United hope to break through at RSL
Real has won three straight home matches vs. Black-and-Red
RIO TINTO STADIUM, Sandy, Utah
April 11, 2009 (WEEK 4) / MLS Game #25
4 p.m. MT (KUTV-2.2)
After exploding for four goals in their Rio Tinto Stadium debut nine days ago, Real Salt Lake return to action to take on a D.C. United team against which they've enjoyed some home success. Real have split their two games thus far, after defeating defending champion Columbus in their last outing, while United finally won on the season after a pair of draws, knocking off Houston at home last weekend. A year ago, RSL won for the third consecutive time against D.C. in Utah - which was the last time they had hit for four goals until the win against the Crew.
REFEREE: Kevin Stott. SAR (bench): Philippe Briere; JAR (opposite): Peter Balciunas; 4th: Tyler Ploeger
MLS Career: 166 games; FC/gm: 26.4; Y/gm: 3.3; R: 48; pens: 34
INJURY REPORT: REAL SALT LAKE - OUT: DF Ian Joy (L hamstring strain); PROBABLE: FW Luis Miguel Escalada (R ankle sprain); David Horst (R quadriceps contusion); DF Robbie Russell (R rotator cuff surgery) ... D.C. UNITED - OUT: GK Josh Wicks (hip flexor strain); PROBABLE: MF Santino Quaranta (hamstring strain); MF Devon McTavish (concussion)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
SUSPENDED: DC: Jaime Moreno (through April 11)
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (8 meetings): Real Salt Lake 3 wins, 13 goals ... United 4 wins, 17 goals ... Ties 1
AT SALT LAKE (4 meetings): Real Salt Lake 3 wins, 9 goals ... United 1 win, 5 goals ... Ties 0
RETURN MATCH: 5/23: Real Salt Lake at D.C. United, 7:30 p.m. ET
LAST YEAR (MLS):
4/12: RSL 4, DC 0 (Beckerman 12, 77; Espindola 19; Findley 87)
4/26: DC 4, RSL 1 (Moreno 31, 52; Quaranta 67; Gallardo 80 - Talley 77)
• This will be the first meeting ever between the clubs at Rio Tinto Stadium and D.C. United will be happy to see the back of Rice-Eccles Stadium - they lost the last three meetings there, conceding eight goals while scoring two, since winning 3-1 in 2005 on the club's first-ever trip to Utah.
• United have never lost to Real at RFK Stadium, winning three of the four meetings, including the last two, with one draw.
• Coaches record: Jason Kreis vs. DC: P4 W2 L2 D0 ... Tom Soehn v RSL: P4 W2 L2 D0
REAL SALT LAKE
Real Salt Lake opened their 2009 Rio Tinto Stadium campaign on the right foot, as Robbie Findley became the first RSL player to hit for a hat trick in league play in a 4-1 win against the Columbus Crew. Real have three points from two games, tied for fourth place with San Jose, six points behind the first-place tie between Seattle Sounders FC and Chivas USA.LAST MATCH
• Real Salt Lake were playing in their first home match since last year's Western Conference Championship and got off to a dream start. Will Johnson hammered a freekick toward goal, and while Columbus 'keeper William Hesmer parried the effort, it fell right to Robbie Findley, who banged home the rebound just two minutes in.
• The Crew pulled level in the 22nd minute. From a short corner, Gino Padula swung in a high cross that Clint Mathis couldn't clear, and it fell right to the feet of Jason Garey, who knocked into the open side of the goal.
• But RSL were ahead again just seven minutes later, and again it was Findley. This time, a poorly hit clearance from Hesmer from a backpass went right to Findley, and he raced in alone on goal, rounding Hesmer before sliding the ball into the open goal.
• Real made it 3-1 in the 62nd minute. Yura Movsisyan was freed down the left and swung in a cross for Findley to head home, giving him his first career hat trick and the first in league play in RSL history. The home side finished off the rout five minutes later, when Kyle Beckerman powered home a near-post header from a Mathis corner kick.
• RSL head coach Jason Kreis made no changes to the team that opened the season with a 2-0 loss to Seattle Sounders FC the Saturday before at Qwest Field.
• Here's Kreis's team (4-3-1-2): Nick Rimando - Tony Beltran, Nat Borchers, Jamison Olave, Chris Wingert - Clint Mathis (Ned Grabavoy 75), Kyle Beckerman, Will Johnson - Javier Morales (Jean Alexandre 85) - Robbie Findley (Andy Williams 70), Yura Movsisyan. Substitutes Not Used: Raphael Cox, Luis Miguel Escalada, David Horst, Chris Seitz
• "We're just starting to see Real Salt Lake. We have a history of wanting to fold up shop on something that is right, but we've also developed a little history of when bad things happen to us we react in a very positive way," said Kreis. "And I thought in the second half the reaction was very positive. We got into it a little bit at halftime."
TEAM NEWS
• After being shutout in Seattle, Real returned home and responded in a big way with the four-goal outburst. The four goals tied the club record in league play, set twice previously, last in the 4-0 win against D.C. United at Rice-Eccles Stadium last April 12.
• "A lot of people doubt that we can score," Movsisyan said. "This was a proof to them that we're for real. You guys have to stop doubting us. We can score. We can score from anywhere." Said midfielder Clint Mathis: "For us to go out there and score four goals, and to be able to create that many chances on last year's champions and a solid, disciplined team is very uplifting."
