston, probably the toughest opponent of the next three. Lastly, we travel to Chivas for the last game of August. This game should be one of revenge. I don't care if it was one players stupid actions, he represents Chivas USA. He took Javi away from us for quite some time, we owe it to them to beat the living crap out of them.

Exciting News:While I don't tend to post stuff that relates to individual players or is outside the actual games this team plays, this was too good to not post. According to the RSL twitter account, Javier Morales was jogging, had his boots laced up, and even kicked the ball around a few times this past week. While the road to recovery for him is likely still two months away, it's incredible news nonetheless. If he is back by the 2 month deadline that has been thrown out there, he could see the pitch as early as October 1st at LA or, maybe even, September 28th vs Chicago. One thing looks certain, though, he should be back for the cRapids road game on October 14th. If you needed any more reasoning to make the trip, now you have it.

FORZA REAL

Cheers,

15 to 32

Big Opponent, Big Game

2011-08-05T09:40:00.005-06:00

RSL plays it's only home game of the entire month of August tomorrow evening against possibly the biggest club in MLS. The New York Red Bulls, with Theirry Henry and Rafa Marquez, will come to the RioT for a match that is very significant to both clubs.The two clubs come into this game going, it seems, in opposite directions. It's no secret that RSL is struggling right now. Two losses in a row have made the team look a bit vulnerable and, to be perfectly honest, look like they are about to go into a slump. New York, on the other hand, had struggled in MLS play before heading to London to play in the Emirates Cup. They won the tournament in rather impressive fashion, it must be said. They beat a very talented PSG side and then drew with Arsenal. (Side note, poor Arsenal can't even win their own made up silverware... Spurs fans eat your heart out). Thus, this game is, in my opinion, one that could tip the scales for either side. If RSL wins they could very easily restore some confidence before heading on the 3 game road trip ahead. If New York wins they could easily find themselves playing at the level everyone expects and take the East back under control. A loss for RSL could easily spell disaster. A loss for New York wouldn't be as bad for their club, but it would take a good chunk out of the impressive showing they just had in London.

With this being the 3rd game in 8 days for RSL, finding the right players will be key. This means Kreis has to be honest with the players about their recent play and their energy. The XI I would pick based upon the last two games and who we have to worry about on NY is as follows:

GK: Nick Rimando
- Nicky gave up a rather weak goal against KC. Lets hope he makes up for it in this one. I've noticed it over the years with Rimando, if he has a bad game, you can count on him working his tail off to make up for it in the next one.

LB: Chris Wingert
- Wingert looked really bad against KC, but there aren't any suitable replacements. One option would be to drop Wingert and play Beltran and Russell at outside back. I wouldn't mind this, I just prefer Wingert to start. One bad game doesn't change that the guy is typically solid.

CB: Nat Borchers
- Stone wall Nat has to be solid in the back. Consistency

CB: Chris Schuler
- I'm hesitant to give Schuler the start as he has not been overly impressive in the last two games. Kreis was open about the idea of McKenzie sliding back and replacing him. Don't be surprised if this happens.

RB: Tony Beltran
- We have to have Tony's pace out there to win this game. While Russell's crossing abilities are fantastic, his defending isn't.

LM: Will Johnson
- Will is a very interesting player for this one. I doubt he will admit it, but he has looked a bit mentally fatigued lately. Maybe he needs to take a seat, maybe not. I don't know. I'd prefer him to start, honestly.

CDM: Kyle Beckerman
- After receiving the news that he'll get to play against Mexico next week and be part of Klinnsman's first camp, hopefully KB shows some improved confidence and play. He hasn't been overly stellar lately.

RM: Luis Gil
- With Alvarez at this position on Wednesday we killed the little width we ever tried to create. Luis came on and instantly improved things. I think the kid is more than deserving of a start right now. Probably won't happen, but I can dream.

CAM: Andy Williams
- Andy's best role is as a sub. However, situations have changed this year and I think he is the best option to break down the NY defense. Possession will be key in this game and Collen Warner has not done well lately to keep it.

FW: Fabian Espindola
- Espy has to show up, but at the same time be willing to let others make things happen.

FW: Alvaro Saborio
- He didn't see the ball nearly enough against KC on Wednesday. When we get him the ball around the 18, good things tend to happen. While he is a good forward to cross the ball to in the air, that can't be (as it was in the KC game) the only way we get him the ball.

Key Player for RSL: Fabian EspindolaEspy has looked really frustrated in the last two matches. It is apparent to me that he is trying to do too much and is lacking confidence in some of his teammates (Collen Warner in particular). Espy has to realize that with him dropping so far back at times, it completely kills our attack. If he is getting the ball in the middle, that typically means only Sabo is ahead of him as a target. Espy has to allow the midfielders behind him to get the ball in those positions. Similarly, those players have to be willing to exert the same amount of energy Espy has. The one thing Espy seems to always bring to a match is energy. It would be good if the players around him did so as well.

Key Player for New York: Thierry Henry
New York has talent across the board yet they heavily rely on one player for their attack. Henry is a legend of the game, to say he isn't would just be a disgrace. RSL is going to have their hands full marking him, even if he is up there in age. Henry, Lindpere, and Marquez are the spine of this team. If we can shut down Henry and Lindpere we should be able to win. Let either of them go at us too much, though, and it could get ugly really fast.

Prediction: RSL 1 - New York 1
- Goals from Henry and Saborio

- It only seems fitting that I bill this as a huge match for either team if they win and it'll end in a draw. New York has made an art out of drawing MLS matches (like Chicago) and knows how to disrupt our play. The one HUGE benefit for RSL is that Dane Richards is suspended for this match. If he was out there, RSL would be in some big trouble.

I'd love to be wrong and see RSL get a win in this gigantic match. With their current form, though, I have strong doubts that will be the case.

FORZA REAL

Cheers,

15 to 32

U-G-L-Y

2011-08-04T10:56:00.005-06:00

In not so shocking news, RSL went on the road in a humid and hot place and lost. What was sad, though, was the way it happened. This very easily could have been the worst performance from RSL this entire season.Unlike the game against Columbus, RSL didn't stumble out of the gates on this one. They opened up the game rather well and were playing level with KC. It all fell apart, though, around the 30th minute. The heat and humidity was wearing down on the RSL players, sure, but that is a pretty weak excuse when you consider that KC was having to deal with it as well. RSL simply lost focus for about 10 minutes and once again paid the price.

The first goal was a comedy of errors. Arturo Alvarez recieved the ball just outside the RSL 18. He then played a (shocking) left footed pass when he probably should have used his right. The ball lacked pace and direction and was easily picked off by KC. Roger Espinoza then went at both Collen Warner and Tony Beltran. With two guys defending a single player, RSL should have been able to stop him. Instead they committed a cardinal sin of double teaming and allowed Espinoza to slide in-between them. Espinoza then found himself inside the RSL 18, on his left foot, but lacking a truly killer angle. Borchers did well to cut off the far post, but applied zero pressure to Espinoza. He was thus allowed to set himself up rather well and rip one on frame. For whatever reason, Rimando decided to not fully cover hid near post. Borchers had done well to cut off the back post, which meant all Rimando had to do was cover part of the middle and near post. He covered the middle, but allowed far too much space between himself and the near post. Result: first goal for KC.

From there it only got worse. Sporting, to their credit, recognized that RSL was losing confidence and energy. They pushed further and further down the field, especially on the flanks. It's no secret that this is where RSL is weakest. A deep throw in was earned by KC and they setup for a long throw. Again, a defense comedy of errors occurred. This time it involved Schuler and Wingert. Schuler originally had picked up Kei Kamara for the long throw. The big man was one of the only near post targets for KC so it was obvious he was going to likely be receiving the ball. Right before the throw was delivered, though, Wingert and Schuler did a switch. Or rather, they looked to switch. What happened was Schuler let Kamara go, Wingert didn't pick him up, and Schuler then had to chase back into the scene. Kamara was allowed a rather open header right on goal from the six. Rimando did tremendous to make the first save. I want to be more harsh on him for pushing it back to the middle, but not many keepers would have ever gotten a finger to it. Instead, the blame for the rebound goes to Tony Beltran and Nat Borchers. Both let Teal Bundbury slide between them and be able to smack a full force half volley at Nick. The ball once again ricocheted off Nick and into the net.

That was the first half. The second was slightly better. RSL looked to attack early and was willing to put more pressure on KC. A deserved red card (and hopefully multiple game suspension) was given to Espinoza for a disgusting tackle on Beckerman from behind. This gave RSL a man advantage for 30 minutes. Sadly, nothing came of it. We created a couple chances that looked promising, but nothing ever was truly dangerous. We, once again, became desperate and turned into a crossing team. We simply aren't built in a fashion to play this way. Without Javi, though, we lack the ability to probe teams from the middle. Thus, our only attack came when the outside backs pushed up and the ball was whipped in via a cross. It never worked.

In the end, the better team on the night got the full points. RSL looked lethargic and dispirited until down 2 goals. Even then, they never showed any signs of true attacking life. For two straight games now, RSL has been shut out while losing focus for roughly 10-15 minutes and giving up 2 goals. That's a sign of a weak team. Giving up multiple goals in short time frames is something this team simply can't do. Similarly, this team has to stop going down early in matches. Playing catchup is not our strong suit.

Man of the Match: Kei KamaraKamara, like Robbie Rogers for Columbus, gave RSL fits all night down the wing. His speed and size were simply too much for the RSL defense. He was unlucky to not get a goal and should be credited with an assist. Good match from the big man, even if he irritates me with his style of play.

Wanker of the Match: Roger EspinozaWhile many RSL players (heck, all) are deserving of this award, Espinoza made sure to remind everyone how big of a dick he is. His tackle on Beckerman was just as bad as the one that broke Javier Morale's ankle earlier this season. Hopefully the disciplinary committee takes a look at this tackle and gives it the suspension it deserves. If you remember, Espinoza is the same player who caused the preseason game between these two sides to end early because of a rumored similar tackle on Morales. The guy is a hack. No doubt he is talented, but truly he is a hack.

Reason to Worry
RSL has simply not looked its dominate self much recently. While injuries, heat, schedule congestion, etc have all been thrown around as excuses, the fact still remains. RSL is losing its swagger and might be finding itself in a very badly timed slump. With 14 games renaming this season, RSL has to go on the road 9 more times. In fact, this coming Saturday's game against New York is the only home fixture for RSL in the entire month of August. It's no secret that RSL still struggles on the road. It may not be as bad as it once was, but things are not looking promising.

I think it's safe to say that unless RSL suddenly finds some incredible road form, they are out of the Supporters Shield race. With LA and Dallas doing well to gain points this season, they are simply too far out of reach. Sure, we have games in hand, but we are to the point that we have to win all of those games in hand to even be level with them on points. Something that simply isn't going to happen. The new objective of this team should be to get into the playoffs and find their form again by October. I think the first is a very reasonable task. It won't be easy, by any means, but its doable. The second, however, is the true test. The one remaining piece of silverware this club could achieve, I think, is the MLS Cup. The MLS Cup is not about being the best team over the entire course of the season. No, that's reserved for the Supporters Shield. The MLS Cup is designed to reward the best in form team come seasons end. Thus, it is any one's game so long as they get themselves a ticket to the show.

It's time for RSL to tone down the talk of being a league big dog or a power house. It's time for RSL to focus not so much on gaining points in games (which is still important) but to find a way to get back into form. This could mean a whole host of things, but I think it's safe to say a bit (or a lot) of change is necessary. The way to beat us is full public knowledge. Many teams are very capable of doing so and have shown it over the course of this season. Kreis, it's time to mix things up again.

FORZA REAL

Cheers,

15 to 32

Three in One

2011-08-02T11:37:00.010-06:00

Because of the amount of travel I have done in the past week and a half, I haven't been able to update the blog. So, in this single post I'll play catchup. Three posts jammed into one.

To start off, lets go all the way back to the RSL v San Jose match on July 23rd.You stay classy, Busch.

