Mid-Season Report Card

Reason for Grade

To Improve

Team - C-

5-6-4

H(4-1-2)

R(1-5-2)

We are better than this, after 8 matches we were 3-4-1, over the last 7 we are 2-2-3 earning 9 out of 21 points. Our road record improved as I knew it would after a 0-4-0 start we are 1-1-2 on the road. Our home form however is 1-1-1, not nearly good enough.

We are clearly below the expectations of fans, players and staff, we must have a strong second half of the season.

The move to the 4-3-3 has brought back some life to the RSL offense and defense after a very rough stretch in May (0-4-2), June brought a 2-0-2 and saw RSL pick up 4 road points in two matches. There is a lot going on for RSL, Club America comes to town next week, the All Star match is just 27 days away and we have 4 of our next 6 matches at Rio Tinto. Now is the time to impress fans and the rest of the league by winning all 4 at home and picking up a point or three on the road.

Oh and after goals and matches show the fans some love. The supporters at the south end of the stadium are feeling a bit neglected.(left over from 1st quarter-still needs to be done)

Player - Grade

M

G

A

Reason for Grade

To Improve

Andy Williams - B

208

1

1

Andy has only played 50 minutes in the last 7 matches and missed time for family reasons. Andy is a testament to character and class, and when he is on the pitch fans sit on the edge of their seats waiting to see what happens.

Because of a lack of playing time Andy appears to be a little slow at times in matches, he needs to keep focused on taking full advantage of every minute of playing time he can get. With RSL losing 3 midfielders to Gold Cup play, he could see more playing time and make a splash the way we know only Andy can do.

Chris Wingert - C

1166

0

1

I thought the winter call up to the USMNT would spark Chris to play at a higher level. Instead he is now fighting to keep his starting spot. Chris continues to fire shots away from distance, despite never scoring a goal in his MLS career.

It now appears that I wasn’t the only one who noticed a drop in Wingert’s effectiveness on the pitch. It seems that he was taking too long to get back into position after pushing forward, now he is spending much more time supporting the defensive effort and left a majority of pushing up to other players.

Clint Mathis - B+

1144

2

6

Clint was my pick for team MVP for the first quarter of the season, and he still keeps that honor. He has simply been amazing for a player many experts had cast off. He should get major consideration for the All Star match and at this point he is my MLS comeback player of the year.

Clint has taken a major step forward in contributing to the offensive efforts of the team, and he needs to create good chances with both his knowledge and vision of the game. His passes are great but a little more communication on the pitch could lead to more scoring chances for Clint and the rest of the team.

Just keep up the great work.

David Horst - I

86

0

0

Injuries have kept David from getting back into action but he works very hard in practice and for a young central defender he appears to be improving week by week.

When he gets his chances to play he has to use both his size and talent to give him the advantage. I would also like to see him work to become a target offensive threat.

Fabian Espindola - C

455

1

1

Fabi has worked his way back into the starting lineup but hasn’t been able to regain the scoring touch he had last year (5 goals in 642 minutes). He needs to get into the mix in the area and look for his chances instead of staying out on the wings all the time.

I have been very critical of Espindola, he has all the talent to be a superstar in this league but for some reason since returning he has been up and down and fits nicely as a role player while Findley is out hurt. With Escalada gone, Fabi needs to step it up and get back to being a goal scoring machine like we all know he is capable of being.

Jamison Olave - C-

999

2

0

Olave has all the talent in the world but his actions on the pitch have earned him 2 red cards, both likely cost RSL points on the road. He is a force but has to stop making stupid mistakes and hurting the team.

I wondered if there was something physically wrong with Olave earlier in the season leading to his rash of poor decisions on the pitch. I don’t believe that is the case any longer, I just think he has lost control of his behavior on the pitch and become dangerous both to opponents and his own team. He has to play in control or his reputation in the league will get worse and really hurt his ability to be effective.

Javier Morales - C+

1127

1

4

Early in the season Javi was getting upset that his old tricks and style from last year wasn’t surprising anyone, but in recent weeks he seems to have found freedom in the new 4-3-3 formation. He leads the team in fouls committed(18), fouls suffered(39), and yellow cards (6), he has to learn to play with more discipline and good things will happen for him.

Javi needs to take advantage of the new formation and really step up his leadership of the offense, I doubt he can get to 15 assists again this year but I expect a huge jump from his current 4. He also needs to make sure that when he takes set pieces that the delivery is sharp, that has tailed off a bit in recent weeks.

Jean Alexandre-I

7

0

0

Jean hasn’t seen much action with RSL but has gotten good reviews after playing several matches for the Austin Aztexs of the USL. Including what may end up to be the goal of the year for USL.

He was also called up by Haiti for the Gold Cup which could see him get more playing time as well.

