REAL SALT LAKE v NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION
RICE-ECCLES STADIUM, Salt Lake City, Utah
7 p.m. MT (FSN-NE)
June 24, 2006 (WEEK 13) / MLS Game #79
Real Salt Lake return home after two consecutive losses on the road put an end to their club-record four-game unbeaten run, and won't have the leadership of head coach John Ellinger on the bench, suspended for the match. They play host to a New England Revolution side that began their two-game road trip when they allowed a late goal in Columbus for a 1-1 draw that extended their winless streak to six matches, though last year's MLS Cup Finalist have drawn their last three games.
REFEREE: Terry Vaughn. SAR (bench): Steve Davidson; JAR (opposite): Emiliano Monje; 4th: Richard Heron
MLS Career: 63 games; FC/gm: 31.1; Y/gm: 4.0; R: 19; pens: 20
MLS 2006: 3 games; FC/gm: 32.0 (avg: 29.6); Y/gm: 5.0 (avg: 3.73); R: 0 (MLS: 9); pens: 2 (MLS: 17)
Games involving Real: P1 W0 L1 T0; FC/gm: 22.0; Y/gm: 5.0; R: 0; pens: 1
Games involving Revolution: P10 W5 L2 T3; FC/gm: 32.7; Y/gm: 4.0; R: 2; pens: 2
INJURY REPORT: REAL SALT LAKE - OUT: DF Paul Broome (L ankle internal derangement); MF Seth Trembly (L knee ACL tear); MF Christian Jimenez (L knee ACL tear); PROBABLE: DF Danny Torres (L popliteal strain) ... NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION - OUT: DF Marshall Leonard (L Achilles tendon repair); DF James Riley (R ankle peroneal strain); MF Leandro De Oliveira (R knee sprain); DF Joe Franchino (R ankle sprain); DOUBTFUL: MF Khano Smith (L knee surgery); QUESTIONABLE: MF Daniel Hernandez (L ankle sprain); FW Pat Noonan (lower back); PROBABLE: MF Ryan Latham (abdominal strain); GK Doug Warren (R knee sprain)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: RSL: Eddie Pope (USA; 2006 World Cup); Douglas Sequeira (Costa Rica; 2006 World Cup) ... NE: Clint Dempsey (USA; 2006 World Cup); Avery John (Trinidad & Tobago; 2006 World Cup)
SUSPENDED: RSL: John Ellinger (head coach)
WARNINGS: RSL: Atiba Harris (suspended next yellow card); Jeff Cunningham (suspended next yellow card); Carey Talley (suspended next yellow card) ... NE: Shalrie Joseph (suspended next yellow card)
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (2 meetings): Real 0 wins (0 shootout), 1 goal ... Revolution 2 wins (0 shootout), 5 goals ... 0 draws
AT SALT LAKE: (1 meeting): Real 0 wins (0 shootout), 0 goals ... Revolution 1 win (0 shootout), 1 goal ... 0 draws
This is the first of two meetings between the clubs this season, the only one set for the Wasatch Front. Their lone encounter in the Bay State comes in just three weeks time, on July 14.
2005 (MLS)
8/10: NE 4, RSL 1 (Dempsey 12; Twellman 16; own goal 76; Smith 90 - Kreis 31)
9/3: RSL 0, NE 1 (Smith 76)
The Revolution won both meetings in Real's inaugural season last year, winning 4-1 at home before claiming a 1-0 victory in Salt Lake City just three weeks later. Khano Smith had three goals in his first campaign for the Revolution - two came against Real.
Coaches record: John Ellinger vs. NE: P2 W0 L2 D0 ... Steve Nicol v RSL: P2 W2 L0 D0
REAL SALT LAKE
Real Salt Lake lost for the second consecutive match to round out their two-game road swing, falling 2-1 to Houston Dynamo at Robertson Stadium last Saturday. Real now have 11 points from 12 matches, fifth place in the Western Conference, three points ahead of the Los Angeles Galaxy and six points behind fourth-place Chivas USA.
LAST MATCH
Dynamo hadn't lost in three games, while Real saw their club-record four-game unbeaten run ended the weekend before as they were looking for a second win on their travels in club history.
Dynamo took a deserved lead in the 36th minute - but nearly wasted the glorious opportunity. Kenny Cutler was adjudged to have pulled back Dwayne De Rosario in the area, and referee Ben Jones ruled a penalty kick. Real's Scott Garlick then parried the effort from Ronald Cerritos - but Brian Mullan was first to the rebound and sent it back home inside the far post (36).
After RSL had a goal controversially ruled out for offside early in the second half, Alejandro Moreno doubled the Dynamo lead in the 83rd minute with a wonderful goal. Mullan curled in a cross from the right, and Moreno threw himself forward and flicked the ball out of the air with his right foot over Garlick.
Real pulled back a consolation goal in the 89th minute when Jason Kreis converted from the penalty spot for the 104th goal of his MLS career, after Ryan Cochrane tripped up Atiba Harris in the area. Kreis restored his advantage to two goals ahead of D.C. United's Moreno in the all-time MLS goalscoring leaders.
Real head coach John Ellinger didn't make any changes to the team that lost 1-0 to the Colorado Rapids the previous Friday in Denver.
Here's Ellinger's team (4-4-2): Scott Garlick - Kevin Novak (Atiba Harris 46), Nelson Akwari, Daniel Torres, Willis Forko (Chris Brown 78) - Chris Klein, Kenny Cutler (Andy Williams 46), Carey Talley, Mehdi Ballouchy - Jason Kreis, Jeff Cunningham. [Substitutes Not Used: Nikolas Besagno, Ryan Johnson, Jay Nolly, Jamie Watson]
"With the loss tonight we have now lost seven games, six of those by one goal, so it's hard to say, but I think the chemistry on this team is good and is getting better," Ellinger said. "The work rate is excellent. The biggest thing for us is coming out and starting the game off strong."