In a match that was, if nothing else, full of entertainment RSL destroyed a 10 man San Jose Earthquakes 4-0. Until the 60th minute, though, it looked as though a draw was on the horizon. San Jose has historically played rather well at the RioT and they looked to be continuing the trend that night through some disruptive midfield play and strong defending. All came crashing down, though, in the 60th minute when Saborio went down in the box for RSL. In live action, I thought it was a foul. My seats are very similar to the angle the ref had, so it's obvious to me how he was deceived. Video replay shows, though, that Sabo went down without any contact. This resulted in a penalty, a sending off, and the games first goal.

From there, San Jose lost their cool. Busch showed his grand sportsmanship (both during and after the game) and RSL tapped in 3 more to finish off a very lopsided night 4-0. Had I been on the other side for this game, I would feel a bit robbed. However, giving up 3 goals in 30 minutes, even if you are a man down, is simply inexcusable. While the decisive moment may have lead to a bit of frustration and lack of concentration, it seemed inevitable that RSL would score and open the game up. It wasn't an unfair result by the scoreline, per say, but rather in the means it was achieved.

Man of the Match: Alvaro SaborioScoring 2 goals and having a pretty damn good night gave the Tico the honors. Sadly...

Wanker of the Match: Alvaro SaborioHis antics to get the penalty were poor. This may be the one and only time someone gets both man of the match and wanker of the match for the same game. Impressive? Probably not.

RSL v ColumbusComing into this match RSL was in a bit of a weird place. They had just won 4-0, sure, but at the same time they lost Jamison Olave to a knee injury at the All-Star Game (of all places) and were informed that Alvaro Saborio would not be able to play because the league was suspending him for his dive against San Jose. Thus, RSL came into this match a bit confused; it was apparent. In the first 10 minutes, Columbus exposed this confusion to the fullest. From the opening whistle, it was obvious which team was more focused on the task at hand. By the 5th minute, Columbus had exposed our lack of wing play/defending and Robbie Russell's poor positioning to find the net. Just 5 minutes later, they pretty much did the same thing again.

From the 15th minute on, RSL was the better of the two sides. However, they never looked overly dangerous. Jean Alexandre had a couple chances to find the net (some of them sitters) yet it just didn't seem to be RSL's day. Columbus came in to the RioT, had a wonderful game plan, and executed it to near perfection. Maybe it was a bit of justice for the previous weeks debacle, but it still sucked. RSL looked to have lost all the momentum they were starting to build up in a matter of minutes.

Man of the Match: Tommy HeinemannThe goofy looking striker gave the RSL defense fits all night and earned the second goal for the Crew. Almost every attack the Crew built went through Tommy. He probably has one of the ugliest mugs I've ever seen, but the guy sure could play up top against us.

Wanker of the Match: Jean Alexandre
There were, sadly, quite a few RSL players in contention for this award. Jean missed two sitters and probably should have found his way onto one or two others and thus takes the ship. However, Robbie Russell, Ned Grabavoy, and Will Johnson were right on his heels for wanker of the match. It was a really ugly night for RSL with quite a few guys having possibly their worst nights in an RSL uniform.

Is there reason to be concerned after this match? Probably. I think we are still perfectly fine in terms of making the playoffs and having a decent team. However, I can't help but feel this might have been a key moment/game in us not being in the Supporters Shield chase come seasons end. While we still have quite a few games in hand, they don't mean much if we can't get points out of them. Especially at the RioT. There are 15 remaining games for the 2011 season, tons of points still available. The problem, though, is that 10 of those 15 are on the road. And its not like we are travelling to bottom feeders the entire time. We have road trips to NY, LA, Seattle, and Colorado in there. If we are going to win the SS, we are sure going to earn it here at the end of the season.

RSL @ Sporting Kansas City: PreviewRSL travels to brand new Livestrong Sporting Park in Kansas City tomorrow for a match against the re-branded Wizards. KC started the season pretty slow, no thanks to 10 road games right away, but have since found their form; especially in their new stadium. In fact, they have yet to lose in the new place.

Given the small amount of rest, Olave not even traveling, the potential of Espindola being suspended, and the current form of RSL, and most importantly this game being on the road... I'm not to optimistic about this one. I think RSL is very capable of beating this team. You look at it, on paper, and its in RSL's favor. However, we haven't played anywhere near as well as we should be, according to paper, in quite some time.

This is the XI I hope to see for RSL:
GK: Nick Rimando
- Has to be big between the pipes. To get points here, he'll likely have to pull out a few incredible saves.

RB: Tony Beltran
- Russell had a horrible night against Columbus. Time for Tony to be put back in the starting lineup. This time permanently

CB: Nat Borchers
- He was one of a very few players to not have a bad night against the Crew. Nat is probably our most consistent player, so this shouldn't be much of a surprise

CB: Chris Schuler
- Had a pretty bad night, especially in the first 10 minutes, against Columbus but he is our best option. Hopefully that game was just a fluke, not a new norm.

LB: Chris Wingert
- He took responsibility for the goals, but I'm no so sure they were as much his fault as he made it out to be. Still, its nice to see a guy take the accountability.

CDM: Kyle Beckerman
- He has to step up his game. Plain and simple.

LM: Will Johnson
- Same as Beckerman. He tried to do too much against Columbus. Hopefully he can just relax this game and not force himself into the game as much.

RM: Ned Grabavoy
- He also had quite a howler against Columbus. Hopefully consistent Ned will be back for this one.

CAM: Andy Williams
- I wouldn't be surprised to see Collen Warner or Luis Gil slide in for Andy, but I think he is the best option to start.

FW: Fabian Espindola
- If he does receive a suspension (which is probably deserved) then Alvarez takes his spot. For RSL's sake, I hope Fabi is not suspended.

FW: Alvaro Saborio
- Suspension and dive are in the past. Time for the Tico to play some good footy again.

Key Player to Watch for RSL: Kyle BeckermanWith the struggles current and ahead for RSL, its key that the captain stand up and take charge. One of my biggest criticism's of Beckerman is that he does not do this. If we are going to make it through this stretch with a good record, it'll be because KB picked up his game and thus those around him as well. If he plays badly, this could be one ugly month for RSL.

Prediction: RSL 1 - KC 2
- I think it's going to be a tight game that gets rather physical. I think they find the net late to get a win while we try to pack it in for a draw. Fortune Favors the Bold, lets hope Kreis sticks to that motto for this one.

For those of you that forgot or didn't hear, these two sides met in preseason play and had, to put it nicely, a bit of a physical match. Many players from RSL were quoted as saying they were circling the first time we played KC (which this game is) as a bit of a revenge match. Don't be surprised if the RSL players come out angry and playing a bit chippy. Given that history and how things are going lately, this one is a sitting time bomb.

Here is a link to the story from the preseason game: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/blogsrsl/51391872-49/rsl-game-sporting-team.html.csp

It's sure to be an interesting night. I hope I'm wrong with my prediction and RSL uses this game to vent some frustration (both current and past) for the win.

FORZA REAL

Cheers,

15 to 32

Pioneers vs Natural Disaster

2011-07-21T09:51:00.006-06:00

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

2011-07-15T10:33:00.004-06:00

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

2011-07-14T09:46:00.008-06:00

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

2011-07-11T09:12:00.005-06:00

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

2011-07-08T08:33:00.005-06:00

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

2011-07-05T10:52:00.005-06:00

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

2011-07-01T12:56:00.007-06:00

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

Big Wednesday

2011-06-22T09:44:00.006-06:00

RSL travels to Chicago to take on the Fire and the US plays Panama in a revenge match in Houston. It could prove to be a very happy or disappointing day. RSL is in a position of needing to figure things out. US is in the semifinals of the Gold Cup, enough said. It's a big Wednesday.

US v PanamaThe US has the perfect opportunity tonight to extract revenge on their group stage lost to Panama. In a match that will truly have much more meaning on it, they can have the last word. The key will be to keep the attacking mentality the Yanks had against Jamaica and not falling victim to the chaos that Panama will want to impose yet again. Panama is without possibly there best player in Perez. While this hurts their attack greatly, it doesn't diminish it. They will still do their best to throw numbers and, more importantly, big bodies forward in an attempt to disrupt our back-line. The Yanks have to be mentally and physically composed and ready to spring the counter when Panama over exerts themselves.

Against Jamaica Bradley made a quite shocking adjustment to the starting lineup. Dropping Donovan - for fitness issues - and only playing with one forward would sound like a disaster to many. For the Yanks, though, it proved to be the key to success. The biggest factor in this new 4-5-1 lineup is that it gives Clint Dempsey the freedom to move forward more. Instead of having to recover down the wing, he is allowed to be a bit more 'lazy' on defense and play a larger role in our attack. I think this is probably the best formation for the US, especially once we get Holden back off injury.

There are questions of fitness and yellow card peril that have some suggesting a rotation to the starting XI. If this were the last group stage game I would fully agree. It's not, though. It's the semifinals. You can't take anyone lightly in the knockout phases. Even if they are a team much lower in skill and quality than you. Just ask Spain in the Confed Cup of 2009. Because of this, I hope Bradley puts out his best XI. This means those that are not fit get put on the bench (nobody is invincible, see Donovan) but there won't be anybody on the bench because of yellow card peril or because they might fatigue after the 70th or 80th minute. Subs can be made at that point. What I expect us to see is this:

GK: Howard
- Guy has to be big for us again. We will likely call on him early. It seems to be the US way of getting a game started.

LB: Lichaj
- The kid has been quite fun to watch this tournament. He is still very young and raw, but is developing by the minute.

CB: Boca
- The captain has to be sure to keep the gap between him and Goodson to a minimal. The two have a tendency to get stretched apart.

CB: Goodson
- Pushing him forward on set pieces will be key. He has a goal against Panama already this tournament, why not make it two.

RB: Dolo
- Best player of the US this tournament, hands down. Consistent and solid. Can't ask for much more.

LM: Kljestan
- While I would rather see Bedoya in, I understand the rotation for Donovan on the right side. This means Kljestan gets another shot, hope he takes it well like he did against Jamaica.

CM: Bradley
- He is showing fatigue late in games, but he has to be out there. His work rate is incredible and his heart is second to none.

CM: Jones
- Being on yellow card peril will be scary to say the least. He has to start, though. I trust Edu, but with how Jones is playing you can't bench him.

RM: Donovan
- Hopefully he comes out with something to prove in this match. Bedoya showed that some youth can fill his shoes just fine right now.

CAM: Dempsey
- When Dempsey is pissed, he is our best player. Someone slap him or something.

FW: Agudelo
- With Jozy likely done for awhile, Juan has to step it up. He showed, much like Kljestan and Bedoya, that some youthful tenacity can go a long way. Lets hope he keeps it up.

Prediction:
US 3 - Panama 1
- Dempsey, Donovan, and Agudelo with the goals.

RSL @ ChicagoRSL goes to the windy city today in a regular season match-up. Given the recent form of both of these teams, this could be quite the ugly game to watch. Neither are playing top soccer and both have been struggling to find the net consistently. For RSL, I think it's time for a change of formation. The loss of Javi has stung this team quite severely, that goes without saying. One thing that is starting to really show, though, is that Javi made our system work. Without him in there, we simply don't have that creative attacking mid to open up the passing lanes and work some magic. Andy, Warner, Ned, etc. have all failed in their attempts to even sort of fill the shoes of Javi. Because of this, I think it's time to see a bit of change in the way this team approaches the game.

After watching the US game vs Jamaica, all I could think is that something like that needs to be done with RSL. In fact, I came to the conclusion that what was done there is exactly what needs to be done for RSL. A shift from a 4-4-2 to a 4-5-1 (that operates as a 4-2-3-1) would work wonders, I think, for this team. Our diamond has been figured out AND it has been seriously damaged. Stop forcing the issue, Kreis, and make a change.

To do this, I think these players would be best fitted (for today's match) to take the pitch:

GK: Rimando
LB: Beltran (rest Wingerts hammy)
CB: Schuler (Olave needs rest)
CB: Borchers (anchor)
RB: Russell
LM: Gonzalez
CM: Beckerman
CM: Grabavoy
RM: Gil
CAM: Johnson
FW: Espindola

Load the field with midfielders and try to win the ball higher into the Chicago attack. This would also allow Johnson the ability to get forward and allow Beckerman some more freedom as well. Warner and Andy need to find the bench as they have both been pretty terrible lately. Gonzalez should be given one last shot. I know his fitness is terrible, but what the guy does for 60 minutes nobody else seems capable of doing.

