Everyone party! The Review turns 100 today! 100 posts that is. That's 100 entries of my pointless ramblings for your reading (dis)pleasure! To be honest, when I started this I wasn't sure how long it would last; I'm glad I've stuck with it, it's been fun! Anyway, enough of that, on to the review!
First half grade: B
RSL played what was probably their most aggressive half on the road so far in '08. The attacking mentality seemed to work with RSL creating many chances. Unfortunately, the coaching staff stuck with the goal-anorexic tandem of Movsisyan and Nunez for a second straight game, meaning that RSL would almost assuredly not score. And they didn't, even with some quality chances. While I did like the
attacking pressure shown by RSL (and I think with decent, aka our regular, forwards in there it would have paid off), it did leave the team open to counter attacks, which Chicago took advantage of with regularity. Chris Rolfe especially seemed to be dangerous going forward, especially with the help of Loungais' (er, I mean, Blanco's) quality passing. Still, with some hustle and some luck, and after a hard fought first half, RSL took the game to the locker room 0-0.
Second half grade: F
Ah yes, vintage RSL, how we have missed you. RSL came out extremely flat in the second half, while Chicago looked like they had exchanged jerseys with an actual soccer team at the half. The Fire came out firing (damn, that's a clever pun) and had tons of chances. Luckily for RSL, their attack looked about as limp as RSL's normally does. And really, the lone bright spot of the second half offensively for RSL was Robbie Findley, who came on at the half. For the second straight game, Robbie came out like a man possessed, causing havoc for Chicago all over. Unfortunately, his best chance came early in the half when he took a misplayed ball into the box, one-on-one with the keeper, Jon Busch. Robbie fired low to the near post, but Busch made an outstanding acrobatic save to just push the ball wide. In fact, both goalies in this game were outstanding. Not long after that, RSL seemed to give up on the game, I'm not really sure why. Instead of trying for the win, they just bunkered and tried to hold off wave after wave after wave of Chicago attacks. Sound familiar? It looked very much like Ellinger-era RSL, and it was terrible. The clearances were bad and often right back to the Fire. Positioning was often questionable as well. No attempt was made to hold possession or move the ball upfield. Very, very ugly. However, despite the poor play, with the help of a couple great saves by Little Nicky, the defense held on just long enough for RSL to escape Illinois with a 0-0 tie (and a sorely needed road point).
Pros:
-RSL steals a point on the road.
-Findley again looked sharp.
-Rimando looks to be rounding back into the form he showed last year (when he should have been MLS keeper of the year).
-RSL's defense somehow was able to keep the ball out of the net.
-The game was on KSL so we all could enjoy Bill Riley on the call.
-Real Salt Lake stays in first place for another week!
Cons:
-Morales decided to prove Steve Nicol right by having a terrible game.
-Beckerman still doesn't look right out there.
-The bunker ball needs to go! Play to win, boys, not to tie!
-Blanco is hard to watch, his diving is infuriating.
Game grade: D+
A pretty good first half is wiped out by an astonishingly bad second half. The team showed little passion or fight in the second, which does not bode well coming into the home stretch of the season, especially considering how many road games (7) the team has left. With only a one point lead in the conference (and with the teams behind them with a game, or even two, in hand), RSL needs to look to get as many points as possible. That means playing to win, not bunkering for an entire half.
Player grades:
Nick Rimando-9 This game featured two goalies on top of their game.
Chris Wingert-7 Seemed pretty solid in his first game back.
Nat Borchers-7 A little iffy early, became a brick wall late.
Jamison Olave-6 A few too many mistakes.
Ian Joy-6 Perhaps a little generous on the score, but this was possibly his best game for RSL.
Andy Williams-7 The only consistent performer in the midfield.
(Tony Beltran 89)-6 Wasn't on long enough to make an sort of impact.
Dema Kovalenko-6 Pretty bad early, had a solid second half.
Javier Morales-4 Pretty much useless all night. Even his free kicks were bad.
Kyle Beckerman-5 Touch is still terrible, played better very late.
Yura Movsisyan-6 First game I can recall not hating every second he was on the field.
