USA v Costa Rica June 4th

[Remus]

Originally Posted by SoccerPrime

why didn't Keller sign with RSL!!! :D Just kidding DJ.

Keller would be great, but I wouldn't want any other keeper than DJ.
However, with all the great reviews Landon has given Utah and the fans, I wonder if he wouldn't mind playing for RSL... North of Utah County obviously.
Sounds like a lot of the players are making Park City their home.

[Aerick]

Originally Posted by Rover

The game was great, and Utah did itself proud. Here's some quotes:

Bruce Arena on playing in Salt Lake City:

"It was fantastic. I've never been in a more comfortable setting as the manager of the U.S. team. The whole week, Provo was brilliant, the people were great, everything was great there. Then, even today, I went to get a haircut and walking down the street, people were coming out of stores and saying, 'Hello,? wishing us good luck. It was fantastic. Beautiful setting, the field ended up being in good shape, I think the crowd was fantastic and I'm happy that our guys were able to respond. When things were tough, the crowd helped us. It was a perfect setting to play an important game in. I don't speak for U.S. Soccer, I speak for myself, but I'd love to come back here some day."

Landon Donovan on playing in Salt Lake City:

"On behalf of all of us, I'd like to say, 'Thank you.' The crowd was tremendous. They were passionate, they were loud, they knew what was going on in the game and I really hope we can come back here. It was incredible."

Landon Donovan on whether the crowd surprised him:

"I was saying yesterday, or Thursday, that they are very knowledgeable here. Even outside our hotel walking to the game today, there were probably 50 to 100 people clapping for us outside the elevators. They were just excited. As a soccer player, that's where you want to play. You don't want to play in front of 40,000 Costa Ricans. You want people there cheering for you. Everyone who came out today did a great job. They did their part today."

Congratulations, Utah, you're now in the National Team rotation. Do you think Arena might actually have a say in where the Nats play?

Salt Lake City is the new Soccer Town, USA.

Rover, I couldn't be happier with the information in your post. This is the kind of stuff that validates all the effort we try and put in to make the rest of the nation/world proud of SLC. We here in Utah all know that we're sports fans, but we have a hard time getting that acknowledgment elsewhere. I hope what you said at the end is true, because we can sure support it, and we're itching to as well!

[Rover]

Originally Posted by Aerick

Rover, I couldn't be happier with the information in your post. This is the kind of stuff that validates all the effort we try and put in to make the rest of the nation/world proud of SLC. We here in Utah all know that we're sports fans, but we have a hard time getting that acknowledgment elsewhere. I hope what you said at the end is true, because we can sure support it, and we're itching to as well!

Thanks, but all of you back in Utah did the work. It was beyond awesome. I never doubted what Utah people could do and how well it would go, but it was still very satisfying to read and hear about how many soccer fans across the country were blown away by what happened on Saturday.

I am so proud to be associated with RSL and SLC soccer, even in my small way and from exile in SoCal. I only wish I could have been there too--but the Corps wanted me in Kansas City (of all places) where I am for the rest of the week.

Here's the bottom line: Through great club and supporters group leadership, some good fortune, and the potential that was always there in Salt Lake, soccer now has momentum in Utah that the events of June 4th only brought into greater awareness. The challenge is to build on it, and I am sure the Loyalists are ready to get it done.

What a time to be a soccer fan.

What a time to be a soccer fan in Utah.

Soccer Town USA. That works for me.

[SoccerPrime]

Originally Posted by Remus

Keller would be great, but I wouldn't want any other keeper than DJ.
However, with all the great reviews Landon has given Utah and the fans, I wonder if he wouldn't mind playing for RSL... North of Utah County obviously.
Sounds like a lot of the players are making Park City their home.

I read once where Ellinger was saying that RSL, of course, wanted Landon, but it wasn't a realistic idea. Both in money and allocations.

[Stucki]

I think Landon enjoyed the crowd much more than his last trip to RES. :D

[Aero]

Originally Posted by mrstucki

I think Landon enjoyed the crowd much more than his last trip to RES. :D

I'm sure he did. He didn't look like he would have rather been at the dentist than taking a corner kick over by us this time.

[Stucki]

Originally Posted by Aero

I'm sure he did. He didn't look like he would have rather been at the dentist than taking a corner kick over by us this time.

Somebody was saying he mentioned on a TV interview before the game that he was glad we would be on his side this time.

[Merrill]

Originally Posted by mrstucki

Somebody was saying he mentioned on a TV interview before the game that he was glad we would be on his side this time.

I mentioned this to someone at the game on Saturday. I was curious to know if Landon would be put off by the fact that we were using the same cheer to chant "Landon Donovan" this week that we used to taunt him with "Leverkusen" last time around.

I guess he was just glad we were on his side this time.

[Rover]

Bill Urban at US National Soccer Players says we're a candidate for Soccer City, USA:.

http://www.ussoccerplayers.com/exclusives/478660.html

I'll second that.

[Stucki]

Originally Posted by Rover

Bill Urban at US National Soccer Players says we're a candidate for Soccer City, USA:.

http://www.ussoccerplayers.com/exclusives/478660.html

I'll second that.

I think many of the writers are so excited about an actual pro American crowd that they got just a little carried away. Was it good, of course, but I'm not ready to go quite that far, yet.