LA v Real Salt Lake - MLS Playoffs Running Blog

It's a scoreless draw coming in from the first leg, so it's all to play for here in LA. 

And they kick off!

3 - So far, just the mist that indicates it might be LD's last game has stood out. 
4 - Ishizaki gets clipped, isn't happy. 
5 - Gyasi Zardes goes wide on an attempt. Nerves showing a bit there. 
7 - Juninho from outside. Nothing doing. 
10 - RSL attack to Plata gets cut off, but Real starting to look more comfortable. 
11- Last game - WHATEVER! LD with the header finish to put Galaxy into the lead. 
14 - With the away goal in play, Galaxy need to consolidate this lead. 
15 - Which is something they didn't do versus Seattle here in Stub Hub not too long ago. 
16 - A nice chip cross by AJ de la Garza set up LD's goal, by the way. It was a fine one-touch volley. The entire build-up was good team play. 
17 - Robbie K's chip from distance goes too high. 
19 - It went out, but I like the hustle of Sarvas chasing that ball down. The little things matter in the playoffs. 
20 - Keane! He puts it in and that lead consolidation I mentioned? Done.  Pinpoint pass from LD. 
23 - It's hard to tell if RSL are discouraged or if the Galaxy are just steamrolling right now. Probably a bit of both. 
24 - ESPN Deportes spends some time explaining that Keane wasn't offside, even though it looked a bit like he was. 
26 - LD on the run at goal - shoots high, almost as high as that 2009 penalty shootout. This was presumably less painful. 
30 - That mask looks hot and painful. 
32 - Juninho earns a foul, so a Galaxy freekick - who to take? Ooh, a trick play that nearly led to a Omar header on goal. Not quite, though. 
34 - LD nearly sets up Sarvas for another goal - but last defender blocks shot. 
36 - Leonardo gets injured, is carted off the field. 
37 - He is replaced by Tommy Meyer and his mustache. This Movember thing is really a thing, folks. 
38 - Ishi leads the break, but LD's pass, can't quite make it to Keane and the attack dies. 

Here are some recent Jaime Penedo quotes I got that are a bit relevant tonight. 

I don’t ever want to want to feel relaxed. There’s a saying in Panama, “He who feels relaxed, loses.” I believe it. Here, the competition is tough, we have a tough coach - a winning coach. So that pushes you every day in training. I’m happy working with the defenders - they’re doing well, we’re practicing well together. I’m happy with them, but I’m not relaxed.

We’ve had injuries, and now we won’t have Omar, but there are also players who have been working hard all throughout the year, Meyer, Leo, and they hope to do well when given the opportunity.

42 - Right on cue, announcers praise Penedo's calm play. Then Keane nearly sets up a Zardes goal.
43 - Gyasi again nearly puts in another goal, but Nick Rimando saves well.

Halftime - The Galaxy came to play. RSL thinking about starting to do that in the second half.

47 - Keane should have done better on a shot there.
51 - Keane on the attack again, gets a corner opportunity. Waters himself off with a bottle as Ishi goes to take the corner.
52 - Corner eventually leads to a Juninho angled shot, but Nicky R is all over it.
53 - Landon with a good run and cross to Keane, who promptly hoofs it way over the goal.
55 - LD with another goal! This time he was selfish and took the run and the shot by himself. Nicely done. 3-0. Keane was the provider, almost as if to say sorry for the earlier miss.
58 - Penedo with a monster save. Keeping all the goals for his team so far.
60 - Penedo's effort show Galaxy aren't going to sleep on this lead like they did versus Seattle.
63- Marcelo Sarvas makes the run and gets rewarded! 4-0 Galaxy. Stomping RSL in the house of Stub.
65 - RSL on the attack, but Penedo is still on parry duty.
67 - Beckerman and Findley on the attack, but to no avail as the final line of the Galaxy pokes ball away.
70 - Galaxy counter has Keane, Zardes and LD on the run, but LD pulls up, preferring to kill a bit of time with possession.
71 - LD again! Keane with the chip pass, LD volleys it into the corner past Rimando. 5-0 Galaxy.
75- Come at me, bro. Tell me again that LD didn't deserve to go to the World Cup.
79 - Keane shoots high. He might have had a hat trick as well. But with the shooting high and all. His assist boots are on, though.
82 - LD gets a yellow for arguing with the referee. Alan Gordon comes on. LD might regret that yellow in the next round.
84 - Keane on the run, tries to pass to Gordo, but defense cuts that off.
87 - Gordo working the mustache look, too.
88 - Zardes hoofs long for Gordo, who helps Ishi get a corner out of it. Out of that, Gordo pings the ball off the post. Close to yet another goal.
90 - RSL still fighting for some goal of honor. But Galaxy counter quickly. The shot goes wide and the referee ends the suffering of the Salt Lakers.

Final thoughts - Galaxy dominant with a capital Donovan. 5-0 was a victory of massive proportions. Seattle probably up next, but Dallas may surprise. Night, all.

Real Influential

Remember when MLS teams couldn't buy a win in Mexico?

Way back in like 2010 and before, MLS teams did pretty bad south of the border. It was a little sad to see MLS teams go there, knowing that no matter what they did, it would not be good enough for a win. Heck, a draw would have been seen as an accomplishment.

But those days are gone. Not gone in the sense that MLS teams won't lose in Mexico or anything, but the time when Mexico meant an automatic loss for an MLS side certainly has disappeared.

FC Dallas shattered that record and Seattle brushed off the remains. Each took a 1-0 win from their respective games against Mexico, by identical 1-0 wins over Pumas and Monterrey, respectively.

