Real Salt Lake 1 – Columbus 0 (match review)

So let me say this before I watch the review, any coach who can say with a straight face that he didn’t start the defending MVP of the league because their offense was struggling is either trying to convince himself or cover for a huge mistake. It was clear from warmups what the Crew was up to and in the current playoff format we can expect little else from the higher seeds, I believe the only way to get teams to play hard and to play for the win in both legs it to reward away goals if the series ends in a tie. Houston, Columbus, and Chicago all to one extent or another came out playing to not lose their match vs. playing to win. It is funny that they did so against two of the teams DC United’s President called out for playing defensive against his team, and both New England and RSL posted wins in their matches.

0-10 minutes

RSL put out the same lineup that proved to be the undoing of Colorado last week and one that would be attacking as much as possible. While Columbus played 6 mainly defensive players with Gaven, Rogers, Renteria, and Lenhart being the only offensive minded players in their lineup. It was a small crowd with the holiday and with a U game later in the day, but it was a good crowd that made a lot of noise during the match. It was clear from the start that it would be tough for RSL to get the ball through the midfield and at the start they tried to go long, and Columbus was going to look to counter and take their chances that way. Early it was the long balls for both teams and neither side doing much with it, but that is normal for the first couple minutes of a match.

Padula went down after Will caught him on the ankle going for a ball, but he is back up and moving. I love how Javi is fighting early, I have been critical of his play this year and wondering where his creative effort has been and his ball played in gets bounced around and Borchers fired a shot which deflects out for a corner and the short corner doesn’t directly lead to anything but eventually a long ball into the box is just out of the reach of Borchers again and it was just inches away from being redirected on goal. Early on it really does look like the Crew are going to push their defenders into the midfield as much as they can to take away the long ball and clogging up the passing lanes to take away the offensive attack from RSL. I really think the mix of sun and shade caused some issues with the cameras and a mistake by RSL lets Lenhart get a look at goal and it goes just wide.

10-20

A Columbus corner kick as the clock hits 10 minutes but it was cleared by Kyle but Columbus keeps it and play it back in as they try to take advantage of the size advantage (something RSL has faced several times this year). It is always funny seeing yourself on TV, wow Hesmer has played almost every goal kick out of bounds or directly to Rimando, you would expect better. RSL is doing a nice job of controlling possession but every time they try to move forward towards goal, they run into the Crew’s blanketing defense. It really looks like Columbus is only going to attack the ball when it is on their half of the pitch and look to counter but when RSL has it on their side of the pitch there is little to no pressure being applied.

I would say that RSL has controlled 10-12 minutes of possession in the first 15, wow a horrible ball by Espindola played into and over the box as I am not sure if the sun got in his eyes or he just mis-hit the ball but it was ugly. RSL again feeling little pressure until they get over the midfield line, A hard hipcheck on Williams by Carroll earns the first yellow card of the afternoon but the bodies are flying all over the place in this one.

20-30

With Columbus playing such a defensive minded match there is a lot of contact both in the midfield and in the boxes on both ends and a second offside call against Robbie leaves him a bit frustrated at it. RSL has to find a way to connect sharper passes quicker as the longer they hold the ball the harder they are getting hit. Some good work by Tony as he pushes forward and tries to help out the attacking effort, I really think RSL needs to play a bit quicker as they are simply taking too long to connect passes and trying to make too many passes before taking shots.

A quick restart by Columbus but they simply weren’t organized enough for it to work and the Crew blow a good chance, and for the first time in the match the Crew is actually pushing forward with some attacking effort and for the first time they have more than 5 players on the RSL half of the pitch. A great ball by Javi to Fabi but it hits him in the back of the heel and goes back to Javi but this time RSL isn’t able to do much with it and it ends up all the way back to the RSL defenders and as RSL tries to push forward another pass is too long and out for a goal kick. I have to admit I was totally surprised by the number of Yellow RSL jerseys I saw in the crowd, I think it is more than I have seen at any match all year. Columbus continues to play most of the match with 8-9 men behind the ball, which is really causing issues for RSL as they try to attack.

30-40

It is interesting to see how Columbus is so deliberate when they try to attack, wow perhaps the best lost chance of the night as Will picks off a ball but as he plays it in to Andy it goes past him and eventually back to Columbus, if Andy had been able to collect and turn he would have had a great clear shot to the goal. Kyle is really playing well as he is fighting for every ball in the midfield, a good effort from the RSL captain. RSL is struggling a bit with their passes and first touches, which is allowing Columbus to slow their attacks, wow a hard collision in the midfield as Beltan runs into Robbie Rogers.

