RSL Soapbox: FanPosts

Technology in the MLS

2013-05-12T03:56:41Z

Games like this one brings up a fact that is glaringly obvious to those who are new to the sport - The MLS is severely lacking in technology. Every sport has accepted that technology helps the game. Tennis has added the challenge to line calls, reducing the impact of human error. American Football has added the instant replays to do the same. Hockey has added that ability to reduce the number of kick-in goals scored. The list goes on. So this raises the question - Why doesn't Association Football join with the 21st century? It also raises the question of what technology is available. As a Computer Engineer who is new to the sport, I will explore the reasoning behind the MLS decisions, and the new options available to them.

Why Soccer is Slow to Change

Soccer is one of the most free flowing games in the world, even if a foul is committed, the referees have the option to "play on" in order to allow the game to progress. The clock never stops in order to encourage players and referees to keep the match flowing. There are soft time limits on how long a keeper can hold the ball in order to encourage the ball to get back in play. Keepers can't have the ball kicked back to them and then pick it up, once again in order to keep the play moving. All these factors tell us that soccer really wants the play to flow and not be hindered by small quibbles of rules. This is one of the main hindrances in progressing the game in a technological realm - the game must be able to flow, even if technology is added.

The second, and least important, but most hindering of the reasons that soccer is slow to change is the FIFA confederation has a very long review process to allow or disallow the use of a certain technology. Since MLS is FIFA compliant, they must go through this process to add technology, or go through another process of making it a distinct difference between the leagues. In short Bureaucracy makes advancement of the sport slow.

The final point is cost and money. MLS isn't as popular as most other Major League sports, and have to be more conservative with budgeting, and technology is not one of their priorities. Each club would have to invest in those changes, and that could be very pricy.

Where Soccer Can Make the Changes

Critical Offense Verification - Instant Replay

A majority of the time, when a Yellow Card, Red Card, or PK is being given, there is a large amount of time where the players contest with the Referee, defend themselves and it turns out to be quite time expensive. This suggestion would in fact reduce the time, by making these all inconsequential, there would either be a 5th official, or the 4th official would be given access to an instant replay box. Immediately after a call is made the head official calls for a "critical offense." This is anything that requires a booking or creates a PK. This will reduce fines on players for something that hasn't been done, it will avoid a large amount of controversial Penalty Kicks, and won't add much delay in the game.

One problem with this system is that bookings revolve a lot about intent, head officials are in the game and have a better feel for the "heat of the moment." And it is almost impossible to see that while you're out of their midst. This argument could be made the other way as well, that the head official will be more separated from having to make a call immediately, reducing a "heat of the moment" call.

COST: MINIMAL: a instant replay box on the sideline on each pitch - or even a 5th official.

Note that with this solution, it provides a solution to all the other problems

Goal Recognition Systems - Goal Line Technology

This one has the benefit of already being approved by FIFA. There are two systems that have been accepted. One system uses a special ball that has an RF detectable chip in critical locations in the ball. This with combination of math will give you the exact location of the ball at any given moment (or the less expensive means which is to only have sensors on the goal line, giving you a 2-dimensional view [the plane of the goal line]. You then have a receiver system that will, upon crossing the touch/goal line, can recognize the ball. This particular implementation is very beneficial because it could add more accuracy to goal calls, but also out of touch calls, because you have the EXACT location in a 3 dimensional format, the location of the ball in relation to the pitch. The problem with this is that if a crafty engineer finds out some critical information from the ball (such as resonant frequency, and other items) could displace the reading. This can possibly be handled by the system, it really depends on how they implement the recognition system.

The other approved method is a system of cameras that essentially triangulate the location in 3-dimensions, once again giving you the same benefit of the more expensive of the RF systems (the 3-dimensional one), and can be used in a similar way. This one though, can be shielded by players (players getting in the way of the camera's angle or rogue fans who throw things in the way of the cameras).

COST (of Camera operated system): Cameras are already in use, so it would be upgrading them to a higher definition camera so that you have better access to the ball's location. You would have to have a large amount of cameras so that at any given time you have 2+ cameras looking at it so you are guaranteeing it in the 3rd dimension. This system can also be used in the offsides system (Hardware: Moderate, Software: Already developed - with either a license cost or a one time cost for the league)

COST (of RF operated system): EXPENSIVE - but provides a more reliable system of information tracking, this can also be used in the offsides section as well.

Offsides Recognition

This requires a bit more engineering (cost) but provides good value in my opinion. The most problems you hear about in soccer is the missed offsides calls or no calls, this most recent match is a good example. Any basic system would have two parts - a recognition system probably utilizing either cameras or the RF system aforementioned, and the second part is a method of informing the ref (probably the sideline ref).

The aforementioned systems would be great if they could double in the offsides recognition, and I'm sure there are plenty of engineers, if not in America, then internationally, that would be interested in helping soccer become a more coherent game. the RF solution can provide sensors in the jersey's badge (and perhaps put RF transceivers in the back and/or flanks as well) and give another 3 dimensional position of any player at any time. Once again, this is offset by the initial cost and any upkeep/engineering required. The camera system is more implementable, but requires some good ole fashioned software/digital systems engineers. once again, the engineering is where the cost is in this system.

The method of informing the ref is the main reason I can see this not being implemented - there can be as many people offsides as they want, and as long as that one person that gets passed the ball is on, then it's still offside. Any system would have to be feeding the sideline judge a lot of information that would be hard for them to juggle while they are keeping tabs on the game. With that in mind, and as cool as those systems are to me, I don't see this as a very viable system unless the google glass becomes more like some of the HUD systems in video games.

Once again, the simple addition of instant replay review would make this dynamic a lot easier to handle, after a questionable moment, the 4th(or 5th) official need only review the last few seconds, and the call can be made in a quick manner, and save some embarrassing goals.

Challenge System

This is the most time consuming of the systems mentioned, and I highly doubt it will ever be implemented, but indulge my nerdiness as I explore it anyway.

The challenge system is a method of running the instant replay system, but not have a dedicated ref to do so. When a coach sees a call/no-call that is questionable, they can use their challenge, if they prove right, the correction is made, if not, the coach's challenge is removed. Since there is a 4th official, he could easily run that without stopping the match for too long because most of these would happen in dead-ball situations anyway, and in fact, that could become a part of the rule as well.

Conclusions

I find the lack of technology disturbing, but can understand why they haven't advanced with the times - the cost to benefit isn't always there. But, I still, cannot see why they cannot just simply introduce the use of instant replays. After all this, that is what I get out of the lack of technology - they need to bring instant replays in, and unfortunately the calls for this to happen are only made by the losing side of one of these calls, so it's not simultaneous with any other team, so nothing will ever be done. Such is the way of a bureaucracy. But boy, can you imagine how much more important timing your runs will be if they can review it, if the chippy play in the back can be caught by the 5th official, I think it would lead to a more dynamic and effective match, and not so much about politics with the referee, which is essentially what it is become, and why RSL has found themselves on the tail end of some bad calls.

Why Soccer is Slow to Change

Where Soccer Can Make the Changes

Critical Offense Verification - Instant Replay

COST: MINIMAL: a instant replay box on the sideline on each pitch - or even a 5th official.

