A goal from Kansas City Wizards DF Jimmy Conrad was just enough for the Missouri side to register a 1-0 victory over Real Salt Lake on Saturday in the 2008 Saturn Challenge Cup, contested at John Crain Field on the campus of the University of Oklahoma in Norman. The loss was just the second in a dozen spring training outings for RSL, which owns a 6-2-4 exhibition record during its spring training slate. Tonight's match was the final warm-up for RSL's first team, which will now turn its focus to next Saturday's 2008 MLS season opener against the Chicago Fire at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
The Wizards seemed to have the better of the play in the first 10 minutes, and in the 11th minute it would be Conrad gaining the game's first clear-cut chance when he connected on a corner kick, only to see his header directed right to waiting RSL 'keeper Nick Rimando. Real Salt Lake seemed to find its attacking legs soon afterwards and was able to pump several crosses into the Wizards penalty area, but nothing would come from the chances. In the 20th minute, Real Salt Lake FW Yura Movsisyan nearly finished off one of those crosses sent in from the left flank by DF Ian Joy, but his header from nine yards out missed right.
Real Salt Lake midfielders Andy Williams and Javier Morales saw the ball at their feet more and more as the half progressed, and the two linked up in the 24th minute when the Argentine played Williams into the top of the KC area on a well-played through ball, but Williams slipped his shot just wide of the left post. Just after the half hour mark the Wizards nearly struck on a quick build-up that ended with Rimando taking Wizards MF Ryan Pore's cross off the foot of hard-charging FW Eloy Colombano directly in front of the RSL net. Williams was set up for one of his patented long-range bombs in the 42nd minute on a nice lay-off from MF Kyle Beckerman, only to see the shot miss right of frame, while Morales's short cross to the far post off a set piece a minute later sailed just inches over Movsisyan's head on the doorstep.
Real Salt Lake would come out of the break and again control the bulk of possession to start the second half, but its first chance of the stanza came on a set-piece from 35 yards that MF Carey Talley hammered on two bounces to Wizards GK Kevin Hartman.
Real Salt Lake FW Fabian Espíndola was the beneficiary of a pair of long, field-switching balls to the left flank in the 59th and 60th minutes, but the Argentine striker saw his far-post efforts both bounce just wide, the first missing goal by no more than a foot. A minute later it was Morales's turn again, but his shot from distance was gathered on the short-hop by Hartman.
A foul just outside the right side of the RSL penalty area in the 64th minute would set up the match's lone goal a minute later, with Wizards MF Carlos Marinelli serving the short ball towards the top of the RSL six-yard box. Kansas City FW Ivan Trujillo would get a deflection on the ball, but it was Conrad who bodied the ball past Rimando from just four yards out to give the Wizards the 1-0 advantage.
Neither side would challenge the goal for the next 15 minutes, but Real Salt Lake pressed the attack and created numerous chances in the game's final 10 minutes. Beckerman would play a quick give-and-go with rookie FW Tino Nuñez in the 82nd minute that gained the veteran midfielder space 20 yards from goal, but his dipping effort landed on the top of the net. A volley by RSL newcomer MF Dema Kovalenko off a Morales free kick missed high two minutes later, while Movsisyan and Joy linked up on a cross again in the 86th minute, the forward's nodded effort also heading over goal. Movsisyan had the game's final quality chance in the 90th minute, but his shot in traffic off a cross by Morales sailed high from 10 yards out.
RSL News & Notes
• While this evening's Saturn Challenge Cup marked the final preseason preparation for some of the Real Salt Lake line-up, the squad still has one more chance to tune up for next Saturday's MLS opener against Chicago, as RSL will take to the field on Monday evening against Lobos PFC of Ogden in the first annual "Kickoff Cup" at Skyline High School, beginning at 7:00 p.m. MT. Admission to the contest is free of charge, but those that can't make it out to the exhibition can listen live on www.RealSaltLake.com, as Bill Riley and Brian Kamler will call the action live from Skyline HS.
• Real Salt Lake has come away fairly unscathed from the preseason in regards to injuries, as only three members of the squad were unable to take part in tonight's exhibition contest. DF Nik Besagno (R meniscus surgery) and MF Brennan Tennelle (R hamstring strain) stayed behind in Salt Lake City to rehab their knocks, while DF Chris Wingert (L MCL sprain) and MF Matias Cordoba (illness) traveled with the squad to Oklahoma City but did not see any action in tonight's affair.
