Real Salt Lake 0 – New York 2 (match review)

Well everyone knows the history by now, so let’s get to the match. First up is the news that Jamison Olave didn’t travel with the team and David Horst would get the start in the middle, and Robbie Russell is healthy enough that he will step in for Tony Beltran. So the lineup is Rimando, Wingert, Horst, Borchers, Russell, Mathis, Beckerman, Johnson, Morales, Findley and Movsisyan so two changes from last week. Olave isn’t hurt but they don’t want risk his knees playing on the worst surface in MLS, a smart move considering how early it is in the season and how important Jamison is to the long term plans.

0-10

One thing is clear New York had a very empty stadium with just over 8,000 people showing up for the match. Early turnovers by both sides as the ball bounces around the midfield, wow a long ball played in off a throw in to Dane Richards who pushes down a much larger Horst, but where was Wingert, isn’t Richards his man, anyhow into the middle and Kandji gets a quick goal and go up 1-0 in the second minute. RSL looks very shaky after the first goal and New York gets a huge shot in the arm from the early goal and now are showing the confidence they have lacked in their first 4 matches.

A long ball by Beckerman and Findley gets to it but it is put out for a deep RSL throw in, back out to the middle and Beckerman takes a short from 40 yards out which bounces off a couple players and roles to Conway who just picks it up. New York gets back into the attack but put it over the backline for a RSL goal kick, New York is doing a great job of attacking all the 50-50 balls and the RSL first touch is looking rough, as it has for most of the season. Some nice passing but RSL can’t connect more than 3 in a row without giving it away to the aggressive Red Bulls. Yura gets a ball at the top of the box but with 3 defenders on him, there is little he can do with it.

10-20

A foul on Javi just outside of the box, and Javi lines up to take it, and he goes for goal and it is high and short of the goal and out for a NY goal kick. A lot of back and forth still with little possession for either side, and a lot of balls being played out for throw ins. Rimando wins the jump ball but goes down a bit hard on the turf but appears to be OK, RSL is really struggling, and somehow Kandji gets left wide open and is one on one with the keeper but Rimando is lucky that he puts the shot wide by a foot. RSL is playing with fire in the match and unable to get any type of possession. A hard foul on Yura, which should have been a yellow card since it was late, from behind and with the studs up. RSL is already resorting to playing almost everything long and over the top, instead of getting any type of possession, I know our guys have all played on turf before but their touches are simply not up to par tonight.

Nice Clint is talking with Osario as he trots back, wow RSL dodges another bullet as a free kick bounces off the post and struggle to clear the ball, but eventually they get it back out to midfield. Early on there are some very physical match ups, a lot of contact away from the ball. The first real attack of the night on a couple of good passes that ends with Robbie with the ball in the box, who gets tackled in the box but not enough for the call and RSL gives the ball back.

20-30

RSL is really on their heels and look afraid to push up with any numbers as too often we get the ball in the midfield but have nothing to do with it because the Red Bulls there in numbers and appear to be playing with more energy. The only place that RSL looks comfortable tonight is in their own half of the field and that is something they don’t look comfortable with, so far the most impressive player is Kandji who is playing with great pace and getting himself in the right place at the right time.

I have to say that so far Kyle is not looking good in this match, his touch is off and his positioning is not up to the level we are used to, even his tackles are off. Javi plays a nice ball to Wingert who pushes up, back to Javi, who plays a great ball to Yura who heads it to Robbie who is in position but his first touch fails him and he doesn’t get a shot off and the ball goes back to New York. Mathis on the attack and he fires a shot from the top of the 18 and he fires a shot that goes high over the bar, but at least it looked dangerous.

