An announcement that I hoped not to hear was made before last Thursday's nationally televised match against FC Dallas here in Salt Lake City.
About two minutes before kickoff, Eddie Pope - along with his wife and children - took to the midfield stripe to say that the 2007 season would be his last, as he'll draw the curtain closed on a defensive career that could possibly be the best in U.S. Soccer history.
A man of few words (unless you know him personally), Eddie lived the dream of every young defender growing up in the United States. From the 1996 Olympics, an MLS Cup-winning goal in Foxboro Stadium, a first "cap" against Canada, World Cup appearances in 1998, 2002 and 2006, three MLS Cup championships, and countless MLS All-Star and Best 11 Awards, he was the defender teams could count on to build an organization around. If Real Salt Lake ever needed another excuse to win, it should be to allow this man a chance to go out on top, where he belongs.
Another announcement circulating Rice-Eccles was the news that Dave Checketts, Real Salt Lake and Xango would be bringing starting U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard and sixth-place finisher in the English Premier League, Everton FC, to Rice-Eccles Stadium on July 21.
Not stopping there, RSL also announced that three days later on July 24, Boca Juniors, the most storied team in South America and home of Diego Maradona, would also be taking the field in Utah. After taking a 3-0 lead into the second leg of Copa Libertadores (the South American equivalent to Champions League in Europe) against Gremio (Brazil), only 90 minutes stand between them and the trophy.
If there was ever a way to follow up a team like Real Madrid coming to Salt Lake City last year, this is it.
As kickoff last Thursday approached, a Steve Morrow-led FC Dallas - a side that has handed RSL heartbreaking results throughout its first two-pluse years of existence - strode onto the Rice-Eccles turf missing key strikers Carlos Ruiz (Gold Cup duty with Guatemala) and Kenny Cooper (broken tibia due to a tackle from behind by Tyrone Marshall). If there was ever a time to take advantage of a team and its absences, this was it.
A mistake and a goal by reserve striker Dominic Oduro in the dying moments doomed Real to another loss at home, 1-0.
A lot could be said about who played well and who didn't, but ultimately it was the same story - three points to the other team. On top of that, Jason Kreis was ejected in the 89th minute and would be forced to watch the next match three days later against the L.A. Galaxy in the stands.
So down to The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., we go, with many changes on the docket. While Nick Rimando stayed between the posts, a back four of Jean-Martial Kipre, Pope, Danny Torres and Ritchie Kotschau was set in place. Willis Forko did not travel with the team and Torres was making his first appearance back from an injury, replacing Jack Stewart.
It was Chris Klein, Andy Williams, Atiba Harris and Mehdi Ballouchy in the midfield, with Chris Lancos and Freddy Adu heading to the bench. Chris Brown and Alecko Eskandarian were placed up top, looking to build upon the relationship forged in the China win two weeks earlier.
In an eerily similar manner to the last time RSL played at The Home Depot Center (against Chivas USA), Real Salt Lake was down 1-0 barely three minutes into the match. Torres' soft back pass fell to the feet of forward Nate Jaqua (who hadn't recorded a point all season long), and though Torres was able to clear the shot off the goal line, the ball bounced off the post and back to Jaqua, who pounded it into the back of the net.
With many in the stadium still celebrating, Brown received the ball two minutes later with his back to goal and near the Galaxy 18-yard box. Spinning and running at the back four, Brown found a way to sneak through and in on Joe Cannon and finished coolly, drawing level 1-1 in the fifth minute.
With new Galaxy bad-boy Abel Xavier with the ball at his feet, fellow debutante Edson Buddle (traded from Toronto FC for Tyrone Marshall) set off on his run and away from Torres, 40 yards from goal. As Buddle made his perfectly timed turn, Xavier sprayed a 60-yard ball over the top of Torres and in on goal. As Buddle caught up to it 25 yards out, he wasted little time pulling the trigger and hitting far post side net, leaving Rimando with no chance.
2-1 Galaxy, 25th minute
Coming out of the half, Stewart entered the match for an injured Pope, who had sprained his knee early in the first half. Adu found his way into the match, as well, near the hour mark, adjusting the normal 4-4-2 formation into a 3-5-2 formation that would unfortunately allow L.A. substitutes Robbie Findley and Gavin Glinton to use their speed and take advantage of the space as Real looked for goals.
It only took a few minutes to take advantage of those cavernous spaces, as Kyle Martino got down to the RSL touchline. As all three backs found Galaxy players in the box, it was a late run from Cobi Jones (also in his last season in MLS) who went unmarked. Jones had no one near him as he drilled the ball back across Rimando's goal and into the far post side net. Once again, there was nothing that Rimando could do.
3-1 Galaxy, 63rd minute
While still giving up chances on the defensive side while hunting for goals, Real found one on their first corner kick goal of the season. Coming through the left foot of Adu, Chris Brown found space at the back post to head past Cannon for his second goal of the match and third of the year.
With the game ending in a 3-2 loss at the hands of the Galaxy, what might hurt worse were the losses of Eddie Pope (knee sprain) and Chris Brown (hamstring pop) during the match. With Carey Talley (knee) already missing time since his injury in Dallas in May and Freddy Adu and Chris Seitz heading to the USA's U-20 World Cup squad (first game on June 30th against Korea on ESPNU), Kreis will have many obstacles in front of him as RSL prepares for a team that could be the hottest in MLS right now.
D.C. United, Real's next opponent Saturday night at Rice-Eccles, is coming off five wins and two ties in their last seven games. Boasting the last two MLS Player of the Week winners - Luciano Emilio (5g, 1a) and Ben Olsen (4g, 1a) - in addition to defending MLS MVP Christian Gomez (3g, 3a) and Kreis's co-leader atop the MLS career goal-scoring chart, Jaime Moreno (3g, 1a), it's certainly not going to get any easier for Real Salt Lake this weekend.
Brian Dunseth, the former Captain of the 2000 U.S. Olympic Team, who scored the game-winning goal in Real Salt Lake's first-ever win in its home opener in 2005 vs. rival Colorado, can be heard each week on KALL 700 AM the Zone, providing analysis during RSL game broadcasts and co-hosting the pre- and post-game shows for RSL home games. A nine-year veteran of MLS play, Dunseth is now a licensed realtor for The Bringhurst Group in Salt Lake City, and looks forward to your feedback at brian@slchouses.com.