Note that with this solution, it provides a solution to all the other problems

Goal Recognition Systems - Goal Line Technology

COST (of RF operated system): EXPENSIVE - but provides a more reliable system of information tracking, this can also be used in the offsides section as well.

Offsides Recognition

Challenge System

This is the most time consuming of the systems mentioned, and I highly doubt it will ever be implemented, but indulge my nerdiness as I explore it anyway.

Conclusions

Poll

What technology would you like to see the MLS implement? Goal Line Technology (GLT), Offsides Recognition (OR), Challenge system (CS), or 5th official referees (5th)? (leave the reason behind your choice below)

beginning of the season

2013-03-24T08:20:38Z

"they're going to have to regain my respect..."

My friend and I moved from Idaho down to Utah in January, and I convinced him to become a season ticket holder. He payed attention during preseason, but not as avidly as me. This chap, has yet to see RSL win. This was his response to tonight's performance.

"Ok, they're going to have to regain my respect... I've never seen them win, and only seen them tie twice. And they are doing especially bad tonight. More than I expected being a few key players out"

Here are some thoughts based off of this response by my friend, hear me out, but I'm going to be starting with the bad.

The bad

RSL this year has had a rough start.

Sabo is the only one to have found the back of the net. We have some great strikers out there, creative and good, but none of them are putting the ball even on frame. Findley has been very passive, tonight he had a glaring chance where he was left undefended as he approached the box, and 9/10 strikers would have put the ball on frame. There was someone running parallel, but he was covered by 3 men, instead of taking the shot and having 2 people there to get the rebound, he attempted a difficult cross, and it failed. I love that Findley isn't selfish, but man, I want him to shoot the ball. He used to be RSL's top scorer, so we know he can finish, did is time in Europe make him this passive, or was he always this passive? Joao seems to be most effective when he can use his high energy style of play without having to save energy for the next half.

Our back line has felt so dysfunctional. Error after error, All of the goals we conceded weren't due to the team collapsing, but an individual. Defense is so difficult to play because even if you have a remarkable game, if you mess up once, you could lose the game for your team, whereas as a forward you could have a horrible game, but if you make one big play, you've just saved your team from utter destruction. Individually, there have been mistakes that could've been avoided, and it is rough to watch it happen.

Our midfield is having having a hard time holding onto the ball. They either seem too excited to send the ball forward, or become too headstrong in thinking they can take on multiple challenges. Our midfield needs to take command of the ball, and play possession, and wait for the right moment to send it forward, there's no use passing it to the forwards if they're just going to have the whole defensive line collapse on them without anyone to back them up.

The good

Nick Rimando. Need I say more? I'm glad we had Saunders, this game could've been a whole lot worse without him. He came up big, and made some HUGE saves, but I'd like to think that Nick would've been able to stop both of those goals, especially the bad reaction from the bad pass from Palmer by Saunders. I can't blame Saunders completely for that incident, but I'd like to think Nick would've cleared it.

Our injured players are coming back. Just look at the value of having Nat Borchers back on the pitch. Nat's experiences saved us from a goal that could've easily happened. And he made some great defensive plays as well. Morales should be coming soon, he's starting practice, and Wingert's foot is almost completely healed, and can start getting ready again. These players still need some time, I understand, but look at the difference Nat made in this one game, and I dare you to tell me that Wingert and especially Morales won't make that big of a difference either.

Saborio still can find the net. He hasn't lost the fire of last season, and the games we have him around for are amazing. He's our finisher, but I wish more people would do the same. I'm excited to see how Javi will team up with Findley and Plata, but Sabo is here now, and is punishing our opponents.

All in All

Jason has told us repeatedly that our youngsters are doing well in training. Our team has a lot of individuals who can shine in their own situations, and I feel comfortable with all of our backup players, but I see them right now as backups. They didn't step up in the game that was their chance to shine. I saw a lot of good things out there, but I see our backups as our future, not our present. I cannot wait to see how this season turns out, but it has been a frustrating beginning.

To my friend I have to say, have hope. RSL can still pull through. Last year at this time we were dominating, and we ended up having a rough summer. I see the opposite happening. We're in a rough patch, but the MLS season is 9 months long. I feel it is more important to have a strong summer and fall than a strong spring. I can promise you that our team WILL meet your expectations, and we'll start finding our groove.

So, I leave off there, hopeful, but dreadfully aware that our team hasn't played to the full potential that we expect them to as RSL elites. Here's to a quick recovery, and some good training sessions to get our backups up to their full potential.

"they're going to have to regain my respect..."

"Ok, they're going to have to regain my respect... I've never seen them win, and only seen them tie twice. And they are doing especially bad tonight. More than I expected being a few key players out"

Here are some thoughts based off of this response by my friend, hear me out, but I'm going to be starting with the bad.

The bad

RSL this year has had a rough start.

The good

All in All

Favorite RMC Moment

2013-03-15T01:35:26Z

I will always remember the game on September 25, 2010. Colorado was up 1-0 in stoppage time and we just had broken the unbeaten home streak, obviously didn't want our streak ended at the hand of our worst rivals. Andy Williams lofted a pass from midfield and it connects with the back of Borchers' head and into the net. The stadium exploded!!! Even after the game my friends and I were still running around the parking lot waving a flag and shouting.

2010's October Surprise

2013-03-13T01:14:13Z

When games go into the 90th minute, I usually feel like the result is decided, but I watch to the final whistle either just in case (when the game is close) or out of dedication (when the game is basically decided). Being down 2-0 in Colorado in the 90th minute, I was watching just because, as a fan, I felt I should. So when Sabo took advantage of a Pickens mistake that resulted in a goal and Pickens tangled in his own net, I felt a little better about having stayed to watch. But when a PK was called in the final minute of stoppage...the whole thing felt like a miracle. Securing the cup in dramatic fashion with a 2-2 draw.

A newcomer's perspective

2013-02-27T04:19:24Z

First off, I'd like to say hello to anyone who reads this, I am, like this article's title suggests, a newcomer to the exciting world of Real Salt Lake Soccer. I am, in fact, a newcomer to the sport itself, having only started watching (and playing) any form of soccer this last year. I am still learning the intricacies of the strategy, and lord knows that I can't handle the stats like our good Matt Montgomery. I am happy to report that I have learned a majority of the rules in this year's time, and am excited to get to know our new squad. The first time I saw RSL play was last year, and this year me and my wife are proud to be members of the pride. I tell you all of this, because I am giving an outsider's perspective, who is new but ready to learn about Real Salt Lake soccer.

I have to say, that given the heart attack that we all received when the changes were announced at the end of last year, this squad is turning out to be pretty promising. I am thoroughly impressed by the preseason of our squad, especially the class act that our "second strings" were able to put in. This preseason was pretty successful, all things considered. We played with our reserve squad a majority of the time, and were able to see them succeed more and more as they learned the team's style. We made it to the finals of the DDC when most people had given up hope. There is plenty to look forward to.

I (having never seen Robbie Findley play) am incredibly impressed by his showing on Saturday, Valasques was feeding him, and he was making the plays happen, and I'm excited to see them come together, and to see the magic that will happen with the return of Morales. I have always loved watching Saborio, and this preseason didn't disappoint me. Plata is going to be a lot of fun, and I can see his play-style allowing for more depth in the attacking strategies that Kries can deploy. And I am incredibly excited to see how Garcia turns out.

