MLS Real Salt Lake

RSL Returns Home to Face FC Dallas

Published on September 12, 2006 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Real Salt Lake News Release


SALT LAKE CITY (Tuesday, September 12th, 2006) - Real Salt Lake (9-12-6, 33 pts, 5thth West) returns home this week to take on Western Conference leaders FC Dallas in a match that carries huge playoff implications. RSL currently sits in 5th place in the Western Conference standings with 33 points, but are only two points out of a playoff spot, chasing Chivas USA and The Colorado Rapids, who are tied for 3rd place with 35 points each.

RSL CAPTURES COME FROM BEHIND RESULT AGAINST DC UNITED: Real Salt Lake came from behind against the best team in Major League Soccer on Saturday, capturing a 1-1 tie vs. DC United by virtue of a Chris Klein goal, off a beautiful set-up from Jeff Cunningham in the games 65th minute.

DC took the lead just before halftime when Freddy Adu converted a free-kick from just outside the RSL penalty box. First, Adu's quick touch earned his team a free kick in a menacing location as Andy Williams committed a soft foul on Adu. Then the Ghanaian-born teenager stepped up and bent a vicious shot over the wall and into the upper corner past RSL Goalkeeper Scott Garlick, giving United a 1-0 lead and eliciting a tremendous roar from the RFK crowd.

RSL went into halftime trailing by the 1-0 score, but Coach John Ellinger's team came out of the locker room for the second half determined to capture the games equalizer. Jeff Cunningham nearly broke free on several occasions, but the DC United defense appeared to be up to the challenge as MLS'S leading scorer had a tough time finding space. But at the 65 minute mark, Cunningham set up the equalizer RSL was craving. The former U.S. international bolted past DC United DF Brandon Prideaux and drew GK Nick Rimando off his line, then laid the ball back to Chris Klein for a one-time shot just inside the far post that took immediate advantage of the D.C. 'keeper's poor positioning.

The two teams exchanged decent chances for the remainder of the game, but neither team could find the back of the net and the game ended in a 1-1 draw that was bittersweet for both teams.

"I felt like we battled back well to tie the game, but to be honest I feel like we left two points on the table", said RSL Forward Jeff Cunningham.

"I think we're satisfied with our overall play and our performance tonight," said United Midfielder Ben Olsen. "I think we got back to dominating and playing the way we want to play. Saying that, we got a tie today in a game I think we should've won."

With the tie, RSL moved into sole possession of 5th place in the Western Conference with 33 points (9-12-6) while DC United remained in the Eastern Conference lead with 51 points (14-3-9).

FC DALLAS IN TOWN SATURDAY: Real Salt Lake is back in action this Saturday, September 16th against Western Conference leaders FC Dallas at Rice Eccles Stadium. First kick for the crucial match loaded with playoff implications is 7:00 MT and can be heard on Sports Radio 700 the Zone. "First Kick", the official pre game show of Real Salt Lake, kicks off the Zone's coverage at 6:00 p.m. MT.

FC Dallas has won both contests between the two teams this season, capturing a 2-1 decision in Dallas on April 9th, and a 1-0 victory at Rice Eccles Stadium on July 22nd.

Things started well for RSL in the first match of the year between the two teams back on April 9th in Dallas, as midfielder Chris Klein produced the first tally of the season for his squad in the 36th minute. It came off a free kick just outside the restraining arc some 25 yards from the FC Dallas net after Hoops captain Simo Valakari received a yellow card for a tackle from behind.

RSL lined up for the kick and it looked like Andy Williams would take it, but he tapped it to Klein, who scorched a beautiful, curving ball past FCD goalkeeper Dario Sala. The goal was RSL'S first of the year and Klein's first tally wearing an RSL uniform.

The RSL defense held strong for most of the first half, but finally broke down seven minutes after taking the lead when FC Dallas Forward Kenny Cooper captured his second career MLS goal as he received a perfect backheel pass from Dallas Forward Carlos Ruiz from 12 yards out and knocked it past RSL Goalkeeper Scott Garlick in the games 43rd minute.

