Match Day 9: Real Salt Lake at FC Dallas
May 23rd, 2008 . 10:52 am . By: Jason BenfieldReal Salt Lake FormationThings have changed a bit since the two teams met a couple of weeks ago, and not just from the obvious Dallas angle. After playing a 4-4-2 all season long, RSL came out in a 3-5-2 against Dallas before substituting Olave out in the first half and reverting back to their original formation. Against Colorado, they stuck with the 4-4-2 but it had a much more defensive feel to it. After starting the season displaying a very aggressive, attacking style of soccer, Kreis changed the look of the midfield and as a result did not press forward in numbers for the first time this season. I think we can probably expect a similar strategy against Dallas on Saturday. In the midfield there has been a big change in attitude. For the first several games of the season, one player stayed home centrally and had a defensive role, but the other three were mostly involved in the attack. Against Dallas, we saw the outside midfielders stay back a little bit more than normal; that was illustrated by the selection of Wingert and Beltran as outside midfielders at the beginning of the game. Against Colorado, the defensive mindset continued; Andy Williams played as the “attacking” central midfielder, but dropped back defensively much more than Morales did, and the outside midfielders again played a more cautious, defensive role. This outlook eliminates the fluid, abstract movement that was so beneficial to the RSL attack at the beginning of the season. Against Colorado, they had their worst performance of the season from the standpoint of maintaining possession and creating chances. The forwards are okay, but they aren’t going to overpower anyone. RSL have relied on the midfield to create opportunities through dynamic movement and ambitions play, and restricting this through organization will have a significant impact on their offense. It also puts more pressure on a defense that, while improved over last season, is not ready to bear the pressure of searching for 1-0 results. Real Salt Lake RosterJust a reminder of the rating system: 1 = Developmental player Kyle Beckerman – 4 - Beckerman made his name as more of a holding midfielder in Miami and Colorado, but with RSL has reprised the attacking midfield role he thrived in as a youth. After playing in the middle last season, he has featured on the left wing this year. Beckerman was always a player with immense potential, and last year saw him finally step up to the next level. He was fantastic in 2007 for RSL, becoming a team leader and often pushing the team to play better than its talent should have allowed. He had a very nice match against Dallas, getting forward more as the game went on and ending up with a goal. However, against Colorado, he was much more restrained and did not get involved as much. He has vision, a nice first touch, great shot from distance, is a good passer and has a strong work rate. The potential is there to be a perennial all star the rest of his career if he consistently can tap into it. Tony Beltran – 3 – Rookie has started over an injured Ian Joy the past few matches, but is now with the U23s in Toulon and will miss the Dallas game. He was always expected to displace Wingert by midseason. Good athleticism and really nice speed. Fits the Kreis ideal outside back because of his penchant for getting forward. He has done pretty well so far this season, and was part of the reason that Toja was so quiet against RSL on the Dallas left flank. Is not completely comfortable defensively and can be pressured into some bad decisions when on the ball. Will eventually develop into a very good outside back. Came in for Wagner in the second half of the first US game in Toulon and was a much more effective player defensively. Performances have been strong enough to raise rating to a 3 from a 2. Nikolas Besagno – 1 - Former number one pick is buried very deep on the roster at both central defense and defensive midfielder. Off season acquisitions at both positions indicate that Kreis believes he is nowhere near ready to contribute. Has not developed into a player that can match expectations. Has been completely overwhelmed in limited appearances. Not enough size, not enough speed, and not comfortable on the ball. Still very young, but needs to start showing signs of progress. Nat Borchers – 4 - Former Colorado standout has returned to MLS and looked pretty good up until the Colorado game. Makes up for athletic limitations with very sound positioning. Strong tackler and very good organizer. Is a leader on defense and is already the rock of the team at his center back position. Adequate passer and decent when going forward on set pieces. Athleticism may limit his progression to the national team level, but he is a very, very solid club player. Misread a couple of balls in the air against Colorado and struggle d a little bit for the first time this season. Matias Cordoba – 3 - Young Argentine was expected to start at left midfield, but has only seen one minute thus far. Because Kreis allows the other three midfielders to stay forward, Beckerman can’t play at the holding midfield spot because he won’t stay home. This creates a logjam at the attacking midfield slots because veterans Beckerman, Morales, Williams, and Kovelenko can all play in those spots, as well as draft pick Nimo. Essentially, he has been beaten out by Morales, Williams and Kovelenko, who all showed up to camp fit and in great form and pushed Beckerman out to the left. Will be a decent player and illustrates the depth of the midfield. Kenny Cutler – 2 - Reserve defensive midfielder who was buried in the depth chart prior to the Talley trade. With both Talley and Morales injured, is now seeing some time. Limited athletically, is mainly on the roster due to hustle and grit. Doesn’t provide much else when on the field. Will fight and tackle, but is not effective going forward or transitioning into the offense. Two years ago he was a primary backup