Real Salt Lake Game Notes & Broadcast Info - Saturday, April 26 @ D.C. United
April 24, 2008 - Arena Football League (1987-2008) (AFL I)
New York Dragons News Release
Real Salt Lake at D.C. United - KSL-NBC Utah, Comcast Sports Net
RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C. - 5:30 p.m. MT (7:30 p.m. ET)
Real Salt Lake began their two-game road swing on a down note, the only goal of the game coming from a free kick in a 1-0 loss to Toronto FC last Saturday afternoon at BMO Field. Real have four points from four matches, in a three-way tie for third place in the Western Conference with Chivas USA and the LA Galaxy, four points behind FC Dallas.
LAST MATCH - Toronto FC were returning home following just the club's second-ever win on the road, a 3-2 victory at the Los Angeles Galaxy, while Real Salt Lake were coming off their first victory of the new season, 4-0 at home against D.C. United.
- The game's lone goal came just after the half-hour mark. Amado Guevara was tripped up almost right on the line marking the penalty area, and Laurent Robert drove the resulting free kick under the RSL wall and past goalkeeper Nick Rimando for his first MLS goal.
- Real were held without an attempt at goal over the opening 45 minutes, but turned the tide in the second half. Yet their best chance didn't find the target, a full volley from Dema Kovalenko screwing well wide of the righthand post from the heart of the area.
- RSL head coach Jason Kreis made one change to the team that defeated D.C. United 4-0 the Saturday before. Robbie Findley came back into the starting team, replacing Fabian Espindola.
- Here's Kreis's team (4-3-1-2): Nick Rimando - Chris Wingert, Matias Mantilla, Nat Borchers, Ian Joy (Andy Williams 62) - Dema Kovalenko (Yura Movsisyan 79), Nathan Sturgis (Carey Talley 27), Kyle Beckerman - Javier Morales - Kenny Deuchar, Robbie Findley. Substitutes Not Used: Tony Beltran, Fabian Espindola, Jamison Olave, Chris Seitz
- "I think we came out tactically and played that game a little bit wrong, to be honest," said Kreis. "The coaching staff takes full responsibility for that. [We were] sitting back when perhaps we should've pressed them from minute one, which is the tactic we took up in the second half." TEAM NEWS
- Real managed only one attempt at goal in the opening 45 minutes and barely got the ball out of their own end.
After the break, they had more of the ball and created more chances. - "Tactically I thought we had to go out and high-press them as we would at home, treating it as though it was our home game for the first 15 minutes," Kreis said. "And I thought the soccer needed to be better. I thought there wasn't enough space between the ball and our guys were giving the ball away a bit needlessly in the first half."
- Kreis tinkered with his formation midway through the second half, bringing on midfielder Andy Williams for Ian Joy in the 63rd minute and going with a 3-5-2 formation. RSL immediately got a pair of good scoring chances and ultimately outshot the Reds 8-4 in the second half.
- "We responded well," midfielder Kyle Beckerman said. "We didn't get the goal, but we responded well. We showed some good soccer which we can do. If we can just do that right from the start, we'll be all right."
- Still, despite the loss and the poor opening 45 minutes, Kreis was pleased with the way his club dealt with Toronto FC and felt they still deserved to come away with something.
- "We've got a really good understanding of how we want to defend as a team," Kreis said. "Again, it's not about the two center backs, or the back four, or the back four plus one. It's about the effort the entire team puts forth defensively."
- Said goalkeeper Nick Rimando: "When we went at them in the second half, it seemed like we played better and defended better. We got some opportunities and going into D.C. that's what we're going to need. We're going to need more opportunities to win the game."
- Midfielder Nathan Sturgis is listed as out for the United match. Sturgis suffered a hamstring strain on Saturday in Toronto and had to be carried off the field in the 27th minute.
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