Why the big change? What happened from the time when Seattle blew a 2-0 lead at Monterrey by allowing three goals in a four-minute span way back in 2010 to now when MLS teams can suddenly do no wrong in Mexico?

Real Salt Lake.

That's what happened.

RSL's run to the CONCACAF Champions League title came up excruciatingly short but the club's experience rubbed off on a lot of people. Galaxy players I spoke to about the Champions League said RSL's run made them look at the tournament in a different light, that they didn't really see the tournament before the way they see it now.

It makes sense. RSL's run was captivating and the way it ended, with RSL needing a result at home to secure a championship, made many feel as if it was going to happen. Why not? They'd gone down to Saprissa and done quite well, then pulled out a 2-2 draw at Monterrey, so a win at home was not exactly asking for too much.

It did not happen, though, but coming so close to glory probably made MLS players want to experience that for themselves. You don't know what you have until it's gone, right? So when MLS players, who probably jumped on RSL's bandwagon like so many other MLS supporters, felt the title slip away, they may have said the next time they are in position to fight for it themselves, they will do just that.

It's a mentality change that helped fuel MLS teams in Champions League. Aside from FC Dallas' historic win in Mexico, MLS clubs have done quite well for themselves thus far. No MLS team has lost and only Colorado's 1-1 draw at Honduras' Real Espana prevented the league from going a perfect 7-of-7 in CCL play.

Tonight FC Dallas and Toronto FC will meet so we may see the first MLS loss, but since it's coming against another MLS team, perhaps that's a bit of a wash.

Regardless, MLS teams now are making their push towards making their league become more influential in the region, at least on the field.

RSL helped push that door open.

Progress In MLS? Where?

MLS woke up to the same new world on Thursday in more ways than one.

Real Salt Lake was unable to announce the arrival of Major League Soccer on Wednesday night, simply because it hasn't arrived. Monterrey saw to that, and claimed CONCACAF's spot in the FIFA Club World Cup.

Mexico > MLS.

Nothing new there.

Also, the league announced that New York will participate in a four-team friendly tournament, pitting the MLS side against Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain and Boca Juniors. New York won't play against the South American side but will play the two European teams.

It's still all about the spectacle in MLS. Sure, there are better teams now than there have been in recent years. Even though they lost the CCL final, RSL could go down as a power and one of the top teams in league history. New York and Los Angeles are stacked and there is a lot younger, better talent in this league than before with the likes of Juan Agudelo, Teal Bunbury, Fredy Montero, etc.

But for MLS, the summer friendly slate is top priority. Who MLS teams play against matters to the league, when really, it should not.

We've already seen a steady stream of friendlies that have been announced: Manchester United will play Seattle, Chicago and New England; Vancouver will play Manchester City; Everton will visit DC United; Portland will play Ajax; and the LA Galaxy will play at least one high-profile friendly match (my money's on LA-Real Madrid).

What does the league gain from all these high-profile friendlies? Revenue... that's the main thing; then there's the publicity as supporters from back in Europe will watch their team meet up against an MLS rival; and of course some of these high-profile opponents could force their highlights and match reports onto TV and into print, and that's always nice, right?

But it doesn't gain anything tangible that can be used towards helping progress the league.

That Real Salt Lake lost the CCL final is not just a reflection on the team and how it failed to put the series away but on the league and how it has not arrived yet, how there is still a lot of progress to be made.

Glamour over substance in MLS?

Nothing new there.

Crushing Blow

The more things change, the more they don't progress.

MLS was supposed to finally have announced to the region, the world, anyone who would listen, that MLS was a league to be reckoned with, that American soccer was here.

It's here alright, back in the same position as it ever was.

Real Salt Lake were dealt a tough blow Wednesday when Monterrey snapped RSL's impressive 37-match unbeaten streak to claim the CONCACAF Champions League title. Monterrey advance to the FIFA Club World Cup while RSL is left thinking what could have been.

This loss wasn't just a bad defeat for RSL but a crushing blow for MLS. Fans and players from across the league had come out en masse to support the club in its efforts to claim glory for the league. RSL Owner Dave Checketts had said the club was carrying a banner that read MLS on it.

But none of that was enough to get a ball past Jonathan Orozco. And none of that prevented Humberto Suazo from hitting the back of the net in first-half stoppage time.

Had a better team than Monterrey walked into RSL and left with the championship, perhaps the glaring differences between MLS and Mexico would not be as noticeable. It's tough to beat really strong teams home or away. But that it was Monterrey, who are struggling in league now and need a victory in the regular-season finale this weekend to just reach the postseason, brings to light the chasm that still exists between the two leagues even further.

RSL was the best MLS had to offer. The team has been hailed as having incredible depth, a true team mentality with no superstars, the model franchise for the 16-year-old league, a great coach worthy of taking over the U.S. national team some day, amongst other praise.

But there they were, this model franchise that does things the way they ought to be done, struggling against a Mexican side that has been mediocre for most of 2011, at Rio Tinto no less.

Everything was there for the taking, and Real Salt Lake/MLS came away with nothing.

Actually, RSL/MLS did come away with something as it was the first time since it became a real tournament with home-and-away legs since an MLS team made it this deep.

But what truly does not change is this: when RSL/MLS got there, a too-tough Mexican team stood in the way.

And that part won't change anytime soon.

RSL's Historic Draw

Real Salt Lake did the unthinkable and pulled out a 2-2 result from Monterrey.

It wasn't the result itself that was unthinkable but rather the way it went down. Javier Morales pulled a goal out of thin air, as he skirted past Jose Maria Basanta and placed the ball past Jonathan Orozco in the 89th minute.

