Sporting KC, who have been on a long unbeaten streak, hosted RSL in an MLS match on Wednesday, August 3, 2011. RSL have struggled have late while SKC are now in position to make the playoffs.

Below are player ratings for the match.

RSL 0-2 SKC Player Ratings

Real Salt Lake

Rimando – 3 – Probably should have saved at least one of the goals in the first half

Beltran – 4

Borchers – 4.5

Schuler – 5

Winger – 5

Alvarez – 4.5 -

Beckerman – 4.5 – Not one of the better performances from the central midfielder

Warner – 5

Johnson – 5

Espindola – 6 – Was dangerous on a few occasions

Saborio – 5 – Rarely got any good service from the midfield

Williams – 5

Russell – 5

Sporting KC

Nielsen – 6 -

Harrington – 7 – Steady from the back line and never allowed RSL to create many good chances

Besler – 6.5

Cesar – 6.5

Sinovic – 7

Kamara – 7 -

Zusi – 6 – A solid but somewhat quiet game

Jeferson – 6 – Was promising in the attack but looked a bit rusty at time since he’s new to MLS

Espinoza – 6.5  - Scored the opening goal but also earned red card for an unnecessary challenge

Bravo – 6

Bunbury – 7 – Always willing to take on the defense and scored the second goal

Sapong – 5

Diop – 5

Sassano – n/a

Real Salt Lake 0-2 Sporting KC – Player Ratings – MLS – 3 August 2011 - The 90th Minute Soccer Blog

The CONCACAF Champions League is down to the final match as Real Salt Lake hosts Monterrey in the second leg. The match will take place at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah on Wednesday, April 27, 2011. Kickoff is scheduled for 22:00 EST (USA Eastern), 21:00 CST (USA Central), 20:00 MST (USA Mountain), and 19:00 PST (USA Pacific.

Real Salt Lake v Monterrey TV Listings

It will be televised on Fox Soccer Channel (USA), GolTV (Canada), Telefutura (USA), ESPN (Latin America), ESPN (Carribean), and on ESPN (South America).

Real Salt Lake v Monterrey Preview

RSL manager Jason Kreis

“Guys have been loose and relaxed and feeling confident for many, many weeks,” Salt Lake manager Jason Kreis said. “So it’s no surprise to me.”

“I think his work rate is difficult to duplicate,” Kreis said of his captain, “and it’s difficult for you to get all players to work as hard as Kyle Beckerman. You see the level of intensity can sometimes drop because you lose the ground that that person can cover. But we do feel like we’ve got options that are capable of it.”

“We have a good idea of who handles the penalty kicks well and who handles that type of pressure well,” Kreis said. “To be frank, our list is much larger than five and it comes down to who you think is in the moment, who looks fresh out there and who is ready for those extremely high pressure situations.”

RSL player Nat Borchers

“It gives us a lot of confidence actually to know everybody’s got our backs in this competition, everyone wants to see us do well,” RSL defender Nat Borchers said. “It’s a great feeling. We understand who we’re playing for, that we’re not only representing Real Salt Lake and the city of Salt Lake and state of Utah, but we’re also representing the league and, on some level, American soccer.”

“It’s going to be a different game here,” Borchers said. “We don’t sit back. They’re going to have to deal with our altitude, our energy and our fans.”

“I think Suazo is a very dangerous striker,” Borchers said. “He likes to tip-toe that line, not unlike a Jeff Cunningham and he’s pretty lethal in front of goal…We need to do a better job of getting pressure to the ball in this home leg. I think too often we were passive in our pressure [in the first leg].”

“I don’t think it gets much bigger than this,” Borchers added. “We’re up for it, we’re ready and we understand what’s on the line.”

Monterrey manager Victor Manuel Vucetich

“It was a real good game by us,” he said. “We did enough to win the game. We gave the effort. We made the game. We also made a few errors. But nonetheless, it makes me feel good to know how Salt Lake plays.”

Real Salt Lake v Monterrey Prediction

Real Salt Lake wins 2-1 (4-3 on aggregate)

Real Salt Lake v Monterrey Betting Odds

RSL win – 21/20

Draw – 23/10

Monterrey win – 21/20

Real Salt Lake v Monterrey Live Online

The match can be seen at Free Live Sports TV.

