the league's all-time leading scorer -- retiring, only to become the youngest head coach in Major League Soccer two days after their latest loss?
Just another week in the life of Real Salt Lake, its players and dedicated supporters.
While I personally think that John Ellinger is a very good coach at many different levels, owner Dave Checketts determined it was time for a change, and who better to take the reigns than the man who led the team for the past 2 1/2 seasons as captain, face and leader in every way for RSL. While very few candidates were taken into consideration, it became crystal clear to the owner who was the best choice for this important task.
Jason Kreis made the difficult decision to retire immediately and only two days later led RSL against the top-of-the-table New York Red Bulls, Bruce Arena and former RSL whipping boy Clint Mathis, who was available for selection after his red card suspension two weeks earlier.
Kreis started quickly by implementing the more familiar 4-4-2 formation, inserting Atiba Harris up top to partner with Jeff Cunningham, leaving Adu and Klein out on the wings with Ballouchy and Talley sharing space in the central midfield, the exact same way they finished last season. Forko and Stewart were the outside backs, with a Pope/Torres partnership in the middle and Seitz retaining his place between the pipes. With his starting XI on the field and his first game on the sidelines against arguably the best coach in American history, Kreis put a team on the field that would go to battle for him. Or so he hoped.
The game started off with dangerous possession for New York and in the 12th minute, a wide open Cletus (dropping in underneath Jozy Altidore and away from Pope and Torres all night long) found time to receive, turn and spray a ball over the top for the pacy Jamaican international, Dane Richards (a Shaun Wright-Phillips look-a-like). While Seitz had it right the first time, coming aggressively off his line, he hesitated for a split second, got caught flat-footed trying not to steamroll teammate Willis Forko and by the time his mind was made up, Richards was able to poke the ball past the RSL keeper and into the back of the net. RSL 0-1 NYRB - 12th minute
Hoping to turn the tide, the RSL midfield created a couple of great chances with Cunningham muscling his way around Carlos Mendes for a quick left-footed shot that he just pushed wide right past an onrushing Ronald Waterreus (who would leave the match later in the second half to an ankle sprain. More on that later).
With Freddy Adu turning Red Bull left back Todd Dunivant inside out after switching flanks with Chris Klein, only one RSL player was in the box for a great cross that went untouched through the six-yard box.
With Mehdi Ballouchy losing possession at the midfield stripe, Dave van den Bergh was intent upon capitalizing on the mistake. With both Altidore and Mathis creating space with their off-the-ball movement, van den Bergh pushed the ball towards the RSL back four. Once they committed, the Dutchman found an unmarked Mathis to his left sprinting into the 18-yard box and a one-on-one with Seitz. The U-20 World Cup starter had no chance as Clint hit a cheeky outside-of-the-right-boot finish to the far post side net. RSL 0-2 NYRB - 28th minute
Coming out of halftime, you could immediately see the adjustments that Kreis had made at the break, and it should be noted that Coach Kreis took full tactical responsibility for the Red Bulls' first two goals, due to the addition of Mathis to a side that had played differently against Dallas in the prior game.
With New York's wingers having less freedom than they did in the first 45, RSL was looking to capitalize on the other end. Pushing up the right flank, Chris Klein received the ball wide, knocking it into Cunningham who was able to find Harris at the top of the box holding off his defender. With Parke getting a touch to the ball and finding its way back to Klein, the Dutchman van den Bergh was hesitant to overcommit.
Getting the respect he deserves for being one of the great crossers of the ball in Major League Soccer, Klein cut the ball back to his less-preferred left foot. In the process of losing van den Bergh while taking another touch across the top of the box, Klein smacked a left-footed bender to the far post that had the spectator Waterreus dumbfounded as it hit the side net. RSL 1-2 NYRB - 61st minute
With momentum definitely favoring Salt Lake, Bruce Arena subbed out Richards for Dema Kovalenko, a move that paid in full just three minutes later. Claudio Reyna found a wide open Kovalenko on the right side, who took a couple of touches to settle and sent a great cross into a wide open Clint Mathis, once again unmarked on the box. With just a flick of the freshly shaven head, Cletus was on the scoresheet once again. RSL 1-3 NYRB - 83rd minute
While the fans were heading to the parking lot, an important substitute Chris Brown (he came on in the 63rd minute to not only bring more offensive spark to the team, but to allow Klein to slid into the right back role and Brownie at right mid, which meant both could attack and defend at will since they're both interchangeable) was making the game difficult for the visitors, who were just trying to put the game to bed and walk out of Rice-Eccles with 3 points ahead of their Open Cup match Tuesday against the Los Angeles Galaxy in New York.
With two penalty calls going unanswered for RSL earlier in the match, referee Ricardo Salazar had no choice but to point to the spot after Jeff Parke's elbow found its way into Carey Talley's face in the 89th minute. While the visitors complained, Jeff Cunningham coolly placed the ball on the penalty spot and proceeded to beat Jon Conway -- who came on as a late substitute for an injured Waterreus -- to the right for his 93rd career goal. RSL 2-3 NYRB - 90th minute
As you began to feel the tide turning RSL's way, Chris Brown found himself in isolation with Dunivant at the right edge of Conway's 18-yard box. Collecting an Adu ball across the top and pushing right, cutting back left and finally creating space for himself, Brownie unleashed a driven left-footed shot that once again found the upper far post side net that had no chance of being saved by any keeper at any level. RSL 3-3 NYRB - 92+ minutes
That's the way to game would end, although RSL squandered two more corner kick opportunities with wasted short corners. Very poor decision there, especially when you have the opportunity to put the ball into the box and possibly have another scoring chance.
Overall I was very impressed with the decisions Kreis made in his first MLS game. While there is plenty of to work to do before Thursday night's nationally-televised ESPN2 game against Rocky Mountain Cup rival and 2-0 winner last Monday night, the Colorado Rapids, one can't help but be impressed with the work rate and desire to come back from a 0-2 deficit at home.
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.