A young player needs playing time and Jean is getting that as RSL takes advantage of the relationship with Austin. I expect when he comes back to RSL he will be match fit and match sharp and ready to fight for a spot in a very crowded midfield.

Kyle Beckerman - C-

1259

2

1

Kyle seemed to struggle during the RSL dry spell in May but with the new formation he seems to have regained his form, enough to get a Gold Cup call up for the USMNT. The captain of the team and the player in the middle of our core on the pitch has to be at the top of his game in every match and Kyle has had too many disappointing matches in the first half of 2009.

A tough as nails player who needs to keep his focus better during matches. He is the person who should be controlling the match and setting the pace for RSL and too often he is just a minor role player in matches. Perhaps the call up to the Gold Cup roster will fire him up, he did have a good match against TFC last weekend.

Luis Miguel Escalada

126

1

0

LME is gone, the reality is that players in MLS have to work as hard in practice as they would in matches, most MLS teams have short practices so coaches and staff have to see a lot out of them. LME didn’t show enough work ethic to get on the pitch and show how is talent could be used.

Nat Borchers - B

1329

1

0

Nat has been the stabilizing force on the backline for RSL, no matter the lineup he has been there to provide leadership and solid play. He recently got his first goal in a RSL uniform and is proving that teams have to worry about him as well as Olave on set pieces.

The only thing that would improve Nat’s performance is to become more productive on offensive set pieces. His grade is pulled down a little by the overall performance of the team.

Ned Grabavoy - B

431

0

2

A lot of people questioned signing Ned, but he is a quality player and over recent weeks has proven to be a real asset both off the bench and in the starting 11. He plays hard and does a great job of keeping possession in the midfield.

Recent weeks have seen Ned get more playing time and he hasn’t disappointed. I expect with more time that his offensive numbers will improve as he has shown quality in passing and crossing the ball.

Raphael Cox - I

105

0

0

Raphael is a great person and a first class player, he shows respect to both the fans, opponents and even the officials after every match. Even when he doesn’t get playing time, he has talent and with more playing time he may prove to be a real steal of the 2009 draft.

With so many RSL midfielders getting national team call ups, Cox may prove to be a real x-factor for RSL. He has shown talent and grit when he gets playing time and as his minutes on the pitch increase, I have a feeling his confidence and output will as well.

Robbie Findley - B+

877

6

2

Despite being out with an ankle injury for the last 3 matches after a bad tackle from behind in the Colorado match, Robbie still is one of the top goal scorers in MLS with 6 goals. His speed and finishing ability make him one of the most dangerous young players in MLS.

Robbie will need to work hard to recapture his finishing touch when he comes back to the lineup (tomorrow is my guess), one of the many things that has been noticed as a shortcoming of RSL is that our strikers tend to stop runs and not keep themselves in plays in the area. Working up the middle and fighting for rebounds and defensive mistakes is an easy way to get goals, as Robbie found out against Columbus. We need all our strikers to get into the area more and look to punish teams when mistakes are made.

Robbie Russell - B-

919

0

1

Double R has stepped in to boost our backline when injuries, suspensions, or bad form have kept others out, in fact he has more than doubled his minutes in the last 7 weeks (despite being suspended for a match). His grade dipped just a little after a silly mental breakdown in the Colorado match, which put us a man down late in the match and Colorado scored the tying goal after he left the pitch, two points that RSL should have.

A hardworking, talented, speedy players with one of the best personalities I have ever encountered from a veteran pro sports player. He needs to watch out for silly fouls and knows that he needs to leave conversations with the officials up to others. I love the energy and effectiveness when he pushes forward in support of the offense, just a little work on communications and his final passes and the assists will start to really add up for Robbie.

Tony Beltran - B+

781

0

0

Tony has worked his way back into the starting lineup with hard work, playing with energy and passion. Not many second year defenders can match up against guys like Landon and DeRo one on one and come out smelling like a rose but Tony has. He is quick to support the offense and gets back into defensive position in a flash. According to sources, his mother is one of the best RSL fans you will ever find.

Quicker passes and better communications were things that Tony had to work on and he has improving greatly in recent weeks. He still needs to look to let the ball do more work and getting rid of it quicker will let him do that. He has the speed and vision to work with the forwards in creating some breakaway attacks. His crosses and passes still need a little work and despite his smaller frame he is on his way to being a very good outside back for RSL.

Will Johnson - B-

1260

1

1

The move to the 4-3-3 has put Will in a much more defensive role for RSL but the move has really been good for his performance, enough to get called up with the Canadian National team for the Gold Cup. He is still an offensive threat but has struggled with that final touch this year. The new formation may allow him to get more assists and with so many offensive threats he should get better looks at the goal as well.