Real Salt Lake v Monterrey – Preview, Prediction, TV Listings, and Betting Odds – CONCACAF Champions League – 27 April 2011 - The 90th Minute Soccer Blog

The CONCACAF Champions League final begins with the first leg as Mexican side Monterrey hosts Major League Soccer side Real Salt Lake. The match will take place at the Estadio Tecnologico in Monterrey, Mexico on Wednesday, April 20, 2011. Kickoff is scheduled for 22:00 EST (USA Eastern), 21:00 CST (USA Central), 20:00 MST (USA Mountain), and 19:00 PST (USA Pacific).

Monterrey v Real Salt Lake TV Listings

It will be televised on Fox Soccer Channel (USA), Telefutura (USA), ESPN (Latin America/South America/Carribean), and on GolTV (Canada).

Monterrey v Real Salt Lake Preview

RSL manager Jason Kreis

“To be clear, we’re not going into this match saying, ‘Guys, it’s OK if we lose.’”

“We’re always an aggressive group. We’re always a confident group, and we’ll approach this match the way we have the others, we’re here to win.”

“I’m attempting to ease some of the anxiety and pressure in the match.” .

“It would be massively huge.”

“If there’s one thing that stands out to me about this team, it’s how many firsts we’ve accomplished so far. And so I would absolutely love to be the first MLS team to win in Mexico.”

RSL player Kyle Beckerman

“We are all searching for the answer.”

“These teams know how important these tournaments are, and they are used to this type of tournament. I think they feel a big part of pride over losing to an American team.

“I think we are going to have to keep at it and keep believing that we can get one over on these guys. It’s tough and the atmosphere is great – they really support their home team – it makes it tough, but we just have to give it a go.”

“We were so close down there (5-4 loss at Cruzl Azul in group stage, RSL led by 3-1 in match).”

“We want revenge from that game, even though it’s not Cruz Azul. We want the chance to do better than we did last time.”

“I think everyone would be devastated back home if we came out and got crushed.”

“We have to put on a good performance, but for us we’re thinking of winning. We want to be the first to win, and we want to put our name on that – being the first [MLS] team to win in Mexico.”

RSL player Nick Rimando

“We have seen it first time at Cruz Azul, but I don’t think we are afraid to come in here.”

“We were the underdogs before, and we know what it is like to come into an environment and not expect to win or pull a result out and I think we have the guys who can do that. There is nothing that says we can’t go in there and get a result.”

RSL co-owner Dave Checketts

“We’ve never played a game in our history other than perhaps the MLS Cup that’s as big.”

“This would mean perhaps more than anything that has ever happened to the club to advance.

“This is an opportunity to stamp Real Salt Lake’s presence on the entire world of soccer,” Checketts added. “And I don’t think anyone could have imagined that five years ago, three years ago, two years ago. It’s an incredible opportunity.”

Monterrey manager Victor Manuel Vucetich

“Today we are focused on the final and our objective is to win the cup.”

“I am happy with the team and committed to the team. They will be two touch games. The MLS has worked hard, it has grown.”

“The team of Salt Lake knows how to move the ball, tactically they work well,” Vucetich said. “They have players like (Alvaro) Saborio that plays forward on the Costa Rican national team and has played in Europe. (Fabian) Espindola plays well on the wings, Javi Morales is another good player.”

Monterrey v Real Salt Lake Prediction

1-1 Draw

Monterrey v Real Salt Lake Betting Odds

Monterrey win – 4/6

Draw – 12/5

RSL win – 7/2

Monterrey v Real Salt Lake Live Online

The match can be seen at Free Live Sports TV.

Monterrey v Real Salt Lake – Preview, Prediction, TV Listings, and Betting Odds – CONCACAF Champions League – 20 April 2011 - The 90th Minute Soccer Blog

Below is the schedule and draw for the quarterfinals (and rest of the tournament) for the 2010-11 CONCACAF Champions League. The winner of this competition will go to the 2011 FIFA Club World Cup in December.