I doubt we see it, and thus I doubt we see RSL win let alone score. With the (bogus) suspension of Alexandre, it's going to be really interesting to see who Kreis starts up top. Does he give the new guy, Yura 2.0, the start or does he force Alvarez to start shortly after his departure from El Salvador. Either way, if Kreis sticks to the diamond for this one, it's going to be a low scoring, ugly loss.

Prediction:
RSL 0 - Chicago 1
- Oduro with the goal.

I would love to be wrong, but the way we have been playing lately suggests nothing else.

FORZA REAL
COME ON YOU YANKS

Cheers,

15 to 32

The US Divers: Davies and Jones

2011-06-20T12:22:00.008-06:00

In what could have been - and in some ways was - a great weekend of soccer got ruined by two instances. The RSL v DC United game was highlighted by an award winning dive from Mr Charlie Davies. In the US v Jamaica game, Jermaine Jones did his best to imitate. Two games in which players/teams I really liked sunk to the level of blatant cheating to gain an advantage. Instances like these make you scream for some form of 'instant replay' or post game repercussions. As is, though, both were rewarded and have no incentive to not do it again. Quite the opposite, actually.RSL vs DC United

In my pre-game post about the RSL game I said it could have been a great match. That, given the talent on both teams, it had the potential to be a fun match to watch. It wasn't. Neither team played much attractive football. In the rare occasions that either did, the ref was sure to call some bogus foul that disrupted play and returned it to its brutish form. RSL, despite being the home team, did not start the game well at all. DC took control of the match early and was just a pass or two away from finding the goal on a few occasions. RSL, to their credit, did eventually step its game up. Fabian Espindola was essentially the lone man who pulled the team out of its early slump. His hard work rate and tenacity were paying off with chances left a right. Eventually, through some great short passing, RSL worked their way into the box. Jean and KB worked a nice little 1-2 and the DC defender slid to try and stop KB from getting in. The ref could have either called the hand ball or the tackle, in either case a penalty was awarded. Espy didn't let anyone else on the spot as he instantly went and asked for the ball. He burried it and, sadly, RSL slowly let off the gas.

In the second half it got more and more chippy as the game went on. DC was looking for a counter goal, especially with the introduction of Davies, and was trying to get the ball to Pontius when not going over the top. Pontius rung one off the cross bar on a great passing sequence and was unlucky to not get in behind on a few other occasions. RSL looked pretty lack luster in their offensive half as they simply couldn't get anything on goal. Then, in the 83rd minute, the games deciding moment came. RSL had a set piece about 40 yards away from goal. A poor service led to a quick counter by DC. Davies was sent onto a long ball down the RSL left flank. He dribbled his way into the box (dude still has quite a bit of pace) and looked up. RSL had recovered enough that the only real option Davies had was a shot with essentially no angle. He wound up, Wingert slid, then suddenly Davies decided to take an extra touch. At this moment, Wingert pulled out of the tackle (as can be seen on multiple replays). Davies, knowing he had lost the ball out of bounds now, dove. The ref bought it. Upon review, Davies was never touched. Wingert got a piece of the ball, so maybe it should have been a corner, but a pk was just unbelievable.

Most in the stadium were simply in shock. It made no sense. Even the DC bench and players seemed to be a bit caught off guard as they were hesitant to celebrate. Eventually, after much debate, Davies stepped up to receive his award. A well placed penalty beat Nicky even though he guessed the right direction. From there, it seemed things couldn't get much worse, right?

Actually, RSL was lucky not to lose it late. Olave, in what can only be described as completely retarded, fouled a DC player on a break away when Olave had time to pass the ball to Nicky or clear it himself. He was clearly frustrated with the AR on the west side and wanted more words with him. This approach, though, was inches from being very costly. DC ran an impeccable set piece and Pontius put one over the bar, barely.

The game ended, the players were pissed, the fans booed, everyone was frustrated. Everyone except Davies. He had his award and was no responsible for 2 points DC earned this season they didn't deserve. One against RSL and one against LA earlier in the season.

Man of the Match: Nobody
Honestly, it felt as though nobody wanted to put their stamp on this game save Davies. He sure as hell isn't earning MOTM honors for the way he did, though. Espy started on fire, but really fatigued later in the second half. Turns out, after a little reading, that Espy strained his hammy and asked to be subbed at half. Kreis, for whatever reason, pushed him to keep playing. Piss poor management.

Wanker of the match: The 3 stooges (Officiating Crew)While I'm sure many were betting this would be Davies, I just couldn't rob the officials of the wonderful job they did to earn the award. Davies had one moment - though really big - where he was a wanker. Vaughn and his crew had several. And, honestly, they were the only ones who bought the dive. Thats pretty sad.

US vs Jamaica

Over at RFK stadium in DC, ironically enough, Jermaine Jones must have felt jealous. In a game that showed the US is in fact capable of making all other CONCACAF opponents look weak (save Mexico) Jones played an incredibly large role. And I'm not saying this because he scored what proved to be the game winner. It's because his dive shortly thereafter resulted in a straight red for the Jamaican defender and sunk all hopes they had of making a comeback.
Given the whole scope of the game, though, the Yanks were the better team. The adjustments Bradley made paid off huge and, hopefully, were just the beginning of a new mentality of this team. It has been quite awhile since I've see the Yanks play with that chip on their should. It had large part to do with, in my opinion, the youngsters being given a chance. Aguelo, Lichaj, Kljestan, and most importantly Bedoya stepped it up on the big stage.

Panama knocked off El Salvador in the game after so the US will have its chance at revenge. If Bradley can keep that kind of attitude instilled in his players, Panama could get routed. Dempsey, Donovan, Bradley, Jones, and Agudelo could all run havoc over a Panama team that simply doesn't have the same skill to keep up.

Man of the match: Alejadro BedoyaHonestly this award could have gone to a lot of different people. Contrary to the RSL game, players and management stepped up when needed. The Bradley's deserve credit, so does Jones (even with the dive), as well as Agudelo, Kljestan, Lichaj, the back 4, Dempsey, etc. For me, though, Bedoya stood out the most. Maybe its because I was really scared to see him in the starting XI, but Bedoya had a hell of a match. Really hope Bradley recognizes that and gives him a go against Panama.

Wanker of the match: Ryan JohnsonThis may seem a bit cruel, but I thought Johnson had quite the temper in the game. He constantly gets into little skirmishes with Olave when RSL plays him at San Jose so it shouldn't surprise me much. He seemed to be pretty harsh on his teammates, though, and that really wasn't a bright thing given he didn't do his job incredibly well, either.

For me, the best starting XI that Bradley could place out there for the Wednesday game against Panama is:
GK: Howard
LB: Lichaj
CB: Goodson
CB: Boca
RB: Dolo
RM: Bedoya
CDM: Jones
CDM: Bradley
CAM: Dempsey
LM: Donovan
FW: Agudelo

The Bright Side of the Weekend
There were positives this weekend.
1. I gotta see the stanky leg back at the RioT.
- Even if I was calling Davies a Tijuana night walker (to put it nicely) during it, it was nice to see Davies putting the ball in the net. For awhile there, I wasn't sure the kid would ever see the pitch again.

2. The US with some fight in 'em.
- Too many fans of the yanks have this sense of entitlement when it comes to CONCACAF. We don't want to give the other teams/countries in this region (besides Mexico) much credit. Truth is, many of them are making great strides forward. Thus, we need to respect them as such. I think this entitlement spread to the team in some ways, as was seen in the group stages.

3. Rory Mcilroy
WHAT?!?! you say... Yeah, after what that guy did this weekend, gotta give him some credit. Love the kid and his attitude. Though he might not be as exciting as Tiger quite yet, he is getting close.

FORZA REAL

Cheers,

15 to 32

Davies Back at the RioT

2011-06-16T10:30:00.004-06:00

RSL hosts Charlie Davies and DC United this weekend in another MLS regular season matchup. I'm just a little (sarcasm) excited to see the kid that could have possibly been, and still might be, the next big thing for US soccer at the RioT. I'll never forget watching him and Jozy against El Salvador doing the stanky leg after Jozy got the second, and game winning US a goal. It was a game that I was incredibly proud to attend and will never forget.

Welcome back to the RioT, Charlie.

As for the RSL game this weekend, it's sure to be interesting. RSL looked really bad for most of their last two games on the road. At Columbus they played the first 10 minutes solid, but nothing after. In Philly they played horribly the first half, but came out in the second half to get a somewhat undeserved draw.

DC, on the other hand, has been Jekyll and Hyde this season. They were the first team to win in Portland (something anyone should be proud of), nearly beat LA (should have beat) in LA. However, at the same time, they just got destroyed on their home pitch against San Jose 4-2. Really, this is a match-up of two teams that are rather lost in terms of form.

With the game being at the RioT, and DC struggling in their most recent fixture, RSL has to be the favorites. Anything less than 3 points is a disappointment. Getting those three points is not going to be easy by any standards, but they are attainable.

Keys to the match for RSL:
- 1) Early attacks.
It is no secret that at the RioT, with a lead, RSL is one scary team. When the opponent has to come out of its shell -- which every team that come here seems to do -- RSL's passing style works best. To get DC out of their inevitable shell, a first half goal (and hopefully within the first 20-30 minutes) is the key. This means starting like we did at Columbus, not Philly.

- 2) Keep track of Najar.
DC is full of a lot of potential weapons. The one that scares me the most is Andy Najar. The kid can be really hot and cold, but I'd rather not play it by chance that he will have an off night. He is a skilled player with a bit of pace and great feet. I'd imagine/hope Tony Beltran gets the assignment on him. Tony did well against Shea in Dallas, this will be a similar responsibility.

- 3) Get the defense back in tune.
The last couple of games have seen RSL surrender quite a few goals. Our defense has to be in top form if we are to get three points out of this one as Najar, Pontius, Wolff, and Davies (off the bench) will be sure to test them. Working as a unit will be key. No stupid fouls.

My hopeful starting XI for RSL:

GK: Nick Rimando
LB: Chris Wingert
CB: Nat Borchers
CB: Jamison Olave
RB: Tony Beltran
LM: Nelson Gonzalez
CDM: Kyle Beckerman
RM: Will Johnson
CAM: Ned Grabavoy
FW: Jean Alexandre
FW: Fabian Espindola

Bench: Kyle Reynish, Robbie Russell, Chris Schuler, Luis Gil, Andy Williams, Collen Warner, Artur Aghasyan

Key Player for RSL: Will Johnson
With Canada eliminated on Tuesday, and Johnson not even going the full 90, I think he can get put back into the starting XI. He could and probably should be one of the subs (60/70 minutes) but our midfield is not the same without his work rate. He is the heart of this team, it seems, so having him back this early is a blessing.

I think it will be a decent game and hope that both teams show up and play their top soccer. If so, RSL should be able to get the win but it will be hard fought.

Predicition:
RSL 2 - DCU 0
- Espy and Grabs with the goals.

FORZA REAL

Cheers,

15 to 32

A Championship Opportunity

2011-06-14T13:47:00.002-06:00

I was out of town this past weekend on vacation and thus was not able to watch the US and RSL games live. Thank god. Both, from the highlights and clips I've watched, looked terrible. The US lost its first ever Gold Cup game in a fashion that has me questioning my support (which is minimal) for Bob Bradley. RSL looked really really flat for the first half in Philly and was lucky not to get blown out in that time. They found an equalizer in the second and held on for dear life. Neither game has much to talk about besides the obvious: pathetic.

Moving on.