The midfield to me has seemed rushed compared to league play last year, I don't know if it's the players on the opposition being more aggressive to show they deserve a spot, or what, but they don't seem as comfortable with possession as last years squad did. In their defense, they've made a lot of magic happen, and have worked fairly well in that situation.

The defense seems to be stuck on a roller-coaster of consistency, there's moments where I can do nothing but applaud them in their quick reactions and intelligent play. But then there's moments like the goal that Seattle got, where a red palm shaped on my face is all that I feel. All I can say is thank goodness for Nick Rimando.

Sorry that I'm a bit long-winded, but in the end, I think we have a lot of potential this year, and I think that us fans all have a role to play. We have built a fortress out of the RioT, and come March 16th I think we'll see a brand new RSL, stronger than ever.

Can RSL learn from Liverpool FC?

2012-12-07T21:40:26Z

I love RSL. I also love Liverpool FC. I love that the 2 clubs are very similar in a variety of ways. Let's take a look at some of the ways that these two teams are similar, as well as what RSL can learn from these similarities.

SIMILARITIES

Both teams have a vision, and that vision is similar. Both have very young managers who have a very blatant take on how their teams need to play the game. Each manager requires their team play beautiful football, keep possession, and make opponents experience an agonizing "death by football." Neither manager changes this strategy dramatically based on who they play. They make the opposition adjust to them.

HOW RSL CAN MIMIC LIVERPOOL FOR SUCCESS

The biggest thing I think RSL can learn from Liverpool's (or Brendan Rodgers') way of implementing this style of football is in the shape they employ. A 4-3-3.

Starting from the back, Liverpool want to have a keeper that is obviously great at stopping shots, but is also comfortable with the ball at their feet (sound familiar?) as to play passes to him and essentially play with an additional passer than the other team has.

Center backs need to be traditionally sound defensively and strong in the air, but also need to be comfortable keeping possession, not afraid to receive back passes and distribute them to open men.

Full backs press very far forward, even getting into the box. Most long balls would ideally come from the full backs as opposed to midfielders or wingers. And they need to have extremely high work rates to push forward and get back quickly when needed.

The midfield is a triangle, typically with 2 in the back and one farther forward. Their job is specific: win the ball back and keep possession. Liverpool have one of the best defensive midfielders in the league in Lucas Leiva, who wins the ball back better than anyone in the league and distributes the ball with extreme efficiency (sound familiar?). The other midfielder in the back plays a bit farther forward and will focus equally on winning the ball and pushing possession forward with short, tidy, passes (Ned). At the point of the midfield you want a player who thrives on the ball, can pass with extreme effiency and will get in the box looking to score (Gil).

The wide forwards are your play makers. Javi would be good in this role, but if he stays, RSL likely stays in its current shape (as Matt Montgomery posted earlier today). These wide players need to be extremely creative as well as fantastic on the ball. It helps if they are fast and they need to have a nose for the back of the net. The system tries to avoid long balls, so these players would create for players making runs into the box, or cut in and take shots. Think Christiano Ronaldo. I think Seb Velasquez would do well in this role, but this would be the biggest area RSL would need to bolster through purchases, which they have already committed to do.

The middle striker relentlessly scores goals and is always looking for the back of the net. Unceasingly. Sabo is perfect here.

with the squad that RSL has, as well as their commitment to bringing in goal scorers, I think this 4-3-3 system would kill MLS opponents if done right and RSL already plays with the right mindset to make it work. RSL would need to learn from Liverpool's mistakes as well. Liverpool doesn't have enough goal scorers. They dominate possession, but fall into a nasty habit of relying on one person to score all their goals which often leads to dropped points and early exits even when they were by far the better team. Sound familar?

They also need to recognize that if one of the 2 more defensive minded midfielders loses possession too far up the pitch, it can lead to crippling counter attacks if that player can't get back fast enough.

I'd love to see RSL try this out. What are your thoughts?

SIMILARITIES

HOW RSL CAN MIMIC LIVERPOOL FOR SUCCESS

The biggest thing I think RSL can learn from Liverpool's (or Brendan Rodgers') way of implementing this style of football is in the shape they employ. A 4-3-3.

Center backs need to be traditionally sound defensively and strong in the air, but also need to be comfortable keeping possession, not afraid to receive back passes and distribute them to open men.

The middle striker relentlessly scores goals and is always looking for the back of the net. Unceasingly. Sabo is perfect here.

I'd love to see RSL try this out. What are your thoughts?

Who Stays and Who Goes

2012-11-09T18:02:46Z

We as RSL Nation have been very fortunate to not have the constant turnover that plagues the majority of the rest of the league. We've kept our core together longer than anyone else ever in MLS history. Unfortunately we are at the end of that era. Who know how much of our core will stay. I do know we are going to lose someone that I've loved cheering for and it will be a punch to the gut to see them in another team's jersey or out of the league.

This is very difficult but I'm going to go over the core guys and try to objectively say pro's cons and whether or not I think they will be the one(s) that gets the axe. Here we go:

Kyle Reynish

Pros: Has been a great back up, super low GAA, really long, knows our system well, still fairly young for a keeper

Cons: Hasn't gotten better the last 2 years seems to have regressed, $$$, not the quickest, does not cover up his weaknesses well

Final Verdict: I think he is gone. We can't spend $100k on a backup who isn't going to play more than 5 games a year tops. Lalo can do the same things for less money and is much, much younger and doesn't count against the cap.

Nick Rimando

Pros: Class of the league, PK stopper, great on set pieces, great organizer, healthy almost never misses a game, experience, not old for a keeper, elite GK, plays above his pay level, best footwork of any keeper.

Cons: Height, tends to let goals in bunches, could be more vocal when teams are coming down in attack

Final Verdict: There couldn't be anyone who would think he should be gone. We don't have a backup that is near his level, Keepers take longer to age and he is right at his prime.

Tony Beltran

Pros: Quick, rarely beaten one on one defending, above average crosser, usually does well getting forward in attack, makes smart decisions, young for the amount of experience he has, does well in group defending

Cons: Height, performs above average against burners but can be beaten by them in footraces, could be stronger, has had some health issues in past seasons, not much of a goal scoring threat

Final Verdict: Again this is a pretty easy, there is not a good reason to get rid of Tony. His pros outweigh his cons.

Nat Borchers

Pros: Height, total professional, extreme durability, leadership, improved every year here, good target on set pieces, wins a majority of his airel challenges, strong, high motor, elite at CB

Cons: Not the best long passer, average speed (though improving), can be caught out of position, getting older

Final Verdict: Priced right, still has at least 3-4 years left of play at a high level, missed the least games of the core, keep for sure.

Jamison Olave

Pros: Fastest player in league, extremely strong, best passer with his head in league, big game player, rarely at fault for a goal, impeccable positioning, great instincts, elite at CB

Cons: Injury prone, older , $$$, gets a lot of cards, not vocal, Schuler does a lot of what he can do for cheaper

Final Verdict: One of the hardest choices for RSL to make. If not for injuries he would be a slam dunk to come back. Unfortunately his days with RSL might be numbered and I'll seriously have to fight the tears off as he is one of my top 5 favorite players EVER for any league. Watching him chase down strikers from behind and take the ball away from them is a sight to behold. I sure hope to be wrong on this one.

