CONCACAF loss doesn't keep RSL from showing promise

(by Brad Rock deseretnews.com 3-3-16)

Not the world. Not the hemisphere.

Maybe the U.S. and Canada.

The only way now for Real Salt Lake to win something big this year is to do something special in Major League Soccer’s season. RSL opens MLS play Sunday at Orlando.

It can’t come too soon.

Though it’s only March, already Real has tried to win North America and failed.

Wednesday at Rio Tinto Stadium, Utah’s other major league team fell in the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals, losing to Tigres UANL on aggregate. That came as no surprise. A 2-0 loss last week in Mexico rendered Wednesday’s match at Rio Tinto almost irrelevant, as Real could only muster a 1-1 tie.

Tigres is arguably the best team RSL will face all season. Too bad for RSL it had to come on the front end of the season. There goes another shot at international acclaim. In 2011, Salt Lake lost to Monterrey, Mexico in the CCL final.

So for now, the approaching MLS season is the goal. Yet after two non-league games, there are still things to be happy about. RSL put forward strong efforts in both games. The threat of Yura Movsisyan and Joao Plata looks to be a productive blend.

Even in losing, the vibe with Real seems better than last year. The team took a 1-0 lead on Plata’s first-half goal, Wednesday. Had Movsisyan not hammered his shot in the 55th minute off the post, and Javier Morales not been stopped on his penalty try in the 74th, the complexion would have changed.

Through it all, 12 shots (four on target) were signs this team will score.

Despite being winless in the newly minted soccer season, the international games weren’t an abject loss for RSL.

“We saw some really good stuff,” general manager Craig Waibel said on his Claret and Cobalt Daily radio show, this week.

And on Wednesday, RSL saw even better stuff. Instead of lasting 60 minutes before powering down, this time RSL remained competitive until late. The matter wasn’t fully decided until Andre-Pierre Gignac got past Nick Rimando in extra time.

Aggressiveness wasn’t the problem, but jet lag and lack of live playing time may have been. Since gathering for training camp in January, Real has been to preseason camps in Tucson and San Diego, then on the road in Monterrey, Mexico. In addition, it opened the season just last week, while Tigres was in midseason form. It’s a format that has vexed all MLS teams. D.C. United also lost to Queretaro in the quarterfinals, this week.

If nothing else, Wednesday’s match gave Real a chance to air things out. This wasn’t a match to nurture and nurse. It was an all-or-nothing event. At the same time, RSL couldn’t get reckless. Everyone in Rio Tinto Stadium knew an early goal by Tigres would effectively end the suspense.
Turned out the goal didn’t come until the end.

Any fears that Real would come out flat disappeared abruptly, once the game began. It was a considerably more inspired team than the one that meekly exited last season. RSL broke through in the 22nd minute when Kyle Beckerman erased Andre Gignac at the top of Real’s box, after which Plata rolled in a shot.

It was as pretty a sequence as anything Real scored all last season.

Two games into the season, RSL has shown impressive persistence. But at halftime, you had to ask whether it was simply a replay of last week’s loss in Monterrey. In that game, RSL hung with Tigres through the first 60 minutes but faded down the stretch. This time it even had a chance at a second goal in the first half, but Plata missed on a header from center box.

Movsisyan nearly scored the equalizer when his shot from the box hit the left bar in the 55th minute. It might have worked had he tapped in the shot, instead of drilling it. Still, you couldn’t blame the effort.

Interest in Real is obviously high. The season ticket base continues to thrive. Wednesday’s match was a sellout. Meanwhile, the legislature just approved the addition of RSL logo license plates. Which may be symbolic. On one hand, Real’s international fortunes sank on Wednesday. On the other hand, RSL license plates could soon be showing up in Utah at every stoplight.