RSL has an opportunity in the next 10 regular season games to go on what could be the turning point of this young season. When you look at the next 10 regular season games, only 1 or 2 are questionable as to who will be the favorite. In all the others, even with their recent poor form, RSL should be able to get the full 3 points. Here is the schedule:

6/18 vs DC United
6/22 @ Chicago Fire
6/25 vs Toronto FC
- *6/28 vs US Open Cup Game. Location TBD via coin toss*
7/4 vs New England Revolution
7/9 vs FC Dallas
7/16 @ Vancouver Whitecaps
7/23 vs San Jose Earthquakes
7/30 vs Columbus Crew
8/3 @ Sporting Kansas City
8/6 vs New York Red Bulls

Those 10 regular season games could be the defining stretch of this season. Its a championship worthy stretch if RSL can amass something between 25 and 30 points. Anything short and I'd be curious as to how RSL could win the supporters shield. While other teams, such as LA, haven't been opening as big of leads as they possibly could be, they are still picking up points. If RSL wants to close that gap and open it in their favor, then this is the point in the season where it should be done, I think.

The 3/4 games that could be challenging for RSL are the 3 road games, obviously, and the NYRB game. This is the best opportunity this club has at making its claim as the best team in the league. The stretch is against a mix of mediocre to decent teams and is played mostly at home.

There is the opportunity, its up to RSL if they will take hold of it.

FORZA REAL

Cheers,

15 to 32

Pathetic and looking worse

2011-06-09T09:43:00.008-06:00

Pathetic
That's how I would sum up our game against Columbus yesterday and the outlook of the game this weekend at Philly.I don't want to get too much into the game as, well, it was painful to watch. A few things to note, though:

1) After we got our goal, it seemed as though we thought the game was just going to end. Our offense and even our midfield just stopped working after that. While Kreis is known throughout the league as a guy who demands his players give a high work rate and be really fit, it didn't show last night. Espy, Gonzo, Ned, Kyle, etc. all looked done after 20 minutes. An occasional run would be made here or there, sure, but overall they looked terrible.

2) The only reason we didn't get blown out in this game is our defense. Even then, they weren't the top group we've come to expect. Which, honestly, should be somewhat expected when they are asked to defend so often. I don't care how good your defenders are, if you tell them to defend a 1-0 lead for 80 straight minutes with attack after attack flying at them, they are going to leak one eventually. The pk was somewhat weak (nice dive) but it was long overdue. The second goal was unlucky, but also deserved.

3) Even in the dying minutes, down a goal, RSL didn't look to attack. This irritated me the most. I understand you lose the attacking mentality when up on the road or even tied, but once we went down the switch never really clicked for RSL to attack. This can be partially blamed on Kreis as he sub to bring on Russell for Jean was completely retarded. We were tied at the time of the sub, but it showed that Kreis (despite his comments) was not looking to get the 3 points back.

Really, it was just a poor night from RSL. It scares me to say this, but this might be who this team actually is. While we are missing some key pieces such as Will Johnson (who I think would have made at least an effort last night) I'm starting to wonder if we are just an above average MLS team. If you look back at our last 5 or 6 games, we've never really dominated a team. Even against the worst team in the league, the Whitecaps, we couldn't dominate entirely. This is to be somewhat expected in this parity league, but we are falling from that label of "top team" rather quickly and rather far. Honestly, as of right now, we are about the 5th or 6th best team in this league. Oh how the mighty have fallen.

Man of the Match: Justin MeramIn a game that featured very little effort from either team, I had to reward the guy who showed some heart. Meram came on in the second half and instantly was a threat for the Crew. He earned the first goal (maybe a dive, but crafty nonetheless) and continued throughout the match to give us fits down the flank. Good player with a lot of heart and creativity. Deserves a start, honestly.

Wanker of the Match: Andres MendozaHis antics throughout the game were childish at best and his reaction to the goal he scored (but shouldn't have taken) and being subbed were just laughable. Its weird to give both MOTM and WOTM to the same team, but Mendoza full on earned this one. Though, to be honest, I'd love to be complaining about my DP being a drama queen in a game we won and he scored.

Bad match from RSL. Move on. Get better.

RSL @ PhillyGiven my really positive thoughts about the game yesterday, I'm sure you all expect me to predict yet another win for RSL. Ain't happening. Honestly, this game against Philly has everything going against Real. First, its in the middle of the day (4pm ET kick). Second, its in humidity (as of right now, 75% humidity in roughly 80 degree weather). Third, it's on the road (we still have yet to prove to be a good road team). Fourth, it's on really short rest for us and a full week's rest for them. Lastly, we lack any depth to make needed rotations.

If we somehow only lose by a goal, it'd be a miracle.

There is one player, though, if RSL wants to be successful in any way shape or form, that needs to step up:
That's Kyle BeckermanKyle has looked really poor, in my opinion, in the last couple of games. He has given the ball away really cheaply in the middle third and really hasn't held down the middle of the pitch as we expect of him. Both of Columbus' goals originated in the middle of the pitch. We've grown weak in this area, honestly.

Prediction:
Philly 2 - RSL 0
- A goal in each half by the Union will sink RSL.

Talk of the supporters shield for RSL dies more and more each game, as it should, sadly.

I'd love to be wrong, though.

FORZA REAL

Cheers,

15 to 32

Pre Crew and Post Gold Cup

2011-06-08T08:31:00.007-06:00

Though my wife tends to not like it too much, I love this time of year. Summer in the states, especially when we have Gold Cup (or Euro, or World Cup, etc) going on is awesome. I can get a weekly, if not more, fix of RSL and then watch some top notch international football. Its one thing that makes soccer so unique, to me at least; you can watch it pretty much year round and see high quality stuff.

Last night, the Yanks opened up their Gold Cup hopes with a win over a rather impressive, though still not as good as they should be, Canada.
It was rather obvious throughout the entire match which team contained the better players overall and had more experience at a high level. Canada is slowly developing top talent, but anybody that could be linked to the French national team seems to slip away from them. It sucks, but we've had to deal with it in the states, too (Rossi, anyone).

In short, the US looked the much better of the two sides. Canada did well for some short spells, but there was no doubt that the US was going to take the full 3 points in this one. The first goal was sloppy, but to Jozy's credit it was a well struck ball and caught most people, including the keeper, off guard. Should it have been saved? Probably. But you can't score if you don't shoot, so why not. The second half started a bit slow with Canada flying at the US in hopes of getting one back. While they have some very talented players, Jackson in particular, they don't seem to have that final touch or pass to make them lethal. It felt like watching an RSL game in the past couple weeks. Build, build, build, and nothing.

After the initial wave, the US took control and it was only a matter of time til they found the net. Dempsey was robbed of a scorpion kick goal (which would have been just ridiculous) but found the net moments later with a slide off a great cross from Jozy. Once up 2-0, the US was in the drives seat fully and Canada was already looking towards the weekend. It became apparent, though, just how short on decent players we are once Bradley started making subs. Chris Wodolowski and Sasha Klkjasdlkjfstan are not top players. Even against Canada they looked pretty bad. Edu was a great sub that I thought was long overdue, but given the score it wasn't a big deal. You look at the US bench, though, and its scary to think what would happen if we were to get an injury or an ejection in this tournament. We are not deep with good talent. To win this tournament, we have to go without ejections or injury to many, if not all, of our starters.

Man of the Match: Jozy AltidoreWith a goal and an assist, you can't say it was anybody else, really.

Wanker of the Match: Lars Hirschfeld (Canada Keeper)
The Canadian keeper really made a fool of himself in the first half. With his team doing their best to just keep the score level and weather the US attack, he let it a goal that most youth keepers would be embarrassed by. Really poor from the keeper in the first half.

The US should walk through Group C. Anything less than 9 points is a bit of a disappointment. This Saturday against Panama will be a decent match, but it should be a convincing win by the Yanks nonetheless.

RSL @ Columbus
Shifting gears, now.

RSL heads to Columbus today to take on the Crew in a mid-week MLS game. With the two teams already meeting twice this year, this game should be interesting on many levels. I'd imagine the Crew aren't too pleased with RSL knocking them out of CCL and want to seek some revenge. Injuries and national team call-ups, however, have plagued both teams of regular starters. Therefore, the game might lose a little bit of its skill, but I doubt it looses much bite. We've never really "got along" with Columbus, if you know what I mean, both on and off the pitch so this game will be heated.

Keys to the Match
For RSL to gain 3 points, which I think they are capable of doing, they have to build upon what they did against Vancouver. Namely, 3 things:

1) Have a higher line of defense.
- In the Vancouver match RSL didn't allow the Whitecaps to bring the ball too far down the pitch. In fact, they pressured Vancouver before they even left their own defensive third for large portions of the game. While Columbus might have a big more speed, this high line of pressure is key for RSL to get into the attack. This means Espy and Jean have to work as a unit and the midfield behind them has to be sure to not allow easy outlet passes. Hard work, but it can be done.

2) Get Gonzo/Warner the ball.
- Especially in the offensive third, we have been lacking creativity and that lethal pass. Gonzo gave us this, especially the first part, in the last match. If we get him the ball (along with Warner) in advanced positions, they should be able to show some skill and get Espy and Jean in good positions to score.

3) Don't allow Mendoza or Cunningham the ball into space.
- We've really struggled, in years past, with marking Jeff Cunningham. Most of his goals he has scored on us come in similar fashion. He gets the ball in the behind our defense and we are left chasing. If Borchers and, more importantly, Olave can keep Cunningham in front of them and force him to go wide, we will be more successful on the defensive side of the ball. Mendoza has quite the left foot, as we saw here at the RioT in the early part of the year, so pushing him to his right will be key as well.

Player to watch for RSL: Fabian EspindolaWhile Jean won man of the match against the Whitecaps, I think Espy showed that he is on his way back to being a dominant force for us. His hard work and tenacity finally paid off with a clinical finish to seal the deal. If we are to win this game, I'd wager Espy will be part of the scoring action.

Prediction: RSL 2 - Columbus 0
Goals by Espy and Andy

FORZA REAL

Cheers,

15 to 32

3 Easy, now a Test

2011-06-06T10:55:00.006-06:00

Hey, would ya look at that...It's truly amazing what a first half goal, even if it is a bit later than hoped for, can do for this squad. It took a great piece of individual effort, a ridiculous pass (made possible by Kyle Beckerman), and quite the finish to finally get it, but RSL got a first half goal and a career first for Jean Alexandre. I want to preface all of this, though, with a word of caution. Vancouver is a really bad team. Awful, in fact. They will be competing with Toronto this year for who sucks worse, it seems certain. I don't want to damper a fine effort by the boys in red, but it was rather obvious how much that team needs to improve to even compete realistically in this league on a consistent basis. With that said, here are a few brief thoughts on the match and my 2 awards ('man of the match' and 'wanker of the match').

While the final score proved to be one that put RSL in a great light, there were plenty of areas that could be improved upon. The midfield did much better at maintaining possession, but still had moments of stupidity in which they would give it away and allow a quick counter. Had Vancouver actually had a decent striker on the pitch, Nicky would have been forced into some saves much earlier than he was.

The midfield, to its credit, seems to be finding its identity now, though. Without Javi, they aren't anywhere near as creative or fluid. Instead they are realizing they have to work hard and move the ball, via 1/2 touch passes, quicker. With Javi we were allowed to slow it down as he could make that cutting pass or beat a player 1v1. Without him, however, we lack that ability (or at least at the same level). Ned, Kyle, Collen, and Gonzo seemed to really find a bit of chemistry between them. These things take time and practice, we are starting to see the improvements I believe.

The back 4 were solid as ever. Schuler may as well have put on Olave's jersey as he played a carbon copy of our big man. Tremendous match from him with some great individual efforts made to win balls and turn them into the attack. Beltran is our speed to initiate an attack. If he wants to earn himself a permanent spot out there and make Kreis hesitate to rotate Russell in, he has to improve his skill with the ball. He has come a long way, but still has room to improve. His next steps should be to develop a shot that he can cut in from the wing with and let loose. If he does that, as Wingert occasionally does, he will be given more room down the wing as defenders will know they have to play him honestly. Right now, they know he is looking for a short pass or a cross every time he comes up the field.

All in all a good match. Not great, not spectacular, but good. For brief moments you could really see the joy of the game come back over the guys. It wasn't so much a chore but a passion. This was especially true after the first and second goal. This team feeds of each other a ton, both in a good and bad way. When we are on, it seems to get exponentially better. When we start to struggle, though, we have a habit of getting on each other and dragging it down. Its a dangerous thing to possess, but the positive side of it is so great you learn to live with the negative.