(Kenny Deuchar 67)-6 Actually dribbled (well, tripped) around someone!
Tino Nunez-5 Not a good game for Tino.
(Robbie Findley 46)-7 Came out like a man possessed; once the team refused to attack, his influence waned.
Coaching staff-4 Yes, it's a road point, but the Nunez/Movs experiment must end now and allowing the team to play like that in the second half is unacceptable.
Referees (head ref: Ricardo Salazar)-6 Perhaps let a little too much go, but most of the calls were fair and he seemed to take control when needed. Overall, an average performance (which for MLS is probably an exceptional one!).
RSL Man of the Match:
Nick Rimando
Didn't have to make a lot of saves, due to some decent defending and poor attacking, but positioned himself well, and when he needed to make the big save, he did. Well done, Little Nicky!
Assclown of the Match:
Cuauhtemoc Blanco
Dude, seriously. Quit your diving and whining. It's obnoxious as anything. It's the sort of behavior expected of an...assclown...how fitting!
Monday, July 21, 2008
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Ye Olde Royal Predictions: Week 17 and other assorted musings
I know, I know, I missed posting another week of predictions, but as usual, they were made and can be scored. But, to get back on top of things, here are this week's:
Thursday, July 17:
Kansas City 1 vs. THE 2
Saturday, July 19:
NTOTB 0 vs. Streamer Warehouse 3
LAG 3 vs. Non-Reynas 2
Crapids/Cripids 1 vs. Dallass 2
REAL SALT LAKE 1 vs. BSOF 1
Tuesday, July 22nd (odd day for a game, so it gets tacked onto this week):
Creamsickles 0 vs. Ben Cup Losers 2
As for the last two weeks' results...
Week 15: 2 correct (0 exact), 4 wrong (33%)
Week 16: 3 correct (1 exact), 2 wrong (60%, 20%)
MLS Season Total:
46-65 [8 exact] (41%, 7%)
In other news, Cletus himself, Mr. Clint "The Original RSL Bust" Mathis was spotted recently playing for the RSL reserves in a match against the school which shall not be named (it's inHell Provo). Apparently, he is out of contract following his stint in Greece and needs somewhere to work out. While I don't see him signing with RSL (LAG still hold his MLS rights anyway), I can't say I'd be 100% against him being signed as a threat off the bench. That having been said, there are countless better options out there, and with two free International roster spots, let's hope RSL takes them.
Finally, in a blatant bid to win points at home, I want to say hi to my wonderful wife! :) She joined me at the Columbus game, which was a lot of fun and I appreciate, seeing as how she has little to no interest in sports. Interestingly enough, she actually made some very astute observations. The one that stands out in particular was her calling out of "number 5" (Becks) for being too hesitant and for not taking the lanes the defense was giving him. At one point (after he stalled an attack by pulling back with the ball even as he could've broken towards goal with it) she turned to me and said, "Why didn't he keep running up the field? No one was coming after him!" And, of course, I had been thinking basically the same thing. Great minds think alike I guess. Well done, honey! And, in fact, I've been thinking a lot about Kyle's performances lately, but that is planned for a whole separate post that I will be working on soon. Until then, enjoy the view from first place everyone! I know I am.
Thursday, July 17:
Kansas City 1 vs. THE 2
Saturday, July 19:
NTOTB 0 vs. Streamer Warehouse 3
LAG 3 vs. Non-Reynas 2
Crapids/Cripids 1 vs. Dallass 2
REAL SALT LAKE 1 vs. BSOF 1
Tuesday, July 22nd (odd day for a game, so it gets tacked onto this week):
Creamsickles 0 vs. Ben Cup Losers 2
As for the last two weeks' results...