Not sure why but Will has struggled a bit delivering quality passes this year, it may be the changing conditions that we have played in but the only think I can expect from Will is better passing and better quality on shots. His energy level and passion are examples of how to play the game.

Yura Movsisyan - B

1107

4

2

I don’t know what happened, perhaps it really is the new shoes, but it appears that Yura is back. He has a goal or assist in 4 straight matches and with Robbie F being injured, the offense has gotten back on track. Big goals on the road at LA and Houston have helped RSL earn 4 of 6 possible points from our June road matches. All of this while becoming a threat to pass the ball as well, Yura appears to be understanding what Jason means when he says “Most goals in this league come from a mistake” In the match against TFC Yura forced the mistake and capitalized on it.

Early in the year it looked like Yura had considered a new sport, but the diving and going down on light contact Yura has left the stadium and the bulldog has returned. He has to continue to fight and make defenders work very hard to contain him, he will still get his chances but this should open up the door for other players as well. A little bit more communications will help Yura as he makes great runs into the box, he has made good strides at getting into good positions and his energy level is back. He has to work hard even when he isn’t scoring goals and his efforts on defense have to stay consistently at the level he has shown in recent weeks.

Ian Joy - I

7

0

0

Ian made his return to the pitch last weekend and the fans showed him much love. Ian is one of the great guys on and off the pitch. You can tell how much he loves playing this game by the way he conducts himself. It will be exciting to see what he can do in the second half of the MLS season.

Stay healthy, get match fit, and work hard to get into the starting 11. We have a great defense and Tony and Robbie R have fought their way into a lot of starts this year. The competition for playing time should take everyone to the next level.

Tino Nunez - I

18

0

0

I am a Tino Nunez fan, he shows nothing but talent and class every time he gets to play no matter the circumstances. He works hard in practice and with the departure of LME could get more playing time in the second half of the season.

He has to keep his spirits up, I know he wants to play and prove that he can be a force at this level, and I think those chances will come. Continued hard work in practices and during scrimmages can only impress both fans and staff.

Minutes

GAA

SHO

Nick Rimando - A-

1025

0.97

4

Nick was the RSL “Man of the Month” in my opinion, since coming back from injury he has been a force of nature and has made some of the most spectacular saves of the year. He is now one of the top 5 keepers in MLS and has always shown great love and respect to the fans.

Nick is a keeper who lives and dies by his quickness and reading of the game, few are better at this in all of MLS. He has to work hard to pass along knowledge to our developing keepers, while maintaining his dominance on the pitch. He needs to be more vocal in taking leadership of the defensive aspects of the game

Chris Seitz - C+

270

1.67

0

Chris is finally back fit and his shoulder injury appears fully healed. While he struggled from time to time when filling in for Nick, getting tossed in to the frying pan is never easy. Keepers need time playing against the top level of players to gain knowledge and confidence, as Chris gets more playing time in matches both with RSL and on quick loans he will continue to get better.

As a keeper with a very physical and aggressive style of play, communications with your defenders is critical. The keeper is the organizing general of the backline and Chris has to be more vocal in taking that role when he playing. I think the summer and fall will see him get more playing time and he will need to get his GAA down a bit in order to get a better grade.

Kyle Reynish-B+

55

1.64

Kyle is a worker, in practice he is always doing his best to keep his skill level high. Coming in at keeper off the bench is touch and Kyle puts forth a great effort in being ready when that call comes.

Keep on working and staying focused, this year has proven that keepers on the bench have to be ready on very short notice to make adjustments. Playing time will come as the summer moves along either on loans or in friendly matches, be ready to impress when given the chance.

Jason Kreis - B-

A strong June and showing the ability to change formations and playing style show that Jason is truly learning his craft as a coach. He is a demanding guy, who expects the highest level of work from players, both at practice and in matches. I think the move to a more offensive style is something that Jason has wanted to do for a while and the 4-3-3 is working well for RSL. Jason is a creature of habits, and as he told me recently “hang around me for a while and you will have plenty of superstitions” . Those will only get you so far in this league but I have been impressed with how Jason has been willing to admit mistakes when made and lay blame on himself and players when the need arises.

Jason said it last week, that he is disappointed with the results so far and he knows that a better second half of the season is the only way RSL can get back into the playoffs. He runs a tough ship but I think he has learned to be much more even handed and fair with the players as he gets used to being the man in charge. He has done a great job in bringing out the best of both veterans like Mathis and younger players like Beltran, but he has to get the team mentally tough as well. Undisciplined play has cost RSL points both at home and on the road, stupid fouls and yellow cards have put the team at a disadvantage and while the coach can’t be blamed for all the mistakes, he is responsible to ensure that his team is both physically and mentally ready for every match.