Real Salt Lake blog

by Micah Olson

After Saturdays game I actually found myself feeling a little better than I did at half time.

I was not impressed with Mathis, he had a few good plays, but even more that weren’t. However, after a few more games he could be looking pretty good, we will see.

Horst was a total flop, maybe this will finally teach Jason that reserve players should not be your second string! But even with our lack of bench players, Jason has only had one year to put this team together. It is actually pretty impressive that we have as good of a starting team as we currently do. The bench will come, I think.

And looking at the game. Our back four was missing 1/2 of its normal starters. Our Defensive midfielder was Cutler… What can be expected, short of disaster? Houston had all of their starters, was at home, and was well rested, but not to the rusty point like RSL, and we only lost by one. True, it could have been a 6-2 loss, with some of Houston’s chances, but it could have, just as easily been a 4-4 tie, which would have been a HUGE victory for RSL.

I really do wish that we had a new striker, but Deuchar’s goal was excellent! And, for that matter, so was Movsisyan’s! Espindola looked good too! What Yura lacked in awareness Fabian displayed. If our group of forwards can pull it together (maybe, just maybe, with some extra attacking midfield options coming from a Clint / Morales combo) we could look pretty good. Lets hope so… We have a lot of road games, something RSL still has not figured out. Whatever happens It will be an exciting end of the season.

With a score of RSL 2 - HOU 4 obviously I am disappointed with RSL’s defense.  I now have another name to add to my RSL’s worst list, David Horst.  What a lackluster, ponderous, novice.  He has ZERO idea what he is doing out there.  I understand the difficulties of not having access to a group of starters, but that happens in sports.  The best teams are able to adjust…  RSL is not one of the best teams, as evidenced by their play thus far tonight.  They have completely fallen apart.  The early Real Salt Lake goals were achieved by a breakdown on the Houston back line, but they have fixed those issues, and have RSL’s number now.  The one thing that has not been fixed is the hap-hazard back line of RSL.

Jason had better change something, or RSL will be absolutely embarrassed tonight.  If they haven’t been already…

by Micah Olson

It’s leftovers for dinner tonight kids! We all wondered when Clint started practicing with RSL, playing in reserve games, etc… But I didn’t take the rumors seriously. I mean, does anyone other than Jason Kries like Mathis? The way I recall it, we were so anxious to get rid of him last time that we kept paying him salary money when he was shipped out, because no one else was willing to! He was an out of shape, unmotivated, past his prime player, with serious anger issues because… well to put it candidly, he stinks. The ref’s hated Real Salt Lake, because he was such a whiner. But it sounds official. Garth Legerway just confirmed the move on Kall700 about 15 minutes ago (he did say that Greece had to sign off on it). The only way I would be happy with this move is if it meant that we don’t have to see Tino Nunez, or Cutler on the field EVER again. But I honestly would be very disappointed to see Clint get a starting spot over any of our current guys.

I guess that hearing this news has put me in a bad mood, because I quickly thought of other dark clouds looming on the RSL horizon.

1) The mystery striker that we have all been waiting for… Garth said that they have a guy that they “may” offer too. Which means that if they really had offered another player (which he said they had) a few weeks ago, that it fell through. AND being the media guy that he is, he began prepping us fans for the possibility that we may not get a new forward this year with a comment that if they don’t get this guy RSL will stick with who we currently have, and battle it out. (Or something like that).

2) We are going to play Houston this week. A team frustrated that they lost in penalties in Superliga. It will be hot, humid, and RSL is not in top shape after a LONG break. Look for Houston to try an vent some frustration on a team that, in their eyes, may not belong in the #1 spot. I think that we will not be #1 after Saturday.

by Micah Olson

Predicting a winner for tonights game is proving more difficult than I had originally thought it would be, especially when considering past cup games, current MLS standings, and SuperLiga performances…

If we looked solely at current MLS standings the NE Revs are completely dominating every other team in points.  But can they actually pull off a cup win?  I don’t know if they are up to it, and I don’t think they do either.  Honestly I do not think that they had a very commanding win to get to this cup game.  And to be perfectly honest…  On a personal note I really hate Steve Nicol’s arrogant attitude.  He thinks that his team is superior to every other MLS team, in ability, and class.  I think that hurts them.

Houston on the other hand seems cool and collected.  They got a win against Pachuca that should have been a closer game due to a ball offsides call, and then continued with a 2-0 win against Columbus back in MLS play.  While that may boost their spirits, I wonder what it will do to their fitness, considering that New England hasn’t played since July 30th.

I am going to go with a Houston win.  They have the confidence.  They are not trying to prove anything.  And they are simply enjoying themselves.  The score, you ask…  Houston 2 (I would have gone 3 but they will be tired) - New England 1 (simply because that is what they have gotten in every game they played in SuperLiga).

One side note.  After RSL makes it to the finals this year, I will be excited to see them play in SuperLiga 2009!

Lets get the MLS action reviewed!

By Meanie Genie

DCU 2 – KC 1

D.C. United beats K.C 2-0 to hop back onto the winning bandwagon. After DC got stuffed in Superliga and by Houston in league play, D.C. gets back to their winning ways with a thoroughly dominate game against a K.C team still looking for answers. On a positive note for D.C., they overcame injuries to key players to seize the win to end a four-game losing streak in all competitions, and to gave Zach Wells and his defense their first league shutout of the 2008 campaign.

In short, K.C. didn’t look threatening. On the other hand, the finishing of Emilio is proof that MLS needs more talented strikers. You just can’t teach finishing like that!

Chicago 1 – Chivas 0

I love to watch the Goats lose! I can’t lie. I hate Chivas. I have many reasons. Why? Simple: the first year of RSL existence I had to endure Chivas fans being louder than our own at the games in RES. Petty reason? Maybe, but those fans really irritated me. So, watching a rookie get an extremely lucky shot to win the game made me smile. Some may think that Nyarko has skills, but I simply think the ball was lucky to stay low and end up in the net.

Chivas? I think you are in trouble when you field 3 former RSLers from the 2007 season. Atiba, Talley, and Eskysucksidarian were not my favorite players then, but now? I hope to see them all play against RSL in the near future with RSL 2.00.8 laying the smack down!

Houston 2 – Crew 1

I personally would have liked to have seen the Crew win so that RSL could maintain their first place standing with a larger cushion. However, Houston looked like the real deal in their win. Did the Crew look like challenging? No, not really. Houston was by far the better and more aggressive team on the field, so they deserve the win. What the win does is prime Houston to beat NE on Tuesday in the Superliga final, and set up a nice little possible first place showdown with RSL in the near future.

Superliga Prediction

I think Houston has NE’s number in championship games. NE may bet a regular season win, but somehow, Houston picks it up a notch when a trophy is on the line. Houston 2 – NE 1 (anyone else remember that score line?).