MLS Real Salt Lake

Kreis Scores Twice as RSL Defeats Columbus 2-0 in Tom Fitzgerald Festival

Published on February 14, 2005 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Real Salt Lake News Release


TAMPA, FLA. (Sunday, February 13, 2005) – Real Salt Lake FW Jason Kreis found the back of the net in the 21st and 36th minutes to lead RSL to a 2-0 preseason victory over the Columbus Crew under the lights at the First Annual Tom Fitzgerald Soccer Festival at Pepin Stadium on the campus of the University of Tampa.

Earlier in the day, the Festival saw defending MLS Champions D.C. United tally a 3-1 win over the U.S. U-17 National Team, a squad which features Real's #1 overall pick in the 2005 MLS SuperDraft, Nikolas Besagno.

While Besagno represents RSL's future, Major League Soccer's All-Time Leading Scorer, Kreis, presented yet another performance ensuring that RSL's present is full of both optimism and excellence. On a day when U.S. National Team stars Clint Mathis and Eddie Pope took the field for RSL for the first time together, it was 9-year League veteran Kreis that set the tone with his leadership, his work rate and his legendary finishing ability.

"It was great to find the back of the net twice in a game like this," said Kreis. "Offseasons are long, and this had atmosphere under the lights and with the crowd that reminds you what game time is all about. Dipsy set me up nicely on the first one, and the second goal might have been the easiest tap-in ever."

In the game's 21st minute, a Dipsy Selolwane cross from the right side found Kreis streaking forward through the Crew defense, blasting the ball home from 15 yards out past Columbus ‘keeper Matt Jordan. Just 15 minutes later, the RSL lead grew to 2-0 when Selolwane again broke down the Crew defense on the right wing and into the box, where his service was neatly tucked inside the far post by Kreis.

With projected starter Evan Whitfield out due to food poisoning and a toe infection, Botswanan National Team FW Selolwane was inserted at right wing by RSL Head Coach John Ellinger, where the leading scorer in African World Cup Qualifying played 72 minutes before giving way to rookie Jamie Watson.

"Dipsy was a bit of an experiment out there, but he's got the speed and the pace to wreak havoc with a defense," said Ellinger. "We definitely put him in a position to succeed with Jason and Clint up top, Andy Williams next to him and Nelson Akwari behind him. I'm very impressed with his play today, and that of all the guys. It was great to get our first win of the preseason this morning against San Jose and to win this one with Tom Fitzgerald on our minds is very special."

Tonight's lineup was as follows:

GK – Countess (Nolly 46); DF – Behncke, Dunseth, Pope (Lookingland 46), Akwari; MF – Kamler, Brenes (Kreamalmeyer 46), Selolwane (Watson 72), Williams; Kreis, Mathis

Akwari was a late insertion into the starting lineup, filling in for Rusty Pierce at right back, after Pierce tweaked his left groin during pre-game warm-ups. Akwari, who went the full 90 minutes for the third time in four games this preseason, was originally slated to play only the second half of tonight's game, filling in for Pope, who arrived in Bradenton after midnight last night, even enduring the aggravation of having the airlines temporarily misplace his baggage. Pope, who spent 36 hours house-hunting in Salt Lake City between his 90-minute performance for the U.S. National Team in its 2-1 World Cup Qualifying win on Wednesday against Trinidad and his arrival last night, will spend the next 5 days with RSL before returning to U.S. camp in preparation of the World Cup Qualifier against Mexico on March 27.

In recognition of RSL rookie Luke Kreamalmeyer's MVP performance at the 2005 MLS Combine, held January 9-13 at The Home Depot Center in Los Angeles, Debi Fitzgerald presented the first-ever edition of the Tom Fitzgerald Memorial Trophy. The pregame ceremony recognized the Bradley University product, selected by Real Salt Lake in the fourth round of the 2005 MLS SuperDraft.

HISTORIC RSL ITEMS AVAILABLE FOR AUCTION: In addition to autographed training jerseys signed by Eddie Pope and Clint Mathis, a pair of RSL/adidas balls will be autographed by the entire team and placed into an auction, which will benefit the memory of Tom Fitzgerald, the former MLS, UCLA and University of Tampa head coach for whom today's game is dedicated. The auction of these RSL items, along with various memorabilia donated by the Columbus Crew, D.C. United, adidas and Tom's wife, Debi Fitzgerald, began today at 12:00 noon ET on RealSaltLake.com, theCrew.com, dcunited.com and ut.edu, and will run until 12 noon ET on Friday, Feb. 18.

REAL SALT LAKE CAPTURES FIRST PRESEASON WIN: With a 49th minute Stephen Rhyne goal and an assist from MF Luke Kreamalmeyer, Real Salt Lake defeated the San Jose Earthquakes 1-0 on Sunday morning to capture the team's first-ever victory. Head Coach John Ellinger rolled out the following lineup:

GK - Palmer (Cullen 46); DF - Jackson, Halilovic (Watson 67), Lookingland, Flores; MF - Cutler (Ara 46/O'Brien 67), Brenes (Cutler), O'Brien (Kreamalmeyer 46); FW - Rhyne, Watson (McElligott 46)

RSL MF Kevin Ara was ejected in the game's 62nd minute for his second yellow card on a hard tackle. First-half starters Jamie Watson and Leighton O'Brien, who had come off at halftime, replaced DF Senad Halilovic in the 67th minute to bring the teams back to even level, after San Jose enjoyed a man-advantage for 5 minutes. While Head Coach John Ellinger continues to insist that the results of these preseason games are meaningless and just part of the team's 60-day plan to prepare for April 2, he and Assistant Coaches Peter Mellor and BJ Johnson, as well as the entire RSL roster, were visibly excited and pleased for the "historic" win.

WATSON DIARY DEBUTS MONDAY ON REALSALTLAKE.com, MLSnet.com: Beginning on Monday, Feb. 14, RSL rookie FW Jamie Watson's diary will debut on RealSaltLake.com and MLSnet.com. The former U-17 and North Carolina star will provide dispatches from training camp several times weekly from Bradenton, Portugal and California from now until the opening of RSL's inaugural regular season.

BOSNIAN DEFENDER SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED, IN CAMP: 22-year old Bosnian DF Senad Halilovic saw the completion of his visa paperwork allow his arrival into RSL camp on Friday Halilovic trained with the team that afternoon and Saturday morning before playing 62 minutes against San Jose Sunday morning. The 6-4 central defender has meshed well with the team on the field, despite his inability to speak virtually any English.

COUNTDOWN TO PORTUGAL BEGINS: 22 RSL players will meet on February 24 at Kennedy Airport in New York to convene for the second leg of preseason training in Monte Gordo, Portugal. RSL FW Clint Mathis and DF Eddie Pope are not expected to make the trip, instead attending the U.S National Team's camp in preparation for the U.S. v. Mexico WCQ in Mexico City on March 27. RSL MF Pablo Brenes also will not make the trip due to Costa Rica's Gold Cup qualifying camp, which begins on Monday, Feb. 14. Injured RSL players Chris Brown (left ankle surgery rehab) and Jeff Stewart (right knee arthroscopic surgery) also will not make the trip.

RSL REGULAR-SEASON SCHEDULE TO BE ANNOUNCED MONDAY: Dates and opponents for Real Salt Lake's inaugural MLS regular season will be released by Major League Soccer and RSL on Monday, with television coverage and kickoff times to be announced in coming weeks. As previously announced, RSL opens the season April 2 at New York against the MetroStars and April 9 against Los Angeles before kicking off its 20-game home slate on April 16 at 1:00 p.m. MT at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

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