4/09 News

[AreliusII]

Real S.L. is seeking better weather in L.A.
By James Edward
Deseret Morning News
CARSON, Calif. — A week after Real Salt Lake's historic first game, an inauspicious opener dominated by Mother Nature's rash sense of humor, the players can't help but think they get a mulligan in Los Angeles tonight.
Gusty winds and torrential rain showers are not in the forecast for the 8 p.m. (MST) kickoff at the Home Depot Center against the Los Angeles Galaxy, a game broadcast locally by KSL-TV.
"For the fans watching last week, it's not a real indicator of how we can play," said RSL forward Chris Brown about the team's 0-0 tie against the MetroStars. "I think we still want to go out and show what we can do and put some offense together."
Salt Lake doesn't just want to exhibit a better offense, but a more consistent one as well. Any form of cohesive soccer was impossible last week with the tricks the New Jersey wind was playing on the ball. Despite all that, RSL was able to escape with a draw and earned a point in the standings.
"It was a tough game to play the way we like to play, which is a little more possession, and spread the ball out," said midfielder Brian Kamler.
With favorable weather, in addition to a pair veteran forwards in Clint Mathis and Jason Kreis, an experienced navigator in attacking midfielder Andy Williams, and then two dangerous wide midfielders in Marlon Rojas and Dipsy Selolwane, Salt Lake has plenty of talent to dictate the pace of Saturday's game for long stretches.
Is tonight the night of RSL's historic first goal? If so, will it come off the foot or head of one of these five attack-oriented players, or perhaps a defender like Rusty Pierce or Matt Behncke sneaking into the attack at an opportune moment?
"Our focus is still possession and ball movement," said RSL coach John Ellinger. "Sometimes in a game, opponents can change that plan. It all depends on what kind of pressure they're putting you under, but I think we have enough talent to deal with the pressure they'll put on us."
Realistically, Ellinger expects L.A.'s pressure to be intense.
With new Galaxy golden child Landon Donovan unavailable in last week's opener because of flu-like symptoms, Los Angeles put up little fight against Columbus in dropping an embarrassing opener 3-0 in miserable cold and wet conditions as well.
In front of an anticipated sellout crowd at the Home Depot Center tonight, nobody expects the Galaxy to lay a similar egg against Salt Lake.
"We feel they'll come out and be attack-minded," said RSL defender Nelson Akwari. "Our defense will have to have composure to deal with it."
Ellinger anticipates using the same starting 11 as he did against the MetroStars. That means Behncke, Akwari, Eddie Pope and Pierce will have to play another solid game at the back, and then hope when there is a breakdown, goalkeeper D.J. Countess bails them out again like he did twice last week.
If Salt Lake strolls out of the Home Depot Center following another scoreless game, don't expect them to hang their heads or apologize about earning a point on the road.
"Every result in this league counts, whether it's ugly or pretty," said Kamler. "Whatever way you get results is good."

ENDLINES: RSL's reserve team will play the Galaxy Reserves at 10 a.m. Sunday in its season opener . . . Los Angeles Galaxy forward Ednaldo da Conceicao has received a visa, making him eligible to play in tonight's home opener against Real Salt Lake. The 29-year-old Brazilian has played with both Swiss and Brazilian first division teams . . . Salt Lake's home opener is next Saturday at 1 p.m. at Rice-Eccles Stadium against the Colorado Rapids. Tickets are still available, and can be obtained by calling 1-866-9SOCCER or 581-UTIX.

[Jim Umber]

Good article. Thanks for posting.