Chris Wingert

Pros: Durable, leadership, above average crosser, can be an offensive threat, can play all 4 defensive positions, professional, great at defending the flanks, very vocal on the pitch with his team mates

Cons: Short at CB, just average speed at a spot that usually has top level speed, can be beaten on set pieces by taller attackers, $$$, age, younger cheaper option behind him

Final Verdict: Given the fact that he wasn't protected in the last expansion draft and we didn't have Mansally on the roster I don't think Chris is coming back. I think the team could easily see Mansally and see Tanaka on the street and opt to sign them both for the amount they pay Wingert. It pretty much will suck whenever he leaves as Chris is one of the best players at interacting with the fans and he is a way nice guy.

Kyle Beckerman

Pros: Captain, leadership, national team player, elite talent at his position, embodiment of what RSL is all about, heart, high motor, extreme durability, very vocal, great passer, underrated offensive threat

Cons: Cards, doesn't always do the best job of speaking calmly to the ref under the role of team captain

Final Verdict: Simple there is no reason to see our Captain leave just yet. Easily the most important player to our club over the life of the Kreis/Team is the Star era.

Will Johnson

Pros: The highest motor of all time, incredible at improving in the face of adversity, never say die attitude, durable, all heart, young, top flight talent at his position, covers almost the entire pitch every game, underrated speed, consummate professional, high soccer IQ, great at PKs

Cons: sometimes has errant passes/shots, not the best with his head, a little too unselfish on his runs, needs to pull the trigger at times rather than try to set up team mates

Final Verdict: Super easy he stays. Would be beyond shocking to see him leave.

Ned Grabavoy

Pros: Stays within himself knows his limitations better than almost anyone, very technically gifted, great passer, incredible sub off the bench, clutch

Cons: Age, injury prone,$$$, not enough leadership for his time in the league, many cheaper options that do similar things, disappears for long stretches of the year.

Final Verdict: I love Ned but I fear his time is closing out, he hasn't been protected on several drafts and while he still has some in the tank, at his current salary he is almost certain to be gone next year. Great guy, great team mate it will definitely be sad to see him go. He had his best game of the year last night but seems like too little too late.

Luis Gil

Pros: Age, has nearly always dominated his age group and still years and years away from his prime, improves every year, great attitude, still growing apparently, wicked fast striker, potential

Cons: Some day he will leave for Europe, probably going to be paid quite a bit more, yet to win any major hardware

Final Verdict: He has to stay. It would be beyond massive mistake to get rid of Gil when he has gotten better every single year, and looks to be the future face of soccer in the US. Hold onto him as long as we possibly can, especially since he is so young, talented and humble.

Javier Morales

Pros: Perhaps the best vision in the league, seems to play a half second ahead of everyone, incredible passer, super high soccer IQ

Cons: $$$, age, hasn't stayed healthy, has stretches every year where he disappears

Final Verdict: I think given how much Javi is paid he will either have to take less money or might be off the team next year. It seems like RSL might just have to pick between Javi and Gil and that would be so heartbreaking. I hate to say it but just like RSL's window is closing (I think for a short while because I really like our youth players) so might be Javi's. If last night was his last game in a RSL kit what a way to go out. He made so many incredible passes. I hope to be wrong on this one.

Alvaro Saborio

Pros: Clinical finishes, automatic on PKs, great with his head, puts himself in good positions a lot of the time, great at holding the ball and allowing team mates to catch up, high technical abilities

Cons: Doesn't always defend, occasionally dives rather than play through contact, stays offside for far too long, could definetely improve in the fitness/running hard all game area, too much of the team runs through him and it stalls our attack it would be much better if we didn't try to have everything go through him every time, no major hardware won with us

Final Verdict: He is staying, I really like Sabo and hope he keeps getting better. I would love to see us use him on more dummy runs to open up space behind him, it could really make our offense lethal. I can't think of a scenario where he does not come back to us (short of a huge club paying us $20 million for him).

Fabian Espindola

Pros: Cares more than anyone else (including us fans, the front office, other players, etc), wears down a defense like no one else, completely fearless, great passer, humble beyond belief, great team mate, plays within himself extremely well he knows his strengths and weaknesses, covers literally the entire field, endless motor, great durability (the last few weeks notwithstanding), way cheap for a striker capable of scoring 10 goals a year, defends better than any attacking player

Cons: streaky scorer, lets pressure get to him at times (misses open shots), could definitely improve on getting his shot on frame more, can be caught alone and gets into trouble spots

Final Verdict: He should stay. I would understand why RSL would think about moving on but he is so cheap for a starting striker and as mentioned he cares about this team more than any other person on this planet. I for one would love to see him played some at CAM assuming we got a real 3rd striker. I think he could man the top of the diamond in astoundingly efficient manner.

Paulo Jr.

Pros: Good story, speedy, has shown flashes of brillance

Cons: Doesn't defend well, needs to run more tends to be reactive and not proactive, injury pron, has never been the same since he went down for the year, $$$, height

Final Verdict: I think he should go. We are not getting enough out of him and RSL to be efficient and have a strong attack needs 3 starter or very near starter quality strikers. I would rather see what we have in Braun and Bonfigli and possible draft pick next year. His speed really took a hit when he went down and he has never been the same, he is still fast but not as fast as he was.

So Garth and Jason have quite the decisions to make. If I were them and I knew the core had to change I would definitely keep Nick, Kyle B., Jamison, Nat, Will, Sabo, Fabi, Gil and Tony. I would probably try to keep Javi maybe negotiate his salary. I would definitely move on from Paulo Jr, Kyle R, and Ned. And it would be a tough decision to move on for Wingert so keep him unless it is absolutely necessary to save his salary.

If I'm trying my best crystal ball impression I think the players that are out include Paulo, Ned, Chris, and either Javi/Jamison. The scary thing about Jamison is I've heard that some of the big clubs have been trying to buy him from us for a while and RSL might look at his injury history and decide to finally sell. It made me really sad that last night was almost 100% the last time we'll see some of our players suit up in the right kit at the RioT. This is the worst part about going out so early. Too bad this core was so snake bitten with injuries and bad luck, they were so close to winning 2 supporters shields, CONCACAF and making 2 finals (with 2 MLS cups likely).

This is very difficult but I'm going to go over the core guys and try to objectively say pro's cons and whether or not I think they will be the one(s) that gets the axe. Here we go:

Kyle Reynish

Pros: Has been a great back up, super low GAA, really long, knows our system well, still fairly young for a keeper

Cons: Hasn't gotten better the last 2 years seems to have regressed, $$$, not the quickest, does not cover up his weaknesses well

Nick Rimando

Cons: Height, tends to let goals in bunches, could be more vocal when teams are coming down in attack

Final Verdict: There couldn't be anyone who would think he should be gone. We don't have a backup that is near his level, Keepers take longer to age and he is right at his prime.

Tony Beltran

Cons: Height, performs above average against burners but can be beaten by them in footraces, could be stronger, has had some health issues in past seasons, not much of a goal scoring threat

Final Verdict: Again this is a pretty easy, there is not a good reason to get rid of Tony. His pros outweigh his cons.