30-40

With the new players on the pitch you can see that communications is off just a bit, wow a great save by Rimando as Angel is wide open at the penalty spot, and RSL dodge another bullet, you have to wonder who was supposed to be marking him? RSL counter and Robbie gets a ball inside the box but out of position and he tries to play it back across the box but Conway is there to clean it up. Mathis plays a super ball to an open Morales who plays it back across the box but eventually it goes out for a RSL corner. Javi takes a short corner and Johnson’s shot is blocked and that chance is lost as New York get the ball back. A long ball to Findley, but his first touch fails him, eventually it is played out to Wingert but it bounces around and a foul called and Javi gets a chance from 10 yards outside of the box.

Javi fires a shot right into the wall and it goes out for a RSL throw in, and Yura goes down on light contact and New York get it back but lose it right back to Beckerman but his long ball catches Findley in an offside position. A long ball to Yura a lot of contact and it goes back to Russell , then to Javi who goes down on very light contact, but my god that is just cheap he had a great chance on goal and blew it looking for a easy call. No idea when we started playing the diving game, but god I hope we stop playing this way because it sucks. RSL get another good free kick but again nothing comes of it and the ball goes all the way back to Rimando.

40-halftime

Both sides must be watching the clock and playing for the half because each is playing huge long balls that are horribly ineffective, the result 3 goal kicks in less than 2 minutes. Not so beautiful. A foul called on Kandji as he takes down Horst in an attempt to get a break behind the defense. Javi loses the ball and kicks out in frustration and picks up another yellow card, his third in 4 matches, almost all of them a result of frustration. Richards fires a huge shot from 40 yards out that sails high over the goal and out for a RSL goal kick, Javi loses possession in the midfield but RSL get it right back but play a stupid long ball that is 20 yards too long for Robbie as the long ball continues.

Well Borchers is really doing his job plus a bit in covering for both Horst and Russell who look to be trying to catch up with the pace of the match, not entirely unexpected considering this is their first action of the 2009 MLS season. There is the first half whistle and the score is 1-0 New York.

OK at this point I can’t tell you how pissed I am that the recording of the match from ch 111 is screwed up and it goes from half time directly to Mr. Ed. So I am having to slowly forward through the on demand coverage and hope that it isn’t a messed up copy as well.

45-55

Wow they reshow the goal and Angel is marked by Russell, but nobody is near Kandji, and that is some hole to leave in the box. OK time for the action to start again, a foul of Horst by Angel, while Horst takes a share of the first goal, he did play much better after that early goal was allowed. A turnover in their own end but RSL can’t take advantage of it, a free kick from 45 yards out and Javi lines up to take it, and it is chipped over the wall and Horst gets a head on it but out for a RSL corner but again a short corner that leads to nothing.

Russell gets a yellow card for a takedown of Richards gives New York a free kick from 15 yards out, but it is played out by Russell and NY get a throw in deep in the RSL end of the pitch. RSL starts to counter a ball to Yura who chips it over the keeper, it looks like it is over the line but no signal from the official as it is cleared by Goldthwaite, the official is out of position and can’t make a call. On the replays it is easy to see that was a goal but because the official drops the ball RSL is still down 1-0. Horrible that the side official was that far out of position, but did we really expect that we could get a well called match?

Why is it that Robbie and Yura are trying to take on 2-3 players vs. passing the ball? They both have talent but it is just too tough to try and beat that many guys, Yura puts a ball into the box but Javi is called for the foul.

55-65

New York get a corner kick and JPA plays it just wide of goal as he gets enough distance between him and Horst to get a head on the ball. A horrible ball by Beckerman who either just loses the ball and all the RSL defenders attack the ball at feet of Kandji who passes it off to a wide open Angel who puts it past Rimando and it is now a 2-0 lead for the Red Bulls. All night the first touch has been off for RSL and this time it directly lead to the New York goal, it was complimented by a total lack of communications between the defenders who all go to the ball and leave the most dangerous striker in MLS wide open.

New York is doing a much better job of controlling the ball with their first touch and either bringing it down for possession or getting it to an open player, for RSL their passing has improved in the defensive end and even a bit better in the midfield but in the final third the passes are just lacking precision. Sassano on for Angel in the 62^nd minute as New York takes a very defensive posture and look to protect their two goal lead. A couple nice passes by Mathis to Wingert, who plays a dangerous ball into the box but just outside of Findley’s reach and it goes out for a goal kick.