--------------------

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865649163/Brad-Rock-CONCACAF-loss-doesnt-keep-RSL-from-showing-promise.html

Champions League: How Real Salt Lake Can Advance

(by Matt Gaschk realsaltlake.com 3-1-16)

Real Salt Lake has a mountain to climb on Wednesday in the CONCACAF Champions League Quarterfinal series against Tigres.  After falling behind 2-0 in the first leg last week in Monterrey, Mexico, RSL now needs a win by at least three goals to ensure advancement in the aggregate-goals series.

The following are the different scenarios for how the second leg at Rio Tinto Stadium could play out.
If RSL loses or draws by any score, Tigres will advance to the Semifinals.

If RSL wins by one goal, Tigres will advance.

If RSL wins 2-0, the match will go to a 30-minute extra time period with two 15-minute halves.  In that event, the away goals rule is disregarded for goals scored in the extra time.  The team that leads after 30 minutes will advance.  If the match is still tied after 30 minutes, it will go to a best-of-five penalty kick shootout.  If it is still tied after five shooters, the penalty kicks will continue until one team scores and the other does not.

If RSL wins by two goals with any other score (3-1, 4-2, etc.), Tigres will advance because it will hold the first tie-breaker with an advantage on away goals.

If RSL wins by three goals with any score (3-0, 4-1, etc.) the Claret-and-Cobalt will move on to the Semifinal round for the second time in club history, facing the winner of the D.C. United-Queretaro series.

Kickoff for Wednesday’s match is scheduled for 8 p.m. MT, with live television coverage on Fox Sports 2 and local radio coverage on ESPN 700.

------------------

http://www.rsl.com/post/2016/03/01/champions-league-how-real-salt-lake-can-advance

Real Salt Lake concedes twice in second half, drops CCL opener 2-0

(deseretnews.com 2-24-16)

At the hour mark of Wednesday’s tilt against Mexican club Tigres, Real Salt Lake appeared to be in a pretty good position. It had defended well enough to keep the match scoreless, and the attack had created a few promising flurries going forward.

The final half hour, however, unfolded how many feared it would and RSL now finds itself in a pretty big hole in the return leg of the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal series.

Tigres scored in the 67th minute and then again in the 86th minute to pull away for the 2-0 victory at Estadio Universitario in Monterrey, Mexico.

The second leg of the CCL series is slated for next Wednesday at Rio Tinto Stadium at 8 p.m. Real Salt Lake would need a 2-0 victory after 90 minutes to send the two-leg aggregate series into overtime.

The first tiebreaker is away goals, so if Tigres scores a goal during the 90 minutes then RSL would need to win by three goals — a virtual impossibility against the current Liga Mx champs.

Real Salt Lake certainly had chances to steal a point, if not more, on the road Wednesday.

In the 23rd minute, Tony Beltran sent a pass into the box behind Yura Movsisyan that would’ve been a sure goal had he put the ball in front of Movsisyan just a few yards from goal.

Shortly before halftime, Movsisyan found himself in the box all alone with Tigres’ keeper, but he shanked his shot wide and high of the target.

In the 45th minute, RSL captain Kyle Beckerman was whistled for a handball in the box as he every so slightly deflected a driven shot by Rafael Sóbis with his outstretched arm.

To the surprise of none of the RSL faithful, Nick Rimando saved the penalty kick by André-Pierre Gignac, who hit it very poorly to Rimando’s left.

Perhaps feeling the pressure of needing the home result, Tigres seemed to attack with more urgency in the second half and Real Salt Lake frequently found itself on the back foot.

In the 67th minute, Tigres finally broke through as José Arturo Rivas headed a shot past Rimando for the 1-0 lead.

Had the scoreline held it would’ve been a respectable result for Real Salt Lake, which was playing its first competitive match of the 2016 season. Tigres’ attack continued plodding in search of the second goal, and it finally came in the 86th minute as Jürgen Damm tapped in his own rebound for the 2-0 lead.

