Real Salt Lake vs. K.C. Wizards
June 10, 2008 by f4denz.
1st half highlights
Well anticipation was high on both sides, RSL was coming off a great 3-1 win over San Jose, while the Wizard’s were finishing up their 6 game road trip and looking for a result to end their trip on a high point.
Both teams had weak chances in the first 5 minutes, and just after the clock struck 5, Robbie Findley go a great long ball played to him and after some passing it around, he put a rocket shot on goal and a super save by Kevin Hartman. Impressive effort early on for RSL, just a minute later KC put a shot on goal and only the cross bar saves a goal by Davy Arnaud. As both teams settle in as the clock hits 10 minutes in, each team is struggling to control possession in the midfield. The RSL defense is doing a good job preventing KC from being able to do much with the ball when they get in the RSL final third of the pitch, until in the 11th minute they commit a foul from about 30 yards outside of the box giving a free kick to KC. The kick is taken by Lopez who dummies the ball to Jewsbury who plays the ball into the wall, but KC continues to keep the ball in the RSL third for another minute until a goal kick is given up. Some back and forth play by both sides without a lot of effective attacks, as the 15th minute rolls by KC fails to get any type of effort on goal from a corner kick, but still both teams are spending a lot of time in midfield without doing much in the way of attacking.
KC gets another corner kick in the 18th minute, and Conrad has moved up and is KC’s favorite target but the ball goes long and eventually is headed out of danger and RSL counters but ends up playing the ball back as RSL tries to get some type of attack organized in the midfield, which ends up in Morales trying to take a shot via a bicycle kick after Deuchar heads the ball down to him, but no real threat is posed by the shot. A couple of RSL fouls are slowing down any Wizard attack, but RSL is starting to look much more organized as the clock hits 22. Beckerman fires off a shot from distance but it is caught by Hartman, but the attack is starting to get organized and from the 23rd minute to the 31st minute RSL takes 5 more shots, 3 require action by Hartman as he is making some nice stops. RSL attempts a couple more shots as the half draws to a close and at halftime RSL has outshot KC 12-2, and RSL also has a 5-1 lead in shots on goal, but Hartman has been very good and has made a couple of great saves.
2nd half = more of the same
The second half starts and looks a lot like the last 20 minutes of the first half as RSL is controlling possession, and trying to set up the attack out of the midfield. A free kick from the side is played to the middle and Dema puts a shot on goal but another save from Hartman keeps the score 0-0 as we hit the 50th minute of the match. Every time KC gets the ball and moves into the RSL half of the pitch the defense steps up and gets the ball back and RSL organizes some type of attack, RSL is trying long balls to Findley or Deuchar, or having Beckerman or Williams lead the attack up the middle of the pitch. Morales is busy in the midfield, but not looking nearly as effective as he did against San Jose. In the 53rd minute Wingert plays a great ball in but Conrad clears the ball but RSL puts it right back into the box and Deuchar gets another shot on goal, but as it has been all night Kevin Hartman is just on his game tonight.
Kenny Deuchar is working hard tonight both in attack and when needed in the midfield pressuring KC attackers, and on set pieces he is doing the job in the box helping keep a very effective Wizard set piece attack in check. But RSL is running into a wall called Kevin Hartman in this match, as the clock hits 60 the last 40 minutes have been almost all RSL, but without anything on the scoreboard.
After the mental lapses of the defense in recent matches (Dallas, Colorado), it is nice to see the really shut down the Wizard offense, which has struggled in recent weeks. Olave and Borchers are doing a great job in the middle, and Wingert and Beltran look good on the outside, and Rimando is putting in another very solid effort in goal, it almost makes me feel bad for Chris Seitz, who is on the bench waiting for his chance. With 20 minutes to go, this match is still all RSL, but with injuries to Movsisyan and Espindola the quality of attacking players on the bench is questionable, but Jason brings in Cordoba for Williams in the 70th minute in an effort to bring some fresh legs into the match. RSL is really playing a majority of the second half in the KC half of the pitch, and they continue to take shots and try to get something on the scoreboard, it is great to see RSL able to push up in attack to where their defenders are playing at mid pitch. When KC tries to counter, Olave and Borchers are quick to get back and put the ball back into the KC half of the pitch.
Deuchar gets a chance to show some skill as he gets a long ball in the final third, but the Wizard defense collapse on him and he tries to outplay 3 men and they simply are too much and he loses the ball, but it shows the effort that Kenny has put in all night long. Robbie has been all over the pitch in the attack, and puts a good number of shots (5) and 2 of them on goal. Kyle Beckerman tries a number of long shots, about half of them are on target and force Hartman to make a save. Jason makes the second sub in the 75th minute as Tino Nunez comes in for Deuchar, again a little less quality, but some fresh legs at elevation, now to see if it works out to get RSL on the scoreboard. As the clock hits the 80th minute, the whole of the second half have been dominated by RSL, a cheeky call against Olave results in a great free kick chance for KC, from just outside the box. For the second time in this match Arnaud has a shot on goal but it is easily saved by Rimando, who puts the ball back into the KC half of the pitch.
As the end of the match looms closer and closer, the Wizards are pressing more in attack as they are trusting in Hartman to keep RSL off the scoreboard, and if they can get a goal they could easily steal three points on the road. In the 87th minute KC get a chance with a corner kick but the ball is cleared to the side and RSL gets a throw in on the opposite side of the pitch. RSL is playing solid defense but they look much more on their heels than they have at any time in the second half, and KC is simply not taking advantage of their chances. But as the clock hits 90:00 the scoreboard is showing 0-0 and with 3 minutes of stoppage time can RSL score, or will KC find a way to pick up a win. Each team gets one decent chance off a set piece, KC blows it on their corner kick, but RSL have a free kick from about 30 yards out and a bad call by the official as the ball is played out by KC, but a goal kick is given as the stoppage time runs out and the scoreboard still shows the same thing it did when the match started and it is a 0-0 draw with each team picking up a point.
Summary
Well RSL played well for 70 minutes (they struggled a little in the first 10 and last 10 minutes) but in looking at the stats, it was as one sided there as it was on the pitch. RSL took 19 shots to KC’s 7, and RSL had 7 on goal, and KC had only 5. RSL probably controlled 65% of the possession in the match, but the only stat that matters is the score and due to some great saves by Kevin Hardman RSL could not get on the scoreboard. A solid effort all around, but injuries to a couple of players kept RSL without much attacking power on the bench. The defensive effort was solid, but better attacking teams will still take advantage of open spaces out wide. The midfield really was the bright spot as RSL simply controlled the majority of the match due to the play of the midfield, while a win would have been nice, playing against a solid KC team at home and being shut down by Hartman who looked like the keeper who won the MLS Cup with the Galaxy in 2005.
Now to get our first ponts on the road as we head to the unfriendly Home Depot Center to face off against Chivas who have won 3 of their last 4 matches.
OFF MY SOAPBOX