2010-11 CONCACAF Champions League Draw

Quarterfinals

Semifinals

Finals

Toluca

Monterrey

Cruz Azul

Santos Laguna

Columbus Crew

Real Salt Lake

Saprissa

Olimpia

2010-11 CONCACAF Champions League Schedule

First Leg

2010-11 CONCACAF Champions League Quarterfinals Draw/Schedule - The 90th Minute Soccer Blog

Robbie Findley has decided to leave MLS and has signed a contract with English Championship side Nottingham Forest. Findley played with the USA in the World Cup but has had an up and down career. In the last half of the MLS season, Findley struggled to get in the starting lineup for Real Salt Lake.

The American striker has lots of pace and potential but it’s yet to be determined if he can make it in England. Forest had the following statement on their website to confirm the signing.

Nottingham Forest have completed the signing of United States international Robbie Findley, subject to securing a work permit.

The 25 year old striker, who is a free agent after leaving Real Salt Lake at the end of the MLS season, will sign a two-and-a-half year Forest contract.

Findley has been capped 11 times by the US and was a key member of their squad for the World Cup finals during the summer.

The speedy performer started three of their four games during the finals in South Africa – including their meeting with England.

While a work permit is still required, it’s likely to happen with Findley playing significant time in the World Cup. Nottingham Forest manager Billy Davies said the following about Findley.

“We had a lot of competition in the race to sign Robbie and there’s no doubt that we had to work very, very hard to try and convince him this was the right place to come.

“We’ve managed to do that and we’re very, very pleased.

“It’s a great challenge for him and a great challenge for us as well but there’s no doubt that he can score goals and, more importantly, with the pace he’s got he can be a real handful.”

“With his great pace and progression in the game at the moment we feel he will be an excellent addition to Forest in the Championship.

“He’s got electric pace and the ability to cause problems.

“Robbie has got an eye for goal and he’s a player who is desperate to play on this kind of stage.”

Findley will be eligible to play once the winter transfer window opens (beginning of January). There were other clubs interested in Findley, including EPL side Wolves, but ultimately Forest offered a multi-year dear (Wolves reportedly hadn’t made an offer) which was the difference.

Former RSL Striker Robbie Findley Signs With Nottingham Forest - The 90th Minute Soccer Blog

Below are my predictions for the upcoming 2nd leg matches in the MLS 2010 Playoff Conference Semifinals.

MLS 2010 Playoff Conference Semifinals 2nd Leg Predictions

Thursday, November 4, 2010

New York Red Bulls v San Jose Earthquakes (1-0 after first leg) – NY wins 1-0 (2-0 on aggregate)

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Real Salt Lake v FC Dallas (1-2 after first leg) – RSL wins 3-1 (4-3 on aggregate)

Columbus Crew v Colorado Rapids (0-1 after first leg) – 1-1 Draw (Colorado advances 2-1 on aggregate)

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Los Angeles Galaxy v Seattle Sounders FC (1-0 after first leg) – 1-1 Draw (2-1 on aggregate)

Major League Soccer 2010 Conference Semifinals 2nd Leg Predictions - The 90th Minute Soccer Blog

The MLS 2010 Playoffs are about to start with the first leg of the conference semifinals this upcoming weekend (along with a match on Thursday). So, what will happen in the first legs of all the matches. Below are my predictions and feel free to share your own with a comment.

MLS 2010 Playoff Conference Semifinals 1st Leg Predictions

Major League Soccer 2010 Playoff Conference Semifinals 1st Leg Predictions - The 90th Minute Soccer Blog

Major League Soccer had one match on Thursday, May 13, 2010 as Real Salt Lake hosted the Houston Dynamo. RSL has been on an unbeaten streak at Rio Tinto Stadium but the Dynamo are one of the most consistent franchises. A win for Real Salt Lake would put them into 2nd place in the Western Conference while the Dynamo would move closer to the 1st place LA Galaxy with any result.

Real Salt Lake 3-1 Houston Dynamo – Video Highlights

Real Salt Lake scored early and cruised to a 3-1 victory.

The home side would take the lead in the 3rd minute as Robbie Findley headed a Kyle Beckerman cross into the back of the net. Alvaro Saborio would score the next two goals, one in the 24th minute and one in the 60th minute, to give RSL a 3-0 lead.

Houston would get one back in the 72nd minute as Brian Mullan scored but it would not be enough. The win puts RSL into 2nd place in the Western Conference and level on points with the Dynamo (who are now in 3rd).