Man of the Match: The Jean MachineNot only was his goal incredibly special, but his assist for Espy's goal was quite ridiculous as well. I was ready to give this award to Grabavoy as I thought he had quite the night, but you can't refuse the guy with a goal and an assist. Truly a great night for Jean, but it was just a single night against a horrible team. To prove it wasn't a fluke, he needs to step it up this week with two very challenging road games.

Wanker of the Match: Bilal Duckett (#3 defender for Vancouver)
Really this "award" could have been given to any player on the Whitecaps roster save maybe Demeritt and Canon. The reason I am picking on Duckett, though, is because he especially stood out to me in a sucky way. I couldn't decide if he was Attiba Harris or not, which is not a compliment in any way, and decided he couldn't as he sucked even worse than Harris. He got burned multiple times and hacked away at Espy all night. On a team full of pretty bad players, he took the award for the night. Way to go.

Moving on: Games at Columbus and Philly
As I have said a couple times in this post, this coming week is a true test of this squad. With two road games against decent opponents, RSL can show if this game against Vancouver was a turning point or if it was merely a hesitation of a slowly sinking ship. While I don't expect RSL to walk away with 6 points (not that it wouldn't be fully accepted) I do expect at least some points to be gained this weekend. The Columbus match posses, in my opinion, the best chance for RSL to get points. It won't be easy, especially given the fact we knocked them out of CCL earlier this season, but they aren't tearing up the league. They will be missing Rogers, a player who gives us fits, so we should be about level with them. Being strong on the defensive end is key. We won't be scoring more than 2 or 3 goals this week, I guarantee it.

Wednesday morning I'll post a pre-game article for the Columbus match.

FORZA REAL

Cheers,

15 to 32

Rebirth

2011-06-03T11:12:00.011-06:00

Its been quite awhile since I last posted an article on here. Life got rather hectic (school, family, soccer, etc.) in the past few months but now seems to be slowing down to a normal speed (though anything but slow). My love of RSL, though, was never in question. The last 8 games have been a roller coaster. Each a rather unique and incredible, though not always great, story in and of themselves. So, just as a quick recap and to get my feelings on how things are going, here is my thoughts of the previous 8 RSL matches.

RSL v cRapids. 4/13/11. W 1-0
In typical RSL v cRapids fashion, the game was decided late. It was a heated battle that looked destined for a draw. RSL simply couldn't find the goal and the cRapids were more than pleased to take a point from the RioT. Then came the late game heroics. Javier Morales stepped over a set piece, bent it over the wall. The rebound found Paulo Junior, who couldn't hammer it home. But sure enough, Fabian Espindola did and put his name on the list of RSL cRapid killers. Was he off? Without a doubt. But this game is full of missed calls, lucky bounces, and just full on flukes. We seemed to get all 3 in that sequence.

RSL @ Monterrey. 4/20/11. D 2-2
It was just as good as we could have asked for. RSL goes on the road, in its biggest match in club history, and gets a draw in Mexico. 2-2 coming back to the RioT. Things were shaping up very well. 90 minutes from a spot in the Club World Cup because of, once again, the late game heroics of Javier Morales and co. His goal should have been one of the biggest in the clubs history. It should have been...

RSL v Monterrey. 4/27/11. L 0-1
Though it has been weeks now since this match, it still stings a bit to think about. I think it will for quite some time, if not forever. It was a night perfect for history to be made. The RioT was rocking more than I had ever thought possible. The weather was sublime. The setting was simply perfect. The result, however, was heartbreaking. Humberto Suazo and Monterrey showed just why they were the best team in CONCACAF. I've never seen a team come to the RioT and play that way. They were composed and lethal. Their one true chance was all they needed. Though RSL dominated possession and looked to maybe find the net late, once again, it was not to be. And thus, in my mind, the confidence began to fall. I have yet to see RSL play like they did in this match or in matches prior since this loss. The emotional letdown of such a gigantic opportunity is still, and forever will be, stuck on this team. As they say, though, there ain't no rest for the wicked...

RSL @ Portland. 4/30/11. L 0-1
My wife and I made the trip up to this game so that I could look at Lewis and Clark's law school (really nice, by the way) and have a good little vacation now that I was done with my last true semester of college. The vacation, city, people, weather, etc. was all great. The Timbers Army was all and even more than they had been hyped up to be, which was quite a lot. It was a game I will never forget; yes, that makes 2 in a matter of days that will be put in my book of "most memorable matches". RSL seemed quite confused, as any team would be so shortly after such a monumental game. Trying to focus on the game at hand, and nothing else, is far easier said than done. You could tell a lot of the players, even those that didn't play in the final just days prior, were still coping. They wanted to get the bad taste out of their mouths, it was evident, but the confidence was already sinking. A first half goal that was, in all honesty, really sloppy just made matters worse. Try as they might, RSL just couldn't muster up the heroics to find the net. Chances went begging, but in the end it felt like I'd seen lightning strike twice. RSL, again, left the game without a goal and a loss to their name.

RSL v Chivas USA. 5/7/11. W 1-0The image most will associate, as I do myself, with this game is not posted above. That is because I don't have the stomach to look at it much more. While RSL walked away, again with some late heroics, with the win, this game hurt more than any. Javi was down, and likely done for the season if not more. A horrible tackle that went all wrong left our maestro with his leg snapped. Not much can be said of this game except that it further dragged the RSL confidence down. A win means nothing when you lose such a valuable piece of the squad. Looking back, I would take a 20-0 hammering by the Goats if it meant we could keep Morales. That would be just one game, not a season.

RSL v Houston. 5/14/11. D 0-0
The "story" of this match was, as to be expected, "how do we do this without Javi?". Collen Warner was given the first go. Honestly, he did nothing to impress. This isn't to say he had a bad match, but, like Kreis said in the post game show, he did nothing to stake his claim on the position. Once again, RSL was unable to find the net. Try as they might, the late game heroics didn't come. RSL was left with a point and wondering, though not as severely quite yet, why can't we score?

RSL @ FC Dallas. 5/22/11. D 0-0This game, especially shortly thereafter, looked to be the turning point. RSL did something they couldn't do in its entire history: get a point at Dallas. While Dallas was, on the whole, the better side on the night, RSL held their own. The defense was proving to be in top form, the offense was incredibly out of sync. Regardless, this was, in this big bunch of games, probably the most promising. While it wasn't pretty, it was a result that we needed. If only we could score, though...

RSL v Seattle. 5/28/11. L 1-2
Having just gotten a point where we simply couldn't before, RSL looked poised to take 3 points at home against the Sounders. We always seem to struggle with Seattle, for whatever reason, and it finally bit us at home. Though we were knocking on the door for 15 straight minutes to open the second half, Seattle benefited from the defining moment of the game. A bad marking job by Borchers, a few strange bounces, and a awkward tackle put Olave out of the match. It was a red, no argument from me. Seattle, to their credit, took the opportunity perfectly. Striking twice in the next 20 minutes to seemingly win the match. The second goal was truly spectacular. A fitting way for RSL to lose its unbeaten streak, really. Though we injected some late speed with Gonzo and Gil, it was too little too late. We had a few chances, but it would have seemed a bit of a robbery for us to take a point in that fashion. The streak had ended. It was cold and rainy, and not a person there in claret and cobalt was happy at all.

All this leads us to the next RSL match: 6/4/11 vs Vancoucer.

The biggest key to this match is to treat it just as that, like a match. Every game for the past while has seemed to have some alternative and extra story to it. Its always more than just a game. For this one, though, it needs to be just that. While it may sound like a strange tactic in terms of motivation, I think its what the team needs. For the past few months they have been taken to some incredible highs followed, rather shortly, by some really bad lows. A return to normalcy is in need.

My hopeful starting XI:
GK: Rimando
LB: Wingert
CB: Schuler
CB: Borchers
RB: Russell
LM: Gonzalez
CDM: Beckerman
CAM: Grabavoy
RM: Williams
FW: Espindola
FW: Gil

Two players on there should really jump out: Gonzalez and Gil.
With Johnson, Saborio, and Alvarez gone (and Paulo Junior injured) it is time for the young guns to step up. I liked out attack in the last game prior to the red, and that is the reason I'm ok with Grabs and Andy retaining their starting positions. I think Gil and Gonzo did more than enough at the end of the match to gain starting positions. I know Gil is typically a middy, so really this is more of a 4-4-1-1, with him being a withdrawn forward (or switching off with Andy).

Its time to just go out and have some fun. Its time for these guys to enjoy their job for what it is and not have so much added pressure. Throw the standings, stats, rankings, etc out the door. Just have fun playing the game you are bloody well paid to do.

If we do this, I honestly think we might see RSL show off some offensive firepower despite its many missing pieces.