RSL will go to Rio Tinto needing a win or a draw of 1-1 or 0-0 to get through to the Club World Cup.

Some initial reactions on the match:

Winless Streak Continues, With Asterisk: This was a draw for RSL of course, which kept MLS' unimpressive streak alive. MLS clubs are now 0-21-4 in Mexico but this one feels like a win. RSL twice fell behind but twice came back and pulled even. Typically - and RSL saw this first-hand - Mexico teams start to open up the throttle and pull away from MLS teams. Cruz Azul did that with a late surge against RSL a year ago, but RSL may have learned from that experience. RSl kept their wits about them when the goals fell.

Huge Goal: It's tough to rank Major League Soccer's goals and how significant they are, but Morales' strike has to be in the top five goals ever in MLS. Most other goals from MLS teams came in MLS games (of course) so for this one to come in the CONCACAF Champions League, on the road, in Mexico, in a final, when all appeared lost... yeah, pretty significant. Something to chew on: if RSL win it next week, the series-clinching goal could very well be the biggest goal in MLS history, so if the game ends 0-0, that means Morales' goal will have sealed the series.

Monterrey's Moves: Monterrey went up early but right after the goal, they were forced to make two substitutions and it may have saved RSL. Aldo De Nigris scored, was booked for his celebration and subsequently removed along with Luis Perez. Both players were taken out due to injury, according to reports.

Highlights: Here are match highlights. Good stuff from RSL.









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RSL Going For History

Real Salt Lake can make history.

With a series win over Monterrey in the CONCACAF Champions League final, Real Salt Lake would become the first MLS team to compete in the FIFA Club World Cup, and would be the first MLS team to win a CONCACAF title since the tournament went to a home-and-away format in 2002.

It's too bad they have to play in Mexico.

RSL is, hands down, the best team in MLS right now. RSL does not lose at home and also doesn't often lose on the road. This team looks like the favorite to win the Supporters Shield and MLS Cup. It could go down as one of the best MLS teams in history.

But this game in Mexico looms large. Mexico is of course Major League Soccer's house of horrors. MLS teams have never been able to figure out the puzzle that Mexico holds. MLS has an 0-21-3 record in Mexico (non-friendlies), and crazy things happen there. RSL has felt that first-hand, having blown a 3-1 lead by giving up three goals in the final five minutes of the game against Cruz Azul last year.

If RSL does become one of the all-time greats in MLS history, a win in Mexico would go a long way towards making that happen. A series win would help as well, but if RSL can be the first team to win on Mexican soil, RSL would gain major points for tossing that 800-ton gorilla of the league's back.

Can RSL do it? Well, I've never had much faith in any MLS team pulling out any sort of positive result from a game in Mexico, but this RSL team is different. They have such an air of confidence around them and the way they conduct their business, from the front office to the coaching staff to the players, is the way any MLS fan would want their team to carry about.

Couple that with Monterrey's sagging league form and it seems that maybe, just maybe, RSL has a chance of a win.

Don't go betting the deed to your house on that one, though. I've always been a I-have-to-see-it-to-believe-it kind of person, so until it happens I'm not about to make any wagers.

Still, there's something special about this RSL team, and we all may just find out how special they are soon enough.

Jason and the Argonauts, er, the RSLians.

Jason Kreis and Real Salt Lake take on Monterrey in the CONCACAF Champions League final. I was on a conference call today about the match. The calls take a long time and to give everyone a fair shot, reporters are only allowed a question or two. It takes even longer to write up the quotes, and just as I was finishing, MLS sent out a quote sheet.

I could have saved so much time.

Anyway, here's my finished article.

And here's the MLS transcript, if you're curious.

Opening remarks from Real Salt Lake Owner, Dave Checketts:
When the vision of this club was created over seven years ago I never imagined this day would come as quickly as it has. We are honored to play Monterey. We know they’re a very good club. They, like us, are anxious to move on and we expect a tremendous battle.
To reach this point is gratifying but we are not satisfied.
We have great respect for our opponent. We know it is going to be very difficult, but we love being the first at everything. We love these occasions where people can say about us no one has ever advanced this far. In reality, we’re just a club from Salt Lake City, Utah that has tremendous players from nine different nations, is well-coached and is fully prepared and fit and ready to play our best football and see what we can accomplish.

Jeff Carlisle, ESPN.com – Given the strength of the opponent, will you reign in your attacking instincts or will you continue to play the same way?

Real Salt Lake Head Coach Jason Kreis:
I am a big believer that in soccer, if you attack well enough, you will limit the amount of time you need to defend. We’re not going to change our philosophy now that we’re in the final and we’re not going to change our philosophy because we’re playing a fantastic opponent. We are going to ask our players to be very mindful when we have the ball and be very good with it …We need guys to be focused and sharp and get back and defend quickly because if we don’t, this is the type of opponent that can kill you in a heartbeat.

Jeff Carlisle,ESPN.com – How will you prepare for Aldo de Nigris and Humberto Suazo?

Kreis:
We haven’t seen Suazo as much as we’ve seen de Nigris. De Nigris is more of a box forward in my opinion. He has really good size and really good speed and probably better feet than most people would think a guy of that size would have. Typically box forwards lack the technical ability that he does have.
Suazo is a bit of a bulldog and can drop into the midfield more and turn and make plays. He has a lethal, lethal shot.
Both of those players we’re going to have to be extremely mindful of and they have some midfielders that are quite special on the ball as well. It just depends on which four they play because they’ve been using a lot of different players throughout the last four or five matches.

Steve Davis, SI.com – How will the warm weather affect training?