Scoring:

RSL — Robbie Findley 1 (Kyle Beckerman 2) 3

RSL — Alvaro Saborio 3 (Javier Morales 3) 24

RSL — Alvaro Saborio 4 (Javier Morales 4) 60

HOU — Brian Mullan 2 (Brad Davis 4) 72

Lineups:

Real Salt Lake (4-3-1) — Nick Rimando, Robbie Russell, Jamison Olave, Nat Borchers, Chris Wingert, Andy Williams (Jean Alexandre 69), Kyle Beckerman, Javier Morales, Will Johnson, Alvaro Saborio (Pablo Campos 79), Robbie Findley (Collen Warner 88).

Houston Dynamo (4-4-1) — Pat Onstad, Craig Waibel (Brian Ching 62), Bobby Boswell, Adrian Serioux, Mike Chabala, Brian Mullan, Richard Mulrooney, Brad Davis, Lovel Palmer (Danny Cruz 46), Corey Ashe (Andrew Hainault 68), Dominic Oduro.

Discipline:

RSL — Nat Borchers (caution; Tactical Foul) 26

HOU — Mike Chabala (caution; Tactical Foul) 33

HOU — Bobby Boswell (caution; Tactical Foul) 77

Referee: Alex Prus

Referee’s Assistants: Peter Balciunas; Jeff Hosking

4th Official: Paul Ward

Attendance: 12,945

Time of Game: 1:51

Weather: Cloudy-and-58-degrees

Real Salt Lake 3-1 Houston Dynamo – Video Highlights and Recap – MLS – 13 May 2010 - The 90th Minute Soccer Blog

The 2009 Major League Soccer Cup featured the Los Angeles Galaxy v Real Salt Lake at Qwest Field in Seattle. The match took place on Sunday, November 22, 2009. Who won the MLS Cup and what happened in the match? Here’s a recap and video highlights of the match.

Real Salt Lake beat Los Angeles Galaxy 1-1 (5-4 on penalties) – Video Highlights

1st Half

The match started out lots of energy as there were over 40,000 in attendance to create a terrific atmosphere. It was fairly even at the start as neither team had any great chances in the first ten minutes. The match started to pick up around the 11th minute as both defenses would be tested.

While Real Salt Lake had some chances, the Galaxy had most the possession and were the better team through the first 20 minutes. RSL would have some adversity as Javier Morales picked up an injury and had to leave the match. Clint Mathis came in for Morales who injured his knee during a challenge with David Beckham for the ball.

Real Salt Lake struggled to hold possession as almost all the play early was in their own half. Overall, the game had a slow start as there wasn’t a shot on goal until the 25th minute. The Galaxy had a great chance in the 36th minute as they caught RSL on a counterattack. Donovan sent a pass to Mike Magee who had space on the left wing inside the box and took a low shot that just went wide.

LA Galaxy manager made a tactical change of moving Donovan from the left wing to a central location which made an immediate impact on the match. In the 41st minute, the change would pay off with the Galaxy’s first goal of the match. In the attack, Beckham sent a ball out wide for Donovan who had lots of space. The American had plenty of options but chose to send a cross to the far post where Mike Magee was unmarked. Magee calmly directed the cross into the back to give his team the lead.

It was a great play from Donovan and well deserved for the Galaxy. They were clearly the better team in the first half and created several chances. RSL failed to keep up in the first half and rarely tested LA goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts. The first half ended at 1-0 for the Galaxy who were well on their way to winning the 2009 MLS Cup.

2nd Half

RSL came out much stronger in the second half as the got a great chance earlier. Robbie Findley got behind the defense and had a chance on goal but Donovan Ricketts came out to make the save. During the play, Ricketts collided with Findley and teammate Omar Gonzalez. Play was temporarily halted while Ricketts was getting medical treatment for a hand injury. He would stay in the match despite the injury.

RSL would continue to have chances and almost tied it up in the 58th minute. Some great passing led to a chance for Movsisyan but the defense recovered at the last second. He was taken down in the box and close to being called a penalty. The chances for RSL would lead to the equalizer in the 63rd minute as Movsisyan had a shot that deflected to Findley who put it past Ricketts. It was a deserved goal for RSL who played much better in the second half. It was now 1-1 with about 30 minutes left in the match. Ricketts was taken out after the goal due to the hand injury and Saunders was brought in to replace him.