65-75

The task for RSL is going to be hard as New York is playing with 8-9 men behind the ball, and RSL makes their first change bringing in Escalada for Horst. A hard foul on Johnson by Hall and he gets a straight red card as the foul is late and studs up. Can RSL get something going now with the man advantage, or will New York simply pack it in and try to protect their lead? Johnson is up but moving slow as he tries to shake off the tackle. Javi takes the free kick but it is cleared by New York but played back in by Russell who gets it to Yura who plays it back across the goal but nobody is there for RSL.

It looks like a little boost of energy for RSL who are looking for a way to take advantage of the man advantage, New York counters and Richards is running towards the box but he goes down on no contact and he gets carded for diving. Not sure why with the man advantage why RSL is still trying to play long balls. A ball in by Russell but it is headed out by New York for a RSL corner kick, Javi lines it up but new York clears it and Richards is making a huge run but his shot is right at Rimando who catches the ball. RSL is trying to pull New York out of their bunker defense but it is tough, a nice pass finds Yura looking at the keeper but he can’t get it over him and Conway is able to push it away from the goal.

75-85

RSL get another free kick from a dangerous position but Javi’s attempt is cleared out for a throw in. New York brings in Borman for Khano Smith, another defensive change. Javi tries a bicycle kick but it goes right to Conway, a shame Clint didn’t redirect that one past him. RSL is ready to make another change bringing in Williams for Findley, not sure why Jason isn’t taking out Will Johnson who has taken a couple hard fouls and not been able to get into the attack.

Kyle is finally showing some moxy in the match and earns a corner kick, Javi takes it and it is off Russell’s head and over the goal for a New York goal kick. RSL almost makes a horrible defensive mistake but Rimando is there to clean it up. A nice back heel from Williams to Escalada but he is just offside, hey how nice that the official was in position for that call, shame he wasn’t for the RSL goal that he totally missed. Horrible pass by Andy breaks up a good offensive effort and turns it over for a New York counter and eventually a New York corner kick is earned. RSL makes their final change as Mathis is out and Grabavoy is in, a move to get some fresh legs but again I wonder why we are taking off an effective player when Johnson is having such a mediocre match? Yura fires a shot but Conway saves it but it rolls out for a corner, but Borchers shot goes off a NY player for another goal kick. Javi takes it and off the head of Beckerman but not enough to get past the New York defense.

85-final

Wingert takes a long range effort that is wide and way off target, but at this point anything is worth taking. Another bad pass by Andy and New York get the ball but Beckerman breaks it up and RSL gets the ball to Yura but his first touch is rough and New York puts it out for a RSL corner, out to Williams but he fires a shot that bounces off the side netting. New York made their last change taking out Richards for Wolyniec. Johnson has finally had a couple good possessions and Javi gets fouled and RSL get a free kick from 10 yards outside of the box, and Will takes a hard shot that forces a save by Conway who pushes out for a RSL corner, this one again goes off the head of Russell and over the endline for a New York goal kick.

Kandji makes a nice run but it is broken up by Wingert and picked up by Rimando. I will give Yura some credit he has stopped going down as easily but unable to get his first touch working on the turf tonight. A nice ball in by Andy but Escalada is unable to keep it on frame and it goes out for another NY goal kick. New York is playing with everyone behind the ball, which is making it hard for RSL to get anything going. A great back heel by LME but Yura’s shot is deflected out and RSL get yet another corner kick. Kandji is down at midfield and it looks like cramps, but he was a man tonight and that is what New York expected when they picked him up late last year. That is it, the whistle blows and RSL goes down once again to New York, this one ends 2-0.

OFF MY SOAPBOX

This entry was posted on April 21, 2009 at 1:36 am and is filed under The soapbox. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.