[AreliusII]

RSL gets look at Donovan
By Michael C. Lewis
The Salt Lake Tribune



CARSON, Calif. - Heaven knows that Real Salt Lake is pretty well stacked with recognizable players, for an expansion team. But tonight, it's going up against the one other guy it would have loved to have added to its roster, but for the player's own preference and the way things work in Major League Soccer:
Landon Donovan.
The shining face of American soccer now plays for the Los Angeles Galaxy, who will entertain RSL tonight at the Home Depot Center in what figures to be a much more representative soccer sample for Utah's newest pro team than its storm-swept season opener against the MetroStars in New Jersey last weekend.
"It's a tough one," RSL coach John Ellinger said, "because obviously I've always felt that Donovan has been probably our best player in a U.S. uniform in the last couple of years."
He should know.
Ellinger coached Donovan when the 23-year-old forward and midfielder was in the United States' developmental program, and he watched admiringly as his former pupil became a star during the 2002 World Cup as well as a three-time national player of the year and a poster child for Major League Soccer. Donovan scored 32 goals with 29 assists during a previous four-year stint with the San Jose Earthquakes.
"He's a total player," Ellinger said.
That's why the Galaxy were willing to trade leading scorer Carlos Ruiz to FC Dallas last week in order to acquire the right to sign him. Donovan had the flu and did not play in the Galaxy's season-opening loss at Columbus, however, making tonight's home opener his debut with the hometown Galaxy.
"It's a big deal," RSL's Eddie Pope said.
The 5-foot-9 Donovan had been playing for Bayer Leverkusen of the Bundesliga in Germany, but he negotiated a transfer to MLS just before the deadline for such international maneuvers (for a reported $1.3 million) in part because he felt he was not playing enough.
It clearly rankled the Earthquakes, too, that Donovan chose to join the hometown Galaxy - he's a native of nearby Redlands - instead of them, his former team with whom he had won two MLS championships before leaving for Germany barely four months ago.
"We would love nothing more than to have Landon back in an Earthquakes uniform," Earthquakes president and general manager Alexi Lalas said in a statement released quickly after Donovan signed with the Galaxy. "But evidently this is not what he wants."
The Earthquakes had effectively given up the rights to re-sign Donovan, however, when they used part of a player allocation they had received as compensation when he left for Bayer Leverkusen in November. Similarly, RSL did not have a valuable enough allocation - basically, a sum of money that can be used to augment the salaries of top players - to make a play for another of Ellinger's favorites.
"Obviously, we would have liked to have had Landon here," Ellinger said. "It didn't work out, but he's very tough. He's just a total


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forward. He's smart, he knows when to turn, when not to turn. He's probably - if not the [most] lethal finisher - one of the most lethal finishers we've ever produced. He doesn't miss too often when he's given time and space. The key for us is to not give him time and space."
Pope will be key, in that regard.
The defender is among several RSL players who know Donovan well, from having played with him on the U.S. national team. Pope said Donvoan has "good feet," is a "good finisher" and a "smart player. All the things that any defender would want in a forward on his team."
Even if he's not.
"It is difficult," Ellinger said, "but I know it's good for Landon. He's happy . . . and it's good for the league to have Landon back, there's no question about it. It's a much more exciting league with him in it, than with him out of it."
mcl [at] sltrib.com
Real Salt Lake at L.A. Galaxy

l At the Home Depot Center, Carson, Calif.
l Kickoff: 8 p.m. MDT
l TV: Ch. 5
l Radio: 1280 AM (English); 1600 AM (Spanish)
l Records: RSL 0-0-1; Galaxy 0-1-0
l Series: First meeting

About RSL: Still searching for their first goal and first victory, they're coming off a scoreless tie in the season opener against the MetroStars in New Jersey. . . . F Jason Kreis has scored 10 of his 91 career goals against the Galaxy. . . . Coach John Ellinger said he expects to use the same lineup that he used against the MetroStars, with D Brian Dunseth not quite fully recovered from a bruised foot. . . . Its reserve squad of developmental players has its first game Sunday, against the Galaxy Reserves.
About the Galaxy: Armed with star F Landon Donovan, they also have standouts in MF Cobi Jones, MF Guillermo Ramirez and F Jovan Kirovski. . . . Defense was the problem, though, in a 3-0 season-opening loss at Columbus last weekend. The Crew scored all three goals when Galaxy defenders failed to mark them. . . . Coach Steve Sampson is the former coach of the U.S. and Costa Rican national teams. He took over the team midway through last season.

Tonight
RSL at Los Angeles
8 p.m., Ch. 5