The Galaxy defense, which played well in the first half, was struggling to keep up with the pace of RSL in the second half. The match would remain tied at 1-1 going into the final minutes. The momentum shifted in the match several times in the second half. RSL came out with it which led to their goal but the Galaxy had the momentum late in the second half. Omar Gonzalez had an injury late in the second half for the Galaxy and was replaced by AJ DeLaGarza.

The final minutes were very open as RSL to create chances while the Galaxy relied on Donovan and Beckham. Because of the lengthy time for injuries in the second half, there were seven minutes of stoppage time. Neither team would score in stoppage time as it would go to extra time (two 15 minute halfs) and penalty kicks if still tied after that.

1st Extra Time

RSL had the first great chance in the 94th minute as the Galaxy as Findley had a shot in the box but DeLaGarza made a diving block at the last second. The defending from the Galaxy was frantic at times and had to scramble to clear the ball. Robbie Findley again almost scored as he had a shot that hit the side netting. The majority of possession was with RSL in the first extra time as they dominated play and had virtually all the chances. RSL couldn’t capitalize on their chances and it was still 1-1 after 105 minutes of play.

2nd Extra Time

Fatigue started to show in the second session of extra time as the pace slowed down dramatically. Beckham, who had injured his ankle in a previous match, was noticably limping but had to stay in the match because LA had already used their three substitutes. The play was wide open as one team would attack which would lead to the other team getting a chance on the counterattack. The match would head into penalty kicks with no goals in either of the extra time halves.

Penalty Kicks

The Galaxy would start first in the penalty kicks with David Beckham starting it off. He converted with a shot to the low left corner as RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando guessed right. Clint Mathis was next for RSL and easily converted down the middle as Saunders guessed right. Gregg Berhalter was next for the Galaxy as he converted with a great shot to the right past a diving Rimando who guessed right. Robbie Findley was next for RSL and he converted confidently with a shot to the upper left corner.

It was now 2-2 heading into the third round. Kirovski was next for the Galaxy as Rimando guessed right and made the save. Kyle Beckerman was next with a chance to put RSL ahead but Josh Saunders guessed right and made a fantastic diving save. It was still 2-2 heading into the fourth round. Landon Donovan was next for the Galaxy and missed the shot high. Grabavoy converted for RSL to give them a 3-2 lead heading into the final round.

Mike Magee had to convert for the Galaxy to keep them in it and he did with a good shot to the upper left corner. It was now 3-3 with Andy Williams of RSL having the chance to win it for his club. He went for a low shot down the middle and Saunders made the save. It was now 3-3 heading into the sixth round of penalties. Chris Klein converted for the Galaxy to give them a 4-3 lead and RSL having to convert to stay alive.

Chris Wingert was now up for RSL and stepped up with the game on his foot. He converted with a low shot to the right corner as Saunders guessed to the left side. It would go into the seventh round with Edson Buddle for the Galaxy. He hit a shot to the right side and Rimando guessed right to give RSL a chance to win. It was 4-4 and if RSL converted they would win the 2009 MLS Cup. Robbie Russell stepped up and converted with a low shot to the left corner and Real Salt Lake were the 2009 Major League Soccer Champions.

It was a hard fought match and improbable run by Real Salt Lake who almost nobody had picked to win when the playoffs started. The LA Galaxy will be disappointed to lose in which they had a lead and chances in penalty kicks.

Referee: Kevin Stott
Referee’s Assistants: C.J. Morgante; Rob Fereday
4th Official: Baldomero Toledo
Time of Game: 120:00
Weather: Cloudy -and- 45 degrees
Attendance: 46,011

Real Salt Lake beat Los Angeles Galaxy 1-1 (5-4 on penalties) to win MLS Cup 2009 – Recap and Video Highlights - The 90th Minute Soccer Blog

The Major League Soccer 2009 Eastern Conference Final was on Saturday with Real Salt Lake traveling to face the Chicago Fire at Toyota Park. The winner would move onto the MLS Cup Final next Sunday against the Los Angeles Galaxy. Here’s a recap of the match along with video highlights.