4-0 RSL.
Happy faces all around

FORZA REAL

Cheers,
15 to 32

Post RSL @ New England

2011-04-11T11:15:00.004-06:00

Great match. Damn are we deep... RSL went into New England, on that crappy plastic pitch, and got the full three points. They did this, most surprisingly, with a bunch of reserves. Of the 11 starters, only 2 were regular starters. Will Johnson wore the captains armband and Robbie Russell played at right back as we don't have much depth in our outside back position. Outside those two, though, the rest of the team was guys who usually make the bench or, even better, don't even make the 18 for most games. Between the pipes was backup Kyle Reynish. In front of him was two very green center backs in Chris Schuler and Rawshawn McKenzie. On the outside left was "reserve" Tony Beltran, on the right was regular starter Robbie Russell. In the middle, we saw the future of RSL. Jean the Machine was at holding mid and Collen Warner was at attacking mid. The two outside mids were "reserve" Ned Grabavoy (the best role player in the league) and the little energizer bunny, Will Johnson. Up top was where the game was most exciting, though, as RSL put on display Paulo Junior and Arturo Alvarez. Both were really good on the night, the little Brazilian being the better of the two. First Half Thoughts: The game was very level for the first 15 to 20 minutes. RSL was showing some very good passing and possession. new England, on the other hand, was looking to counter and be physical. It was obvious which tactic was more attractive, but neither were killing the other too much early. Around the 20th minute, though, this all changed. RSL really got into the flow and New England simply couldn't keep pace. Paulo Junior and Alvarez were giving the backs for the Revs nightmares and the midfield for RSL was making NE's look like practice dummies. The first goal came off a corner, but that corner was achieved after a superb shot by Ned Grabavoy that was just inches off, hitting the post and getting knocked out by the defense. Schuler showed his size and headed home an inch perfect cross from Warner. The rest of the half was mostly RSL with some NE attacks and long range efforts thrown in. Second Half Thoughts: As to be expected, NE came out of halftime looking to level things up. This played right into RSL hand's, though. As the defensive line pushed higher for NE, spaces began to open up. Warner found Paulo Junior into space and Paulo slotted in home on the near post. NE had the better of the attack for the first 5 minutes, but RSL proved just how lethal they can be if given the time to build an attack. From there, the match got very chippy. getting worked by a bunch of reserves wasn't going over well with the NE players and it showed in their body language. The tipping point came around the 55th minute. Will Johnson was put into space on a through ball. In a foot race with Alston, the outside right back for NE, the two sprinted for the ball. Alston, though, suddenly decided he wasn't much interested in the ball and full on body checked Will into the side boards. Replays showed Alston taking his eyes off the ball and sizing up Will before the check. It should have been red. If it had been, I doubt the rest of the match would have gotten as out of hand as it did. instead, Will was left on the sideline, on concrete no less, trying to regroup while Alston walked away with just a yellow. From there, it was chippy. RSL wanted to get back at NE as this is a very tight-knit group. There were many chances, but RSL never sunk to the level of full on laying a guy out. A few pushes here and there and dragging a leg in a tackle, sure, but nothing like what Alston did. Then Kyle Beckerman came into the match. The game suddenly was all RSL. NE couldn't' pass to save their lives. Sharlie Joseph, who I highlighted before the match, was especially fruststrated. For some reason, he got upset with Kyle shrugging him off and took it personally. He got up in the face and gave two jabs to Kyle with his index finger... I couldn't make this stuff up. Sharlie got a red, which honestly was a bit harsh. It should have been a yellow and a VERY stern warning. If that is considered "striking" an opponent, then how does Kyle stay in the game past the 5th minute? New England had now lost their captain and were reeling for direction. Que the idiot with the head gear to fly into a reckless tackle. Phelan, who is a ginger retard, goes into a meaningless tackle with Robbie Russell near midfield. Both studs were up and it was obviously a red. Will Johnson, who was still wearing the armband despite Kyle being on the pitch, was first on the scene; as he should be. The ref did not hesitate to eject Phelan. It was a horrible tackle and not many could argue against the result. What happened afterwards, though, still is confusing to me. Will Johnson probably shouldn't have been so vocal about the ejection. The ref was already going to his back pocket, no need to get too upset. However, he is the captain, and its his responsibility to be the leader of the squad, even if just for this match. The center back for New England, #2 (I won't waste my time looking up the idiots name) took Will's yelling personally and got up into his face. Will showed great maturity and simply put his hands up and walked away. Then the AR, for who knows what reason, decided he needed to get in on the action. He rightly pointed out the center back going at it with Will, but said they both needed to be carded. Why? I have no idea. Regardless, Johnson was shown his second yellow (his first was for a tackle in the box that was very obviously a revenge tackle) and ejected. It was pure insanity. The ref had totally lost control in a matter of seconds. In the end, though, RSL prevailed. New England, even with their thuggish play, couldn't come close to what RSL put on display. A bunch of reserve players just worked their first time on their own field. New England, you should be ashamed of yourself. Player Ratings: Kyle Reynish: B+ - Didnt have to do much, but was big when he needed to be Robbie Russell: B+ - Solid night from Russell. Great passing and vision to cross the ball. Rawshawn McKenzie: A- - Made a couple big tackles that really kept New England from making a run. Chris Schuler: A - "The adverb" was tremendous. Beautiful header on the first goal and great work in the back all game with McKenzie. Tony Beltran: A- - Tony was key to getting our attack going. The first goal was built down his wing and he was heavily involved. Jean Alexandre: B+ - The Jean Machine played like I thought he would. Physical yet smooth. He earned a yellow, no doubt, and he'll need to work on that if he wants to be a regular. Still a good game, though. Will Johnson: B+ - Outside the dumb first yellow, he had a good night. Always can count on Will to work his butt off. Ned Grabavoy: A- - Ned was really good in this start. He was robbed of a goal. He was still constantly in the attack, though. Kyle Beckerman: A - He came on and the game instantly was won. New England couldn't string two passes together once Kyle stepped on the pitch. Luis Gil: B - He wasn't on for a very long time, so its hard to give him a grade. Still wasn't bad for getting his legs under him in the league. Arturo Alvarez: B+ - If the guy had a right foot he would be one of the best players in the league. As is, even with one foot, he is pretty damn talented. He was really unlucky not to get a goal. I believe it will come this month, though. Paulo Junior: A - This kid is something else. If we can get him to stay here longer than 3 years (if his play continues like this) it will be a miracle. His work rate and skill is just beautiful to watch. Love that we have a true Brazilian on the squad. Man of the Match: Collen Warner - Collen had two assists on the night and really had an amazing night. Though he may not get as noticed as a guy like Javi or Andy, he is still a great talent. How we kept him in the last expansion draft is beyond me. This guy could be our next Andy Williams, I truly believe that. Wanker of the Match: Kevin Alston - He made the first tackle that really sent this thing into craziness in the second half. if he plays some honest soccer instead of hockey, the game goes much smoother. If he gets sent off, as he should have, the game also likely goes better as RSL wouldn't feel the need for some revenge. RSL hosts the first leg of the RMC this coming Wednesday. It is going to be chippy, physical, and most of all a joy to watch. With almost all the starters rested, I would bet they come flying out of the gate. I'll have a pre-game report coming up for that one tomorrow or Wednesday morning. Cheers, 15 to 32 FORZA REAL ps, pictures have been screwing my posts up so I'm not going to do them anymore. It sucks, I know, but its the only way I can get this thing to post the way I want it to.

Pre RSL @ New England

2011-04-08T12:21:00.007-06:00

After all the excitement that Tuesday brought, it's time to go back to league play...RSL travels to New England this Saturday to play the Revs. New England has started the year out pretty strong, given their previous two seasons especially, and are looking to continue their unbeaten streak to start the season. Of course, of the 4 games they have played in MLS regular season, though, they have only won 1 game. All of their games have been low scoring as they have only scored 5 times this season. They have 4 goals against them, which shouldn't come as a surprise knowing their record.

From the little I have seen of them, they are a talented team that plays a much more European style. They are physical and like to use speed. If RSL can get these guys chasing, then the game will favor them. However, if RSL gets sucked into a physical match then the game favors New England as we simply don't have size to compare. The match will be, as always with this team, won in the middle of the pitch. If we can possess the ball and move it around quickly, we should be able to find gaps in their backline and exploit them with the speed I assume will be up top.

Starting XI for RSL

- (given the short rest its very hard to know what Kreis will do for this one, especially with the cRapids match next Wednesday)

GK: Kyle Reynish

- I think Nicky needs a night off, especially with this one being on turf. Kyle is very capable and his big game last year was @ Seattle so the turf shouldn't be an issue.

LB: Chris Wingert

- Some veterans still need to be on the pitch in this one, that is just how it goes. Wingert is a staple of the back line. I think the guy will do just fine on short rest.

CB: Nat Borchers

- Same thing as Wingert. Nat will wear the armband in this one, I think.

CB: Chris Schuler

- Schuler had a big game @ Seattle last year, as well. So the turf won't be an issue. Olave won't be in the 18, I think/hope.

RB: Tony Beltran

- With Russell getting the start against Saprissa it only makes sense Tony starts here.

RM: Ned Grabavoy - Ned came on as a late sub in the Saprissa match so he should be fine to start. Johnson needs a little rest, I think, because of traveling with Canada. CDM: Jean Alexandre - The 'Jean Machine' will be out in full force, I think. Kyle could use a night off ahead of the cRapids match. CAM: Andy Williams - We need a true #10 on the pitch and I think Andy is just the guy. He is a joy to watch on turf and tends to really be special @ New England. I doubt he goes the full 90. He will be the first guy subbed off, I bet. LM: Collen Warner - Collen and Andy showed in the Cruz Azul match last year that they have some great chemistry. I think Kreis will tap into that and start Collen in the diamond. FW: Paulo Junior - Even though he stayed a day later in Costa Rica to renew his visa, I think Paulo makes the starting lineup. Espy and Sabo worked their tails off in that Saprissa match. Give them a night off, or at least not start them. FW: Arturo Alvarez - This one could very easily be off, but I think Kreis will use Alvarez in this match as a starter. He played pretty well as a sub in the last matches, so he should be set to get his first start in a RSL kit here at New England.

Key player to watch for New England: Sharlie Joseph I've never really bought into the idea that Joseph is the best holding mid in the league. He is talented, don't get me wrong, but I think Kyle has proven (especially in the past 2 years) that he is better. Joseph still will be the engine of this squad. If RSL is to win, it'll be because they took Joseph out of the game as much as possible. Key Player to watch for RSL: Paulo Junior

The crazy little Brazilian will give New England's defense nightmares. His quick feet is just what European style defenders hate. I think Paulo will have a great night in Boston (area).

Game Prediction: D - RSL 1 - New England 1

I think it will be a level match and that both goals will come in the second half. Both teams played during the week so the fatigue factor might set in. Kreis could really throw some firepower off the bench if he goes with the lineup I have listed above.

- New England goal 65'

- RSL goal (Paulo) 75'

Our first non-win of the season, but it would be pretty acceptable given the circumstances (short rest and turf, again). Here is hoping for better but expecting possibly less...

Cheers,

15 to 32

FORZA REAL

CCL: Post RSL @ Saprissa

2011-04-06T12:05:00.007-06:00

Losing never felt so good...Thought the final score of the game will say Saprissa were the victors, the feelings were the exact opposite for the teams. RSL prevailed in a rather entertaining (though somewhat sloppy) match down on the carpet in Costa Rica. I haven't been as nervous as I was for this match in quite some time. The closest I can think of was the 2009 MLS Cup Final in Seattle. If I'm this much of a mess in the semis, lord knows how bad it'll be on April 19th (@ Mexico) and, especially, April 27th (@ the RioT). Last night was a testament to the team and mentality that Kreis (and Garth, and Manning, and Checketts, etc.) has built. Playing in one of the most intimidating stadiums in this region, the guys looked fairly calm and composed. It was truly a special night of confirmation about just how good this team can be... even when they lose. Game Thoughts: First Half RSL did exactly what they needed to do in the first 45. They weathered an initial storm and then, slowly, took over the match. It was never as one-sided as the match at the RioT (few matches on the road ever are, its just how the sport works) but there were times when RSL was showing pure class despite the fact that Saprissa players were laying it all on the line and holding nothing back in their attack. In fact, RSL had arguably the best opportunity for a goal in the first half when Andy did what he always seems to do and find a passing lane nobody else thought possible. His little chipping pass from the top of the 18 to Kyle's feet was just absurd. Kyle's first touch was sloppy but decent enough to allow him to get a shot off. In hindsight, Beckerman had loads of time to settle the ball, possibly with another touch, and slot home the shot. Instead, Kyle did what he really should do in that situation and hammered a shot towards goal. Saprissa's goalie made one of his fine saves and pushed the ball over for another corner. Saprissa did pose a few threats, and even looked as though they could possibly get in behind RSL using diagonal balls. Ironically enough, their infamous plastic pitch ruined a couple of these attacks as the ball skipped too far for an attack.

2nd Half

As should have been expected, Saprissa came flying out of the gate in the second half. A sublime touch and shot from distance found them up 1-0 early on with all the momentum back on their side. It was looking as though this game could really get ugly if RSL couldn't find a way to stop their attack. Que Jason Kreis with a fantastic sub. One of my few complaints about Kreis is that his subbing rotation seems to be fixed before a match and, even then, doesn't make too much sense. In this game, though, his first sub was spot on. Andy is a tremendous midfielder, but it was obvious we weren't going to have possession unless we got down and dirty on the defensive side of the ball. that just simply isn't Williams' cup of tea . Kreis thus put Ned Grabavoy into the match and things instantly began to calm down for RSL. Slowly, the game started to level out and even started to favor RSL a bit. As I discussed prior to the first match, RSL had an obvious size factor on Saprissa and thus should be able to expose them on set pieces. It was all too fitting, then, that RSL leveled on a corner. Javi whipped in a fantastic ball that Borchers found with his head. Some scrabbling defense by Saprissa blocked the initial header. The ball fell, though, to the feet of Jamison Olave who proved that he doesn't only have the ability to score with his head. A lethal half volley nearly took the head off of the Saprissa keeper and not only leveled the match, but sunk the hearts of many of the fans and players. Now Saprissa had to score 3 more times to be victorious. There was no possibility of overtime anymore, either. This game would be decided within regular time. Saprissa then got desperate and made very offensive subs. The game started to favor them a bit, again, as RSL was okay with a lower defensive line than they were playing prior. As the game wore into the 80th+ minute, the feeling of ecstasy slowly started to seem into many RSL fans, including myself. Though, at the same time, the horrific memories of the meltdown in Mexico City were flashing by, as well. RSL needed to close this game out. It wasn't over til Count Dracula (the strange ref) called the game. Saprissa then got a penalty off of a pretty legitimate call. Grabavoy got baited in to a fantastic spin move by a Saprissa player and the ref instantly pointed to the spot. The pk taker slotted in away calmly, but it was obvious they were feeling the desperation. The push continued into stoppage time for Saprissa with shots coming in from any and every angle. however, in the end, the away goal by Olave proved far too much for them to conquer. RSL lost 2-1, but the bench reaction would have made you thought they won 5-0. Pure ecstasy both in Costa Rica and back home for those wearing RSL claret and cobalt.

Player Ratings for RSL: Nick Rimando: B+ - His size was a bit exposed in the first goal, but Nicky was solid all night. Can't blame him on the pk. He guessed right, it was just very well placed. Nicky was huge in this series. Chris Wingert: B+ - Wingert, as expected, had many attacks go down his wing. He played very well and composed. Outside of a few lapses which weren't too major, he was incredible on the night. Nat Borchers: A- - As is usually the case, Nat was solid in back. His work rate was second to none and his positional awareness was perfect.

