A little more than two weeks ago Real Salt Lake had a golden opportunity to vault into first place in the Western Conference with a win at Colorado. It has subsequently dropped two straight matches, and a third would send RSL to dead last in the West and the entire MLS.
MAKING PROGRESS: Construction workers at the Sandy stadium site began installing the 20,000 red seats on Thursday afternoon. Each chair is anchored to the concrete by four bolts, and it's estimated that about 400 seats can be installed each day.
San Jose will almost certainly stay in Frank Yallop's version of the 4-4-2, but the side will be forced to make a couple of changes from the lineup they fielded in their home win over the Houston Dynamo. Out will be Kei Kamara and Ivan Guerrerro, both away on international duty for Sierra Leone and Honduras respectively. Recent acquisition and familiar RSL advesary Jovan Kirovski will likely take Kamara's spot up top. Guerrerro's stand in is a little less certain, with the likely additions being Joe Vide or Shea Salinas. Vide would slot into the center of the park, with either Grabavoy or Corrales moving to left midfield while Salinas would likely play on the left directly. Yallop seems to like Salinas, using him consistently as a sub in the 2nd half, so the less disruptive outside midfielder for outside midfielder move seems more likely.
I try to keep my finger on the pulse of the RSL fandom, and what I'm seeing lately scares me. Every year RSL fans think "this is our year", and every year is more of the same mediocrity from the team, and this year has pushed many to the brink of oblivion. To be honest, I worry about the sanity of our fan base. It has become clear to me that we as fans need to learn to control our RSL addiction (not get rid of it, mind you - just control it a bit. Being addicted to RSL is still better than the alternative of being hooked on the NBA or Arena Football).
Since I am in a rather foul mood as of late, and because I just threw my pitcher of RSL Cool Aid out the window, I should be able to offer an unbiased view from where I sit, in the stands, as an RSL fan. What’s right? Hold on while I go upside-down into the barrel of soccer trash and see if I can scrape something off of the bottom for us.
After finishing up a three-game road swing, Real Salt Lake (2-5-2, 8 pts.) will return to the comforts of home this Saturday, May 31, when Utah's MLS side will play host to the reborn San Jose Earthquakes (2-5-1, 7 pts.) at Rice-Eccles Stadium for a 7:00 p.m. MT kick-off.
Beckham sent a trademark curling free kick with laser precision toward John Terry for the go-ahead goal in the 38th minute, and England outclassed the United States 2-0 in an exhibition game at Wembley. "That's my job, to get the ball into the right area,'' Beckham said. "It's J.T.'s job . . . to be at the right end of it."
England comfortably beat the United States with goals from captain John Terry and Steven Gerrard, labouring for the opening half-hour, which was fairly tepid, but asserting themselves well after going ahead on 38 minutes and playing some good football in the second-half.
From the beginning, it was a huge task for the U.S. team. Playing in front of 70,000-plus at Wembley against an England lineup that included seven of the 22 starters from last week's Champions League final, and doing it without injured Landon Donovan? The 2-0 result seemed a predictable outcome from the start.
Brian McBride, who has spent the last four-plus years plying his trade for Fulham in the English Premier League, has chosen to forgo another season in England and to return to Major League Soccer.
Training...
Real Salt Lake Schedule: May 30-June 1, 2008 (All times MDT)
Courtesy of RSL Communications All RSL practices are open to members of the media and the general public, with media availability for all players and coaches to immediately follow each session. Those planning on attending any session can confirm the time and location of that day's training by contacting the RSL Communications Department at 801-924-8584.
· Friday, May 30: Training at Rice-Eccles Stadium – 11:00 a.m. · Saturday, May 31: Real Salt Lake v. San Jose Earthquakes – Rice-Eccles Stadium – 7:00 p.m. ***LIVE on Fox Soccer Channel, KALL 700 Sports and “Ke Buena” AM-1600 · Sunday, June 1: MLS Reserve Division – RSL v. San Jose – Quinn’s Junction in Park City, UT – 9:30 a.m. MT