Kreis:
For this trip we decided to come earlier, and were able to train yesterday and train today and we’ll train tomorrow. That should be enough to acclimate our guys.

Michael C. Lewis,Salt Lake Tribune – What has it been like to have such support from around the league?

Checketts:
The support from fellow owners, from player to player, from coach to coach has really been extraordinary. I’ve heard from almost all of my fellow owners. They all recognize what’s at stake here for the league. We are flying a banner that not only says Real Salt Lake but also Major League Soccer.
I was driving with my daughter who’s 17-years-old and I was telling her how big this game was and she asked just how big it is. I said it’s the game of the century. This is it. This is the biggest game ever. She said, you know, dad, you say that about every game. Other than the MLS Cup, we’ve never played a game in our history that’s as big as this.
When I talked to Jason about becoming the head coach, even though he’d spent most of his career in Dallas he said I don’t quite understand why, but I care very much about this club – Real Salt Lake . This is an opportunity to stamp Real Salt Lake’s presence on the entire world of soccer. I don’t anyone could have imagined that. It’s an incredible opportunity.

Kreis:
I’m looking at this as a tremendous opportunity that we’ve achieved through all the hard work over several years… Going to the World Club Competition would easily be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.


Brian Straus, Sporting News –What is it about this RSL team that has been able to do what no other club has?

Kreis:
The first thing that we need to credit is that we’ve built a very deep team. There have been teams in the past built on the starting 11 and once you got past that, the depth and true quality of the players went down drastically. I would say at Real Salt Lake we’ve been supported on a different level by our ownership and we’ve been supported on a different level by the League because of how much emphasis and how much help they’ve been willing to give us and put some weight behind this CONCACAF competition. Finally, I would say the League has made some very good decisions over the past five years about raising salary caps and making it possible for teams to get more depth and more quality to number one to number 30.

Checketts:
I agree with Jason that the steps the League has made have been critical. Also, several weeks after Jason became the head coach he jumped on a plane to Argentina and came back with three players, two of which, Javier Morales and Fabian Espindola, have been critical to our success. That’s where it started. We began adding pieces all under the banner that there aren’t any superstars on this team. There is a tremendous team chemistry and I think you see it in the way they play, the way they move the ball, the way they attack, the way they endure adversity. A lot of hard work and dedication by a lot of people is what gives us the chance that’s in front of us.

Josie Pereira, Salt Lake Tribune – Will the pressure of game and size of the crowd affect the players?

Kreis:
We have a very, very mature group. A team that is extremely experienced. Quite a few of our players have played with their national team in World Cup Qualifier matches in some of the hardest environments to play matches in. So, I don’t think it can get any more pressurized than the multiple experiences they’ve already had. We’re very well prepared for it.

Ron Blum, Associated Press: Should MLS consider adding more roster spots?

Kreis:
No. We have a possibility of 30, but we’re only using 28. For me, the number is about right. The MLS has made multiple decisions so we can compete on all fronts. The one thing I would urge everybody to consider is increasing the salary cap. It’s all well and good to continue to add roster spots, but we need the proper salaries to be able to pay the players so we can get quality players to compete in all the matches. So that when you’re using what a lot of people would term your second team which is a term I hate, you’re not talking about players that are playing their first professional matches. Instead, you’re talking about guys that have played in other places and can contribute in a seamless fashion.

Ridge Mahoney,Soccer America - Won’t it be important to keep the ball away from Monterey and is that something many MLS teams aren’t capable of doing?

Kreis:
Some of the best defense you can have is to be good on the ball. I think it’s going to be critically important when we have the ball we need to recognize we need to keep it for long stretches. We need to be very mindful of not giving it away cheaply because when you play an opponent as talented as Monterey they will punish you for that.

Mahoney - Do you think it’s important to train in the stadium you’ll be playing in?

Kreis:
I think it’s critically important. It’s something we do nearly everywhere we go. One good thing about CONCACAF is they force every opponent to allow you to train in the stadium the day before the match and we’ve used that every place we’ve been.

Luis Bueno, Riverside Press Enterprise: MLS teams have never won a meaningful match in Mexico, what makes it so hard for MLS teams to win down there?

Kyle Beckerman, Real Salt Lake captain:
We are all searching for the answer. These teams know how important these tournaments are and they are used to this type of tournament. I think they feel a big part of pride over losing to an American team. I think we are going to have to keep at it and keep believing that we can get one over on these guys. It’s tough and the atmosphere is great, they really support their home team, it makes it tough, but we just have to give it a go.

Nick Rimando, Real Salt Lake goalkeeper:
It’s tough, as Kyle said, we have seen it first hand at Cruz Azul but I don’t think we are afraid to come in here. We were the underdogs before and we know what it is like to come into an environment and not expect to win or pull a result out and I think we have the guys who can do that. There is nothing that says we can’t go in in there and get a result. We don’t have to win but getting a result would be good for us.

Jonah Freedman, MLSsoccer.com - Before MLS Cup 2009, Dave Checketts told you guys that You never know when you are going to get an opportunity like this and you have to take the opportunity and make the most of it . Has he given you guys another such inspirational talk and if so, was more urgent than 2009?

Rimando:
He hasn’t yet, but in the beginning he let us know how important this tournament is. That is not only coming from Dave Checketts, but it is coming from our coaches and the League. The more we advance through each stage, we as players know how important it is and how important it will be for ourselves and for MLS to put this stamp on the league. We want to represent this team and do well for ourselves. This tournament will open eyes around the world. It doesn’t just take the voice from our owner to tell us that. This is a good opportunity for us to prove that MLS is for real.

