Real Salt Lake vs. New England match review
April 27, 2009 by f4denz.
Well after a lot of rain for the 6 hours before the match, the rain let up just in time for the start and while it is a bit chilly there is a decent crowd, and I have a feeling that more than 14,000 people will be claiming they were at the match come Monday morning.
The starting lineup for RSL is Rimando, Russell, Olave, Borchers, Wingert, Mathis, Beckerman, Morales, Johnson, Findley, and Movsisyan. New England is forced to go with Knighton, Igwe, Heaps, Barnes, Tierney, Thompson, Larentowicz, Joseph, Nyassi, Dube, and Mansally.
0-10
Well it took for less than a minute for Yura to get a little space and fire a shot which deflects off some traffic in the box and Knighton is there to clean it up, RSL is doing a great job of pushing up early in the match. Wingert fires a long distance shot but it is clearly off frame and poses no danger. A nice long ball to Yura who crosses it, but it is too high and Robbie can’t get to it. Another RSL shot as Will Johnson fires from distance but Knighton is again there to stop the shot. So far RSL is winning almost every 50-50 ball and controlling the majority of midfield possession during the first five minutes.
Early on it really seems that New England is simply unable to keep the ball for more than two passes, while RSL seems to have magnets in their shoes that are attracting the ball. Wingert crosses a ball but Robbie’s header is just off target, and I have to say that Juan has done a great creating the Hispanic supporter group they are forcing the other supporter groups to pick up their efforts. Russell makes a good run and gets a ball to Yura who struggles with the turn and his shot is deflected right out to Russell who fires a shot just over the bar as RSL are simply going nuts on the offensive effort.
10-20
Well as the clock hits 10:00 we are waiting for Nyassi to recover from a late foul by Wingert, he sure took his time but the New England free kick goes right to Will Johnson who tries to play it long but New England breaks up that effort. Wow a team effort, Clint charges and forces New England to play a ball that looked like it was going out for a goal kick, Russell breaks up their attempt to clear the ball, Javi has a huge pass to Yura who turns and fires a shot just wide of the goal, but wow all because Clint ran to force NE to play the ball.
The Revolution get their first attacking effort and get the ball into the 18 but it is broken up by Borchers, nice recovery. Ok this is the first time that New England has put together more than 5 passes all night, and it ends up with them getting a free kick just on the RSL side of midfield. This time NE put a good number of guys forward but it is cleared by Mathis and Russell and counter attack, you can see that RSL is playing very aggressively as only Borchers and Olave are staying back as Wingert and Russell are pushing forward into the midfield on almost every play.
20-30
Well the frantic pace of the first 15 minutes has slowed down a bit as both teams battle a bit more in the midfield and over the past 5 minutes New England has been more aggressive. The first yellow card goes to Wells Thompson for a late tackle on Russell. Javi plays a sick ball that is glued to the sideline and finds Yura but they back it out and reorganize the attack, Russell attacks and Jay Heaps is there to break up a dangerous looking attack. After a great attack of RSL passes ends up with Wingert crossing a ball into the area and Robbie is a bit out of position but tries to create something by back heeling a shot, and it is followed up by another RSL attack and Heaps blocks Findley’s cross and out for a RSL corner but it is cleared by New England.
Mansally fouls Wingert and that stops the New England counter attack and RSL start building again, but Javi’s ball into the area is cleared out by New England but RSL get it again as Mathis steals a ball at midfield and gets a great ball to Findley who slides it over to Johnson whose shot goes wide but the offside flag was up. The Rev’s attack but Borchers clears their dangerous cross and the following corner kick is broken up by RSL who play it long but New England is there but can’t control it. Javi fires a long ball to Yura but he is unable to control it as he is nudged off balance at the edge of the box and New England tries to counter.
30-40
RSL is doing a nice job of not allowing New England to really build any attacks, they are doing much better in attacking the ball when New England tries to move forward. RSL on the other hand seem to have a ton of open room when they move forward in attack and have had a ton of balls end up in the New England box, but none have found the net but clearly the effort has been there in the first 30 minutes. Perhaps a bit of revenge as Nyassi fouls Wingert, and Will Johnson fires a shot quickly as RSL try to catch New England off guard and his shot is just inches over the bar.