Only 12 minutes into the second half, the Hoops found the mark yet again. This time, it was midfielder Mark Wilson, the Hoops midfielder that started in place of Ronnie O'Brien, who found the back of the net for the first goal of his MLS career.

Wilson's tally was set up by a pass into the middle of the goal area by Ruiz. RSL defender Carey Talley made a valiant attempt to clear the ball, but it hit off Wilson's foot and flew past Garlick to make it 2-1 for the Hoops. The goal ultimately proved to be the game winner, and FC Dallas sent RSL home with their second defeat of the season.

On July 22nd, the Hoops rolled into Salt Lake City for the second match of the season between the two clubs. And while the overall play on the field was much more competitive, it was FC Dallas who again escaped with the victory, a 1-0 result courtesy of an Abe Thompson goal coming in literally the games final seconds.

The goal took the Real players off their feet. Every RSL player on the field sat on the artificial turf in frustration and disappointment after Thompson rounded RSL 'keeper Scott Garlick and fired into an unguarded goal to give the Hoops the win.

Quality chances were few and far between for both teams over the course of the match, until the late heroics. Andy Williams sent a pair of crosses into the penalty box in the fourth minute. The first, intended for Chris Klein, was intercepted and knocked out wide. The second found Douglas Sequeira, but his head flick could not quite turn the ball into the net. But it was FC Dallas who had the last answer. Cooper sent Thompson in behind the RSL defense and the Hoops Forward skipped past the challenge from RSL Defender Eddie Pope, raced into the area ahead of RSL Defender Nicolas Besagno and rounded Garlick at about the penalty spot, driving the ball into the heart of the goal.

WESTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFF RACE TIGHTENS FOR STRETCH RUN: With only a handful of games remaining, the race for one of the four coveted playoff spots in the Western Conference is extremely tight. FC Dallas is the only team that has separated itself from the pack, sitting in first place with 46 points (14-8-4), good for a seven-point lead over second place Houston Dynamo, who have captured 39 points. However, only four points separate the Dynamo with The Colorado Rapids (35 pts) and Chivas USA (35 pts), who are currently tied for third place. RSL remains right in the thick of things with 33 points, only two points out of a playoff spot. The Galaxy, occupying sixth place in the standings, are only a single point behind RSL, with 32 points. The top four teams in each conference qualify for a playoff spot.

CUNNINGHAM MAKING MLS MVP BID: Cunningham emerges from Saturday's 1-1 draw @ DC as the ninth player in MLS history to score 15 or more goals and add 10 or more assists in a single season ... The list:

ALL-TIME MLS "15/10 Club"

Year TM Player G A

1996 KC Preki 18 13

1998 LA Cobi Jones 19 13

1998 LA Welton 17 11

1998 DC Jaime Moreno 16 11

1999 DAL Jason Kreis 18 15

1999 TB Roy Lassiter 18 11

2000 MET Clint Mathis 16 14

2000 MIA Diego Serna 16 10

2001 MIA Diego Serna 15 15

2006 RSL Jeff Cunningham 15 10

With only five games remaining in the 2006 MLS regular season, Cunningham is on the verge of shattering Jason Kreis' MLS mark for contribution to his team's success, either scoring or assisting on nearly 70% of RSL's goals ... the all-time top 10:

ALL-TIME LEADERS - % GOAL CONTRIBUTION

Year TM Player G A TmG Pct.

