Real Salt Lake Salaries and a couple updates

March 8, 2009 by f4denz.

Well early last week the MLS players union released the salaries of all the current MLS players and there are some interesting changes for Real Salt Lake. First let me point out that I do not believe that the Raphael Cox contract, or the renegotiated Chris Wingert contract were included in the RSL number, the list shows 21 players under contract for RSL. Those 21 contracts total $2,060,398.86 which is a good number and almost $400K under the start of 2008 salaries of 27 RSL players.

A couple things really stick out, in 2008 Javi Morales made a guarantee of $240,000 and we know that he signed a long term deal with RSL at the close of the season last year and this year he will make a guarantee of only $200,000, one has to wonder what type of incentives have been added to his contract. Another big move at the end of last year was moving Olave from a loan agreement that paid him $80,000 to this year making $172,500, it is also interesting to note that there are no more players on the RSL roster living in poverty. Four players make $34,000 a year: Tino Nunez, Jean Alexandre, David Horst, and Kyle Reynish, while 12 players make at least $100,000. Here are the numbers:

I will take a look at the numbers for other teams, but without knowing all the details of deals that involve allocation money, and how much salary is paid by other teams as part of trades it is tricky to really know how much a team is spending but welcome to dealing with the MLS, notice that the players union is willing to publish their numbers but Don Garber and MLS leadership are a lot more tight lipped about the details of trades and how many exceptions they make to the rules.

RSL 3- DC United 0

The first match of the Carolina Challenge Cup saw RSL defeat DC United who lost a player early on a straight red card in the 35th minute and another in the 88th minute, for a liveblog of the match check out Behind the Shield and if you want to see what DC United fans thought check out their twitter feed . For a neutral look at the match here is the recap from the Charleston Battery website:

Real Salt Lake 3 - D.C. United 0

Real Salt Lake topped D.C. United 3-0 in the night’s opening match to go to the top of the CCC table. Luis Escalada, Yura Movsisyan and Andy Williams netted second half goals to put RSL on the top of the Carolina Challenge Cup table.

D.C. United found itself in trouble early in the match when goalkeeper Louis Crayton and midfielder Fred both were substituted due to injury. Dejan Jackovic made matters worse when he was sent off for a dangerous challenge just 24 minutes into his D.C. United debut.

Playing a man up, it took RSL only four minutes to find the back of the net after the start of the second half when Escalada found space inside the D.C. United penalty area, nodding home a Raphael Cox cross from the left flank, tucking the ball just inside the far post past Nic Platter.

Cox nearly doubled the score ten minutes later, jumping on a poorly played ball to Platter, beating him to the ball and firing a shot off the post.

Just over the hour mark RSL made whole sale changes to the lineup which paid off in the 76th minute when Clint Mathis found Movsisyan with a well-weighted 30-yard ball, touching it past a stranded Platter to double RSL’s lead.

Williams made sealed the match in injury time slotting home a 22-yard free kick after Anthony Peters was sent off for a professional foul.

With the 3-0 win, Real Salt Lake claims the top of the table in the round robin competition, followed by Toronto in second, Charleston in third, and D.C. United in fourth.

Carolina Challenge Cup play resumes Wednesday when D.C. United faces Toronto FC at 5 p.m. followed by the Charleston Battery taking on Real Salt Lake at 7:15

You have to like RSL’s first effort against MLS talent.

Here is the official RSL press release on the match:

CHARLESTON, South Carolina (Saturday, March 7, 2009) – Real Salt Lake opened the sixth annual Carolina Challenge Cup with a dominating 3-0 win over Major League Soccer rival D.C. United, with FW Luis Miguel Escalada, FW Yura Movsisyan and MF Andy Williams each finding the back of the net in the second half to improve RSL to a 4-1-1 preseason mark. Head Coach Jason Kreis‘ team plays its second game of the four-team, round-robin tourney Wednesday night at 5:15 p.m. MT against the host USL Division I side Charleston Battery, before closing the 2009 preseason against fellow MLS side Toronto FC on Saturday, March 14 at 3:00 p.m. MT.

