Real Salt Lake’s new home
September 8, 2008 by f4denz.
So I had a chance late last week to visit the future home of RSL, which is now just over a month away from opening for its first event. While you can tell that they are still busy at work, crews were working well past 6 pm, it looks as if most of the work should be done in time for the opening match. Here are some pictures from my visit.
Love the branding that is everywhere in the new building, this is the east facing ticket windows
Like I said branding is everywhere
East side concession stands are taking shape
Work continues on the scoreboard
The South stands still have a long way to go, this appears to be the base and not the actual stands
I believe that on top of this structure the stands will be built. Not sure if it will make the Oct. 9th date with seats in place
The view from Section 4 row D, seat 2 looking south
The view looking north
Section 8 Row A, who knows where the seats are?
More good use of branding
Sweet suite seats
Nice use of branding in the players’ lounge, which is still a bit rough
You know someone is going to bust out the mini balls and play a match in the locker room
The difference between rookies, reserves
and starters is all in the quality of the hot tub
The grand staircase is looking grand
Overall I have to admit that each time I visit the stadium, I am more and more impressed, and I can’t wait for October 9th to try it on for size.
OFF MY SOAPBOX
Real disappointment- can RSL make the playoffs?
September 8, 2008 by f4denz.
Real Salt Lake fails to impress on the road
You are facing the worst team in MLS, you are facing them when they are missing most of their top players, you are facing them knowing that a win will almost eliminate them from the playoff picture and give you a huge advantage on making the playoffs for the first time, what do you do?
Well if your Fabi, you flick a shot that was probably going in anyhow from a offside position, so not only does your team not score, they lose the ball. But wait, you then run 30 yards to celebrate in front of your own bench on the road, and then fail to stick the landing and injure yourself to the point you can’t continue. This after having missed most of the season with an injury, now I understand being excited and wanting to celebrate, but your on the road, it is early in a match and you know better.
If your defensive star Jamison Olave, you give the ball away to the 3rd leading scorer in MLS just outside of your own box, but you recover to get between him and the goal but then you fall down and the end result is that Edson Buddle gets the ball inside the box without anyone between him and your keeper.
Javi did a great bit with Kyle for the Javi and Kyle show, but when given a shot at an empty net, he blew it. I am sure I could go play by play and tear apart the performance, but I have to be honest there were some great efforts as well. Yura Movsisyan played super in coming off the bench getting a goal and a assist, Will Johnson has continued to impress getting a goal and playing well, Kenny Deuchar gets an assist on the Yura goal, playing a super header right to him in an open position.
None of this matters, because without getting 3 points from this road match, I am having doubts if RSL will make the playoffs. We have seven matches left, with four on the road (New York, San Jose, New England, and Colorado), New York has only lost once at home all season, San Jose is unbeaten in MLS action since the All Star break, New England is one of the best teams in MLS every single year, and Colorado always plays RSL tough and will be working for their only shot at hardware this year. RSL to make the playoffs needs to win two of those matches, or get very lucky, and I believe their only shot will be luck.
At home RSL is untouchable, the last match at RES is less than two weeks away and Chivas is only one point behind RSL for second place in the West, and should be playing in front of an audience that will have as many Chivas fans as there are RSL fans. Then comes the new stadium, a very impressive facility, but will Real be able to maintain focus in their two matches there, or will they be caught up in the hype of the new stadium? They will be facing a New York side that will be fighting for a playoff spot in the East and then a FC Dallas team that is currently sitting 4 points out of the final Western conference playoff spot.
Sorry this all sounds bad, but I expect that RSL will prove that it is better to be lucky than good. Because against LA, they were not good, not lucky, and as a result they will have to get very lucky to make the playoff, they are sitting on 31 points with a likely 7-9 from their home matches, but I still believe that it will take 42 points to make the playoffs this year, that is the number I predicted RSL would hit at the All Star break. I simply don’t know.
OFF MY SOAPBOX