Week 15: 2 correct (0 exact), 4 wrong (33%)
Week 16: 3 correct (1 exact), 2 wrong (60%, 20%)
MLS Season Total:
46-65 [8 exact] (41%, 7%)
In other news, Cletus himself, Mr. Clint "The Original RSL Bust" Mathis was spotted recently playing for the RSL reserves in a match against the school which shall not be named (it's in
Finally, in a blatant bid to win points at home, I want to say hi to my wonderful wife! :) She joined me at the Columbus game, which was a lot of fun and I appreciate, seeing as how she has little to no interest in sports. Interestingly enough, she actually made some very astute observations. The one that stands out in particular was her calling out of "number 5" (Becks) for being too hesitant and for not taking the lanes the defense was giving him. At one point (after he stalled an attack by pulling back with the ball even as he could've broken towards goal with it) she turned to me and said, "Why didn't he keep running up the field? No one was coming after him!" And, of course, I had been thinking basically the same thing. Great minds think alike I guess. Well done, honey! And, in fact, I've been thinking a lot about Kyle's performances lately, but that is planned for a whole separate post that I will be working on soon. Until then, enjoy the view from first place everyone! I know I am.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Game 17: THE Crew at RSL: Good buds, good times, good results
I finally made it to my second game of the year, this time accompanied by my lovely wife and a charming fellow by the name of DCU Ben (who, on a side note, was allowed 10 seconds to look at the Ben Cup before it was returned to its rightful place). With lovely weather and some good company, a good time was had by all. Anyway, on to the game!
First half grade: B
The Royals came out with a bang-bang combination. The first was the shocking forward line of Yura "I play like a 4th grader" Movsisyan and Tino "Still just a rookie" Nuñez. The second was Javi Morales' gorgeous free kick goal from just outside the area in the 4th minute. What a wonderful way to start off a game! From there Columbus looked shell-shocked, letting RSL control the game and mounting very little offensively. On the other hand, RSL was a bit sloppy and unnecessarily killed a few offensive opportunities by slowing the attack too much (especially Movs), but they play reasonably well for the most part and took a well deserved lead into halftime. 1-0 RSL.
Second half grade: C
Whatever was said and done in the Columbus locker room at halftime sure worked, as the Crew looked like a completely different team in the second half. Part of it I think stemmed from the realization that the combination of Nuñez and Yura posed no threat. On top of that, the Crew came out motivated and RSL looked a bit complacent. THE was able to mount attack after attack (aided by some shaky defending by the defenders, minus Olave), but poor finishing doomed them. However, that all changed in the 64th with the insertion of Robbie Findley. From the moment he stepped on the field, he looked like a man on a mission, just barely missing a goal wide in the 70th. Minutes later (with the help of a fresh Kenny Deuchar, on in the 69th), Findley gave RSL the insurance goal it sorely needed, taking a touch around the keeper and burying it in the top of the net. Columbus futiley tried to answer back, but to no avail, RSL wins 2-0, and takes over first place in the West for the first time ever.
Pros:
-Findley looked great.
-Morales' free kick.
-Olave once again was a beast in the back.
-RSL is in first!
Cons:
-The backline (minus Olave) was pretty awful.
-Especially Beltran, who was consistently hesitant AND out of position.
-Beckerman was also hesitant and mostly useless.
-The clock stopped at 45 and 90, making it so you had no idea how far into stoppage the game was.
Game grade: B-
Yes, it was a 2-0 win, but it was a surprisingly lackluster 2-0 win. With the exception of Olave and Findley, no one really stuck out and the front line of Nuñez and Movs proved useless. While I think Tino has a future and is just not ready for prime time yet, I presonally think it is time to let Yura on his merry way. The dude sucks period. He killed way too many attacks with his clumsy footwork and slow mind. Back to the game, it was, nevertheless, a solid win over a good team and topping the standings (although both LAG and TST are only a point behind with a game in hand) should do wonders for the confidence of the team.
Player grades:
Nick Rimando-7 Tested little, but solid when called upon
Tony Beltran-3 Absolutely awful. Mistake prone on nearly every play all game.
Nat Borchers-5 Some good plays, others were awful.
Jamison Olave-8 Nearly single-handedly shut out the Crew.
Ian Joy-5 Pretty meh.
Andy Williams-6 OK game, didn't seem to do a lot.
(Nathan Sturgis 89)-6 Very short appearance, nice to see him on the field!