Andrea Canales, Goal.com - What in particular has Jason done as a coach done to mold you guys into such an effective unit in a short period of time?

Beckerman: He had the experience. When he was playing, he didn’t like the way things were done and when he became the coach he had the chance to change it and do things the right way. It has really been a joy to work with him. Everyone who has come to the team really enjoys playing for the club because things are done right here and I think he gets the support from the owners and it trickles down. I feel that from day one when I came to RSL, we began to do the right things; in training and off the field. We started to see the success come from the hard work we put in and Jason deserves a lot of the credit

Andrea Canales, Goal.com - Nick, do you have the details of what are these right things that make a difference for a team?

Rimando:
I think the first thing is that we had to become a team we couldn’t be individuals. We had to go out there as a team and win as a team. There is no I in team. As cliché as it may sound, everyone on the team buys into that. There are no stars, we are all stars on this team. We are a team that fights for each other on and off the field and that’s what he [Jason Kreis] wanted to grow here at RSL and that is exactly what he is doing. We want to fight for Jason and for our teammates and when you have a bad seed giving the players that want to play and want to fight and want to be on the same page, good things happen, that’s exactly what has happened on Real Salt Lake

Josie Herrera, Salt Lake Tribune - Have you been out on the field yet practicing, if so what is the field like? If you haven’t, how is Monterrey?

Rimando:
No we haven’t been on the field yet, tomorrow is our first day. We have everything over here. The weather is not too bad, we expected it to be a lot hotter, but it wasn’t bad, we practiced last night and the weather seemed great. We have plenty of fluids, good food, and we are all ready to go. It is the time now to get ready for the game and we are ready to go.

Josie Herrera, Salt Lake Tribune - Will the crowd and the Monterrey fans be a challenge for you guys?

Rimando:I think wherever you go there is always the challenge of dealing with the fans, but I think our team has dealt with that in competition already. You know when we play at home the teams have to deal with our fans and fans of the league.

Number One, By A Mile

I don't do MLS rankings. I probably will at some point. I got the itch to do some before the season started but didn't have a place to put them but now I do.

Had I been doing rankings, I would have started the season off with Colorado in the top spot. Defending champs and all, I feel they should start at the top since they left off at the top.

After Colorado lost to Dallas, they pretty much lost the right to remain at the top. And after Wednesday's loss to RSL, there really is no doubt who the best MLS team is right now.

Real Salt Lake should be numbers 1, 2 and 3, they are that much better than anyone else in MLS right now. There's an argument as to the second-best team in the league is, but whether you put in.... uh.... LA? Philly? Seattle? blech.... whichever one of those teams you put in at number two, there is a huge chasm in between RSL and LA/Philly/Seattle/someone-else.

What was more impressive than their victory over Colorado was their win over New England.

Yeah, the gawd-awful Revolution.

Look at RSL's lineup in that match - Reynish; Beltran, Schuler, McKenzie, Russell; Johnson, Alexander, Warner, Grabavoy; Alvarez, Paulo.

What other team in the league can field second-stringers and still get a road shutout?

Real Salt Lake has built up the league's best and deepest team. They can beat teams by overpowering them as they did against the Galaxy on March 26 or by playing solid defense as they did against Colorado. They're mentally strong too - their 2-1 defeat at Saprissa on April 5 is testament to that.

So when I get ready to do my rankings, as will inevitably be the case, the top might look like this:

1. Real
2. Salt
3. Lake

The rest of the story

Luis wrote a post-game article that included a Kyle Beckerman quote, but he left out the Nick Rimando cameo.

Luis and I were part of a group of reporters around Kyle in the locker room. Just as Kyle said his bit about Edson taking advantage of an inch of space, Nick walked by.

"He got more than an inch," the goalkeeper asserted. "He got two inches, at least." He walked on, shaking his head. Apparently he was a bit frustrated, either at himself for giving up the rebound, or his defenders for not clearing the ball. Maybe both.

Kyle apparently agreed with Nick, because he then said the second part of the quote. He also mentioned how well Edson has been playing this year, said it's clear that he has the momentum of self-belief.

As for Edson, he agreed that scoring this season was helping him play well and have patience when trying to score. It led to him being a bit tricky on the goal he scored, as he confused the defenders a bit. "They thought I was going to hit it first time. To take a touch gave me a bit more space to slot that ball. If I didn't have so many goals right now, I probably would have blasted it, first time. I'm a little more confident now in that situation."


Espindola was really upset about his injury, fighting back tears in the locker room as he sat, disconsolate, with crutches. He said he'd celebrated goals with flips before, but never suffered an injury. He swore never to take the chance again. It was a particularly disheartening moment for him because not only was he playing so well lately, but the goal he celebrated was called back.
"If I'd seen the offside flag just two seconds sooner - I wouldn't have celebrated and this wouldn't have happened."
Yet if any coach in the league would be understanding about Espindola's celebration, it would be Kreis. A backflip was his trademark for years. He also scored a lot, so he flipped around a lot.
Sure enough, Kreis didn't fault his player's actions. "I did that for years," he pointed out. "These things happen. It's possible for him to get hurt going down a flight of stairs."
Or up a flight of stairs. I was taking the stairs to the pressbox soon after talking to Espindola. I tripped and pitched forward. I was carrying my laptop, so I turned to take the brunt of the impact on one arm, holding the laptop away safely.
I hurt my wrist, but I don't think it's broken. Still, it felt like Espindola's misfortune was contagious.

Kreis post game

This is it for the post-game video. I had a specific assignment to talk to a player from RSL. Their locker room opened up early, so I left the presser before Bruce Arena spoke.

