So first off let me forewarn anyone with tickets in sections 9,10,11 that your seats will not be there tomorrow for the match against LA, you will have the option of moving to section 13 or standing of the event platform as seen below. We all knew things like this would happen and it sounds like this match and the July 24th are the only ones that they know this will be an issue for, of course if more concerts are added it could impact other matches.
Lighting rig for the stage. So the lighting rig will be raised leaving the platform area open for standing, but the extension area closest to the pitch will be blocked off so fans will only be able to go as far as the concrete supported area.
New RSL practice tops, these just came in yesterday and are not available in the team store yet.
Espindola was at practice and looked sharp, he didn’t practice with the starters but I would not be surprised if he is on the bench for the match tomorrow.
It looks like Fabi will be sporting number 16 this time around
Jason and the staff ran a good practice and you could see they were looking for specific behaviors in players to adjust to the forced changes to the lineup, Olave is out on red card suspension, Morales is suspended one match for an elbow caught during the league review of the match. Nick is with the injury to his finger, but was an active participant in the practice, just not in goal.
Nick played a bit of midfield in practice and did well
So Fabi was sporting a nice new earring
Chris makes a nice save
Clint in line to take his shot at Seitz
Ned and Javi battle in the midfield
Robbie on the attack
LME looked good during practice, sharp but I would like to see him be a bit more aggressive.
Robbie looked ready for action and I think won a couple shooting contests against Nat
Chris does a little juggling
and a little more
Horst was solid in practice
So did Alexandre
I wondered who the new guy Cox was marking was, too me a minute to realize it was “old man” Robin out there giving it his all
It appears that punishment for getting suspended is some drills after practice, here is Javi
and here is Olave.
Julie is happy that Fabi is back, and we again have our 3 Argies.
The camera shy John Klouder
That stage is really big.
So now a couple photo’s by Chris the next to take the plunge of photog:
The dodge the sprinkler drill was really popular
Nick thinking “this is so much easier when I can use my hands”
Seitz sprawled out but misses the save, but the ball goes just wide of the goal
Nick in the middle of the mix
Way to nice out to be running drills.
Anyhow it was a good practice, based on what I saw I would expect the lineup tomorrow to be Seitz, Beltran, Russell, Borchers, Wingert, Williams, Beckerman, Mathis, Johnson, Movsisyan, and Findley. I would expect Reynish, Horst, Alexandre, Cox, Escalada, Grabavoy, and Espindola to be on the bench and all of them looked ready to go.
And while you may not see it on TV anymore, here is one of the best commercials in MLS history:
With a match tomorrow I am going to post a quick update on the numbers behind Real Salt Lake’s season to date. Perhaps the most interesting numbers to come out this early in the season is the scoreline 0-2, which has been the result in every RSL road match. Perhaps too much consistency there, with 5 matches in 14 days makes for a busy couple weeks and this week sees matchups against both LA based teams. First up is LA who with their win on Saturday pulled themselves out of the Western Conference cellar and are just two points behind RSL, the good news is that the match is at RTS where RSL is undefeated and have allowed only two goals while scoring 12. But looming large on the horizon is the face off against our expansion brothers of 2005 Chivas, who right now are the best team in MLS with a 6-1-1 record and they have allowed only 3 goals. This match will be in LA where Chivas is the only other perfect home team, they are 4-0-0.
But let’s look at the numbers that matter, first up thanks to sportsclubstats.com, what are RSL’s chances of making the playoffs?
The loss to the Rapids hit RSL hard but so did the continued winning ways of Chivas, wins against LA and Chivas would provide a huge boost of over 18 points putting RSL above the 80% mark for the first time this year.
So I have been excited since RSL brought Luis Miguel Escalada on board, and seeing him at practices and in limited action in matches I am still excited about the possibilities that he could add to our offense. This week marks the return of Fabian Espindola, who is perhaps the most exciting player to wear RSL colors since Jeff Cunningham, and these two players could add much to the RSL offense. While LME is a bit of an unknown we can look back at the last two seasons and see how the numbers stack up for Espindola.
First up is productivity, we will start with the 2007 season when the three amigos from Argentina got fans excited during a otherwise dismal season. Fabi played in 12 matches and started in 8 of them, playing a total of 602 minutes (there are 2700 minutes in the 30 game MLS season) during that time he scored two goals, and had two assists. He fired 13 shots with 9 of them being on goal, he also had 3 yellow cards and was ejected from one match.
So based on his numbers in 2007 Fabi took a shot every 46.3 minutes and had a shot on goal every 66.9 minutes. He scored every 301 minutes, and his assists came at the same pace one every 301 minutes. If he had played the full 2700 minutes he would have taken 58 shots (or the same amount of Yura in a match) and scored 9 goals, if the math held up. Those are not bad numbers for a new player to a team and in a new league.