--------------------

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865648553/Tigres-UANL-at-Real-Salt-Lake-live-stream.html

artwork by Austin Escobar III

(from RSL's Facebook page)

RSL advances to CCL quarterfinals with 1-0 win over Municipal

(by Kyle Spencer ksl.com 10-20-15)

Jamison Olave's 43rd minute header was enough to seal Real Salt Lake's passage into the CONCACAF Champions League knockout stage for the first time since 2011.

RSL's 1-0 win over Guatemalan side Municipal Tuesday night moved its record in home Champions League fixtures to 8-1-1 all time.  Javier Morales' inswinger off a corner in the 43rd minute gave RSL the lead, as Olave leaped the highest and buried his header inside the far post.

"I couldn't be more happy for (Olave), for out team and for our club, for our fans," RSL coach Jeff Cassar said. "That space was open all night - that front area to the top of the six. I really liked where Jamison started, he started a little bit deeper and was coming in rather than being already there, which we were on a few but beautiful service from Javi and a fantastic finish from Jamison."

RSL threatened all first half, holding a 60 to 40 edge in possession and outshooting Municipal seven to four, with two on goal to the visitors' zero.

But it took a precisely placed cross from Morales, who dictated how the home side played in the attacking third all night.

"Before that play, we had a corner kick and the No. 7, a small guy, he was marking me," Olave said. "I told Javier, ‘just put the ball here because he's too small for me. So the next play he put the ball there and that's how I scored."

Municipal was content to sit deep with the intent to try and catch RSL off-guard on a counterattack until the breakthrough, and then pressed much higher in the second half.  The Guatemalan club's attack finally amounted to a legitimate goal-scoring opportunity in the 76th minute, when it won a free kick around 30 yards out from RSL's goal.  Municipal's captain, Carlos Ruiz, shot off the set piece that appeared destined for the upper left corner of RSL's net, but Nick Rimando flew to his right to tip the ball over the bar.

"When you think of Nicky, you think of massive saves that keep us in games," Cassar said. "That was a huge save. Great technique, great free kick from Carlos Ruiz. (Rimando) had seen that one before so maybe he had an idea of it, but that was a critical time that we needed that play."

Chants of "Nick Rimando" echoed around Rio Tinto Stadium following the momentous denial from the announced 18,132 in attendance. The serenade was then replicated from those who remained in their seats after the final whistle blew.  Captain Kyle Beckerman made a lap around the stadium after the 90 minutes had concluded, high-fiving everyone left on the first row.

"(The fans) have been really great to us since the start, even before I got here," he said. "We knew it was a tough year for everyone, so it was just a thank you for them."

RSL's Champions League quarterfinal date and opponent are yet to be announced, with the final group-stage matches taking place Wednesday, but after finishing with 10 points it's tied for the most with D.C. United.  Last time RSL advanced past the group stage, it became the first-ever MLS team to make it to the final before dropping the second leg, 1-0, to fall 3-2 on aggregate to Monterrey.

--------------------

http://www.ksl.com/?sid=37036329&nid=857&title=rsl-advances-to-ccl-quarterfinals-with-1-0-win-over-municipal&s_cid=queue-2

Superstar subs lift Real Salt Lake to victory over Santa Tecla

(by James Edwards deseretnews.com 9-24-15)

The rapidly evolving folklore of El Burrito reached a new level Thursday night at Rio Tinto Stadium.

With Real Salt Lake in a stunning hole against the underdogs from El Salvador, Juan Manuel Martinez — aka El Burrito — entered the match in the 72nd minute with his team down a goal. Five minutes later RSL had scored twice, a lead it didn’t relinquish in a critical 2-1 CONCACAF Champions League victory over Santa Tecla.

RSL coach Jeff Cassar said he had full confidence in the mix of regulars and reserves he started to get the necessary result, but those plans changed when the visitors scored the all-important first goal around the hour mark.

Within 10 minutes Martinez, Javier Morales and Kyle Beckerman had entered the match and they immediately changed the dynamic.