Columbus builds off a counter and plays a ball into the box but Olave clears it out for a corner kick for the Crew, and Padula stops to clean up some streamers and the ball is played across the box and out for a RSL throw in. Columbus is playing with a bit more energy now as RSL is looking a bit frustrated at the Crew tactics and they don’t seem to have an answer yet. Kyle gets a yellow card as he fouls Renteria long after the ball is gone. Even on the set piece the Crew only play 3 guys up to the edge of the box as they seem more worried about the counter than they do about trying to score. Wow Kyle is lucky to not get a second yellow card, as he reacts to not getting a call going his way.

40-halftime

Columbus get another set piece and this time they actually put some bodies there but Lenhart’s effort goes right to Rimando who makes the easy save and RSL are looking to counter and get on the board before the half ends. I didn’t pay attention in my prematch that Columbus has done most of their scoring in the final 15 minutes of the first half, and based on their play and how they finally seem to have come to life in the match I can believe it.

Espindola tries to take on three guys in yellow instead of passing it and it goes back to the Crew but RSL get it right back and a hard tackle by Hejduk on Findley gets a free kick but Javi doesn’t convert and why in the hell would RSL fans throw streamers and TP when their team is taking a free kick, how stupid. Two minutes of stoppage time in the first half, a bad clearance by Olave but RSL dodges a bullet as it goes out to midfield as Columbus tries to regroup their attack. A foul by Espindola gives them a set piece from about 35 yards out, which is dangerous as almost 1/3 of the Crew goals this year are from set pieces and headers and a save by Rimando lets RSL get back on the attack. Well 45 minutes in and it is 0-0.

45-55

So I have to say that watching the matches from the sidelines and often through the viewfinder of my camera and then going back and watching it again on TV you notice a lot of things, for me it was clear that RSL wasn’t passing as well as they usually do and I noticed it during the match but wasn’t sure if it was our bad form or Columbus clogging the passing lanes, now I see it is a bit of both. Interesting that despite playing a more defensive style the Crew lead 5-2 in shots and 2-1 in shots on goal, most of their real efforts came off set pieces and corners.

Neither side makes any changes at the half and it looks like RSL is going to try spreading the Crew out more than they were able to do in the first half, I love how the North side fans did such a good job giving Hesmer a hard time every time he got the ball. Wow a great tackle by Will gets RSL the ball in the midfield but Fabi again tries to do too much and ends up losing it out of bounds, he has to start making the passes and stop trying to attack every opposing player he sees. Another long ball played by RSL to nobody, the downside of playing long ball is that it only works if your forwards are constant in making runs.

There is still a lot of physical play and how Renteria didn’t get a yellow card for the elbow in the face is amazing, but then it is followed up by a hard foul committed by Johnson so I guess it evens out in the end. A long set piece for the Crew as they put just 4 guys in the box but it goes right to Rimando, and RSL plays yet another long ball to the open pitch as nobody makes a run. Wow I am just noticing how empty the KFC corner is and how many people are in the upper deck, interesting. Well Columbus takes a turn at long ball and they also find that when nobody makes a run it just doesn’t work and in the first 10 minutes of the second half it is a lot of ugly nobody possessing the ball and sloppy passing with some long balls played in.

55-65

The pace has picked up from the first half and both sides seem to be playing a bit more of actually trying to win the match but RSL is still the far more aggressive side. I am not sure I really like Wingert pushing so far forward when Beltran is also really far up the pitch, we have to be careful for the counter attack. It is a chance that I understand taking but since Columbus has changed their tactics to be a bit more aggressive it might be wise to keep at least one of them back in support of the defense, some sloppy passing and in the end RSL gets a corner kick out of their effort.

Javi is set to take it and it goes into the box and Hesmer simply catches it and starts the Crew attack and poor Lenhart is trying to body up against Olave and the “verb” is far too much for him. Wow a bad offside call on Findley, he was dead even with the defender who was holding him and that one could have cost RSL a goal. This is really still a scrappy match but Columbus is pushing more guys forward than they were in the first half but neither side looks to be intimidated by the other and when your facing the best home team in MLS or the defending MLS champions that is no small thing.

Espindola goes down and if he had passed the ball to an open Findley instead of trying to beat 3 guys again it would have likely created a scoring chance for RSL. Columbus counters and the ball is spending way too much time in the RSL final third and a shot by O’Rourke goes just a few inches wide. RSL makes their first change brining in Yura for Espindola.