The thing that has many RSL fans excited is what Fabi did in 2008, despite having a very injury plagued season and playing again in just 12 matches and starting 8, Espindola played for 642 minutes. He took 25 shots, with 17 of them being on goal and converted 5 into goals. His assist numbers dropped as in limited action he didn’t get credit for a single assist. His number of cards dropped down to just a single yellow card, while he committed 11 fouls and suffered 10. So he took a shot every 25 minutes (almost double the number in 2007) and had a shot on goal every 38 minutes, again both were more productive number than in 2007 but nothing compared to his rate of scoring a goal for every 128 minutes of playing time. So if he had played double the minutes (1284, which would have put him between the minutes played by Yura and Robbie) he should have taken 50 shots (more than Robbie, less than Yura) and had 34 on goal (more than Yura and almost double Robbie) and should have scored 10 goals. 10 goals would have put him in rare RSL company, only Jason Kreis and Jeff Cunningham have scored more goals in a RSL season.
So if Fabi were able to play more minutes it is clear that he could be a very productive member of the RSL offensive effort. but be sure that while these numbers are easy enough to look at I am not the only one doing so. Coaching staffs adjust their style of play based on the success players have, just ask Javi about it. Javi has had to deal with tougher marking and less room to work his magic all season, in part because teams saw how successful he was last year. I am sure Yura would like to be marked like he was last year, instead of the tight marking both him and Robbie have had to deal with so far this season. So can Espindola work some magic for RSL?
If Espindola can play 40% of the remaining minutes 864 of 2160, and his productivity is equal to 2008 we could expect to see 6-7 goals from him. If he were to play 60% of the remaining minutes of the season (1296) he could get RSL their first 10 goal scorer in 3 seasons, so fitness will be an issue and a much deeper pool of offensive weapons could limit his shots and playing time. If his productivity is equal to an average of 2007 and 2008 then his goal total would be more like 4-5, and while many might think that is bad I would remind you that Jason has made it clear that he doesn’t believe the team needs a 10 goal scorer. He believes and the numbers from last year’s Columbus Crew season would prove that we simply need more players to score more goals than last year and that is why I think that getting Espindola back is a very good thing. I am not ready to put him in the starting lineup just yet, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he makes an appearance before the week is over.
I am off to practice, so I will post some notes, perhaps an interview, and some pictures later today.
When RSL plays host to the Galaxy on Wednesday there will be no hype about Beckham, but the real deal for LA is Landon Donovan. I may hate him when he plays for LA but when he is in the kit for the US, there are few players more exciting, and the reality is that if you ask a trivia question about LA the answer is usually one of two names (Landycakes, or Cobi Jones).
2005
But do you know who scored the first goal against RSL? Landon. Who scored the second? Landon. How about the third? Cobi, yes in RSL’s second ever match the first three goals scored against the side came from two of the biggest names in Galaxy history. Real did make a little history of their own with their first goal, who scored it? Jason Kreis of course, but it didn’t help as RSL went down 3-1 at the HDC.
So what was the first come from behind win in RSL history? It was May 14th 2005, when RSL came back from 0-1 to defeat the Galaxy 2-1 at RES, this was the third match at RES and even then home was a place RSL felt comfortable. As an expansion side RSL was undefeated in their first 4 matches at home.
When RSL traveled back down to LA in early June they were facing a LA side that was 7-2-2 and clearly one of the best teams in MLS. RSL battled but it was Landon (the assist went to Cobi) who scored the only goal in the 1-0 victory for the Galaxy, but the return leg was two weeks later at RES and RSL made history that day with a record for the longest stretch without a goal. The May 14th win over LA was the last time RSL got a result, in fact it was the last time they had scored a MLS goal, 6 full matches without a goal. When LA went up in the 17th minute it looked like another very long night at RES, but in the 56th minute Jamie Watson scored his first MLS goal and drew the sides even at 1-1 and despite taking more shots and having more shots on goal RSL couldn’t get another goal and it ended in a 1-1 tie.
Consider that in their first season in MLS RSL played LA 4 times and ended with a 1-2-1 record, not to bad in a season when LA would claim their second MLS Championship, for an expansion side that wasn’t too bad. The fortune of fellow expansion side Chivas was a whole lot worse, they faced LA 5 times (including a US Open Cup match) and lost all 5 matches.
2006
A little bit of history was made in the rivalry in RSL’s sophomore season, but in the first match on April 29th it wasn’t good history as RSL entered the match 0-3-1. Jason Kreis scored early in the match to give RSL 1-0 lead but once again the trivia twins would strike as both would find the back of the net before halftime and LA would take the 2-1 lead into the half. The second half saw LA pad their lead in the 60th minute as Herculez Gomez scored to give LA the 3-1 lead. History was made as Atiba Harris scored his first MLS goal in the 74th minute to pull RSL within a goal, but it would end 3-2 and RSL was still looking for their first win of the 2006 season.