Dema Kovalenko-6 Poor early, but really came on late.
Javier Morales-6 Brilliant goal, kind of dissapeared afterwards.
Kyle Beckerman-4 Poor touches, bad decisions, and worst of all, seemingly none of the passion he is known for.
Yura Movsisyan-3 Absolutely useless. I can has pink slip?
(Robbie Findley 64)-8 A one-man wrecking crew. Really should have had two or three.
Tino Nunez-5 OK, but not ready to basically be a lone striker (Movs didn't count).
(Kenny Deuchar 69)-6 Active, and got an assist, but missed a gimme goal.
RSL Man of the Match:
Robbie Findley and the kid in about row 20 of E37 (TIE)
Robbie changed the whole face of the game by providing RSL with strike ability that they had been lacking all game. He then put the game away with a sweet 78th minute goal. The kid earns it for his priceless line halfway through the national anthem: (in a whiny five-year-old voice) "Do I have to stand up?" Priceless.
Assclown of the Match:
The people running the scoreboard at Rice-Eccles
I wanted to give it to Schelotto for his Blanco-worthy diving, but I'm giving it to the crew at the stadium for not keeping the clock running into extra time like they usually do. Fat lot of good it does us to know there are four minutes of extra time when we don't even know how far into extra time we are. KEEP THE CLOCKS RUNNING, ASSCLOWN!
First half grade: B
The Royals came out with a bang-bang combination. The first was the shocking forward line of Yura "I play like a 4th grader" Movsisyan and Tino "Still just a rookie" Nuñez. The second was Javi Morales' gorgeous free kick goal from just outside the area in the 4th minute. What a wonderful way to start off a game! From there Columbus looked shell-shocked, letting RSL control the game and mounting very little offensively. On the other hand, RSL was a bit sloppy and unnecessarily killed a few offensive opportunities by slowing the attack too much (especially Movs), but they play reasonably well for the most part and took a well deserved lead into halftime. 1-0 RSL.
Second half grade: C
Whatever was said and done in the Columbus locker room at halftime sure worked, as the Crew looked like a completely different team in the second half. Part of it I think stemmed from the realization that the combination of Nuñez and Yura posed no threat. On top of that, the Crew came out motivated and RSL looked a bit complacent. THE was able to mount attack after attack (aided by some shaky defending by the defenders, minus Olave), but poor finishing doomed them. However, that all changed in the 64th with the insertion of Robbie Findley. From the moment he stepped on the field, he looked like a man on a mission, just barely missing a goal wide in the 70th. Minutes later (with the help of a fresh Kenny Deuchar, on in the 69th), Findley gave RSL the insurance goal it sorely needed, taking a touch around the keeper and burying it in the top of the net. Columbus futiley tried to answer back, but to no avail, RSL wins 2-0, and takes over first place in the West for the first time ever.
Pros:
-Findley looked great.
-Morales' free kick.
-Olave once again was a beast in the back.
-RSL is in first!
Cons:
-The backline (minus Olave) was pretty awful.
-Especially Beltran, who was consistently hesitant AND out of position.
-Beckerman was also hesitant and mostly useless.
-The clock stopped at 45 and 90, making it so you had no idea how far into stoppage the game was.
Game grade: B-
Yes, it was a 2-0 win, but it was a surprisingly lackluster 2-0 win. With the exception of Olave and Findley, no one really stuck out and the front line of Nuñez and Movs proved useless. While I think Tino has a future and is just not ready for prime time yet, I presonally think it is time to let Yura on his merry way. The dude sucks period. He killed way too many attacks with his clumsy footwork and slow mind. Back to the game, it was, nevertheless, a solid win over a good team and topping the standings (although both LAG and TST are only a point behind with a game in hand) should do wonders for the confidence of the team.
Player grades:
Nick Rimando-7 Tested little, but solid when called upon
Tony Beltran-3 Absolutely awful. Mistake prone on nearly every play all game.
Nat Borchers-5 Some good plays, others were awful.
Jamison Olave-8 Nearly single-handedly shut out the Crew.
Ian Joy-5 Pretty meh.