2006 RSL Jeff Cunningham 15 10 36 69.4%

1999 DAL Jason Kreis 18 15 54 61.1%

1999 NE Joe-Max Moore 15 8 38 60.5%

2003 KC Preki 12 17 48 60.4%

2002 NE Taylor Twellman 23 6 49 59.2%

2001 COL John Spencer 14 7 36 58.3%

2003 LA Carlos Ruiz 15 5 35 57.1%

2002 LA Carlos Ruiz 24 1 44 56.8%

2006 CHV Ante Razov 14 8 39 56.4%

1999 KC Preki 7 11 33 54.5%

CUNNINGHAM DICTATES RSL PACE: 26 of RSL's 32 points have been earned in a game when Cunningham finds the back of the net; when he is held scoreless, RSL is 1-11-4 (0-0 draws with NE on 6/28 and CHV on 7/4; 1-1 draws with NY on 4/15 and DC on 9/9) ... On the season, RSL is 8-1-2 when Cunningham scores, the lone win without a goal by Cunningham coming at Columbus, when he fed an onrushing Carey Talley in the game's 90th minute for the game-winner in a 2-1 victory on August 16 ... His 15 goals lead the league, while his 10 assists also rank first, tied with Colorado's Terry Cooke (10 assists) ... 11 of Cunningham's 15 goals have come during the run of play, with 4 via penalty kick ...

The game-winning goal 8/30 v. LA was his 29th in his nine MLS seasons, ranking him #2 all-time (Kreis, 30; Razov, 29), as he is now 4-for-4 on PK's this season for RSL and 13-for-14 all-time ... Amazingly, the only PK miss of Cunningham's career came last year for Colorado in a game in which he already had three goals (06/18/05 @ CHV) ... Cunningham has scored AND assisted in the same game 18 times in his 235-game MLS career ... The multi-goal game on 8/9 in Colorado was Cunningham's second straight two-goal effort and third consecutive game with a goal ... It marked the 14th multi-goal game of his career, and Jeff's fourth-ever for RSL (5/13 @ LA, 6/3 v. CHI, 7/29 v. DC and 8/9 @ COL) ...

Although Cunningham has started 11 consecutive games, and 23 of 27 overall for RSL, he continues to lead MLS all-time in goals off the bench, as only five players have even half as many goals as a substitute ... The all-time leaders: Cunningham, 19; Wolde Harris, 13; Pete Marino, 12; Welton, Hristo Stoitchkov, and A.J. Wood, 9.

HISPANIC HERITAGE NIGHT AT RICE ECCLES STADIUM THIS SATURDAY: Real Salt Lake is pleased to announce that this Saturday, September 16th when RSL plays host to FC Dallas, the team will be celebrating "Hispanic Heritage Night". Two $500 scholarships will be awarded during halftime of the game, and RSL will be honoring local Hispanic heroes. In addition, there will be a post game concert at Club Karamba, located at 1060 East 2100 South in Sugarhouse. For more information on Hispanic Heritage night please call JC Perea at 801-924-8560.

2006 RSL TICKET PACKAGES ON SALE: RSL 2006 ticket packages are on sale and fans can now purchase full season, half season, the "High-Five" pack and flex season by visiting the RSL Ticket Office at 515 South 700 East, #2R, SLC, UT 84102, by logging onto www.RealSaltLake.com or by contacting the Real Salt Lake Ticket Office at (866) 9-SOCCER. Fans can also purchase single-game tickets by visiting the Utah Ticket Office at 451 South 1400 East, by logging onto www.UtahTickets.com or by contacting the Ticket Office at (801) 581-UTIX. Finally, fans can purchase The KFC Colonel's Corner $12 ticket voucher, the club's most affordable single-game ticket, by visiting any of the 36 KFC® restaurants in Utah.

MLS CAMPS: The Official Camp and Clinic of Major League Soccer is NOW the Official Camp & Clinic of Real Salt Lake! NEW for 2006, Fantasy Camp and focused Team Training experiences. To find out more about all of RSL's Youth Development Programs, call Scott Reynolds at (801) 924-8575 or by email at SReynolds@RealSaltLake.com. To partner with RSL to host MLS Camps in your community, call us today.

ACCESS REAL: Real fans can now receive up-to-date information on the team by signing up for the RSL Weekly Newsletter on our website at http://real.saltlake.mlsnet.com/MLS/rsl/fans/.

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