TEAM NEWS
After the match, Ellinger was particularly aggrieved at the goal that was ruled out in the 56th minute. Jeff Cunningham's shot was saved and Harris potted the rebound, but the flag was up for offside.
"We played well the second half," Ellinger said, "and we had the referees take it away from us. . . . The fourth official talks to the TV crew, they see it's onside. The [assistant referee] on our side apologized to our players that were warming up for not allowing the goal. It's frustrating. It's just frustrating. You feel bad for your guys. They're busting their hump, and they have nothing to show for it."
For some of his comments about the officiating following the game, Ellinger was suspended for the Revolution match and fined $1000. Assistant coach Peter Mellor will handle the sideline duties on Saturday.
Real lead the league with seven goals in the final 15 minutes after the Kreis penalty kick in Houston. RSL has not scored in the first half in the last five games, and only three of 16 goals on the season have come before halftime.
"What's disappointing for me is that for the last three weeks, really, even the game that we won against Chicago, for 45 minutes, we refuse to play soccer," striker Jason Kreis said to The Salt Lake Tribune. "And I don't know why. It's like, when we put the ball down and play soccer, we're a very good team. We create opportunities left and right. But for some reason, I don't know whether we're scared or we don't have the right mentality. I don't know what it is, but there's got to be more soccer involved in the first 45 minutes."
Added Mehdi Ballouchy: "I've said this before, and I'll say it again. I think it takes something bad - usually a goal - for us to get going ... In a lot of games it happened. Maybe it is a confidence thing, I'm not sure. I can't tell you what it is right now, I'm still trying to figure it out myself."
Before Garlick's save of the penalty kick, 12 of 15 had been successful in MLS this season."At that point, unfortunately their guy beat us to the ball," said Garlick. "That's our first penalty this season, which I guess is a good thing."
Cunningham went a second consecutive game without a goal after hitting for five goals in a four-game span. The U.S. international said he has endured a week where he received his share of criticism from teammates.
"It was positive criticism. I felt like today I tried to step my game up and I thought I played fairly well, however, they need to ask themselves the same question," said Cunningham. "I feel like we need to step it up and stop making excuses, look at the position you play and look at what guys in the league are doing and challenge yourself."
NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION
The New England Revolution saw the roles reversed as their winless streak went to six games, this time allowing a late goal to allow the Columbus Crew to pull into a 1-1 draw on Wednesday evening at Crew Stadium. The Revolution remain in fourth place in the Eastern Conference with 14 points from 12 matches, one behind Columbus, six behind second place Kansas City Wizards and now 15 adrift of MLS overall leader D.C. United.
The Revolution had scored dramatic late goals in their last two games to snatch a pair of draws, though they hadn't won in five games, while the Crew had just one win in their last five games.
The visitors struck first, midway through the second half. Jose Cancela flighted a wonderful long ball from near the midfield stripe, finding Taylor Twellman, who perfectly laid it back to a charging Andy Dorman. The Welshman raced into the penalty area and hit a low shot inside the near post to beat Noah Palmer for his third goal in as many games.
But this time the Revolution were on the receiving end of some late dramatics. Ritchie Kotschau charged down a deflected pass near the byeline deep in the New England penalty area and pulled back a perfectly clipped cross where Kei Kamara came in to dive and head it home for the equalizer, leaving the Crew a point ahead of the Revolution in the East.
Revolution head coach Steve Nicol made no changes to the team that played to a 1-1 draw with D.C. United the previous Saturday at Gillette Stadium.
Here's Nicol's team (3-4-1-2): Matt Reis - Jay Heaps, Michael Parkhurst, Tony Lochhead - Andy Dorman, Shalrie Joseph, Jeff Larentowicz, Steve Ralston - Jose Cancela - Taylor Twellman, Kyle Brown (Jani Galik 74). [Substitutes Not Used: Pat Haggerty, Pat Noonan, Willie Sims, T.J. Tomasso, Adam Williamson, Danny Wynn]
"We're obviously disappointed after going ahead and then giving up the late goal. It would have been nice to go to Salt Lake with three points," Nicol said. "Half-full, half-empty. Obviously at the moment it feels like it is half-empty."
TEAM NEWS
As has been the case now for the last six weeks, the Revolution failed to bring home the full three points. This time however it was a late goal from the opposition that provided an equalizer, instead of New England getting the late leveler.
"They cleared the ball through and it deflected off of one of our guys and obviously to their benefit," Nicol said. "Their goal was a wee bit fortunate."
Still, it appeared the Revolution would break the stalemate just before the final whistle. Twellman latched onto a curling cross from Steve Ralston, but put his looping header ricocheting off the top of the Crew crossbar.
"It's kind of been our story," Twellman said. "I have a decent chance at the end and it goes off the crossbar. I'll take the blame for this one; this one's on my shoulders."
Andy Dorman has now scored goals in three consecutive games, and each one has given the Revolution a share of the points. He scored the tying goal in the 3-3 draw in Chicago (in the 94th minute), then in the 1-1 home draw against D.C. United (in the 86th minute), before getting the lead goal in Columbus.
It wasn't a great start to a two-game road swing, and also it wasn't a great start to a busy stretch that will see the Revolution play two games a week for the next three weeks.
"You could see that we were struggling tonight. We didn't have the pep in our step, we didn't have the energy. Subsequently, we couldn't hold onto the ball after we got the lead. We just dropped into a defensive shell and we didn't really play out of it. We kept turning over possession," said Matt Reis. "Eventually they were going to get some chances. We shot ourselves in the foot and gave the ball away in a bad spot, they countered, and got their goal. Overall, we need to bring more energy to the game."