It would be only two weeks until the sides faced off in LA, but this time RSL was about making history in good ways. RSL would win the match 3-0 with Atiba Harris scoring in the 17th minute and Jeff Cunningham adding two (72nd & 87th), this match would end the 18 match winless streak (a MLS record) and would provide RSL with their first ever road victory.
It would be July 8th before the two sides would match up again, and again it would be in LA and this time it would end scoreless for both sides and RSL would pick up their second road result of 2006. Move forward to the end of August and LA came to town on a Wednesday night and a little history would be made. RSL was coming of their worst ever defeat 0-6 at New York but when Cunny found the back of the goal in the 60th minute and give RSL a 1-0 lead it would hold as RSL secured their 9th win of the season and move into a tie for 4th place and for the first time a shot at the playoffs.
So in year two RSL was 2-1-1 against a LA team that struggled and ended with just a 11-15-6 record and tied RSL for last in the West with 39 points.
2007
The 2007 season was a transition season for RSL and for LA as well, for RSL it was a new coach and a lot of roster changes but for LA it was the arrival of “golden balls” who would only see 252 minutes of action with the team but would help sell tickets everywhere LA went after he joined the team. With the new expansion sides RSL would only face LA 3 times and the first matchup in June was at the HDC and despite two goals by Chris Brown (really, I am not making it up) RSL would drop this one 3-2.
The next matchup would come on September 1st and RSL headed into the match with a 3-11-6 record and when Alan Gordon scored in the 6th minute of the match it looked like it would be a very long night for RSL but Robbie Findley scored in the 67th minute and Eddie Pope would follow it up in the 71st minute, it would be his last goal in a long and very distinguished MLS career. So when LA came to town on Sept 19th the season series was tied at one win each, and the match would be one of the most exciting of the season. There was no Beckham on the pitch, but 4 second half goals kept fans excited. RSL struck first on a PK taken by Talley in the 56th minute and Landycakes answered it on a PK in the 79th minute, and then in a scene too familiar to RSL fans LA scored a second goal in the 85th minute and looked to secure a win over RSL. Javier Morales had other thoughts and just given a free kick from just outside the box, he put it around the wall and into the net and the match ended 2-2.
The season was a huge disappointment for both teams RSL ended the year with a 6-15-9 record and just 27 points, dead last in the West. For LA I think some people thought that signing Beckham would save their team and they would walk to their third MLS championship, but reality was a far different story. Beckham barely played and LA missed the playoffs for a second straight season.
2008
RSL and LA would meet only twice, welcome to expansion and the Beckham effect. The first matchup would come in early May at RES and would see a crowd of more than 25,000 show up for the Beckham show, they would not be disappointed in the show but RSL would be in the result and the performance of head official Kevin Stott. RSL struck early as Espindola found the back of the net in the 6th minute and Kenny Deuchar would follow it up with a goal in the 18th minute and it looked good as RSL was up 2-0. Then came the Beckham show, in the 36th minute he fired a shot from distance that was impressive and found the back of the net and all of a sudden LA was back in the match, and just minutes later a blown call by Kevin Stott let Beckham take a direct kick from a dangerous position (despite his signal for an indirect kick) and well David has made a living out of shots like this and fans were not disappointed as he tied it up 2-2. Just minutes later it looked like RSL would take the lead on a great pass by Beckerman to Deuchar what found the back of the net but an out of position official calls the play offsides. It wasn’t and Jason would be fined for complaining about the officials after the match, but his complaints were validated as US Soccer said both the second Beckham goal and the offside call were wrong. This is what you get with Kevin Stott who continues to prove himself as one of the worst officials in MLS.
It was Labor Day weekend before the two sides would matchup again, and history would be made in a bad way on this evening. It was 6 minutes into the match when Fabian Espindola appeared to score an early goal and a misplaced landing on a backflip celebration would sideline him until the playoffs. Just a few minutes later LA struck first and went up 1-0 on a Jordan goal, but RSL would answer before the half as Yura got his second goal of the year in the 21st minute to tie the match 1-1. RSL would take the lead in the 52nd minute on Will Johnson’s first goal with the team, but Edson Buddle would tie it back up in the 69th minute and it would stay tied up at 2-2.
So like the year before the season series ended in a draw with neither side able to win and both matches ended 2-2, but for RSL it would be a very good year as they went on to make the playoffs before losing in the Western Conference finals.
The history of the two sides is much better than most would expect for RSL 4-5-4 over the years and with the first match of the 2009 season just hours away can we expect to see history made again?
