SALT LAKE CITY - Real Salt Lake (1-1-0) split its first two preseason contests today, defeating the University of Central Florida, 4-3, and later falling to GAIS of Sweden, 0-1, in the afternoon.
On the day, a total of nine new players donned the RSL shield for the first time, including MF Freddy Adu, acquired by RSL via trade with D.C. United on December 12, 2006.</p>
"For our first game-speed activities, we got out of it exactly what we wanted," said RSL Head Coach John Ellinger. "We worked on our defensive shape, and we kept the sheet clean for 60 minutes. The one mistake got us. There were no injuries, and I'm very pleased with everyone's effort and attitude today. All in all, a good outing for everyone."</p>
MLS and RSL veteran Chris Brown led RSL to victory in the first game, scoring twice against host club Central Florida, including the equalizer and the game-winner, each just seven minutes apart in the second half. MF Joey Worthen, a native of Salt Lake City who attended Cottonwood High School, also added a goal and an assist. RSL's first preseason goal of 2007 was scored by former NE Revolution forward Kyle Brown, the former Southlake (Tex.) high school football star. </p>
RSL opened the match in a 3-5-2 formation, with supplemental draft picks Dustin Kirby and Haddon Kirk starting on the backline in front of GK Chase Harrison, along with Wake Forest product and former U.S. U-17 star Steven Curfman at left back. MF Jonathan Bramwell, a trialist from Panamanian club Plaza Amador (where he was a teammate of Luis Tejada), lined up at defensive midfield along with 2006 reserve player Brian Gil, with Kevin Novak and Joey Worthen on the wings. Up top, Ellinger selected Kyle Brown and Andy Williams on the attack.</p>
Kyle Brown opened the RSL account just 12 minutes into the preseason, after Williams - RSL's all-time leader in games played (55) crossed the ball to MF Duke Hashimoto, who dribbled into space and found the newest Brown for the go-ahead goal.</p>
Following two UCF goals in the 27th and 31st minutes, Worthen headed home a Kyle Brown corner kick in the 42nd minute to knot the score at 2-2. Less than a minute later, Brown hit the right post from outside the box, but the teams entered halftime still tied.</p>
In the 2nd half, RSL switched to a 4-4-2 formation, with supplemental draft pick Kyle Reynish moving into goal and trialist Scott Palguta filling in at centerback. Supplemental pick Jared Kent was introduced at left midfield, with Bramwell moving to the right side and MF Kenny Cutler lining up behind Hashimoto. Worthen moved up top, with FW Chris Brown making his 2007 debut.</p>
UCF went ahead 3-2 just five minutes into the second half, but Chris Brown's heroics in the 60th and 67th minute enabled RSL to emerge victorious. On the equalizer, Brown was set up by a Worthen cross, and just seven minutes later Worthen was taken down to set up a Brown free kick from 20 yards out for the game-winner. In the 71st minute, Bramwell almost tallied RSL's fifth goal as his blast hit the crossbar.</p>
RSL 4:3 UCF
Scoring Summary:
RSL - Kyle Brown (Duke Hashimoto, Andy Williams) 12'
UCF - Mike Madsen 27'
UCF - James Georgoff 31'
RSL - Joey Worthen (Chris Brown) 42'
UCF - Zak Boggs 50'
RSL - Chris Brown (Joey Worthen) 60'
RSL - Chris Brown 67'
Real Salt Lake - Chase Harrison (Kyle Reynish 46); Steven Curfman, Haddon Kirk, Dustin Kirby (Chris Lancos 60); Joey Worthen, Brian Gil (Kenny Cutler 46), Jonathan Bramwell (Gil 75), Kevin Novak (Scott Palguta 46), Duke Hashimoto; Andy Williams (Chris Brown 46), Kyle Brown (Jared Kent 46)
In the day's second contest, RSL fell 0-1 to Swedish first division squad GAIS. Once again, RSL kicked off the game in a 3-5-2 formation, with Ellinger rolling out his first-choice squad at this juncture: veteran GK Scott Garlick between the pipes, with Jack Stewart, Eddie Pope and Willis Forko right-to-left across the back; Carey Talley and captain Jason Kreis in the holding midfield slots behind Freddy Adu, with Chris Klein on the right and Mehdi Ballouchy on the left. Up top, defending MLS Golden Boot winner Jeff Cunningham ran alongside FW Atiba Harris.</p>