• RSL will regain the services of FW Robbie Findley, GK Chris Seitz and D/M Nathan Sturgis this week, but not until the trio finishes up their duties with the U.S. Under-23 Men's National Team tomorrow afternoon against Honduras. The U.S. qualified for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing thanks to Thursday's 3-0 trouncing of Canada in the CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Tournament semifinals, and now the USA will look to take the whole ball of wax in tomorrow's final against the Catrachos at LP Field in Nashville (3:00 p.m. MT, live on Fox Soccer Channel and ESPN Deportes).
Real Salt Lake 0 : 1 Kansas City Wizards
Saturn Challenge Cup 2008 / Spring Exhibition #12
Saturday, March 22, 2008
John Crain Field - Norman, Okla.
Scoring Summary
KC - Jimmy Conrad (Ivan Trujillo, Carlos Marinelli) 65
Discipline Summary
KC - Jimmy Conrad (caution) 43
Real Salt Lake Line-up: GK-Nick Rimando, DF-Tony Beltran, DF-Nat Borchers (Jamison Olave 45), DF-Matias Mantilla, DF-Ian Joy; MF-Kyle Beckerman, MF-Carey Talley (Captain), MF-Javier Morales, MF-Andy Williams (Dema Kovalenko 45); FW-Yura Movsisyan, FW-Fabian Espíndola (Tino Nuñez 76)
Kansas City Wizards Line-up: GK-Kevin Hartman, DF-Michael Harrington, DF-Jack Jewsbury, DF-Jimmy Conrad (Captain) (Aaron Hohlbein 82), DF-Tyson Wahl, MF-Chance Myers, MF-Kerry Zavagnin, MF-Carlos Marinelli (Kurt Morsink 74), MF-Ryan Pore, FW-Eloy Colombano (Scott Sealy 45), FW-Ivan Trujillo
Referee: Michael Kennedy
Referee's Assistants: Paul Scott, Kyle Borne
4th Official: Jack Damrill
2008 RSL Preseason Exhibition Schedule (6-2-4)
Date Opponent Result Venue
2/08 Ventura County Fusion (PDL) 7-0 W Buena H.S. - Ventura, CA
2/09 Santa Barbara City College 4-1 W Oxnard College - Oxnard, CA
2/16 Florida International Univ. 3-1 W Holiday Inn Sports Complex - Sunrise, FL
2/19 Lynn University 1-2 L Central Broward Regional Park - Lauderhill, FL
2/22 Colorado Rapids 2-2 T Central Broward Regional Park - Lauderhill, FL
2/23 Florida Atlantic Univ. 2-1 W Holiday Inn Sports Complex - Sunrise, FL
3/05 Newell's Old Boys (ARG) (Reserves) 0-0 T Rosario, Argentina
3/05 Newell's Old Boys (ARG) (Reserves) 1-1 T Rosario, Argentina
3/09 Jockey Club Rosario (ARG) 3-0 W Rosario, Argentina
3/11 Central Córdoba (ARG) 2-0 W Gabino Sosa Stadium - Rosario, Argentina
3/12 Rosario Central (Reserves) 2-2 T Palos Verdes - Rosario, Argentina
3/22 Kansas City Wizards 0-1 L John Crain Field - Norman, Okla.
3/24 Lobos PFC (Ogden) -- Skyline H.S. - Salt Lake City - 7:00 p.m. MT
Real Salt Lake Schedule: March 23-29
Sunday, March 23: Return to Salt Lake City; Off Day
Monday, March 24: 2008 Kickoff Cup - Real Salt Lake v. Lobos PFC at Skyline H.S. - 7:00 p.m. MT (live streaming audio at www.RealSaltLake.com)
Tuesday, March 25: Training at XanGo Field in Lehi - Time TBA;
Fourth Annual RSL Kickoff Charity Luncheon at The Depot - 11:30 a.m. MT
Wednesday, March 26: Training at Rice-Eccles Stadium - 10:30 a.m. MT
Thursday, March 27: Training at XanGo Field - 10:30 a.m. MT
Friday, March 28: Training at Rice-Eccles Stadium - 10:30 a.m. MT;
Annual RSL Fan BBQ at Rice-Eccles Stadium - approx. 12:00 p.m. MT
Saturday, March 29: MLS First Kick 2008 - RSL v. Chicago Fire at Rice-Eccles Stadium - 4:00 p.m. MT