and this year he wouldn’t have seen any time prior to the Talley trade, which is an example of the improved depth of the side. Kenny Deuchar – 3 – Target forward who comes to RSL from the SPL. Good size, broad shoulders and very strong in the air. Can score when given service, but limited in MLS because good service from the wings is hard to come by in the league as a whole, and most of the players on the wing for RSL like to cut inside. Is slow and has not shown much with the ball at his feet. An important role of a target forward is the ability to hold the ball and distribute under pressure, not just flick the ball on with his head. He is lacking in that area. Good work rate and does pressure well defensively. More disciplined than Cooper and stays in the central channels, but has much less ball skill. Needs to improve in that respect to hold onto his starting spot because good crosses don’t come often enough in MLS to justify playing someone who is only good with their head. Fabian Espindola – 4 - Young forward who is going to be a very good player in MLS. Has struggled with injury early this season, but had quite an impact last year for RSL and has scored a couple of nice goals already in 2008. Has speed, a good work rate, is decent in the air, and is very capable on the ball. Very quick feet, and a good passer. Combines well in small spaces. Very athletically fluid player who just looks smooth on the field. Makes good decisions on the field for when to hold possession and when to press forward. Has the potential to be a Jaime Moreno type player for RSL if he can continue to mature and improve. Is the first choice as the second forward. Struggled to get involved last week when the midfield didn’t come into the attack. There is a chance he could miss the game Saturday because of an ankle injury. Robbie Findley – 3 - Young forward who had some good performances last year. The fact that he is a reserve this season after nine goals in his rookie campaign is yet another indicator of the improved depth of the squad. At this point in his carreer is overly reliant on his speed. This was exposed at the Olympic Qualifying tournament when opposing teams bunkered in and required US forwards to break them down with skill rather than just putting the ball over the top. Is not a good passer and struggles to break players down in 1v1 situations. First touch needs to improve as well. Speed and athleticism are so good that he is a strong player to have in a backup role or coming off the bench, but is in the bottom tier as a starter in the league. Ian Joy – 3 – First choice left back was brought in after stints in lower divisions of Germany, Scotland, and England. Is not the best defender, as he is a bit reckless with his tackles and can get caught out of position. Fits the mold of a Kreis outside back as he enjoys getting forward. Good distributor, makes quick decisions with the ball at his feet, and is a very good crosser. Needs to improve defensively in order to be regarded as one of the better left backs in the league. Is expected to come back into the side against Dallas after being sidelined with injury, but might be pressed into action too soon with Beltran heading off with the U23’s. Dema Kovalenko – 3 – Former standout in the league is now a very good backup when all players are available. Is the second choice right mid and second choice defensive mid for RSL. His strong play of late pushed him by Talley in the depth chart and allowed RSL to trade their former captain. Looks very fit. Hard tackler who has always let his emotions get the best of him. Kind of a tweener – he likes to get forward, but his lack of speed moved him into the midfield from forward at the start of his career, and his lack of vision on the ball pushed him back further to defensive mid. Reckless tackling can lead to poor fouls and dangerous opportunities for the opposition. Can be frustrated and takes himself out of the game. Even though he has seen a downturn in overall form, he is still an excellent player to have as a backup in MLS. Matias Mantilla – 3 – Solid, experienced central defender. Started most of the games he was available for after signing with RSL at the end of last season, and helped solidify the backline for their strong run at the end of the year. Was a starter to begin this season, but was always expected to lose his spot to Olave. Lacks some speed, but is decent in the air and a very good tackler. Will challenge for a starting spot all season and gives RSL excellent depth in the central defense. Has managed to hold onto his starting position over Olave, but had a poor match against Colorado last week and Olave could be given a shot against Dallas. Javier Morales – 4 - Attacking midfielder was another great late season acquisition for Kreis last year. Silky smooth on the ball. Very good vision and a good passer. Can cross very well. Good work rate. Can be inconsistent and disappear for stretches of a match. Once he finishes adapting to the league, shows the potential to be an all-star caliber player. Combines very well with Espindola, but is struggling to connect with the target forward. In the South American leagues, balls are often dumped to the corners for the forwards to run onto, whereas in a target system, you hold the ball more and play it wide to the wingers to keep the forwards in the center. Had a run of great form with some assists and then a goal against Dallas (fortunate, yes, but he played a strong game), but picked up an injury. Was missed greatly last weekend against Colorado, and will probably miss the Dallas game as well. He is a big missing piece if he can’t play. Yura Movsisyan – 3 – Forward has shown flashes with both KC and RSL, but is still very young and has the potential to develop into a quality MLS striker. Has good size and decent speed. Can struggle with his first touch and gets caught with his head down on the ball. Not a good passer at this stage of his career. Is the backup target striker behind Deuchar. Can make the occasional