Galaxy/RSL running blog

Here we go - a depleted Galaxy team versus Salt Lake's finest.
Luis thinks former Galaxy player Clint Mathis can still do some damage. I'm thinking it might be Robbie Findley who hurts LA, but we'll see.

RSL: Nick Rimando, Chris Wingert, Nat Borchers, Jamison Olave, Ian Joy, Will Johnson, Kyle Beckerman, Javier Morales, Clint Mathis, Kenny Deuchar, Fabian Espindola

LA: Josh Wicks, Chris Klein, Sean Franklin, Troy Roberts, Mike Randolph, Eduardo Dominguez, Josh Tudela, Greg Vanney, Bryan Jordan, Edson Buddle, Alan Gordon.

Apparently, Vanney and Dominguez are playing in the midfield. Luis predicts a 6-1-3 formation.

Kickoff!
2 - The Galaxy are on the defensive immediately. Deuchar gets to a pass over the top, but the Galaxy are able to clear the cross.
3 - There's a blue balloon on the field - not anymore. Jamison Olave popped it neatly by stepping on it.
4 - Galaxy mount an actual attack. Buddle turns playmaker, with a nice pass to an overlapping Randolph. However, Randolph is shadowed by an RSL defender and can't get a decent cross off.
5 - Espindola on the run into the box, shoots - SAVE. Wicks gives up a rebound, though, but the ball gets cleared.
6 - NO GOAL! Offside. Beckerman nailed a shot from distance, but Espindola was obstructing the goalkeeper's view, I guess.
9 - GOAL! Bryan Jordan! Buddle did the hard work on that play. He got the ball off Olave, and he took the ball into the box immediately, stepping over the ball a couple of times, then juking Olave completely, catching up to the ball and sending a tough angle shot that beat Rimando but was going wide until Jordan, trailing the play, put the ball into an open net. 1-0 Galaxy.
Jordan celebrated by leaping the boards and going into the arms of the Galaxians.
13 - Vanney misses an outlet pass and RSL counters. The Galaxy recover, but Buddle tumbles just as Vanney sends him a long pass. No call.
14 - Morales falls trying to reach the ball at the arc. Galaxy break on goal, but the RSL defense recovers.
15 - Galaxy have a corner. Vanney takes it - not too bad, but it goes far post and the RSL defenders box out the Galaxy players well.
17 - RSL on the attack. Corner. Mathis takes it, getting catcalls from the Riot Squad as he sets up. Wicks catches.
18 - Morales in on goal, Wicks is beaten, but Morales is off balance. He kicks as he falls - outside side netting. Close.
19 The crowd is pretty lively, trying to encourages the rag-tag Galaxy players. FK to RSL. Dangerous. Morales sets up. He sends it into the box, Nat Borchers snaps a header - Wicks catches.
21 - GOAL! Movsisyan, who came in for Espindola. Klein and Franklin both got beaten to ball in the air by Deuchar, who flicked it to an open Yura. Wicks came out late and not really assertively - Movsisyan put it past him low. 1-1
25 - Tudela fouls Beckerman. The ball is pretty much in the Galaxy's half most of the time.
27 - Morales with some nifty play, but the Galaxy defenders force him into a throw instead of a corner or cross.
29 - The crowd wants to cheer, but there's not much to applaud as the Galaxy defend nearly exclusively. Well, of course. They have a midfield of defenders.
30 - RSL FK - it's sent in front of the arc, but the shot is blocked. Galaxy clear. Hey, they passed the halfway line!
32 - Vanney sends a long pass to Jordon, who attacks the box and runs into his defender. He's done that a couple of times now.
33 - Gordon is down after a crash with Beckerman. Kennedy doesn't call it, and the crowd boos RSL as they continue to play. Shot over the bar finally stops play.
34 - Buddle on the attack, lays a ball back for Vanney, who shoots, beats Rimando - wide. Pretty close, though.
35 - Wicks is out of his box to clear a ball - right back to RSL.
37 - Jordan breaks for a ball in the box, trying to get around his defender to get the ball. He gets bumped hard and goes flying. That didn't look like there was any attempt to play the ball, but Kennedy isn't calling it. Crowd is pissed.
40 - Randolph steps in front of a cross, taking the ball off his chest for Wicks to scoop up.
41 - The Galaxy are getting out of their own half more now, but their set up passes are missing.
42 - By the way, in case you're wondering where Pete Vagenas is - he was a late scratch. Leg injury. And Rimando is out - punching a ball away before Buddle can get to it.
43 - The Galaxy are basically in a 4-4-2, by the way. Gordon is playing back a bit.
45 - Wow, a whole bunch of reinforcement arrived for the Galaxy just now. Their youth team is out here for some halftime thing. For a second, though, it looked like the cavalry had arrived for beleaguered LA.
Halftime - Well, the Galaxy don't look completely overmatched. But they are missing four starters - and that's without counting the injured players. RSL is only missing one guy for international duty. Guess who?
48 - Galaxy still having trouble getting decent midfield play going. Well, there is really only one midfielder out there.
51 - Duecher with the cross, but the Galaxy put the ball out for a throw.
52 - Will Johnson with a shot from distance - Wicks catches.
53 - GOAL! WillJo ghosts by the referee - getting a pass that surprises the Galaxy defense. He works a give and go with Yura, and beats Wicks going far post, banging it in off the post. 2-1 RSL.
55 - That really took the energy out of the crowd.
56 - Brandon MacDonald is in for Dominguez.
57 - Galaxy FK leads to a Gordon header - over the goal.
60 - Beckerman with a low shot - Wicks catches.
62- Franklin gets a yellow for a high tackle. The FK is into the box, but as the players go up for it, the header isn't clean and ball is out for a goal kick.
64 - RSL's midfield is just having fun with the Galaxy now. With Beckerman, Mathis and especially Morales, they've got guys who can control the ball at will. They're running the LA players ragged. As they should.
65 - Jordan earns the Galaxy a corner. Vanney takes it and Franklin heads it back in front of the goal, where Rimano catches it.
68 - Vanney shoots wide from distance.
69 - GOAL! The Galaxy are still fighting. A long pass out wide finds Tudela, who hits a cross that misses Gordon, but finds Jordan, who attacks the goal. His shot deflects out to Buddle, who takes a touch and shoots into goal. 2-2.
71 - RSL come right back with a shot that deflects for a corner. That leads to a header - wide.
72 - Jordon crosses - Gordon fouled trying to head the ball. GK.
73 - Duechar offside.
74 - Jordan dribbles too long and ultimately loses the ball. RSL attack - Roberts clears a cross out of the box.
75 - Tackles are flying fast and furiously. Robbie Findley comes into the game for Duechar. Speed kills. Didn't I say I was looking for Robbie to hurt his old team?
77 - Roberts cuts off a pass for Findley, who blocks the clear out of bounds. The crowd is livid when Kennedy calls the ball for RSL.
78 - RSL attacking with impunity and intensity now - they're in the box - ooooh, so close - out for corner.
79 - Cleared, but RSl claim it quickly. and set up another attack.
81 - The game is announced as a sell out - 27,000. Mike Munoz subs in for Josh Tudela. Seacrest and Patty cheer.
82 - MacDonald picks a ball off Morales - not an easy thing to do. Foul is called on Javi.
84 - Both teams look tired, but since RSL still has better connection in midfield, they look crisper.
85 - Gordon called for a foul fighting for a header.
86 - Beckerman with a shot as RSL hits the Galaxy box in numbers - wide.
88 - MacDonald tries a give and go with Gordon, but Gordon hits his pass behind MacDonald.
90 - Buddle is fouled, but it's far from goal. The FK turns into a pass from Klein to Jordon, who still has speed left. He goes to goal and gets fouled on the corner of the box. FK
90+ FK gets headed out - shot on goal by Klein gets blocked back.
Izzy Sesay subs in for Gordon.
MacDonald with a shot from distance - Rimando dives and misses, but the ball goes wide. Izzy races for a long ball, defender puts the ball out and Izzy into the air.
Final whistle.
Well, the Galaxy finish with a rather valiant draw, all things considered. Their winless streak continues, though.