Nat Borchers

Pros: Height, total professional, extreme durability, leadership, improved every year here, good target on set pieces, wins a majority of his airel challenges, strong, high motor, elite at CB

Cons: Not the best long passer, average speed (though improving), can be caught out of position, getting older

Final Verdict: Priced right, still has at least 3-4 years left of play at a high level, missed the least games of the core, keep for sure.

Jamison Olave

Pros: Fastest player in league, extremely strong, best passer with his head in league, big game player, rarely at fault for a goal, impeccable positioning, great instincts, elite at CB

Cons: Injury prone, older , $$$, gets a lot of cards, not vocal, Schuler does a lot of what he can do for cheaper

Chris Wingert

Cons: Short at CB, just average speed at a spot that usually has top level speed, can be beaten on set pieces by taller attackers, $$$, age, younger cheaper option behind him

Kyle Beckerman

Cons: Cards, doesn't always do the best job of speaking calmly to the ref under the role of team captain

Final Verdict: Simple there is no reason to see our Captain leave just yet. Easily the most important player to our club over the life of the Kreis/Team is the Star era.

Will Johnson

Cons: sometimes has errant passes/shots, not the best with his head, a little too unselfish on his runs, needs to pull the trigger at times rather than try to set up team mates

Final Verdict: Super easy he stays. Would be beyond shocking to see him leave.

Ned Grabavoy

Pros: Stays within himself knows his limitations better than almost anyone, very technically gifted, great passer, incredible sub off the bench, clutch

Cons: Age, injury prone,$$$, not enough leadership for his time in the league, many cheaper options that do similar things, disappears for long stretches of the year.

Luis Gil

Pros: Age, has nearly always dominated his age group and still years and years away from his prime, improves every year, great attitude, still growing apparently, wicked fast striker, potential

Cons: Some day he will leave for Europe, probably going to be paid quite a bit more, yet to win any major hardware

Javier Morales

Pros: Perhaps the best vision in the league, seems to play a half second ahead of everyone, incredible passer, super high soccer IQ

Cons: $$$, age, hasn't stayed healthy, has stretches every year where he disappears

Alvaro Saborio

Fabian Espindola

Cons: streaky scorer, lets pressure get to him at times (misses open shots), could definitely improve on getting his shot on frame more, can be caught alone and gets into trouble spots

Paulo Jr.

Pros: Good story, speedy, has shown flashes of brillance

Cons: Doesn't defend well, needs to run more tends to be reactive and not proactive, injury pron, has never been the same since he went down for the year, $$$, height

Poll

Who is out?

Javier Morales

14 votes

Jamison Olave

8 votes

Paulo Jr

25 votes

Ned Grabavoy

9 votes

Kyle Reynish

3 votes

59 votes | Poll has closed

Herediano - thoughts and player ratings

2012-10-25T02:39:59Z

Well. At least the weather was nice...

Match thoughts:

It was not a complete performance from us. The first half an hour was amazing; we did everything but get a goal. And then it fell apart. We stopped linking our passes together, and our attack went from a roar to a wimper. The same thing happened in the Monterrey game - really early pressure and lots of attack, but when we went unrewarded our performance was flat. There was a stretch in the second half that was despicable. Our main problem was players weren't checking to the ball and showing for it, specifically in the midfield. A player would have the ball in defense, and our midfielders would stand there, waiting for something to happen, instead of running to receive the ball like they did in the beginning. Based on the second half alone, we did not deserve to go through to the next round.

That said, we were the better team. Even when we were playing badly, they weren't nearly as threatening as we were (although Rimando had to make a few good saves, and they did hit the post, but that was more down to better finishing than we had). We've got to figure out a way to make good performances turn into goals. Overall I don't think this has been a problem for us, but we've still got games like the San Jose game at Rio Tinto that make us shake our heads.

We badly missed Saborio and Grabavoy. In my opinion (and I've love to debate this), they've been two of our three best players this season. It's pretty how obvious how we missed Sabo so I won't talk about that as much, but Grabavoy would have been perfect for this match. An industrious midfielder than can serve as a playmaker... will he be back for the playoffs? Please let him be back for the playoffs.

Yeah, the time-wasting was bad... but. They did what they had to do to get a result here. We can't really blame them for that, agitating as it is. What needs to happen is the refs have to be smarter about it. I'm almost certain that we didn't PLAY a whole 90 minutes today. The ref added on no extra time for the wasting they did in stoppage time. And giving yellow cards out is great, but there are 11 players on their team, and if it's the difference between qualifying or not, they're not gonna care about getting a few yellow cards. Just say, the next time you switch players on the goal kick, give them the red card. As a ref, you have to do what you need to do so that a fair game can happen.

We need another forward next season. This has to do with missing Saborio. We simply can't rely on one forward to score all our goals. Look at San Jose; Wondolowski is the best forward in the league this year and a worthy MVP candidate. But when he's been out of the team, or out of form, San Jose has found ways to score and win game. That's a big difference between us and them. Espindola is very important for our attack but he's not a finisher, and that's what we needed last night.

One-footedness hurt us badly. God gave you two feet for a reason! There were so many times when we got a chance on the left flank to cross or shoot, and we ended up shifting it to our right foot and passing it back, wasting the opportunity. Same thing with Jonny Steele on the right. Chris Wingert needs to work on his left foot.

PLAYER RATINGS:

Nick Rimando - 8

Didn't really have to do much, and what he did have to do he did without fault. One of our best players, unfortunately. Shame he couldn't score on the corner!

Chris Wingert - 6.5

Too one-footed! Did pretty well besides a few wasted chances to cross.

Chris Schuler - 7

Defended well but his distribution from the back was poor. Had a few giveaways that could have cost us dearly.

Nat Borchers - 7.5

Did nothing wrong really. Solid as always in lieu of Olave.

Tony Beltran - 7.5

He made that overlapping run on the right flank all night long, but for some reason we were reluctant to play it to him there, especially in the second half. Gave much more to the attack than Wingert.

Kyle Beckerman - 7

A caller on ESPN 700 mentioned that it seemed like he sat too far back in the second half, and I'd agree with that. Maybe he was trying to protect the defense more, but we needed more offense!

Will Johnson - 7.5

Worked his ass off in the first half and gave us a lot of energy in the midfield. Almost scored on a nice run into the box after Javi fed him. Seemed to fade in the second half, and just as I was yelling at him for only walking back when we were pinned back, he got subbed for being injured. We missed him dearly when he went off.

Luis Gil - 7

Started off very brightly and stayed involved in the game throughout the first half. His influence waned in the second half as our possession lessened. Another very solid performance for the kid.

Javier Morales - 6.5

He was "vintage Javi" (which has pretty much become a cliche this season) for the first half hour and everything went through him. It was awesome to watch. But then... I dunno. He just stopped doing his thing. I don't know if he was tired or what, but he stopped being the Javi of old and completely lost his influence on the match.

Paulo Jr. - 5

I was very impressed with Paulo against Tauro, but he was disappointing today. Bud, you're playing instead of Alvaro Saborio, you've got to at least be able to hold the ball up with your back to goal and get a pass off.