spot start, but at this point is not a solid everyday MLS player. Injured his knee and is out for several weeks. Alex Nimo – 1 – Diminutive rookie winger is not ready for the speed of play in MLS or the physical nature of the league. If he had more size, would have been a top pick in the draft last year. Great skill on the ball and is still very young. Projects to be a little more skilled version of Corey Ashe. Jamison Olave – 3 – Columbian central defender was essentially acquired to come in and take Pope’s spot as a starter in the central defense. Acquired in the preseason, it took him a while to get fit and he is just now moving into the starting role over Mantilla. Very physical with decent speed and good tackling skills. Will move up to a 4 once he is fully integrated and comfortable with his teammates. Kreis tried to force him into the lineup by moving to a 3-5-2 against Dallas, but pulled him off after Dallas didn’t play a 3-5-2 and RSL took an early lead. Could get a start after Mantilla’s struggles against Colorado. Nick Rimando – 3 – Starting keeper may have been the team MVP last season, but still has not fully recovered from devastating injuries suffered during his stint with DC United. Best stretch of his career was with Miami before they folded. Positioning has never been good, and always relied on extremely quick reflexes and great athleticism. Knee injuries have removed some of his leaping ability and athleticism, so his height can be exposed. His lack of positioning and deterioration of athleticism have been taken advantage of at times this season. Still has great quickness and makes some great instinct saves because of it. Quick to come off his line and good in 1v1 situations. Is not one of the better keepers in the league and would be coming off the bench if Seitz were ready. Nathan Sturgis – 4 - Solid player who can play several positions (left back, central back, defensive midfield), but plays in the defensive midfield for RSL. Is the starter of choice, but has major injury issues and cannot stay healthy. Has major upside. Good size and a good first touch. Has the size to play as a center back, but can be exposed for speed and his ball control and passing ability make teams want to play him in the midfield. Can be a little soft for such a big player. Should mature into a very solid MLS starter and should eventually challenge for a national team position. Will miss the FC Dallas game through his latest injury. Andy Williams – 3 – Seems to have finally found a fit with RSL at right midfield. Has mostly featured in central midfield in past stops, but his tendency to hold the ball too long labeled him as a selfish player. On the wing, he has more time and space to play with the ball, and he does not disrupt the attack by holding it too long. Still needs to be more consistent to move up to a 4 level as he gets lazy and disappears for long stretches of time. Fitness has always been a concern for him, but he seems to be in pretty good shape right now and is having a very positive impact on the team. Filled in against Colorado for Morales at attacking midfield, but did not play well at all, as he dropped back too deep and did not play the ball quickly enough. Midfield as a whole wasn’t effective going forward; Williams is a much more static player than Morales, and if the rest of the team was running off the movement of Morales, that would explain the static play last week. Would not be surprised to see Cordoba get the start in the middle, Williams to the right, and Kovalenko at defensive mid. Chris Wingert – 3 – Can play on either side of the defense, but is the starter at right back for now unless Joy is hurt. Is decent going forward, but has always struggled defensively with his positioning. Not incredibly comfortable on the ball at times, even though he likes to get forward, and can be pressured into bad giveaways. Does not possess top level athleticism. Is a nice player to have come of the bench because he can play both sides of the field, but is a lower tier starter in the league. David Horst, Dustin Kirby, Tino Nunez, Kevin Reiman, Kyle Reynish, and Brennan Tennelle are all developmental players I have never seen and as such I have no report to give. EXPECTED SALT LAKE LINEUP
There is a good chance that we could see Cordoba in the middle with Williams on the right, and Kovalenko at defensive mid, especially if they want to push the action against FCD, a team in transition. EXPECTED DALLAS LINEUP
Daniels could fill in for Serioux over Wallace, but a lot is up in the air after Morrow’s dismissal. It will be interesting to see who fills the attacking midfield position as well as where Toja plays. KEY TO THE GAMERSL without Morales is not as entertaining, so odds are we will not see the up and down game we saw a couple of weeks ago. Dallas have played pretty defensively all season, but could very well open things up with a new coach. The key in my mind is the play of the attacking central midfielder for RSL, Williams. The RSL attack is based on fluid movement in the midfield. Morales would make a run to the outside, which would allow Beckerman to cut inside and forward. When Williams did not move much last game, the rest of the midfielders did not push into the attack as often, and the team as a whole became very static. If Williams, Cordoba, or whomever plays in the attacking central spot does not move again, it will allow FCD to hold possession and push numbers into the attacking third because the RSL attack will not threaten. 3 Comments Comments RSS TrackBack Identifier URI Leave a comment | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
And it ends 1-1 which isn’t bad for this week. The halfhoops should be on a winning path now the Stevie is out of the way.
i guess you don’t like rocha or did you just forget about him?
RSL wins 2-1. The team is going to start losing a lot more until we get a new coach. Marco has no idea what to do and Hitch is going to be down his throat trying to save the job he has already lost.