Andy Williams-6 OK game, didn't seem to do a lot.
(Nathan Sturgis 89)-6 Very short appearance, nice to see him on the field!
Dema Kovalenko-6 Poor early, but really came on late.
Javier Morales-6 Brilliant goal, kind of dissapeared afterwards.
Kyle Beckerman-4 Poor touches, bad decisions, and worst of all, seemingly none of the passion he is known for.
Yura Movsisyan-3 Absolutely useless. I can has pink slip?
(Robbie Findley 64)-8 A one-man wrecking crew. Really should have had two or three.
Tino Nunez-5 OK, but not ready to basically be a lone striker (Movs didn't count).
(Kenny Deuchar 69)-6 Active, and got an assist, but missed a gimme goal.
RSL Man of the Match:
Robbie Findley and the kid in about row 20 of E37 (TIE)
Robbie changed the whole face of the game by providing RSL with strike ability that they had been lacking all game. He then put the game away with a sweet 78th minute goal. The kid earns it for his priceless line halfway through the national anthem: (in a whiny five-year-old voice) "Do I have to stand up?" Priceless.
Assclown of the Match:
The people running the scoreboard at Rice-Eccles
I wanted to give it to Schelotto for his Blanco-worthy diving, but I'm giving it to the crew at the stadium for not keeping the clock running into extra time like they usually do. Fat lot of good it does us to know there are four minutes of extra time when we don't even know how far into extra time we are. KEEP THE CLOCKS RUNNING, ASSCLOWN!
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Cleaning House (Cordobas, Predictions, and Grades; oh my!)
Yes, I know there has been a distinct lack of content here on the Review as of late. I apologize and throw myself at the mercy of the soccer gods! ...Or something. Actually, I recently got a new job and am currently having a very difficult time adjusting to the hours, which has made it hard to keep the site up. I'll try and keep it up better in the future. Anyway, on to all that needs to be done!
First off, if you missed it, Matias Cordoba is gone, back to Argentina (thanks, SL Tribune). Apparently, he was upset with the paltry amount of playing time he'd gotten. Of course, if he'd shown ANYTHING in that playing time, maybe he'd have gotten more; I'm just sayin'. That means RSL has two roster spots and, if I recall correctly, they also have two international slots available. Hopefully Jason and Garth can get us a striker (Archie dammit! Or even Indra perhaps?) and another attacking minded midfielder or outside back (Kipre, come home!). Actually, let me revise that, hopefully they can get us someone who can actually put the ball in the net. That would be a nice change.
Secondly, let's get back up to date with 'Ye Olde Royal Predictions.' Here's my picks for this week:
Thursday, July 3rd:
Creamsickles 2 vs. REAL SALT LAKE 3
Friday, July 4th (Happy 232!):
Kansas City 1 vs. Dallas 2
Energy Bovines 0 vs. Crapids/Cripids 2
NERds 3 vs. LAG 2
Saturday, July 5th:
Chicago BSOF 1 vs. Columbus The 2
NTOTB 2 vs. TST 2
Last 2 weeks' results:
Week 13: 2 right (1 exact), 7 wrong (22%, 11%)
Week 14: 3 right (1 exact), 4 wrong (43%, 14%)
MLS Season Total:
41-59 [7 exact] (41%, 7%)
And finally, here are the player grades for the ugliness that was RSL at Kansas City:
Nick Rimando-7 Distribution lacking, but solid keeping.
Tony Beltran-3 Beat all night, passed to opposition, scored an own goal.
Nat Borchers-5 Missed a few marks, clearances were fairly poor.
Jamison Olave-8 A beast all night.
Chris Wingert-5 Too many passing mistakes.
Andy Williams-5 OK, but seemed to wear out in the 2nd half.
(Kenny Cutler 80)-5 Didn't have much effect on the game.
Dema Kovalenko-5 More poor passing by an RSL player.
Javier Morales-4 As leader of the offense, needs to do a LOT more.
Kyle Beckerman-7 Feisty and all over the place. Good game.
Robbie Findley-6 OK considering he was out of position all night.