Fabian Espindoal - 5.5

Aaaaaargh. That miss! It seemed like it wouldn't matter at the time, but man. He's just not a finisher. At least not nearly as much as Saborio is. We needed a big performance from him tonight. What he needed to do was just play his game, but for much of the game he seemed to be trying too hard to be Saborio and be a big aerial threat, which he just isn't.

Subs:

Kenny Mansally - 6

Defended well enough, but didn't give the offensive spark we've seen before.

Jonny Steele - 5.5

He wasn't right for this game at all. C'mon Jason, be risky, bring Viana on.

Sebastian Velasquez - 7

I think that Viana might have been better suited for this game, but it's hard to fault him. Gave a huge injection of urgency and energy just as we were looking at our most lethargic. Tripped up in a key moment, but he's got so much potential that seeing his influence is really exciting.

Alriught, onwards and upwards, let's get the MLS Cup. Forza RSL.

Well. At least the weather was nice...

Match thoughts:

PLAYER RATINGS:

Nick Rimando - 8

Didn't really have to do much, and what he did have to do he did without fault. One of our best players, unfortunately. Shame he couldn't score on the corner!

Chris Wingert - 6.5

Too one-footed! Did pretty well besides a few wasted chances to cross.

Chris Schuler - 7

Defended well but his distribution from the back was poor. Had a few giveaways that could have cost us dearly.

Nat Borchers - 7.5

Did nothing wrong really. Solid as always in lieu of Olave.

Tony Beltran - 7.5

Kyle Beckerman - 7

A caller on ESPN 700 mentioned that it seemed like he sat too far back in the second half, and I'd agree with that. Maybe he was trying to protect the defense more, but we needed more offense!

Will Johnson - 7.5

Luis Gil - 7

Started off very brightly and stayed involved in the game throughout the first half. His influence waned in the second half as our possession lessened. Another very solid performance for the kid.

Javier Morales - 6.5

Paulo Jr. - 5

Fabian Espindoal - 5.5

Subs:

Kenny Mansally - 6

Defended well enough, but didn't give the offensive spark we've seen before.

Jonny Steele - 5.5

He wasn't right for this game at all. C'mon Jason, be risky, bring Viana on.

Sebastian Velasquez - 7

Alriught, onwards and upwards, let's get the MLS Cup. Forza RSL.

A way, way, way too early preview of the opponent C.S.Herediano

2012-09-26T22:49:51Z

I'm not sure if anyone else here watched last night's game betweeen Herediano and Tauro but it was pretty entertaining. In a lot of ways I thought that Tauro got the raw end of the deal and the ref seemed pretty biased toward the home side. The PK was pretty weak and inaccurate, the player used his shoulder to play the ball not his bicep therefore there shouldn't have been a call made.

I'll get into more of the specifics after the jump.

Let me just say that I don't think Herediano is a better team than Tauro. At least based on watching last nights game. Herediano did what I'll expect them to do at the RioT settled, only reacted to what was before them and faked injuries nonstop. Herediano did not really have any push after the refs gifted them a PK. Tauro really dictated the game and Herediano seemed content with not having the ball and basically made no attempts to push the tempo or try and get numbers forward for scoring. It wasn't until Tauro scored that they finally tried to mount an attack.

Their attack tactic is extremely simple and can be summed up in one word. DIVE!

Herediano is the best diving team in the world I don't care what people say about China's.

Both goals came off set pieces and the second one came straight from a dive.

I wish I could say that we don't have to worry about the game coming up but we do. The CONCACAF refs are anything but consistent. Here are my keys to RSL advancing:

Limit set pieces near the goal
Keep an even keel
Plan for diving and lots of it, avoid chances to have a ref make a decision
Make runs with multiple people
Send in low crosses instead of high arcing crosses

That is enough for now. I'll focus on each one in a little more depth.
Limit set pieces near the goal. RSL has generally done pretty well at this. If you take out the SJ games I would guess we are in the top half of the league at defending on set pieces. Anyone can tell we have a monster in goal who almost always makes the right choice. We should have a huge size advantage that would help in case we give away set pieces but Herediano seems to butter their bread with set pieces. I know the goal they scored against us was not from a set piece but the chances of them getting a similar goal (Beckerman fell down because of their poor over watered pitch) are so small I wouldn't even worry about it. RSL is #1 in fewest long range goals in the entire MLS this year so If all of Herediano's shots are long range blasts (which they will take every time) we will be in a good position.
Keep an even keel. This is something we have struggled with in general and Herediano is a dirty team. Without a doubt they should have been given at least one red card. I don't remember the name but one of their players kicked a Tauro guy in the chest. He has the boot marks to prove it and the ref didn't even call a foul. So yeah, we can expect the same kind of treatment. Also Herediano had a guy obviously take a huge dive and stay down for at least a full minute on the ground despite the fact that no one touched him and Tauro played the ball out of bounds so he could get treatment and then they did give the ball back on the thrown in but pressed immediately.
Plan for diving and lots of it, avoid chances to have the ref make a decision. Herediano is not a classy team. They will dive, play dirty and out and out cheat to try and win. The players react like a great injustice has occurred when ever they are called for anything. What roundhouse kicks to the head are against the rules? I exaggerate but only barely. Herediano is the exact opposite on the other end. Brushing up against their jersey is cause to act like you've been run over by a tank. We can not play hands on defense because Herediano will prefer to dive and try to get cheap fouls to actually playing soccer and winning in a proper manner. They will dive even if they are better off just playing through contact. IT WILL HAPPEN, but if we are prepared we will just laugh it off. I would suggest our captain should have a little discussion with the officials about it at some point during the game to alert their attention to that fact. We've all seen how rare the circumstances are when the ref give RSL the benefit of the doubt and knowing that the team we will be playing will make a meal out of every contact let's plan ahead and not allow them the chance to change the game.
Make runs with multiple people. Herediano is not a very solid defensive team in nearly every regard except one. They are exceptional at cutting out long passes. But they space out too much and were getting absolutely killed by Tauro on short passes. If we move the ball through little, tight, quick triangle passes we will eat Herediano alive. Passes that are over 7 yards they are really good at winning the ball. Herediano gets spaced out super easily if they are confronted with multiple runners. It is obvious from watching the way they play that they are used to only defender 1 maybe 2 strikers and are not equiped to deal with midfielders joining in the attack or outside backs running up the flanks. If we can bring at least 4 people in the box area with all shots we should be able to put at least 3 goals in the game. Their keeper doesn't position himself well and their man marking leaves a lot to be desired.
Send in low crosses instead of high arcing crosses. Herediano did not deal well with crosses close to the ground. The goal Tauro scored came from sending the ball through the box hard and fast over and over and over. Anything that hung in the air for a while Herediano was able to cut out and defend well. I would say at just below an elite level. The faster the ball gets to its intended target the harder it make Herediano to stop it.

In summary if RSL were to follow my keys to advancing we can look forward to early spring CONCACAF games again. I obviously don't really respect Herediano, but I don't respect anyone who plays the style of trying to cheat to win no matter how much talent they have or how good they are at it *cough Real Madrid *cough. I can't wait we are less than a month away from without a doubt the biggest match RSL will host all year (yes that would include the chance that we host the MLS Final) it really is that big. Let's pray we can get a 3-0 win.

