RSL vs Saprissa Semi-live blog
July 23, 2008 by f4denz.
Prematch formalities
So before I head to the match and attempt to do a live blog here is the Saprissa roster for those who missed it:
No. Player Pos. Birthdate Birthplace d
1 Keilor Navas GK 12/15/1986 Pérez Zeledón, Costa Rica
3 Victor Cordero DF 11/9/1973 San José, Costa Rica
7 Alejandro Alpizar FW 6/14/1979 –
8 Walter Centeno MF 10/6/1974 Palmar Sur, Costa Rica
10 Alonso Solis MF 10/14/1978 San José, Costa Rica
11 Ronald Gomez FW 1/24/1975 Puntarenas, Costa Rica
13 Fausto Gonzalez GK 9/13/1978 Ciudad Quesada, Costa Rica
14 Andres Nuñez DF 7/27/1976 San José, Costa Rica
15 Jose Luis Cordero MF 1/31/1987 San José, Costa Rica
16 Gabriel Badilla DF 6/30/1984 San José, Costa Rica
18 Jervis Drummond DF 10/8/1976 Limón, Costa Rica
19 Jairo Arrieta FW 8/25/1983 Nicoya, Costa Rica
20 Celso Borges MF 5/27/1988 San José, Costa Rica
21 Armando Alonso MF 3/21/1984 San José, Costa Rica
26 Manfred Russell MF 9/23/1988 San José, Costa Rica
30 Randall Porras DF 1/28/1979 San José, Costa Rica
31 Michael Barrantes MF 10/4/1983 San José, Costa Rica
35 Jose Francisco Porras GK 11/8/1970 Grecia, Costa Rica
– Carlos Chacon DF 6/3/1988 –
– Yacer Balladares MF 1/22/1987 –
– Alexander Robinson DF 11/21/1988 –
– Ariel Santana FW 1/21/1988 –
– Bryan Oviedo MF 2/18/1990 –
– Bryan Jiménez – – –
Technical Director: Jeaustin Campos
Assistant Coaches: Randall Row, Victor Badilla, Roger Mora Chacon
Physiotherapy Staff: Pier Luigi Morera, Juan Gabriel Rodriguez, Ever Alfaro Vizquez
Team Doctor: Dr. Willy Galves
Prematch weather is hot and sticky it should be about 90 degrees at the start of the match and about 30% humidity, this will probably affect RSL more than Saprissa who are from Costa Rica and a more tropical climate.
Warm ups
Well almost everyone was warming up and I expect a good mix of starters and reserves, and here is a picture of Kenny wondering where all his goals are?
Here is the RSL starting lineup, Olave, Kovalenko, Beckerman, Reynish, Deuchar, Joy, Mantilla, Findley, Kirby, Nimo, and Kenny “ginger ninja” Cutler
This is your surprise guest blogger speaking now… Robbienho just missed latching onto the end of a cross. Nimo just made a nice play in the box but couldn’t get the ball across the face of the goal before the keeper got to it.
Dema’s already been involved in one altercation. I suspect it won’t be the last.
30 minutes in, both teams have had chances to score, but neither team has managed it yet. Saprissa are starting to look more confident as time goes on.
32 minutes… RSL just had another good chance from Deuchar on the right side – the goalkeeper parried the ball away but nobody was close enough to get on the rebound. And Robbie gets open on goal just after that, but the ball gets away from him.
38 minutes… the game is starting to get a little too settled. Lots of passing through the middle third for both teams. Ian Joy makes a nice run down the left flank, but the cross goes to the back post to nobody.
40 minutes… Saprissa nearly scores on a header at the back post but it goes barely wide.
43 minutes… some awesome one-and-two touch passing down the right flank leads to another great chance for RSL. Robbie’s header bounces off the post, though. Boo.
No score at the half. The RSL staffers sitting across the aisle from me are highly amused by my mocking of Denz. Leo’s ATV thingamajiggy sort of scares me also. Uh oh. Denz is coming up here, probably to take the computer away from me… Or not. The kickin’ for chicken screaming makes the baby Jebus cry, just as a side note.
Nunez, Javi, Wingert, Yura, Borchers, and ESPINDOLA are on the pitch starting the 2nd half! Fabi FTW.
Alonso cuts through the middle for Saprissa but doesn’t get a good touch on the shot and it goes out for a corner. The corner kick results in a volley from Saprissa which looked pretty scary from my angle. Another corner for Saprissa, but nothing comes of it.
54 minutes… RSL nearly gets one in a goalmouth scramble, but still no luck. The goalkeeper was beaten but the Saprissa defenders got back to cover.
56 minutes… Yura brings the ball through the center and lays it off to Javi, but the shot was lacking.
57 minutes… Saprissa scores on a chip through the middle to Gomez, who beats Reynish easily. Nobody tracked Gomez coming through – not a pleasant goal to have given up for RSL. Saprissa is starting to make better runs through the RSL defense.
61 minutes… 2 nil to Saprissa. Alonso finds one of those aforementioned seams and busts right through the back line. Reynish gets a touch on it, but Alonso gets the rebound and beats Borchers. Beckerman comes off right after for Adam Acosta. Saprissa just made another substitution, but I missed the player’s name – sorry, lots going on right now.
66 minutes… Saprissa sub. Balladarez comes in for Nunez.
Yura keeps trying to beat people on the dribble (shocking, right?) but it’s rarely been successful. With all of the RSL substitutions, everything looks really disjointed right now.
68 minutes… Fabi comes off for Kevin Reiman. Not sure if he’s reinjured himself or if the coaches are just taking advantage of the free-for-all substitutions that come with friendlies to get him a run out for a few minutes.
72 minutes… another Saprissa sub. Alonso comes off, much to the delight of the RSL defense, I suspect.
The energy in this game is really starting to drag. The two-goal lead for Saprissa has taken the (meager) RSL crowd out of it too – it’s creepily quiet right now. Apparently, they are giving out free churros somewhere, though. Awesome.
78 minutes… Saprissa is bringing Cordero out and Porras on. Chacon just picked up a yellow as well.
79-80 minutes… RSL gets a couple of chances down the left flank but still can’t get a good strike on goal.
FIGHT!!! Saprissa’s keeper came out to deflect a cross and got fouled and then mayhem ensued. Yura got sent off, as well as Badilla. Yura didn’t look happy as he was peacing out – he tried to chase Badilla behind the goal! Apparently, some douchebags threw stuff on the field again too. Uh, Happy Pioneer Day?
85 minutes – RSL has a chance on a free kick, but still nothing doing. Someone put this game out of its misery, seriously.
The last few minutes are getting chippy. Javi and Acosta have both been fouled. Nice free kick from the right side, but Mantilla misses the header.
Right on the stroke of 90 minutes, RSL finally scores. Wingert busts a move right through the middle – not bad for a left back. Saprissa almost counters immediately after, but Mantilla holds off the breakaway, although it may not have been entirely legal.
RSL is playing with a little more urgency in stoppage time, but there can’t be much time left. Javi puts in another free kick, which sails over everyone’s heads for the last play of the game.
Final score: RSL 1, Saprissa 2. Olave is the official MOTM, even though he only played half the game. That’s entirely fitting.
Also, a liveblog shout-out to Mark in Afghanistan. Stay safe!
Fireworks scare me. Almost as much as the fact that they’re playing Coldplay. Anyway, this was another typical friendly performance from RSL, although I didn’t get much of a read on most of the reserve players that participated. Nimo did some nice things, but he only played half the match; Kirby seemed OK, but not exceptional.
Denz’s battery is about to die, so that’s all for now…