“We just brought some energy. I think as a sub that’s what you’ve got to do is bring energy, and bring a change to the game in a good way and that’s what we tried to do,” said Beckerman, who admitted he didn’t even expect to play with such a big league match upcoming at San Jose this Sunday.

Thursday’s match was just as big for different reasons, and when it became clear Santa Tecla was no pushover, desperate measures became necessary.

“They came in with the right mentality, the same aggressive mentality that the guys had on before, (but) a little bit extra quality and some great passing and movement,” said RSL coach Jeff Cassar.
RSL moves to the top of its CCL group with one match remaining, but it isn’t through to the quarterfinals yet. It hosts Municipal (Guatemala) at Rio Tinto Stadium on Oct. 20 in the final group game, with the winner advancing. RSL would also advance with a draw.

The entire complexion of a match Real Salt Lake dominated changed in the 61st minute.

Santa Tecla midfielder William Maldonado pumped a long ball in behind Real Salt Lake’s backline, with teammate Irvin Herrera tracking down first. He took a touch into the box, and despite being flanked by two RSL defenders slotted a simple shot between the legs of Jeff Attinella for the stunning 1-0 lead.

Throughout the match, Santa Tecla sat back more than Cassar was expecting, and he knew they’d sit back even more with a 1-0 lead.

Within three minutes Morales and Beckerman were standing on the sideline ready to check in. RSL needed its big guns on the field.

In the 65th minute, Morales and Beckerman came on for Pecka and Luke Mulholland, and then in the 72nd minute Martinez subbed on for Sebastian Jamie.

It took the trio all of five minutes to flip the score after Martinez entered. Garcia headed in a Morales free kick in the 74th minute to level the game 1-1, and then three minutes later Morales slipped a ball into the box for Martinez who chipped the keeper for the 2-1 lead.

The team celebrated more out of a sense of relief than anything else.

It came out a cost, though. Morales picked up a bit of a hip flexor injury and his status for the weekend isn’t known.

Ideally Morales never would’ve played, but the finishing quality was lacking from the starters even though Cassar thought they played well enough.

“I had full confidence in the group that started to get the result, and really at the end of the day I was really pleased with the way they played,” he said.

Real Salt Lake had three great chances in the first half, with Santa Tecla keeper Juan Trinidad coming up big to deny two of them.

In the 25th minute Luis Gil had a quality look from the top of the box, but his screamer drifted just wide of the right post. In the 40th minute, Garcia headed a Mulholland corner kick right at the keeper.
Then in the 41st minute, Trinidad came up with the save of the match with an acrobatic save to deny an unmarked Joao Plata from 15 yards out. The rebound popped straight up, and Jaime outjumped everyone but headed it off the crossbar.

--------------------

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865637568/Superstar-subs-lift-Real-Salt-Lake-to-victory-over-Santa-Tecla.html

Real Salt Lake sloppy but effective in grind-out draw in El Salvador

(by James Edwards deseretnews.com 9-15-15)

It wasn’t pretty, but Real Salt Lake got the result it needed Tuesday night in El Salvador.

Fielding a mostly reserve lineup in a CONCACAF Champions League group game against Santa Tecla, the visitors escaped with a 0-0 draw to move to the top of the group and into the driver’s seat while advancing to the quarterfinals.

RSL played the final 11 minutes down a man after John Stertzer picked up a red card in the 79th minute, but Santa Tecla couldn’t capitalize on the advantage.

A big reason why was RSL’s substitutes. In a relatively sloppy match most of the night, RSL coach Jeff Cassar helped settle his team down by inserting Javier Morales and Joao Plata into the match in the 71st minute, and then Kyle Beckerman in the 81st minute after Stertzer’s red card.

The veterans helped RSL see out the road draw, which is always a good result in CONCACAF.

Had Luke Mulholland not squandered a great chance in the 40th minute, Real Salt Lake could’ve easily escaped with the full three points.