The scoreless first half was marked by GAIS' physical style of play, with the Swedish team displaying the cohesiveness expected of a team several weeks into its preseason. GK Scott Garlick came up big, stopping not just one but two point-blank shots in rapid-fire succession midway through the first half, enabling the team's to go to the break tied 0-0.</p>
Ellinger introduced three new players at the break, as GK Harrison replaced Garlick; Palguta, the former Rochester Rhinos (A-League) standout came in for Forko; and MF Kevin Novak entered for Kreis, pushing Ballouchy to the center of the park. </p>
In the 60th minute, Lancos replaced Pope, pushing Stewart to the center of the defensive back three. Kyle Brown came in for Klein, Cutler entered for Talley and Chris Brown subbed in for Cunningham.</p>
RSL showed flashes of consistent possession throughout the contest, but the final touch or final pass was lacking. In the 63rd minute, GAIS scored when a corner kick played to the top of the box was parried on due to a muffed RSL clearance, giving Harrison no chance to stop the wide-open chance.</p>
Ballouchy created RSL's best scoring opportunity late in the game, dribbling through the GAIS defense and setting up Andy Williams, who juked a defender and set Freddy Adu free on a breakaway in the 80th minute. Adu's shot was snuffed by the GAIS 'keeper to preserve the shutout.</p>
RSL 0:1 GAIS
Scoring Summary:
GAIS - 63'
Real Salt Lake - Scott Garlick (Chase Harrison 46); Jack Stewart, Eddie Pope (Chris Lancos 60), Willis Forko (Scott Palguta 46); Chris Klein (Kyle Brown 60), Carey Talley (Kenny Cutler 60), Jason Kreis (Kevin Novak 46), Medhi Ballouchy, Freddy Adu, Jeff Cunningham (Chris Brown 60), Atiba Harris (Williams 46)
RSL continues training without a key offseason acquisition, Panamanian striker Luis Tejada, due to the forward's bid to help Panama qualify for this summer's CONCACAF Gold Cup. Panama drew Sunday with Honduras, 1-1, and plays Costa Rica tonight in a match that can be seen on Galavision. Tejada started and played all 90 minutes in Sunday's draw, seeing a 40th-minute equalizer disallowed due to an offsides call and watching as his apparent game-winning assist in the 90th minute was nullified when a teammate, again offside, played a ball on the goal line instead of letting it trickle into the goal. Tejada was also cautioned in the 27th minute, committing a hard foul shortly after the Panama own goal allowed Honduras to take the 1-0 lead. Voted the MVP of the 2005 Gold Cup as Panama dropped a penalty-kick shootout to the United States, Tejada arrives in Salt Lake City on Feb. 21, joining Watson and Seitz for RSL's preseason training stint in Madrid, Spain, from Feb. 26-March 9. </p>
Two Real Salt Lake players - GK Chris Seitz and FW Jamie Watson - departed on Saturday for a two-week U.S. Soccer training camp at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., where the squad will prepare for a two-match tour of Japan. Watson scored in Monday's 2-0 U.S. win in a scrimmage against UCLA on Monday. The U-23's used 22 players over 90 minutes, making a full lineup change at halftime. After a well-contested first half, Watson broke the deadlock in the 57th minute when he nodded home a cross from the Galaxy's Quavas Kirk.
This is the first gathering of the U-23 MNT since the CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Tournament in August of 2004, and the first under interim U.S. Head Coach Bob Bradley. The team will leave on Feb. 16 for Japan, where the U-23s will play two matches, against the Japan Under-22 Men's National Team on Feb. 21 and a Japanese club team two days later. </p>