Robbie Russell: B-

- Russell had a decent night with a few good offensive crosses. He made, though, a couple mistakes that would have costs us against a team like Cruz Azul. Not a horrible night, but nothing superb like the rest of his defenders. Kyle Beckerman: B+ - I was tempted to give Kyle an A or possibly even MOTM award, but late on he made some incredibly stupid decisions that could have burned us. I know that the Kyle we saw for a few minutes in the second half is not the KB of norm, so no reason to worry.

Andy Williams: B+

- Andy showed just how amazing he can be on turf for parts of the first half. He also showed, though, that his defensive prowess just isn't a strong spot. This isn't anything surprising, just how things are with Bomma. Still a legend, still a great match Will Johnson: B+ - Little Willy was his usual energizer bunny self in this game. Tons of work rate from the kid. I like his style and tenacity. It makes our midfield diamond complete. Good game from Will.

Ned Grabavoy: B

- Ned got baited pretty bad on the penalty. Luckily, it was so late it didn't burn us. His defense, outside that tackle, was very good though. Ned, the best role player we have. Javier Morales: A- - I wanted to give Javi the MOTM award for this one as he was just amazing last night. Whatever the reason is, Javi gets up for games against Central American teams. His skills are amazing and his vision is pure. Great player, future legend, pure class.

Alvaro Saborio: B-

- Its rather funny that Sabo was arguably our worst player on the night when all the talk was about how we would rely on him. This is not to say Sabo had a horrible night, he did his work. It just wasn't what I've come to expect out of Sabo necessarily. High expectations, I suppose, but he has proven them time and time again. Fabian Espindola: A- - I think Espy might have read that mlssoccer.com article about him this past week and took it personally. Instead of being a hot head, he was composed and ferocious. He continued to be the bulldog we all love (and hate, at times). However, he seemed to keep it in tune. I love this player and know he has the ability to be really something special this season. Well done Fabi.

Arturo Alvarez: B

- Arty (a nickname I hate, btw) was a pretty good sub for Espy. He gave us relief on the counter and was good at picking out team-mates most of the time. He will have a huge opportunity this coming weekend, I believe, to make a mark against New England. Man of the Match: Jamison Olave (A)

"The Verb", as he is rightly known, was on his top game last night. Not only because of his ridiculous half-volley, but his amazing skill on the defensive side of things. You could really tell Jamison was playing to make his presence known. The guy is what every forward fears the most. Speed, size, skill, and strong. The 4 S's, if you will, of Jamison Olave's power.

Wanker of the Match: Armando Alonso I was curious as to who would become the "dirty player" for Saprissa with the suspension of Douglas Sequirra. Then I saw Armando Alonso, and his very strange hair, and had my answer. The outside back for Saprissa was quite a hack on the night, making some truly horrible tackles on Sabo and, especially on Espy. His tackle to earn a yellow on Espy was textbook dirty and easily, had the game been tighter or the ref been more strict, could have been red. I think I may have also been influenced by whatever the hell that hair style is that Armando has. I have never seen bangs with the pulled back cornrow... nor should I ever again.

Overall, it was a pretty decent night in San Jose, Costa Rica. RSL may have lost but they got the job done. Kreis, understandably, wasn't overly pleased with the result. This is fantastic to hear. Other coaches, I know, would be basking in the glory of being the first team in the CCL Final. Kreis, he is pissed his team lost the game. I love it. RSL will face the winner of the Cruz Azul v Monterrey series which concludes tonight in Mexico City (Azul's home town). Though Azul is down 2-1 right now after the first leg, I think they are the favorites to win. That away goal, as we saw in this very game, is incredibly valuable. I think they prevail 3-1. I hope, though this may sound awful, the game gets a bit dirty. The more suspensions for that first leg in Mexico, the better for RSL.

Tickets go on sale today for the second leg at the RioT. The match is Wednesday, April 27th and is sure to sell out. Lets make sure the RioT is full of RSL supporters and not "travelling" Azul or Monterrey fans. If you are a season ticket holder, your seats are reserved and I'm sure they will cut a deal with you to buy more. If you aren't, get a hold of a season ticket holder asap. This match is going to be epic.

Cheers,

15 to 32

FORZA REAL

CCL: Pre RSL @ Saprissa

2011-04-04T10:24:00.010-06:00

RSL travels to Saprissa this Tuesday, April 5th, to play in a game that could send them to the brink of the top international club competition. So, yeah, this is kind of a big deal.

This game will truly be a test of the strength of this RSL team, in so many ways. Playing in a very intimidating stadium is something new for this group as a whole. individuals on the team have played in this kind of environment, sure, but never as a collective RSL unit. It will be a test, to say the least, of the mental strength of this squad. What will follow is my predicted starting 11 for RSL. Following that will be keys to the match, for both teams. Finished with key players to watch and my prediction on the game itself. I'll also throw in my prediction for the Cruz Azul v Monterrey match so that my championship series will be setup.Starting XI for RSL

Given that this will be a true test of the grit of this team, I doubt Kreis makes any serious changes to the starting lineup. In fact, I would be (hope) he goes with the usual guys so that they have that built in chemistry. Thus, this is who I bet we will see walk onto the carpet tomorrow night at 8pm:

GK: Nick Rimando

- Nick has to be big for us. He will be called on numerous times, I would assume, to make some saves. He has to be the super Nicky we all love.

LB: Chris Wingert

- Chris is the staple at outside back for this squad. He has to be a leader out there and be ready for multiple attacks right at his as Saprissa loves to use the wings.

CB: Nat Borchers

- Nat is the leader of this stellar defense. If he plays well, the rest of the guys typically do as well. Nat will be tested with the speed of these players, he has to stayed composed positionally.

CB: Jamison Olave

- Olave is the beat, the verb, the destroyer. He might have to calm it down on the last part of that, though, as I'm sure Saprissa will look to get RSL into card trouble early. Jamison has to be smart in this match. No stupid, reckless tackles.

RB: Tony Beltran

- The youngster is about to play in the biggest match of his career. Tony has proven to be a tremendous defender, and that's why I bet he gets the start over Russell. We aren't so much in need of an attack as a solid defense.

LM: Will Johnson

- Johnson's work rate will really be pushed to its limit in this one. Saprissa is going to come out flying and Will has to be smart about his runs. The guy is going to be defending a lot, especially early on, so his tackles have to be smart and well timed.

CDM: Kyle Beckerman

- Kyle is going to be called on numerous times in this match to make some big tackles. Though he is sitting on a yellow card, I truly hope he doesn't hold back too much in his physical play. I'd rather have him suspended for the first leg of the championship series than us not be in the championship series.

CAM: Javier Morales

- Javi is the engine of this squad. If he steps his game up, and I'm sure he will, we should be just fine. He will be our outlet to build an attack as Saprissa will push hard early. If he can find those spaces and exploit them like he has so far this year, we can get that valuable away goal.

RM: Andy Williams

- I was tempted to put Grabavoy in the starting lineup just because we will likely be defending early and often. With the match on turf, though, its hard to find a reason not to start Andy. The guy is pure class with the ball at his feet in general, on turf he seems to be even more amazing. Having both he and Javi on the pitch is incredible for our attack, as well.

FW: Fabian Espindola

- Though this likely counter-attack heavy game looks like a prime situation for Paulo Junior, there is no way Kreis can justify benching Fabian for this one. Espy has been on a rather quiet tear this year, truly playing some great soccer. He will need to be in top form to punish the pressing Saprissa defenders.

FW: Alvaro Saborio

- Returning to his former team and pitch has to be something special and weird for Sabo. He seemed to take the match at the RioT rather personal, I can only imagine how it will feel in front of friends and family in Costa Rica. Sabo has been the man for us in CCL, this has to continue.

3 Keys to the match for Saprissa

If Saprissa wants to mount a comeback and find a way back to the championship game, these are the three areas they have to succeed in tomorrow.

1: The first and last 10 minutes of each half.

- RSL has started out strong in the last couple of matches. Saprissa cant afford to let RSL get in early. If Saprissa wants to get this thing level quick, there is no better time than the first 10 minutes of the match. Those minutes, I believe, will be very telling of how this match goes.

2: Exploit the width of RSL

- Or should I say, exploit the lack of width of RSL. Though the diamond midfield is great at possessing the ball and moving as a unit, its not the best approach defensively. If Saprissa can get out wide it will cause RSL to get much more separated than they like to be. Early switching balls and speed are the key to beating the RSL midfield and defense.

3: Shut down the midfield - especially Javi

- The teams that tend to have success against RSL always clog up the middle of the pitch and get RSL out of its possession oriented rhythm. This will force Saprissa to really have a high defensive line. A risky venture, but if it works it'll pay off greatly.

3 Keys to the match for RSL:

If RSL wants to be the first MLS team to go to the championship series in this tournament setup, then these are the areas they must execute on very well.

1: The first and last 10 minutes of each half:

- It is vital that RSL not give up its 2 goal lead early. A counter goal would be gigantic in this match, especially early. I hope Kreis has these guys set on defending as a unit and exploding into an attack early on. It could really devastate Saprissa if they were suddenly down 3-0 and, thus, needed 4 goals to advance.

2: Find Sabo

- I'm sure Saprissa will have him marked very tightly, but if RSL can get the ball up to Sabo and he can hold it up for them, they will have success. Sabo is a special player and this is his match to put a mark on.

3: Don't be afraid

- Playing in such an extreme environment can be a nerve shaking experience for a team. These guys have to show their maturity and composure by not letting the crazy fans get to them. If RSL goes down a goal, its not the end of the world. The stadium, I'm sure, will feel as though its about to burst. RSL has to just focus and take the game one pass at a time. Focus and determination will win this series for RSL.

Player to watch for Saprissa: Jairo. Arrieta

- Arrieta is tied for leading goal scorer (3) for Saprissa in this tournament with Armando. Alonso. Saprissa has to get goals in this game to survive. Arrieta, I'm sure, will be key in the attack.

Player to watch for RSL: Nat Borchers

- Lets be honest, RSL is going to defend for a large portion of this match. Thus, it is imperative that the defensive leader have a great night. Nat is, as I stated before, the leader of this impressive defense. If they have a good night, it will be because Nat was a tremendous leader.

Game Prediction: Saprissa 2 - RSL 1

- Yes, I'm predicting the first loss of the 2011 season for RSL. I have faith in the boys, don't get me wrong, I just think this is a gigantic test for them and Saprissa. That score line, as you will note, would have RSL advance to the championship series. On aggregate, RSL would be up 3-2 and have an all too valuable away goal.

Scoring summary:

- Saprissa: 18', 75'

- RSL: 63' (Saborio)

As for the Cruz Azul v Monterrey series, I see that one going in favor of Cruz Azul. Though they are down 2-1, they are coming home to their intimidating stadium. I wouldn't be surprised to see them put on a show and win by a couple goals. I doubt it will happen, but they have the talent to pull it off. I bet they win 3-1 and, thus, advance on a 4-3 aggregate. That would setup an incredible Group A rematch for the championship. If you thought the 4-5 thriller in Mexico City or the 3-1 shocker in Salt Lake were impressive, I'd wager the final will be even better.

Cheers,

15 to 32

FORZA REAL

BREAKING NEWS: RSL TRADES STARS!!! - gets tranny and dildo in return

2011-04-01T07:53:00.008-06:00

Shocker in Salt Lake

In a move that can only be summarized as strange, RSL has traded midfielder Kyle Beckerman and center back Nat Borchers to the cRapids... er I mean Colorado Rapids for:

Pablo Mastroeni

and Connor Casey.

the cRapids just might have pulled off a decent trade, for once.