Instead, it sits on four points through two group games, tied with Municipal (Guatemala) which also has four points. Municipal, however, has played three of four matches, while Real Salt Lake still has two home matches remaining.

It hosts Santa Tecla on Sept. 24 and then Municipal on Oct. 20. With a win over Santa Tecla, Real Salt Lake would need only a draw against Municipal to advance.

With better finishing on Tuesday in El Salvador, RSL could’ve avoided any potential drama in that last group match, but not anymore.

RSL had more than enough experience on the field to get a positive result, particularly with regulars like Mulholland and Tony Beltran starting after missing Saturday’s match at Houston with yellow card accumulation.

Nobody else on the field could be considered first choice, but between Jeff Attinella, Devon Sandoval, Aaron Maund, Abdoulie Mansally and Luis Gil, they’ve played in a lot of big matches this season already.

The group could never settle into much of a rhythm on the turf at Estadio Las Delicias, but the draw was good enough considering the circumstances.

--------------------

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865636889/Real-Salt-Lake-sloppy-but-effective-in-grind-out-draw-in-El-Salvador.html

Joao Plata's early goal secures Champions League win for Real Salt Lake

(by James Edwards deseretnews.com 8-4-15)

Playing in Central America is never easy for MLS teams, but that didn’t seem to bother Real Salt Lake on Tuesday night as it opened CONCACAF Champions League group play with a dream start.

Joao Plata scored just three minutes into the match, and then Nick Rimando made a critical save late in the game as RSL held on for the 1-0 victory over Municipal in its first of four CCL Group G games.

Three nights earlier in a league match at D.C. United, Plata scored an early goal as well, but 90 minutes later RSL walked off the field a 6-4 loser. On Tuesday in Guatemala, all 11 players defended with much more purpose to make amends for the defensive debacle in D.C.

RSL’s next Champions League match isn’t until Sept. 15 when it travels to El Salvador to face Santa Tecla. Its final two group games will be at Rio Tinto Stadium, and after winning the opener on the road, RSL jumped right into the Group G driver’s seat.

It’s been three years since Real Salt Lake last participated in Champions League play, and in that 2012 opener it lost at Herediano in Costa Rica 2-0. It could never dig itself out of the hole and finished second in the group.

Plata helped get RSL off to the perfect start.

After Municipal’s keeper punched away a Javier Morales cross, the rebound only went as far as Plata. He took a slight touch and then uncorked a bouncing shot between a Municipal player’s legs and into the back of the net for the very early 1-0 lead.

Municipal nearly equalized in the 41st minute, but former L.A. Galaxy striker Carlos Ruiz caromed a bending free kick off the cross bar.

In the 66th minute, Plata was unlucky not to bury a second goal when a defender jumped to clear his shot off the line.

Rimando was called up throughout the night to make clutch plays, but none was bigger than his 78th minute save on an unmarked Ruiz after a Municipal cross rolled through the box right to Ruiz. Anticipating the shot, Rimando dove to his right and smothered what could’ve easily been the equalizer for the home side.

For Real Salt Lake, it has another quick turnaround this Saturday as it travels to Vancouver for a league match.

--------------------

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865633881/Joao-Platas-early-goal-secures-Champions-League-win-for-Real-Salt-Lake.html

Real Salt Lake dives back into CCL play after 3-year hiatus

(by James Edwards deseretnews.com 8-3-15)

Just three days removed from its bizarre loss at D.C. United, Real Salt Lake will try to shift focuses to CONCACAF Champions League play on Tuesday night in Guatemala.

In its first of four CCL group games over the next two months, RSL faces Guatemalan club Municipal (8 p.m., Fox Soccer) at Estadio Mateo Flores.

This is Real Salt Lake’s third participation in the Champions League. In the 2010-11 tourney, RSL lost in the final to Monterrey. Two years later in the 2012-13 version, it failed to advance out of group play.