Justin Braun

2012-09-26T14:09:52Z

Is he injured? If not then why does he not get any playing time. He was very productive at Chivas. When is his contract up? We sure could use him in Philly

Is he injured? If not then why does he not get any playing time. He was very productive at Chivas. When is his contract up? We sure could use him in Philly Is he injured? If not then why does he not get any playing time. He was very productive at Chivas. When is his contract up? We sure could use him in Philly Is he injured? If not then why does he not get any playing time. He was very productive at Chivas. When is his contract up? We sure could use him in Philly

Has Real Salt Lake Evolved?

2012-09-04T23:50:00Z

I saw something on Saturday that has me extremely excited. I will give a little background first and then get to the good stuff after the jump.

I learned the game of soccer in Spain. I like a lot of Americans thought soccer was not really a sport (like the ignorant person that I was). The first time I watched a full match was October 24th 2004, Barcelona vs Osasuna, it had a final score of Barca 3-0. I was pretty doubtful it would be entertaining but Eto'o scored a brace (on the 90th minute) and Ronaldihno scored a goal as well. I grew up completely engulfed with basketball. My grandpa played professionally, my dad was a walk on in college and I played it every free minute as a youth. I had seem a lot of the great basketball players so I knew what greatness looked like. Never had anyone impressed me as much as Ronaldihno did. Xavi of course was great but I had never seen such amazing movement and the way Ronaldiho just played with people was a sight to behold. Well needless to say I was hooked and have followed FC Barcelona ever since and by proxy Spain's national team.

I picked a good time to follow both as Barcelona finally won la liga that year and Spain went on to win the next Euro Cup and eventually the World Cup. I know this might come across as arrogant but I have seen soccer played at the highest level possible. I got to see the end of a legend and follow the begging of possibly the greatest footballer of all time in Messi. I was spoiled, kind of like someone who became a RSL fan at the end of 2008. Start liking the team right before the trophies start coming.

So what does this have to do with Saturday's game?

I saw something on Saturday that has me extremely excited. I will give a little background first and then get to the good stuff after the jump.

So what does this have to do with Saturday's game?

Well as you might imagine I would like to see RSL emulate Barcelona as much as possible. I know from my interactions with a lot of the players that a majority of them also like watching Barcelona. So it is no suprise to me when I see them doing similar things to what Barcelona used to do.

Saturday for the first time in a long time I saw RSL finally have the 2 outside backs work the ball up the sideline and send in passes or crosses either to the center of the box directly of little passes Javi or one of the other midfielders so they could get it in toward the middle as well.

At countless games I've asked my wife why doesn't Wingert push up the sideline they are giving him the whole half of the field? Why is Beltran stopping at midfield? I had thought it was a Wingert/Beltran problem for almost a year but then anytime anyone else played that spot they did the same thing and I think once I saw Will Johnson doing the same thing I realized it is what the coaches want.

I then began complaining why are we being so stupid? The opponent is giving us acres of space and instead we are trying to jam the ball up the middle where all 11 guys are at. For years we did this and got less and less effective because everyone in the league knows RSL like to push the ball right up the middle.

We have slowly but surely become less and less dominate. Teams game plans went from bunker ball into what I would call skinny t ball. On defense completely ignore the flanks except close to your own goal. clog the middle as much as possible. For a while if made no difference RSL would always find a way to break through and punish teams but this year has been different.

We have seen a RSL rollercoaster of being dominant and then being docile, high and low, strong and weak. But I believe Kreis and the coaching staff have finally figured out why our effectiveness has dropped. It isn't that the league has gotten so much better than RSL, it is tactics. We became too predictable. We love our diamond midfield and work the pass until the perfect spot.

On Saturday though we seemed a little desperate. We needed to end the skid and pick up points in the worst possible way. So we did the unthinkable we started out pushing our fullback up the sideline until they met a defender and then would sometimes lay the ball off to an onside forward or midfielder making an overlapping run. And other times our outside backs would take on the first wave of resistance and dummy them and run by.

I wish I could say we rained goals in the game but we didn't. I will say this tactic if continued will lead to increased midfield space and allow us to more freely return to our roots. Of course we would prefer to do what we do best. When we play a spread out team and have room in the midfield, we run most everyone off the field. Teams have figured this out and adjusted. They have been daring us to try bringing the ball up the wings and we haven't taken that dare. Until now.

Just as Barcelona has had to adjust their tactics to take advantage of teams overplaying their midfield by moving the ball up the flanks, so to should RSL. People call us the Barcelona of MLS for a reason.

I pray RSL continues to take advantage of what we are given. Bringing the ball up into attack through our outside backs forces teams to defend the edges and gives our midfield room to work. We already saw it took DC almost a full half to adjust and then we were able to play our normal game from their adjustments. They were not able to fully commit more numbers in the midfield as they still had to try and stop the ball from moving up the flanks. Fortune Favors the Bold!

Bad taste in my mouth...

2012-08-22T21:12:22Z

Towards the end of the match last night, I heard a yell from the ADA Section 1 seats that has been on my mind all day. This man yells to a Tauro player, "You're just like your country, you're not going anywhere." I was absolutely floored! What kind of a moron attacks an opponent and their country? RSL has players from all over Central and South America, so if he is going to attack an opponent, he might as well attack Saborio, Espindola, Paulo Jr., etc.

This was a perfect example of why futbol has had such an uphill battle in the United States. Fans are arrogant, and make themselves look like complete idiots. I hope the way this fan thinks and acts isn't how the majority of RSL fans think and act.

Kwame Watson-Siriboe shines as part of the Real Salt Lake Defense

2012-08-12T20:24:23Z

Kwame Watson-Siriboe. I doubt any Real Salt Lake fan had even heard the unusual name before the Salt Lake club signed him thanks to assistant coach C.J. Brown's special relationship with the young player. He was drafted by the Chicago Fire several years ago. Kwame hardly got any minutes of playing time in his first three seasons in MLS. It was a rough start in professional soccer for Watson-Siriboe. Luckily for RSL, C.J. Brown, a former Chicago man himself, took particular interest in the new player from the University of Connecticut.

The young defender grew up in Chino Hills, California. While playing college soccer for UConn his senior year Kwame earned First Team All-Big East honors. What went on at Chicago is somewhat of a mystery. In the Fire's coaching staff's eyes, he must have been a player just waiting to make a breakthrough. He was always good enough to stay on the roster, but never quite ready to really make the jump to the first team. Either Chicago's coaching staff was flat-out wrong, or being brought to Real Salt Lake was what it took for Kwame Watson-Siriboe to make the breakthrough that he's waited for his whole career.

The ex-Chicago player chose to take on the number three on the back of his claret and cobalt jersey. Whether he knew it or not, that number formerly belonged to Real defender Robbie Russel, who played a major part in the club's history. His conversion of his penalty kick in the 2009 MLS Cup gave Real Salt Lake the star above their crest. The legacy could continue as Kwame finds his way deeper into the roots of the club's system. It's really quite amazing the way he has been able to meld with the squad so quickly. The RSL Way seems almost second nature to Watson-Siriboe. He understands the role of a centerback clad in the Claret and Cobalt of Real Salt Lake. He has a strong presence. He's solid, doesn't let anything slip. If the ball gets past him, the player doesn't. If the player gets past him, the ball doesn't.