(Tino Nunez 69)-5 Barring one play, largely invisible.
Kenny Deuchar-5 Wore down early 2nd, needs to shoot AROUND defenders, not INTO them.
(Yura Movsisyan 69)-5 Looked energized against his old team. Lots of effort, no results; needs to pass now and then.
Jason Kreis-4 The 4-5-1 got beat all night. Findley is NOT a middie. Taking out Findley AND Kenny for Tino and Yura???!?!
Officials (Head Ref: Alex Prus)-4 Let way too many tackles from behind go, often when an RSL player was headed towards the 18. Let the game turn ugly.
RSL Man of the Match:
Jamison Olave-Forget OnGoal, Olave owns the Wizards!
Assclown of the Match:
Jason Kreis-Ah yes, Professor Kreis! How goes your "How Not To Coach A Soccer Game 101" class?
Like I said, I will do my best to keep the site up in the future! Thanks for sticking with the site, I appreciate it!
First off, if you missed it, Matias Cordoba is gone, back to Argentina (thanks, SL Tribune). Apparently, he was upset with the paltry amount of playing time he'd gotten. Of course, if he'd shown ANYTHING in that playing time, maybe he'd have gotten more; I'm just sayin'. That means RSL has two roster spots and, if I recall correctly, they also have two international slots available. Hopefully Jason and Garth can get us a striker (Archie dammit! Or even Indra perhaps?) and another attacking minded midfielder or outside back (Kipre, come home!). Actually, let me revise that, hopefully they can get us someone who can actually put the ball in the net. That would be a nice change.
Secondly, let's get back up to date with 'Ye Olde Royal Predictions.' Here's my picks for this week:
Thursday, July 3rd:
Creamsickles 2 vs. REAL SALT LAKE 3
Friday, July 4th (Happy 232!):
Kansas City 1 vs. Dallas 2
Energy Bovines 0 vs. Crapids/Cripids 2
NERds 3 vs. LAG 2
Saturday, July 5th:
Chicago BSOF 1 vs. Columbus The 2
NTOTB 2 vs. TST 2
Last 2 weeks' results:
Week 13: 2 right (1 exact), 7 wrong (22%, 11%)
Week 14: 3 right (1 exact), 4 wrong (43%, 14%)
MLS Season Total:
41-59 [7 exact] (41%, 7%)
And finally, here are the player grades for the ugliness that was RSL at Kansas City:
Nick Rimando-7 Distribution lacking, but solid keeping.
Tony Beltran-3 Beat all night, passed to opposition, scored an own goal.
Nat Borchers-5 Missed a few marks, clearances were fairly poor.
Jamison Olave-8 A beast all night.
Chris Wingert-5 Too many passing mistakes.
Andy Williams-5 OK, but seemed to wear out in the 2nd half.
(Kenny Cutler 80)-5 Didn't have much effect on the game.
Dema Kovalenko-5 More poor passing by an RSL player.
Javier Morales-4 As leader of the offense, needs to do a LOT more.
Kyle Beckerman-7 Feisty and all over the place. Good game.
Robbie Findley-6 OK considering he was out of position all night.
(Tino Nunez 69)-5 Barring one play, largely invisible.
Kenny Deuchar-5 Wore down early 2nd, needs to shoot AROUND defenders, not INTO them.
(Yura Movsisyan 69)-5 Looked energized against his old team. Lots of effort, no results; needs to pass now and then.
Jason Kreis-4 The 4-5-1 got beat all night. Findley is NOT a middie. Taking out Findley AND Kenny for Tino and Yura???!?!
Officials (Head Ref: Alex Prus)-4 Let way too many tackles from behind go, often when an RSL player was headed towards the 18. Let the game turn ugly.
RSL Man of the Match:
Jamison Olave-Forget OnGoal, Olave owns the Wizards!
Assclown of the Match:
Jason Kreis-Ah yes, Professor Kreis! How goes your "How Not To Coach A Soccer Game 101" class?
Like I said, I will do my best to keep the site up in the future! Thanks for sticking with the site, I appreciate it!
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