RSL’s all-time record in CCL play is 8-4-4.

After a three-year hiatus, Real Salt Lake is back in group play, and its first game comes during a very congested part of its schedule. RSL, Municipal and Santa Tecla (El Salvador) will all play each other twice, with the group winner advancing to next year’s knockout stages.

“It’s a really exciting part of the season, we have everything to play for in front of us. Lot of important games and a lot of games that have been riding on it, it’s a good time to be a player on this team,” said Kyle Beckerman prior to RSL’s departure last week.

RSL coach Jeff Cassar said lineup rotation would be necessary for the club to be competitive throughout its five-game, 15-day stretch, which still includes games in Guatemala, Vancouver, Kansas City and then home at Rio Tinto Stadium.

Guatemala native Elias Vasquez is among the players who will likely start on Tuesday after being an unused sub in the 6-4 loss to D.C. United. Nick Rimando could also feature in the match after being held out against D.C. United with a knee contusion.

Guatemala’s Liga Nacional just kicked off its 2015 Apetura season on Sunday, with Municipal falling to Mictlan 1-0.

--------------------

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865633786/Real-Salt-Lake-dives-back-into-CCL-play-after-3-year-hiatus.html

RSL qualifies for CONCACAF Champions League

(realsaltlake.com 12-7-14)

Real Salt Lake has qualified for the 2015-16 CONCACAF Champions League for the third time in club history. With the LA Galaxy’s win over the New England Revolution in the 2014 MLS Cup final on Sunday, Real Salt Lake earned qualification into the 2015-16 CONCACAF Champions League. CONCACAF Champions League is the annual continental club competition for the North American, Central American and Caribbean region.  The winner qualifies for the FIFA Club World Cup.

“What a phenomenal accomplishment to have qualified for CCL again,” said RSL General Manager Garth Lagerwey. “This tourney – extremely important to our club – helped put us on the map in 2010 when we were the first American team to win our group and again in 2011 when we were the only American team to reach the final.

“Earning this berth in some ways validates our 15-win, 56-point season, a strong accomplishment in a difficult Western Conference,” continued Lagerwey. “We have been working to get back into CCL since we got knocked out in the Fall of 2012.  This is a great opportunity for us to take on the best teams in the region as we continue to grow the next generation of RSL.”

RSL finished the 2014 MLS regular season with a 15-8-11 record (56 points) to earn the third seed in the Western Conference, and fourth overall during the 2014 MLS regular-season campaign.  By virtue of the Galaxy’s MLS Cup win after already previously qualifying, Real Salt Lake was the next in line for a berth and will make the club’s third appearance in the regional tournament.

According to the U.S. Soccer Federation, four CONCACAF Champions League spots are available for U.S.-based clubs, awarded to the winner of the U.S. Open Cup, the Supporters’ Shield, the MLS Cup and the best regular-season record in the conference opposite the Supporters’ Shield winners.

With Seattle Sounders FC (USA 2-seed) winning both the U.S. Open Cup and the Supporters’ Shield this year, the Galaxy had already qualified for the 2015-16 CONCACAF Champions’ League by virtue of having the next best regular-season record of those teams who didn’t already earn an automatic berth. By winning MLS Cup, Los Angeles jumped up to claim the top slot awarded to U.S. teams.  D.C. United had the best record in the Eastern Conference and secures the third U.S. slot. As a result of LA taking the slot awarded to the MLS Cup winner, the fourth spot goes to the next best team in the Supporters’ Shield standings that didn’t already qualify – Real Salt Lake.

RSL previously qualified for Champions League in the 2010-11 and 2012-13 tournaments, reaching the tournament final in 2011.  The club qualified for the 2010-11 tournament with its victory in the 2009 MLS Cup final and reached the tournament in 2012-13 with a third place finish in the Supporters’ Shield standings after the top two finishers qualified through other avenues.