• Kreis kept his strike pair of Movsisyan and Findley together for a second consecutive match, and they rewarded his faith, also combining of the final goal of Findley's hat trick.
• "I think they are still learning a little bit on how to complement each other. They are still learning about playing in front of the back four, on how to turn and make intelligent passes. I believe that they can both be two of the best forwards in the league," Kreis said.
• RSL has now won two of three league games in their new home and three of five games in all competitions, with the lone loss coming in last year's Western Conference Championship.
• "There is no mystery that, if you know soccer, it is very difficult to pick up points on the road. What that means is you must always take care of business at home. You always have to have your points at home and look to pick up points on the road. If you can put those things together, then you are a very strong team and you're a playoff team," Kreis said.
• There was some concern expressed in some parts after RSL opened the season with the loss in Seattle, but the club knows neither the loss, nor the victory against Columbus, means anything is settled.
• "Really, three points is great for us," midfielder Kyle Beckerman said. "But, on the other hand, it doesn't get us into the playoffs yet. If we lost tonight or tied, it wouldn't have kept us out of it. So it was just a good start for us. It got us off and running and hopefully we can build off of it."
• To start the season, Kreis has filled out his midfield with Clint Mathis playing on the right side of RSL's pinched-in diamond formation. Mathis contributed a pair of assists in the win vs. Columbus.
• "I feel good. I feel really fit right now. I think I have a bit different responsibility than I did last year as far as playing up front, so I feel good as far as getting up and down," said Mathis to the Deseret News. Said Kreis: "His play on the ball right now is fantastic, he's in great form. I thought he was in great form in Seattle when he was on the ball as well, but obviously tonight there were connections on the ends of those passes."
D.C. UNITED
D.C. United won for the first time on the season, defeating the Houston Dynamo 1-0 on Saturday evening at RFK Stadium. United have five points from three games on the year, now sitting in third place in the Eastern Conference, two points adrift of division leaders Chicago and New England.LAST MATCH
• United and the Dynamo were each looking for a first victory on the season, D.C. having started with two draws, and Houston with a draw and a loss.
• The game's lone goal came two minutes after the halftime break. Bryan Namoff lofted a high ball toward the Dynamo penalty area and Bobby Boswell was unable to deal with it, Luciano Emilio slipping behind him and popping a soft effort over goalkeeper Pat Onstad and just into the net ahead of retreating defenders for his second goal in as many games.
• United head coach Tom Soehn made two changes to the team that played to a 1-1 draw with the Chicago Fire the weekend before. Louis Crayton came in between the posts, in place of Josh Wicks, and Ange N'Silu made his first MLS start, in place of Jaime Moreno.
• Here's Soehn's team (3-4-1-2): Louis Crayton - Bryan Namoff, Dejan Jakovic, Marc Burch - Chris Pontius, Ben Olsen (Greg Janicki 79), Clyde Simms, Rodney Wallace - Christian Gomez (Fred 57) - Luciano Emilio, Ange N'Silu (Jaime Moreno 65). Substitutes Not Used: Brandon Barklage, John DiRaimondo, Thabiso Khumalo, Milos Kocic
TEAM NEWS
• Emilio has now scored goals in back-to-back games and has 33 league goals in the last two-plus years. Over the 2007 and 2008 seasons, Juan Pablo Angel had 33 goals - more than any other player - and the New York Red Bulls striker has not scored this season.
• Jaime Moreno came off the substitute's bench for the second time in three games, though his appearance was short-lived with his dismissal after just six minutes on the field. Moreno will of course miss out on the trip to Salt Lake.
• "He had two surgeries in the offseason and some guys have one, and it's hard to come back from. He's worked very hard, but it's competitive, you know. I told him a little while ago, when he reaches his point where he's full-fit and ready, it's OK if it's in May, we're going to use him as a role player where he feels that he can manage and do what he needs to do," SOehn said. "But you can see, even when he came in for a little while, before he got the red card, he holds the ball, and he opens the game up. His experience is so valuable for this team."
• In his stead, Ange N'Silu was given his first MLS start. The native of DR Congo was signed from FC Le Mont in Switzerland and also played at Le Havre AC in France.
• "Ange has qualities that are going to help us throughout the year. He's very good at flicking on balls. He can hold balls. Tonight, I think he started out a little slow, but he found the game. And he can serve a good ball, he found his way to the corners," Soehn said. "It's a real luxury to have several forwards that can change games, and I think this year we have the depth to do that."
• A major addition in the offseason was the return of Christian Gomez, who has not contributed to any of United's goals scored from the run of play.
• "He's right where he needs to be. He's still very dangerous, and as we get sharper, that's going to help him out as well because there's times right now that we're not finding him quick enough, he's in spots where he can hurt teams and we're not giving him the ball," Soehn said. "We're growing together, we still have to learn how to use him, and he's going to learn how to find spots better, and it's all going to take time."
• United conceded two goals in their opening match in LA, then a single goal in the draw with Chicago, and finally kept a clean sheet in the win against Houston.
• "That LA game was just a fluke. I don't think that hurt our confidence too much. More just fluky things that happened that game. Then there was that period of 10 minutes in the Chicago game that hurt us. Pretty much had to do anything in our power to get it done this time," said defender Greg Janicki, who came on as a late substitute after missing the Chicago game with a head injury.
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