When asked to comment, Garth Lagerway stated "I'm not thunk as you drunk I was... move to Europe"

Bet that pissed you off, didn't it

Rocky Mountain Cup April 13th

be there

Cheers,

15 to 32

FORZA REAL

happy April Fool's Day

UEFA Champions League - Quarter Final Predictions

2011-03-30T13:04:00.009-06:00

In my post back in February before the opening kick of the knockout phases, I predicted the following 8 teams would advance: AC Milan, Valencia, Shaktar Donetsk, Barcelona, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Manchester United, and Bayern Munich. Of the 8, I got 5 right. Which really isn't saying much as those 5 were fairly easy to pick. My AC Milan, Valencia, and Bayern Munich picks all proved to be wrong... I think I was picking more with my heart than my brain in each of those. The quarters have been set and so has the bracket for how this thing will play out. UEFA rigged it in a way that says "hey, look, we don't rig these things". With the final being in Wembley, you would think they would slide the 2 big English teams on opposite sides of the bracket so as to have the potential of an epic all English final in front of the English fans. Instead, the "random draw" put the two big remaining English teams, Manchester United and Chelsea, against each other in the quarters. This is the obvious big match-up, with the rest having an obvious favorite. The only other draw that really appeals to me is the Madrid vs Spurs match-up. I think that one is still very one-sided, but who knows.

Here is how I see this round going:

Real Madrid vs Tottenham Hotspurs - This series will be much like the Milan v Spurs match-up in the previous round: Spurs holding on for dear life and praying for a counter. With the first leg in Madrid, you have to think that Spurs will simply try to keep the scoring low and get one late, exactly like they did in Milan. I doubt this works for them. The attach heavy style of Madrid will be too much, even if Ronaldo can't play, and the visitors will be put into a hole. On the return home they will put up a good fight. However, opening play against Madrid is a very dangerous thing to do.

- First leg: Madrid 2 - Spurs 0

- Second leg: Madrid 1 - Spurs 1

Mardid Advances to the semis

Inter vs Schalke

- This series is very interesting, though should go in favor of the Italian side rather easily. Schalke just sacked their manager not too long ago and is struggling to get points in the German league. A success in this tournament could really save the season for the club, but I just don't see it happening. Inter is finding their stride lately and really has the edge in this thing. The first leg in Milan will be very telling. If Schalke can keep it close, they might have a chance... I just don't see that happening.

- First leg: Inter 3 - Schalke 0

- Second leg: Inter 1 - Schalke 2

Inter Advances to the semis

Barcelona vs Shakhtar Donetsk

- If there was one series I would wager a large amount of money on, it would be this one. Barca is simply the much better side and should be able to dominate this series. I think Shakhtar is going to give them a run for their money, especially considering they have nothing to lose. At the end of the day, though, Barca has just too much talent to not win this series. The one interesting aspect of this series is that the first leg is in Barcelona. If Shakhtar can get an away goal and keep it close, that return leg will be a really open game and fun to watch.

- First leg: Barca 2 - Shakhtar 1

- Second leg: Barca 2 - Shakhtar 2

Barca Advances to the semis in a thriller

Manchester United vs Chelsea

- This one is really going to be fun to watch. With so many different story lines and such on the line, the match-up of these two squads is bound to be a thriller. United has struggled a bit lately, but so has Chelsea. Neither team is playing at their top form, but this presents a perfect opportunity to spring board the rest of the season off of. The first leg at Stamford Bridge should be fascinating to watch. Chelsea has quite the edge on their home pitch, but United has proven they can get results anywhere if they play their best. I think this series is bound for extra time back at Old Trafford, honestly. I may be hoping more than anything that it goes to penalties, as well, as that would just be too good of a story.

- First leg: Chelsea 2 - United 1

- Second leg: Chelsea 1 - United 2

United Advances to the semis after winning 4-3 in penalties. Giggs with the winning pk

Thus, here is how I see the semis stacking up:

Madrid vs Inter

and

Barca vs United

- I think we would see a Madrid v United final that would, again, be rich in story lines and such.

Cheers,

15 to 32

FORZA MILAN

FORZA REAL

Post RSL v LA Galaxy

2011-03-28T12:43:00.007-06:00

What a game...RSL showed just how dominant they can be in the first 45 minutes. Scratch that, they showed how dominant they could be in the first 2 minutes. LA hadn't even really gained control of the ball and they were digging it out of the back of their net. This game was proof, to many, of just how important it is to build a team rather than have a couple "superstars" with pretty bad role players around them. Both teams were missing two starters but you would have thought LA was fielding their youth team with how badly RSL was running circles around them. Beautiful match from the good guys in red. Here is a break down of each half, player rankings for RSL, the man of the match award, and last and certainly least the wanker of the match award.

1st Half

Before the opening kick, the atmosphere kept growing more and more at the RioT. The amazing videos that RSL put together really helped. The fans wanted blood. David Beckham and this "amazing" LA team that everyone had heard of were really starting to get on people's nerves. This team was the best in the league, supposedly, so lets see what they can do in the RioT. They weren't ready for what hit them.

RSL came flying out of the gates. Having struggled to get goals against LA in the past, you could tell the guys knew an early goal would really change things. Instantly we were down on the south end of the pitch, forcing the issue. Next thing you know, Paulo Junior is slotting a pass to Espy, who misses, but Andy is right there to bury it into the far post. 1-0 good guys and most people hadn't even found their seats yet. The RioT was on fire. Confetti and streamers filled the air, the place was electric. Then the turning point of the game came. LA was awarded a really weak free kick just outside the 18 on the right side (Nicky's left). Golden Balls, no matter how crappy of a game he is having, can step up and bend one in. The tension was rising. RSL didn't want to lose its early lead just a few minutes after it had gained it. Beckham hit what looked to be a fairly decent shot, going for the right post (again, Nicky's left) but then it struck Andy Williams in the back and made a dip towards the opposite post. In what can only be described as amazing luck, the ball rang off the post, hit Olave in the thigh, and went directly into Rimando's hands. It was proof the soccer gods do in fact look down on the RioT.

From there, RSL pushed the issue again. Just moments later, Espindola played a wonderful chip into the box for Paulo Junior who tried to get around Saunders by heading it. Saunders did his best linebacker impersonation and took Paulo to the ground. Penalty for RSL. It became apparent, though, that RSL wasnt exactly sure who was going to take the penalty. Saborio normally takes them, but he was with Costa Rica. Will Johnson has taken them as well, but he was with Canada. Findley took them last year at times, but he isn't with the team. So who would it be? and how fitting that the penalty was against LA's backup keeper Saunders. Javi took charge and grabbed the ball. A slight hesitation in his approach, and he slotted it home easily. RSL was up 2-0 and the game was only 10 minutes in.

After that things settled down, though only a bit. RSL was still the much better side. They were stringing 20+ passes together and I was starting to wonder if LA had missed their flight. You couldn't write the script for the third goal any better. Chris Wingert goes to throw the ball in on the east side after LA failed to clear the ball properly. Jimmer Fredette is then shown on the jumbo tron with a sign reading "thank you Jimmer" below his name. People turned their attention to Jimmer. As this happened, and people began to give the kid the ovation he deserves, Wingert found a streaking Javi with a sublime throw-in. Javi let it roll across the 18 before unleashing a beautiful strike that picked out the top corner. I would wager nearly 3/4ths of the people in the stadium didn't see the goal live, which is a shame, but just too funny at the same time. LA just got Jimmered. With a ridiculous shot from distance, Javi put the game away. No way was LA going to score 3 goals against RSL at the RioT. It just simply won't happen. Thus, the first half came to an end shortly after. RSL up 3-0 and people were starting to say to one another "is this another New England game?!?"

2nd Half

Sadly, it wasn't to be another 5+ goal night at the RioT. I think we are saving that one for the 4th of July when New England comes to town. RSL came out of the half, surprisingly, with more energy than LA. You would think being down 3-0 that LA would be pissed and want to at least make a point and not let the bleeding continue. This didn't seem to be the case, though, early on in the second half. RSL was, again, the better side for the first 10-15 minutes. Pushing the game forward, just unlucky to not find the back of the net. After that 10-15 minutes, though, the game settled back down a bit. RSL was still the better side, it just wasn't so utterly obvious as before. LA then pulled what I will label a "Key-Stone Cops" moment as the CB and LB for them collided and let a through ball to Espy between them. Espy showed his composure and unselfishness as he found a streaking Paulo Junior with a ridiculous cross that left Saunders scrabbling and the recovering defenders for LA chasing. It was a perfect cross, truly.

Up 4-0 the game kind of went into cruise control. The typical fire that is seen in a LA v RSL game was long gone, no thanks to the visitors not even showing up. LA did get one back on a heads up play by Beckham. He quickly took a set piece and found Angel on the far post. Olave and Rimando had bad communication and let the ball fall all the way to Angel's feet as he finished from 3 yards out. The clean sheet was ruined, and you could tell it bugged a few players on the squad, most of all Rimando. Lets just hope this error got out of his system here, and not in a tight match. RSL closed out the night making some rather interesting subs. After the 4th RSL goal, Andy Williams got a curtain call and Collen Warner made his first 2011 MLS appearance. Tony Beltran came on for Robbie Russel, a sub I still don't quite understand. The only explanation I can think of is Russell picked up an injury. Lastly, a moment I had really been waiting for, Luis Gil made his MLS debut and came on late for Paulo Junior. The kid is still a bit raw, but you can see the talent. He is only 17, after all. It really was just a superb night at the RioT. Though the full 90 wasn't electric, the first 45 more than made up for it.

RSL Player Rankings:

Nick Rimando: B+

- Besides the obvious error, it was obvious Nicky felt some pain in the second half which killed his goal kicks. Not a bad night, but not exactly one he should feel confident about.

Nat Borchers: A-

- Nat was solid as a rock back there. The lone LA goal had nothing to do with him. Angel was marked up, it was just poor communication.

Jamison Olave: B+

- The goal wasn't his fault, but I have to slight him a bit for it regardless. Still a tremendous night from the verb. He is truly a special player out there. His speed is amazing.

Chris Wingert: A-

- His "assist" via throw-in was sublime. Great night from out best outside back

Robbie Russell: B+

- No major mistakes, but nothing to write home about. Probably a good thing as an outside back

Tony Beltran: B

- Tony seemed a bit rusty when he first came on, but got right into the flow of things. Nice to have 3 outside backs that could start on any team in the league.

Kyle Beckerman: A

- I was tempted to give Kyle the man of the match award for his work on Juninho. The "play maker" for LA was non-existent in this match largely due to the work of KB

Andy Williams: A-

- Like a fine wine, Andy continues to get better. Clinical finish for the first goal, great composure for the rest of the match.

Ned Grabavoy: B+

- In my pre-game post I said Ned would be an X-factor. LA didn't exactly show up so Ned's involvement didn't matter that much. Regardless, Ned worked very hard off the ball and had a decent night

Collen Warner: B

- Collen did his job as a sub pretty well. He isn't Andy, so its hard to come on to replace him. However, he did well enough.

Paulo Junior: A

- This kid is something special. I think of him as a hybrid between Yura (who we had before) and Javi. Great technical skill and a tremendous work rate. This kid is a joy to watch

Fabian Espindola: A

- Knowing PJ was pushing for his spot with his play, Fabian has stepped it up. His work rate has improved and his unselfishness is key to how this team plays. Wonderful match and assist.

Luis Gil: B-

- Didn't really do anything bad, but you could tell the speed of play was a bit much for him initially. After a minute or two, though, he settled into the game nicely.

Man of the Match: Javier Morales (A+)

Calm as you like on the pk, rocket of a shot on the third, and an overall superb match gives Javi the man of the match award. When this guy is on, RSL is seemingly impossible to beat. Best AM in the league? Quite possibly.

Wanker of the Match: David Beckham

Golden Balls reminded me of a frustrated high school player for large stretches of the game. He would get pissy with the ref, yell at him, then his fellow team-mates, then use up a ton of energy chasing the ball out of frustration. This played right into RSL's hands as they essentially made him look like a moving cone in a passing drill. Beckham can be a classy guy, but he lost his head for portions of this game. The RioT and RSL got to him a bit, you could tell.

Well, that's it for now. RSL is now on a break as they don't play again until April 5th @ Saprissa in one of the most important matches in club history. I will do a pre-game post on that one later this week or this weekend. It is sure to be a great game as Saprissa has to come out attacking and RSL could really do some damage with an away goal.

Cheers,

15 to 32

FORZA REAL!!!