RSL is doing a nice job of running New England all over the pitch and again Russell to Morales who plays it into the box but Yura is just unable to get his header on target as the ball is just wide of the goal, but so far this is a 70-30 match as far as possession and shots both in RSL’s favor early but no goal yet. Another good play by Borchers breaks up an attack and he plays it long to Yura who is behind the defense and just has the keeper to beat, but his shot is directed right at Knighton. The rebound is gathered up by Yura but the following attacks are broken up and New England counters and Nyassi fires a shot but Rimando is there and RSL counters after a great run by Mathis he crosses the ball but it is just a few inches too high for Findley.
40-halftime
I have to say that Russell is playing very well both as a defender and moving forward in attack, him and Clint appear to be on the same page and have created some great chances for RSL. Will Johnson fires another rocket from distance but this one is clearly high and wide of the goal, while Will hasn’t been the offensive fire plug he was last year, he is really helping out defensively. The fans go nuts as Findley goes down in the area as there is contact with the defender, but it is close. Javi gets yellow carded for dissent and then Javi gets fouled and his free kick is held up as there is some pushing and shoving, and a yellow card comes out for Yura and Heaps and Javi is still waiting to take the free kick.
Finally the free kick is taken it is cleared by New England but RSL keeps it in their half, and an offside flag goes up as the Rev’s try to counter, but the half ends up 0-0 despite RSL getting a lot more possession and attacking chances, it really looks like the Chivas playoff match from last year when RSL simply was an attacking machine but struggled to finish their chances.
At the half RSL has taken 12 shots to New England’s 3, 4 to 1 is the advantage on shots on goal and Yura did get a card late in the first half as Heaps and Thompson have cards for New England and Morales picked up his 4th yellow of the season.
45-55
Neither side made a change at the half, but if RSL doesn’t score early I would expect to see Escalada come in around the 60th minute to boost the RSL attack at home. Ok whoever got the smoke machine, knock it off it messes up my pictures, kidding it is a nice touch without the stupidity of flares or smoke bombs. RSL is picking up the attack quickly, a nice shot by Beckerman from long range and forces Knighton to make a save and the rebound goes off Yura for a NE goal kick, but the first few minutes of the second half are looking a lot like the start of the match as RSL is really pushing hard on the attack.
New England is trying to counter and Nyassi gets a cross into the area but Mansally’s header is way high and wide and out for a RSL goal kick. A bad ball by Russell but New England turn it right back over, ball to Findley in the area but the ball was hard and Robbie’s first touch was a bit off, it is followed up by a shot by Clint which is blocked by a New England player. Russell is attacking and into the box and Knight makes a save but RSL get a corner kick, it is cleared but held in by RSL.
Yura gets the ball in the box, but Barnes is there to deflect the shot out for another RSL corner kick, Javi plays it in and Olave towers to head it past the keeper and RSL is up 1-0 in the 53rd minute. Both Knighton and Igwe are stuck just watching it rocket past them, and RSL is quickly back on the attack.
55-65
RSL regroups and Russell plays the ball into the box but it is deflected out for a RSL corner kick, this time Javi plays it wide to the foot of Clint Mathis who hits it out of the air and past the keeper for a 2-0 RSL lead. That is a goal of the week and perhaps a goal of the year candidate, New England tries to create something but a yellow card for Mansally, not sure what happened but RSL is back on the attack. Clint tries to follow up on the goal with a long distance shot but it is wide of goal. RSL again is putting even more pressure and Morales goes down and a foul about 10 yards out of the box and almost directly in front of the goal.
Javi fires a shot that goes over the wall but is just a foot or so wide of the goal as the keeper was out of possession, in the first 13 minutes of the second half New England has one shot to RSL’s 7, and two of them ended in goals. RSL again is attacking and a super play by Heaps breaks up a Yura effort on goal, and another RSL corner, bounced around and Jamison ends the effort with a bicycle attempt. New England looks like they are going to make a change, if they get it before their free kick from 15 yards out but Rimando is there to make the saveand RSL is countering but Barnes clears the ball out of play to prevent Findley’s attack. A foul just outside of the box is called by the side official but the ref says advantage and RSL losses the ball. Dube is out and Videira is in from a very short New England bench.
