Real Salt Lake is at Giants Stadium today to take on the New York Red Bulls. RSL enters the match with one of the league’s worst road records (1-8-3) while the Red Bulls boast one of the league’s best home records (7-1-3). Will form hold for both teams, or will RSL find success away from Rice-Eccles?
I will (try to) do a running commentary during this match. I say try because I will be making my radio debut today as a color analyst for Real Salt Lake radio. Click the link and look under Away Radio. Give it a listen if you get a chance.
For now, if you will be watching the match, please feel free to share your thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below.
Enjoy the action (lineups are up):
—————–
HALFTIME- Red Bulls areas for concern. First, Jeff Parke looks pretty shaky out there and the Red Bulls are sorely missing Seth Stammler because RSL is running players in behind their forwards and Pietravallo can’t cover that area all by himself.
Wolyniec hasn’t look great and Jorge Rojas is invisible.
Dane Richards should be doing more and is being outplayed by Chris Wingert
Angel being neutralized by Olave.
Where’s Mike Magee?
—————–
HALFTIME– Real Salt Lake 1, Red Bulls 0. The Red Bulls have had more possession and have had their share of looks, but can’t finish sequences. RSL is defending well, but more importantly, creating good chances on the counter and finding their speedsters in space up front. Red Bulls lucky it isn’t 3-0 or 4-0.
—————–
13th minute- As you might have figured out, doin running commentary and radio at the same time isn’t easy so apologies for the lack of a commentary.
—————–
1st minute– And we’re off
—————–
PRE-GAME– Teams are taking the field. I will try to update as often as possible. Not sure how often I will be able to since I will be doing radio so if you me slowing down feel free to offer up some of your own commentary.
—————–
PRE-GAME– I’m coming to you from the road radio booth in the Giants Stadium press box. It’s on the same level as my usual seat, but it’s right on the midfield stripe and, more importantly, there’s an open window so I can hear the Empire Supporter’s Club in all their glory. They sound energized tonight (or it could just be that I’m not used to hearing them outside of the sound-proof area I usually sit in.)
—————–
PRE-GAME– I have made a lot of mentions of RSL’s terrible road record, but I can’t help but wonder if playing on the Giants Stadium turf won’t be a bit of an advantage for them.
—————–
PRE-GAME– Wolyniec is making his first start since May, and it may be his last start if he has a poor showing.
—————–
PRE-GAME– Former Red Bulls fan favorite Dema Kovalenko did not make the trip for RSL. He re-strained a left calf injury during the week.
—————–
PRE-GAME– Apologies for forgetting to list Wolyniec in the starting lineup. He will be starting up top for the Red Bulls, alongside Angel.
—————–
PRE-GAME– Seth Stammler is out with an injury but is expected to be back for Thursday’s game at Columbus.
—————–
PRE-GAME- Here is Real Salt Lake’s lineup:
————–Findley——–Movsisyan—————
———————-Morales————————–
Johnson————————————–Williams
——————–Beckerman———————–
Wingert—–Olave——–Borchers———Russell
———————Rimando————————-
BENCH– Seitz, Cutler, Deucher, Horst, Joy, Mathis, Nunez
—————–
PRE-GAME– Here is the Red Bulls lineup:
RED BULLS
————Angel————-Wolyniec————
VDB—————–Rojas—————-Richards
———-Pietravallo——Magee——————
Goldthwaite——-Cichero—————-Parke
———————Conway————————
BENCH– Cepero, Borman, Leitch, Ubiparipovic, Mendes, Sassano, Jimenez
53rd minute- Leitch in for Parke
WTF, THAT WAS A FOUL! FOCKING MLS REFS! THIS IS RiDICULOUS.
What a sorry job of defending, a total lack of hustle with JPA charging, no less, compounded by a weak flop to give the man the ball.
Angel appeared to have knocked over the RSL defender on the way to getting onto a ball and slotting it past Rimando.
My only thought is the ref thinks the defender tripped.
49th minute- Wolyniec with a good hustle play to win the ball, and put a shot in that wen just high
GOAL RBNY!!!!
Don’t know why Osario is playing a 3 man backline. Sure creates a lot of space for the speedy RSL frontline.
What’s up with Shep Messing without his moustache? Did he give up his night job as a porn star?
Nice shot of the NY grounds crew watering the turf…
Trying to slow down the RSL counter?
RSL needs to finish its chances. It’s been a problem all year. They don’t put their opponents away when they have the chance and then give up late goals. Hopefully, they’ll continue to push aggressively forward through the midfield and not start falling back. Johnson has made a huge difference for RSL being able to hold the ball, make runs and add offense to the midfield.