Real Salt Lake entered tonight’s game looking to recover from a pair of late game goals allowed eight days ago against Swedish first division club BK Hacken, which ended RSL’s flawless defensive mark at 442 minutes in a 2-1 win. The RSL defense was certainly up to task, limiting the United opportunities to just a pair of shots from Clyde Simms and Fred in a choppy first half. RSL dominated possession in the initial stanza, utilizing rookie left winger Raphael Cox to open up the attack, with combination play by Javier Morales, Kyle Beckerman and Yura Movsisyan creating opportunities. However, the final pass or shot was lacking, as RSL rarely tested the United goal.  A D.C. United red card was the highlight of the first half, with DF Dejan Jakovic coming in late on a challege as RSL DF Chris Wingert stormed up the left side. However, the teams entered the halftime break tied at 0-0.

Just four minutes into the second half, RSL benefited from the man-advantage, with Cox streaking up the left side deep into the corner, whipping a cross near-post to the head of claret-and-cobalt forward Escalada, who sent his shot across the face of the goal and inside the far post for a 1-0 lead. The ensuing minutes would see RSL continue to live in the United half, with Escalada, Movsisyan, Will Johnson, Tony Beltran and even center-backs David Horst and Jamison Olave moving forward to create near-opportunities.

In the games’ 70th minute, Kreis made wholesale substitutions, bringing in Clint Mathis, Andy Williams, Robbie Findley, Nat Borchers and the recently-signed Ned Grabavoy. After winning the ball at midfield, Mathis provided the magic to open up the game, lofting a 35-yard ball over the top to spring Movsisyan in the box. RSL’s 2008 Golden Boot winner finished the chance with the outside of his right foot to put RSL up 2-0.

It was the lone “RSL Original” Andy Williams that put the final coda on the night, orchestrating the attack in the final minutes, thrilling the crowd with his ball skills in tight space and spraying passes all over the pitch to Findley and new teammates Grabavoy and guest player Michael Osci. In the 88th minute, it was Osci dragged down at the top of the box on a breakaway by United defender Anthony Peters, who was issued the second red card of the night. Williams stepped up and curled a scintillating free kick over the wall, past a helpless, flat-footed ‘keeper and into the opposite upper 90 to determine the game’s final 3-0 margin.

Real Salt Lake 2009 Preseason Game #6
RSL  3  :  0  D.C. United
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Blackbaud Stadium - Charleston, S.C.

Scoring Summary:
RSL – Luis Miguel Escalada (Raphael Cox) 49′
RSL - Yura Movsisyan (Clint Mathis) 76′
RSL - Andy Williams 89′

Discipline Summary:
RSL – Kyle Beckerman (caution) 24
DCU – Dejan Jakovic (ejection) 35
DCU - Anthony Peters (ejection) 88

Real Salt Lake Line-up (4-4-2): GK-Chris Seitz (Nick Rimando 46); DF-Tony Beltran, DF-Jamison Olave (Nat Borchers 70), DF-David Horst, DF-Chris Wingert; MF-Will Johnson (Clint Mathis 70), MF-Kyle Beckerman (Jean Alexandre 70), MF-Raphael Cox (Andy Williams 70), MF-Javier Morales (Ned Grabavoy 70); FW-Luis Miguel Escalada (Robbie Findley 70), FW-Yura Movsisyan (Michael Osci 78)

D.C. United Starting Line-up (4-5-1): GK-Louis Crayton; DF-Bryan Namoff, Marc Burch, Dejan Jakovic, Greg Janicki; MF-Clyde Simms, Fred, Santino Quaranta, Ben Olsen; FW-Francis Doe, Luciano Emilio

What’s Up with Kenny Deuchar

A nice interview with Kenny from the sport.scotsman.com:
WHILE his own return from America has not kept the world on tenterhooks, Scotland’s former ambassador for football to the United States will forever stress the value of an adventure David Beckham temporarily halted following yesterday’s confirmation of a job-sharing scheme between AC Milan and LA Galaxy. To read the rest of the interview click here. While it never worked out as planned you have to like Kenny, he was very friendly and he has an interesting take on the beautiful game in the states.

OFF MY SOAPBOX

Posted in The soapbox | 1 Comment »