A first for RSL

When Chivas USA players were asked about being in first place a week ago, to a man they said it pretty much didn't matter. First place at this stage of the season can be misleading, especially with the way the Western Conference has gone this year. First place can lead to some complacency which could lead to poor results, and then before you know it you're in fourth place.

I didn't talk to any of their players, but I'm guessing Real Salt Lake players don't exactly feel that way about their newfound first place status.

Chivas USA won the Western Conference last season. Their focus is not just reaching the postseason but trying to do something when there. And though they've had their struggles, they are confident that if they sort out their issues, everything else will take care of itself.

But for Real Salt Lake, being in first place at this point of the season - or at any point of the season - is indeed massive. RSL has been dreadful over their first three seasons and few gave them a shot at much this year. But RSL has indeed been a revelation out west. Yes, the conference is weak, and yes there is still a huge portion of the season before us. However, the mere fact that they have reached first place could send a jolt of confidence into the fourth-year club.

RSL can't expect results to start coming now, though. If they play with any sort of complacency, they will find themselves looking up at a pair of other teams pretty quickly.

This club, though, might be poised to make a bit of a mid-summer run now that they've gotten a taste of the top.

Dynamo/RSL express running blog

Covering the half that matters!
I don't really mean that, but hey, no one scored in the half I didn't blog.