65-75
Wow a great pass by Clint is broken up but falls right to the feet of Javi who plays it to Yura and Barnes is there to deflect it out for another RSL corner, Knighton gets this one and fists it out of danger. New England tries to counter but broken up by Olave and cleared to midfield where NE take it back over Nyassi who plays it into the area but NE is forced to regroup but Igwe’s shot is horrible and goes high and wide. Yura is still working hard in both the midfield and the final third, he gets another chance but the defenders are there to break it up. RSL makes a change and out is Javi and in is Grabavoy, and a great ovation for Javi who set up both RSL goals.
Mathis plays a great ball to an open Yura and he fires it past Knighton and gets his first of 2009 and RSL is up 3-0, you know that Yura has to feel good about that one. New England tries to get something going but Rimando breaks up their attack and RSL is simply playing too well both on the offensive and defensive side of the ball tonight. Escalada is up on the sidelines and is coming in for Yura, who also gets a good ovation after picking up his first goal of the season. New England pushes forward but they lose the ball when Johnson picks off a pass but they get it right back only to play it out for a RSL throw in. The announce team give Yura their man of the match honors, but I have to give that to Mathis for creating great chances and scoring on an incredible goal.
75-85
RSL make their final change of the match as Andy Williams is in for Clint Mathis, New England are trying but RSL get the ball back. RSL is playing keep-a-way from New England, but even when NE gets the ball their attacks are broken up quickly. The cheers of “Ole” follow each RSL pass, as they slowly set up and look for any chances to add to their total. Both teams appear to be getting a bit winded as the ball is bouncing around the midfield, a great ball played in by Russell but it is just a bit far for Robbie and it goes out for a goal kick.
New England try to counter but the ball just bounces high and is caught by Rimando, who has only had a couple of saves to make as RSL have broken up almost every NE attack before it gets to him. A nice ball by Russell to Grabavoy who taps it up to LME, and Escalada opens up his RSL account and it is 4-0 in the 81st minute. You can see the look of disgust on the face of the rookie Knighton, as he has given up as many goals as Hesmer did a few weeks ago to RSL at Rio Tinto.
RSL creates another attack and get yet another corner kick, Johnsons offering is headed out of play for a RSL throw in, Wingert fires another shot and is getting closer but it is still just a bit wide, but RSL take the ball back from New England and Wingert is taken down at the corner of the box, and RSL have a free kick. Williams is there to take it and fires it into the far corner past Knighton for his first goal of the year and RSL is now up 5-0.
85-90
Almost everyone is on their feet at Rio Tinto as they are celebrating just an incredible effort by the home side as RSL sets records for most goals with 5 and most shots with 27, but it isn’t over as Ned plays a great ball into Robbie but his shot goes out for another RSL corner kick as the crowd is chanting we want 6, the corner is broken up but Grabavoy gets off a shot that sends Knighton to the ground to make a save.
The fourth official says no stoppage time, which is the MLS version of the mercy rule. New England gets a ball into the box but Olave breaks up the attack, and they turn it over to Williams who finds Findley behind the NE back line and Robbie goes one on one with the keeper and like we expect he beats him and RSL is up 6-0. So much for the records I just mentioned, RSL now has a new record of 6 goals in a match and 29 shots with 13 on goal and 6 goals. To top it off they pick up their first clean sheet of the season and the third unbeaten team comes to Rio Tinto and each of them have left with their first loss of the year and RSL is simply perfect at home this season and in this match they were simply incredible. This one ends at 6-0 as RSL becomes only the 3rd team in MLS history to score 6 goals in a half and the fans are simply going wild all around the stadium. This one could have been worse, but Knighton did make a number of good save to prevent this from being even worse.
Next up is a US Open Cup quailing match on Tuesday in Seattle, it will be interesting to see if either side plays their backups or goes for the victory by putting in their starting lineups? Saturday it is the first leg of the Rocky Mountain Cup in Denver, so two big matches in the next 7 days for RSL. But everyone should take a couple days and enjoy what was simply an incredible performance, I will give New England their due, they were missing 4 All Star caliber players, but they have been injured all year and still came in unbeaten. Wow, I am going to have to watch that one a couple more times.
OFF MY SOAPBOX