This role is especially crucial to fill for the club when looking into the future. Our two regular centerbacks, Jamison Olave and Nat Borchers (dubbed "Borlave" by Matthew Montgomery) are aging. As they age they grow more injury-prone and cost more to keep at the club. In other words, it is very improbable for both to stay at the club for many more seasons. Kwame Watson-Siriboe playing in his current form is exactly what RSL is in need of. A very athletic and capable central defender that understands his role and is able to play it extremely well.

Kwame really showed better than anyone else on the pitch, from both sides, today as Real Salt Lake took on the Vancouver Whitecaps. Despite how agitated I was as a supporter seeing my team unable to create goals and play beautiful soccer, I couldn't help but smile upon the spectacular composure and dedication of the new defender.

Real Salt Lake should be proud of their acquisition of the former Chicago defender. He has the potential to be one of the RSL greats. I have faith in him and can only hope for the best and wait.

UPWARD AND ONWARD

To the amazing fans of Section 16

2012-06-26T02:55:11Z

So this was forwarded to me and requested that I post it, so here it is:

My name is James Sadler, and I sit in Section 16, row E, seat 14. Many of you in our section witnessed something during and after the game against the Galaxy I would like to talk about.

For 80 minutes last night I listened to someone near me making racial comments, directed not only at opposing players for LA, but some of those comments were even directed at our own Supporter's groups in the south end of the stadium. Eventually I got to the point where I could not listen to it anymore and said something to this person.

First I would like to personally apologize to everyone that heard the language I used last night, I know it was probably offensive to many of you and the situation was handled horribly on my part. I reached a point where instead of handling it properly and like a human being, I resorted to foul and abusive language to get my point across, and for that I have no excuse and can't take it back, and I will always regret my actions.

It is my opinion that racism is a stain on our society and it has no place in our country or any other. I cannot and will not sit back and put up with comments like the ones I heard last night, and I recognize that I simply could have gotten out of my seat and gone to the security staff at Rio Tinto to get assistance. This is not something to me that has any place in our society, and I find it shameful that it has been brought into Major League Soccer by spectators, not fans. This is not the first time I have heard comments like these at an RSL game, and I know that it does not reflect the views of the majority of fans either at RSL games or in American sports in general. Real Salt Lake's first-team roster includes players from 11 countries, and it is stunning to me that people don't recognize they are watching the worlds most multicultural sport and have respect for that fact. A current example of how bad this is on the world stage can be found right now at the European Championships, where instead of celebrating some of the best players the world has to offer at one of the premier soccer events in the world, the tournament has been stained by the actions of fans of multiple countries. This is the last thing that MLS should ever be known for, and I am not the only one to experience this kind of reprehensible behavior at Rio Tinto.

I cannot wait to return to Rio Tinto Stadium on July 7th to watch RSL take 3 points from Portland, and I welcome anyone who was offended by my language to come talk to me so I may apologize to you in person and attempt to make amends for it. I never want to be known solely for my actions last night, as I know I have more to offer RSL as a fan, and society as a person. To all players, staff and fans at RSL, I promise to handle things the right way in the future, and I implore all fans of this game to please help to stop racist behavior so that no one person ever feels they cannot enjoy this game or any other event in their life without the fear of being abused by another person.

Thank you,

James Sadler

So this was forwarded to me and requested that I post it, so here it is:

My name is James Sadler, and I sit in Section 16, row E, seat 14. Many of you in our section witnessed something during and after the game against the Galaxy I would like to talk about.

Thank you,

James Sadler

What's going wrong for Real Salt Lake?

2012-06-25T16:09:00Z

Well it is clear that some fans are getting frustrated, check out this fan post:

It's time to point fingers. It's time to figure out exactly what's going wrong for our troubled Real Salt Lake. After losing three straight matches at home in all competitions, what can fans expect? Real seems to have fallen into a very unpredictable funk. Look at their last four games: 1-3 loss to MN Stars, 3-0 smashing at Chivas, 3-2 giveaway to LA, 1-2 drop to San Jose. Honestly, I can compare our play to that of an expansion team. We're losing frequently, disappointing fans, having random confidence boosts with unpredictable victories.

Fortunately, it hasn't been this way all season, but signs have been hinting in this direction for quite some time. Real has a lot more inexperienced players this season and that may have influence over the naivety of the club's on-field performance. But that isn't all. Here's my list of what's going on.

The team is not playing defense as a team.

One of the biggest parts of the RSL Way is that EVERYONE plays defense. It starts with the forwards and ends with Nick Rimando between the uprights. At the beginning of the season, this really wasn't an issue, but as confidence has grown players don't feel the urgent need to get back on the defensive side of the ball. Forwards haven't been doing awful, in fact, they've been pressuring the opponent's back line quite well as of late. I believe the issue in defending can be found in our midfield and outside back positions. The outside backs have been encouraged to attack up the flanks and for a good reason, thanks to them the claret and cobalt have created several goals. But they need to track back more than any other player on the whole team. Throughout the last several matches, there have been gaping holes on the wings that the opposition have exploited on the counter-attack. Look at the last two goals Los Angelas put in on us! It seemed like it was the Galaxy counter against our lonesome centerbacks! The rest of the members of the RSL squad got caught watching the turn of events from midfield.

more after the jump:

Well it is clear that some fans are getting frustrated, check out this fan post:

The team is not playing defense as a team.

more after the jump:

Nick Rimando is playing slightly tentative.

Yes, I know. It's surprising isn't it? I've never seen Nick come out so hesitant in a game. Against San Jose, he and Nat Borchers miscommunicated which caused Rimando to stutter his approach to the ball and consequentially get caught in no-man's-land between the ball and the open net. Then you've got the goal the Galaxy scored in which Rimando came sprinting off his line way early and was beat quite easily by the LA attacker on the edge of the box. This is almost definitely just a stutter in his usually good form. Let's hope it gets fixed sooner rather than later.

High expectations are overwhelming for RSL.

Real Salt Lake has quite a history of being overwhelmed by high expectations. It seems that every time the stadium is at capacity, the team falls apart on the pitch. You've got the CCL final last season that RSL dropped at home, then you have the situation in which Real is cruising at the top of the standings, more and more fans are attending matches, and they choke at the RioT, in front of everyone. It's a sad statistic for any fan. The world's best teams can win games on the big stage with big expectations on the line.

There is no confidence booster.

This is an interesting one. It really hasn't been an issue until lately. A good example of it was the LA game. Real was up 2-0 and cruising. I for one expected RSL to hand the Galaxy a beating for the second year in a row at Rio Tinto. The Tony Beltran made a mistake that handed LA a goal. No big deal. It was a fluke and Real still had a goal advantage. Then LA took advantage of another mistake. This time, the heads of every RSL player hung in disappointment and shock. They didn't pump themselves up and look to go for goal. The level of their play consequently fell and Los Angelas found the back of the net completing the come-from-behind upset. Real need to rediscover the fire in their eye that was present in games earlier this season against Portland and Toronto FCwhere they were able to pull out big time results with the odds stacked against them.

So there you have it. This has been my bleak analysis on Real Salt Lake's form. Up next is how RSL and its fans alike are going to find a way out of the current situation.

WE BELIEVE IN RSL!!!