Lots of good chances missed by RSL. NY owned the first 20 mins, but couldn’t make anything of it.
Good game in DC, still 1-1 at half, but Cooper blew a break away, which would have been his 2nd of the match. Some weirdness for Dallas, Adrian Serioux asked to be subbed out in the 35th, but there was no injury.
The question for RSL in the second half is if they can keep pressuring the NY defense and not bunker back like they have a tendency to do. If they continue to pressure through the midfield and occasional long balls to the RSL forwards who have good pace, it should keep NY off balance and having to track back instead of pressing forward.
halftime
RSL up by 1. Their pace is troubling the Red Bull backline. The Red Bulls need some more help with possesion in midfield. I would take out Wolyniec for Sassano, and move Magee up top, who I think is operating in the same space Rojas wants to right now.
45+ minute- Movsisyan gets played a ball into space, but Conay comes out and forces him to chip the ball just over!! Great chance missed by RSL.
is Osorio being out coached by Jason Kreis ?
42nd minute- Rojas has not influenced the game yet, and the Red Bulls have had most of their chances playing in long balls.
NY backline having real problems with the pace of RSL’s forwards.
Now there’s a finish! Beautiful flick on, great pass by Wingert out of the back!
i saw it coming, dammit since the first minute the backline looked suspect. too much space being given and those passes out the middle from real shows how much we miss Stammler
38th minute- GOAL RSL!!!!
Movsysian runs onto a ball flicked from a head. He ran right by Goldthwaite, and finished well past Conway.
30th minute- Richards got behind the defense on the right, but had to hold up as he waited for runs, and a defender closed as he tried to play the ball back across goal.
Movsysian intercepts a header and just runs by everyone but can’t finish.
On the way back Richards takes down a long cross and blasts a shot that went just wide. He’s had a couple of hard shots this match.
The trouble with the RSL offense all season: they don’t have anyone who can finish.
Another good counter by RSL, momentum is starting to swing…
Jaime Moreno pulls DC even with Dallas in 27th
Findley blows another. If the guy had a first touch and could finish, he’d actually be a pretty good player.
24th minute- Parke went down and lost the ball, leading to a counterattack for RSL, which ended with Findley poorly taking a great chance.
I’m not even sure you could call Beckerman’s YC a challenge, more like he pushed Rojas over way after the pass.
NY needs to score soon, they are dominating
20th minute- Yellow card for a tactical foul by Wingert.
19th minute- Beckerman with a yellow for a challenge on Rojas.
Magee with a shot from just outside the penalty area which Rimando smothers.
Shorty just can’t get on top of the header. NY has made a mess of every header so far
Magee missedc a free header, that was very poor of magee. beautiful cross from VDB as usuall
17th minute- Magee puts a wide open headr from the middle of the penalty area over the bar. Great run by Magee, great service from van den Bergh, terrible finish.
Beckerman has a hack with his left, but it’s weak and right at Conway
16th minute- Where is the red card on the real salt lake player for that elbow, since Cichero got one against Toronto?
As usual, Findley blows his first touch.
Wow. RSL sprung the offsides trap, but Findley makes a mess of his 1 v 1 and fires wide.
we miss stammler bad there is no reall grit in the middle of the park , real is cutting ou defense with those passes and it could prove to be our demise.
14th minute- Findley breaks the offsides trap, had conway out of net which made Findley hold up long enough for the defense to close on him, forcing his shot wide.
NY definitely getting the best of the play early. Lots of pressure, but nothing on target.
11th minute- Wolyniec saved the ball from going out for a goal kick thanks to a turf bounce, passed it back to Richards who got off a shot from distance that just went wide.
10th minute- Richards was racing down the right wing on a counterattack before running into a defender while trying to rip a shot. Should’ve passed it.
Angel later ended up getting off a header on a cross which Rimando saved.
6th minute- Pietravallo hit a shot from about 32 yards which was deflected and earned a corner (those football lines help for something.
Wow very spacious in the back and shaky at the moment, Real came to play
swap Magee and Rojas*
I think we’re more likely to see…
Angel-Woly
Magee-Rojas-Richards
VDB-Pietr
Goldy-Chichero-Parke
Conway
Magee in that role? Umm….
is stammler injure or is Borman ailing becuz i see no reason to start Wolly respect him but c’mon he’s proven to be quite poor this season.
Ives you missed out Stammy, he should be next to petra and magee next to Angel i believe ?
Congratulations, Ives! Good luck.
you missing someone, or are the RB’s rolling out with only 10 men?