65-75

Wow the energy picks up immediately and while RSL can’t get a scoring attempt out of it, it has to make Columbus think twice about moving so many guys forward and again RSL on the attack and a good ball by Robbie to Yura but Brunner gets there and puts it out of bounds for a RSL throw in and as it bounces around and out for a Crew throw. Yura has brought some renewed energy which seems to have transferred to both Robbie and Andy, wow a bad touch by Wingert breaks up a good attacking chance.

RSL is doing a better job of attacking the ball in the midfield, wow RSL is almost to frantic and they are making some mistakes in their own end but are getting lucky that their energy and attack are preventing the Crew from doing anything with it. A really solid effort by Borchers and Olave as they have been everywhere needed. Wow an interesting no call as Marshall bumps Yura off the ball, and hopefully that will be the last time that Yura goes down that easily as we need the bulldog and physical menace in the final third that Yura can be.

Wow again RSL is doing great in the build up but they take a bit too long in taking the shot but a super back heel by Yura and set up ball by Andy but Javi’s effort is just off. RSL is making another change as Clint comes in for Javi, a good change as Javi has been largely ineffective and Andy still looks to have some gas left in the tank.

75-85

Well this is when RSL scores the final 15 minutes have been their domain all year, they lead the league in goals scored after the 75^th minute, with 18 goals scored and 8 allowed in the final quarter of an hour. Nice to see Beltran in the box but he isn’t the guy we need there trying to head the ball on goal, and the Crew make a change with Renteria going out and Garey (the RSL killer 4 goals in 5 games) coming in. RSL really has dominated the possession and chances since Yura came on 10 plus minutes ago. A nice ball by Yura but it catches Mathis off guard and the effort ends with Wingert trying to take a shot from distance, can someone tell Chris to stop taking shots, please. Tony goes out and Robbie Russell comes on and the guy who provided some spark last year after joining the club does it within a minute of being on the pitch but Russell’s ball to Yura goes on to Andy whose first touch is rough and the Crew clear it out.

Will has done a nice job of really adding pressure to everyone and anyone who has the ball for more than a couple seconds but RSL is still really in control of the pace and possession of the ball and Andy goes down but no call but Olave plays the ball back forward into the Crew end of the pitch. It is a bit funny as Columbus is really trying to kill off the match by playing long balls and RSL counters and Robbie finally gets his break on a super ball by Mathis but a tough angle and the ball ends up in the side net instead of the back of the net. RSL is really keeping up the pressure and Robbie Russell has been impressive and a great ball in by Yura to Findley but Brunner moves him just enough to prevent a quality effort on goal. Olave and Lenhart run into each other again and again Lenhart is on the pitch in pain, why would you try to out physical someone like Olave? Ekpo will be coming in for Rogers as the Crew keeps the 2008 league MVP on the bench and don’t bring in the smaller forward in Moreno?

85-final

Well Columbus tries a bit to move forward but RSL is simply taking advantage of the 9-10 men behind the ball positioning by Columbus. A quick throwin and a super ball into the box by Yura finds Findley’s feet and past Hesmer to give RSL yet another late goal in a playoff match and in the 88^th minute RSL is up 1-0 over the defending MLS champions. So now you see some desperation in Columbus as they for the first time actually look like they are going to attack for the final minute of the match and stoppage time, and there will be 4 minutes of stoppage time.

RSL is doing a nice job of keeping the pressure up, and just inches keep Will’s pass from finding an onrushing Yura, and twice in the last minute Marshall is up to the task of breaking up a play that could have given Yura a one on one with the keeper. Will is caught offside on a great pass by Clint, a great play by the Crew backline. Wow Yura comes all the way back on defense and blocks a cross by Hejduk, and now he is trying to create but without any support it simply is too much for him to get a shot off when trying to play against 4 defenders. A nice dive by Gaven and that is it the match is over and RSL wins the match 1-0.

Thoughts

There isn’t much more I can say but it was clear from start to finish that the Crew wanted to get out alive and if possible without too deep of a hole to get out of on Thursday night at home, but when you consider they have just one goal in their last 5 matches now did they perhaps they have set themselves up to follow the footsteps of Houston and to be the second straight Cup champion to go out in the first round the next year. Well with the short week, I will be working on my prematch posting Tuesday and it should be up early on Wednesday.

OFF MY SOAPBOX
2 wins and a roadtrip to Seattle will make for an early Christmas present for RSL fans

This entry was posted on November 3, 2009 at 2:19 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.