Real Salt Lake beats Chicago Fire 0-0 (5-4 on penalty kicks) – Video Highlights

It was a close match on Saturday but Real Salt Lake found a way to advance and continue their improbable run to the MLS Cup Final. Like the New York Red Bulls of last season, RSL was not one of the favorites heading into the playoffs but has found their form at the right.

After 90 minutes it remained scoreless and two more 15 minute extra time periods didn’t change the scoreline. The match went to penalty kicks where Chicago took the early lead, converting their first three. RSL’s Javier Morales missed one high as RSL was down 2-3 after three rounds. John Thorrington’s shot was saved in the fourth round while RSL’s Kyle Beckerman converted his chance to tie it up at 3-3.

Both teams would convert their next round but miss the fifth as it was 4-4 after five rounds. Brandon Prideaux of the Chicago Fire had his penalty kick saved and RSL had a chance to win it. Ned Grabavoy stepped up and scored for RSL as they upset the Fire 5-4 on penalties and advanced to the MLS Cup Final.

They will now face the LA Galaxy next Sunday at Qwest Field in Seattle.

Real Salt Lake (3-0-0) vs. Chicago Fire (1-2-0)
November 14, 2009 — Toyota Park

Scoring Summary:

Penalty-kick shootout:
CHI — Cuauhtemoc Blanco (Goal)
RSL — Clint Mathis (Goal)
CHI — Brian McBride (Goal)
RSL — Javier Morales (High)
CHI — Wilman Conde (Goal)
RSL — Robbie Findley (Goal)
CHI — John Thorrington (Saved)
RSL — Kyle Beckerman (Goal)
CHI — C.J. Brown (Goal)
RSL — Will Johnson (Goal)
CHI — Logan Pause (Saved)
RSL — Fabian Espindola (High)
CHI — Brandon Prideaux (Saved)
RSL — Ned Grabavoy (Goal)

Real Salt Lake — Nick Rimando, Robbie Russell (Ned Grabavoy 13), Nat Borchers, Jamison Olave, Chris Wingert, Andy Williams (Clint Mathis 69), Kyle Beckerman, Javier Morales, Will Johnson, Yura Movsisyan (Fabian Espindola 72), Robbie Findley.

Substitutes Not Used: Jean Alexandre, Tony Beltran, Pablo Campos, Chris Seitz

Chicago Fire — Jon Busch, Brandon Prideaux, C.J. Brown, Dasan Robinson, Daniel Woolard (Wilman Conde 95), Chris Rolfe (Justin Mapp 11), Cuauhtemoc Blanco, Logan Pause, John Thorrington, Marco Pappa (Patrick Nyarko 78), Brian McBride,

Substitutes Not Used: Mike Banner, Calen Carr, Andrew Dykstra, Austin Washington

	Chicago Fire		Real Salt Lake
total shots:	15	(Brian McBride 4, Chris Rolfe 4)	17	(Yura Movsisyan 4)
shots on goal:	6	(Cuauhtemoc Blanco 2, Marco Pappa 2)	8	(Kyle Beckerman 2, Robbie Findley 2)
fouls:	8	(John Thorrington 3)	23	(Chris Wingert 6)
offsides:	1	(Brian McBride 1)	2	(Kyle Beckerman 1, Robbie Findley 1)
corner kicks:	8	(Cuauhtemoc Blanco 6)	3	(3 tied with 1)
saves:	8	(Jon Busch	6	(Nick Rimando 6)

Misconduct Summary:
RSL — Javier Morales (caution; Handball) 39
RSL — Chris Wingert (caution; Reckless Foul) 75
CHI — John Thorrington (caution; Reckless Tackle) 92+
RSL — Kyle Beckerman (caution; Dissent) 99
CHI — Brandon Prideaux (caution; Dissent) 101
RSL — Will Johnson (caution; Tactical Foul) 110
CHI — Cuauhtemoc Blanco (caution; Dissent) 117

referee: Ricardo Salazar
Referee’s Assistants: Adam Wienckowski; George Gansner
4th official: Mark Geiger
time of game: 2:48
attendance: 21,723
weather: Partly Cloudy -and- 61 degrees

Real Salt Lake beats Chicago Fire 0-0 (5-4 on penalty kicks) to reach MLS Cup Final – Recap and Video Highlights - The 90th Minute Soccer Blog