50th - Almost all RSL - makes sense, since they're on home turf (obligatory artificial surface gripe).
54 - Wingert outside low shot - Onstad has time to check his reflection in the shiny silver ball before catching it.
55 - Scott French told me that Houston would win the Western Conference this year. We even made a bet on it. I think I'm going to win.
56 - Morales has a mullet - it's not a good look for him.
57 - Duecher header from a corner! It's right at Onstad, who basically covers his face and blocks the ball.
58 - Onstad blocks another shot from Ian Joy - well hit, but from distance so he again had a bit of time.
59 - RSL with nearly constant pressure. Houston are planted in their box.
61 - The Dynamo look inept. They can't even get the ball out of their own half for any length of time.
62 - Morales on a running attack, going straight at Ianni, gets the foul and the FK in a good spot, beside the arc.
63 - Morales tries to Bend it Like you-know-who and it's high.
64 - Beltran in for Andy Williams.
66 - Chingy is down.
68 - Crowd was booing. RSL put the ball out for Chingy's injury and then didn't get it back from the Dynamo. It hardly matters, though, because RSL get the ball back soon anyway. Houston have hardly had possession.
70 - Boswell can't clear and then grabs Morales as Javier gets the ball past him. Yellow and FK.
71 - Duecher! How does he toe-poke a ball over the bar instead of into the goal? He's magical, but not in a good way right now.
72 - Ooh, a Dynamo attack - a rare and wonderful creature. Mullan put his cross way over Ching, though.
73 - Wade Barrett joins the Dynamo yellow-card club of Boswell and Ianni.
74 - Olave shoves Ching out and off the ball. Harkes sees it, but Olave was sly and shoved the front of Ching, where the ref couldn't see from behind the play.
76 - Brad Davis puts in a good ball, but Rimando has it.
77 - Clarke from distance trying to test Rimando again. Houston showing more composure right now.
78 - Cameron comes in for Holden.
79 - Beckerman puts in a great ball for Nunez, who came in for Duecher, but the ball runs ahead on the turf and Onstad has it before Nunex can shoot.
81 - Morales gets the ball away from Clarke, who fouls him from behind - and joins the Yellow Card club.
83 - Everything but the Goal - the sad little song of RSL right now. Very emo.
Houston have a FK. Joy goes out for Yura Movsysian. FK goes off the wall.
85 - Rimando! Save! Mullan shot off some nice attacking play by Houston, but too close to Nicky and his reflexes are up to snuff.
86 - Olave and Ianni clashed going for a header. Ianni, who was airborne, got way off balance and came down badly on his shoulder.
87 - Houston CK. Headed twice, DeRo sends it toward goal, Beltran clears with a push of his head.
88 - Davis FK goes to Chingy but he's covered well and can't get a lot on the header.
90 - Push comes to shove, comes to scrum, comes to lots of players shoving. As the players are seperated, Wingert is given a red card. Wingert was actually shoved by Houston's DeRo first, but he did shove Ashe down with a hand near the neck in the first place.
90+ Houston with a FK chance, no matter how much RSL protests it.
Ching gets to the ball, but he's moving in the wrong direction.
Final whistle RSL players protest like crazy, but I'm not sure why - did they really expect to win with one player less and Houston putting major pressure on them. Take the point and run, guys. Kreis is pissed, too. I guess they didn't add on time for the fight. Maybe because if they did, players would shove each other more often to add time? Oh, well.

The unifying power of the game

And a little shot at Real Salt Lake.

Hometown heroes

Yep, I thought Jacob Peterson got robbed on Goal of the Week by the league - he wasn't even nominated, and his goal was great. That's why I laughed to see in the media roundup link that the local ABC station in Denver, doing their soccer report, compiled a Goals of the Week feature with Peterson's goal leading off the clip show.

Heck, why not? If the world disses you, find another way to get the job done, anyway, Jason Kreis.

Mahoney breaks down the griping.

More reaction

This time in print form.

Chivas USA showed their depth in the win as several players made their home debuts in their 3-1 win over RSL. Two of them - Atiba Harris and Alecko Eskandarian - scored goals.

Meanwhile, RSL suffered yet another loss to Chivas USA at Home Depot Center, falling to 0-6-1 all-time there against Chivas. RSL coach Jason Kreis, though, said the result was misleading.

RSL and their DP

In my conversation with RSL coach Jason Kreis, we discussed the Designated Player rule. RSL is not shy about making deals and in fact have been an active club in recent months. I wanted to get his take on the DP to see if they were planning on using it, if trading it would be an option and how they valued their DP.

You'll have to read the story I linked below to see exactly what he said but in short RSL listens to offers. Kreis sort of alluded to some offers being nothing short of ridiculous.

Now, I don't know the RSL front office very well and I've only spoken to Kreis a few times but based on our conversation I don't think we'll see RSL use their DP spot soon. And Kreis even said they'd listen and have listened to offers for their DP spot.

What do you think, RSL fans? Would you want to see your team trade away the DP slot? Do you want the club to pursue a DP in the summer or by the end of the year or do you want to see how this club evolves first? After all a DP does not equal success, as last year's MLS Cup finalists would attest to.

ADD:

I also asked Jason Kreis about how he handles outside expectations, high or low, as the opinions regarding RSL range from darkhorse to bottom-of-the-table material.

It’s important to establish where those expectations are coming from. We certainly can’t control what people are saying or what they’re thinking about our club so it’s important for us to not worry about it. It’s important that we choose what we’re going to focus on, stay focused on that, try to improve on the areas we need to improve upon and if we do those things we know that in the end the results will come.

Real Salt Lake strikes

Real Salt Lake and Chivas USA were at the same level at the end of '05. But two years later, Chivas is the western champs while Real Salt Lake is still pretty terrible.

Part of the difference I think is that Chivas bagged a gem with their first-ever draft choice while RSL did not. Brad Guzan is a leading candidate for Goalkeeper of the Year while Nik Besagno played 88 minutes this year. Also, Chivas got serious about rebuilding before the '06 season while RSL's first coach made it to the start of this season.

There are some good building blocks in RSL but the club might need more drastic changes to be a true contender.

Here are their top goals from 2006.

Don't know Jack

RSL defender Jack Stewart is up for an award.

No, it's not the Shittiest Defender of the Year. Actually, it's got nothing to do with his inferior marking skills.

He's up for Cosmopolitan Magazine's Top Bachelor or something. There's one bachelor for each state and he's Utah's representative.

Incidentally, this is one award that I will absolutely, positively NOT be voting for so don't bother giving me suggestions.

Devoid of meaning

I've been thinking about it, but I can't remember a game in recent years that meant so little as tonight's Galaxy-Real Salt Lake match. Even Chivas' September and October games in 2005 held some meaning for the other team.

It's still September but tonight's winner stands little chance of doing anything other than adding three points. The playoffs are so far out of reach for both sides, one win won't make a difference for either side.

I'm going to watch the game because I've got to keep tabs with the Galaxy; how much I watch... well, it'll range from pieces to most of it. I fear if I try to watch all of it, I'll fall asleep at some point in the second half.

I guess the best we can hope for is a couple of early goals so the game will open up. Or even better, a couple of early red cards so the game will be 10-on-10 and really open up.