Ben Cup 2013 Preview

2013 is the year of the one-off Ben Cup match as MLS, in its infinite wisdom, is going more and more towards unbalanced schedules (which I hate in all sports, but that's another topic for another day). What this means is RSL will play certain teams 2 or 3 times, while others just once. By virtue of being across the country, we only get one Ben Cup match this year. I'm guessing it's in DC to give United an advantage, since this is a Cup they've only won once. Nice of the MLS schedulers to do that for them. So that means this Saturday, 5pm (Mtn.) is for all the marbles...er, trophy. Game on channel 4 and 700 AM. Here's a few of the bigger stories for Saturday:

Key Players Missing
RSL will once again be missing Javi, Nat, and Wingert through injury. Grabavoy also expected to miss with a lingering family issue (RR sends its best to him!). For DCU, DeRosario will miss the game through suspension for being a dumbass for headbutting an opponent during a preseason game. Actually, I think I was right the first time...

The K in RFK is for Kurse
RSL has played 7 games at RFK since coming into the league in 2005 (the REAL RSL 1.0). How many have they won? ZERO. Four losses, three ties. While a tie will retain the Cup for RSL for another year, we don't want to do it that way. But to win the trophy properly, they'll have to figure out the "kurse" of RFK.

Home Motivation
This game will be the home opener for DCU which, when combined with their loss last weekend against Houston, should provide the home side a spark. If RSL can find an early break through (or even just weather the early momentum), they should be in a good position to steal at least a point and the Cup!

Something's Fishy
While Ben Olsen straight up admitted he is not near 100% fitness and will not start, I would expect the Fish, Carlos Ruiz to find his way to the bench. If DCU needs a late spark, he could be a huge one, even at less than optimal fitness.

Confidence Issues
While I thought Robbie Findley showed some flashes last week, something did seem a bit off. I mark it down to confidence issues. I think getting little game time while being continually shuffled between managers, teams, and leagues would do that to a person. If he can grab a goal, look for his play to blossom.

Hi!
While we're playing the big Ben Cup match, RR just wants to give a shout out to DCU's Robbie Russell. Thanks for MLS Cup!

Having looked at both rosters on this great game guide produced by the league (although it is missing all the injuries), I like how RSL matches up here. With the exception of maybe Chris Pontius, no one in that starting 11 scares me. The loss of DeRo is a big one for this United squad. Does this mean that I think RSL will just walk all over them? Quite the opposite. There is still quite a bit of talent on that roster and RSL will be playing its second road game in as many weeks (and on the opposite coast). To be honest, while DCU is no San Jose, RSL was second-best for the first 65 minutes of that game last week and was lucky that poor finishing kept the Earthquakes off the board. If RSL's back line shows up that shaky again this week, it could get ugly. That being said, RSL is the better team and should squeak one out to get their first win at RFK. Better yet, the Ben Cup stays in Sandy!

YE OLDE ROYAL PREDICTION: RSL 2 - DCU 1 (goals to Sabo and DJ Robbie F*)

*I have no idea why I called him that, but you must admit it is awesome!


On a side note, in other DC sports news, LET'S GO ORANGE! Take down those GTown bastards!

Has it been a year already?

Wow. Getting a bit dusty around here. Hard to believe it has been a year since my last post. Crazy how time flies. Not sure what I'm going to do around here, I'd still like to post, albeit probably not at the prolific rate I did in '09. On a side note, what a great year to pick to cover the team, huh? We're still the home for the Ben Cup, that's not something I will let die (in fact, this year's installment kicks off June 18th). Should be fun with a re-tooled DC United this year. Excited to see RSL take down Dax, Party Boy, and CD9!
Anyway, great start to the season so far. Great CCL results, even if RSL should be up 3-0 instead of 2-0 on Saprissa. I was right there, saw the goal that was called off. There was no call to be made there. That ref was an ass. But I digress. Hard fought win in the slop at San Jose and then the demolition of the Gals last weekend. It's been fun to watch. I'm very excited to see what RSL can put together in what is sure to be an imposing environment in Costa Rica.
And really, that's all I've got for the moment (this was a very spur of the moment post). If you still check in every now and then, thanks! If you enjoy the Review, leave a comment, please. It may inspire me to post more! In closing, I'd like to give a couple virtual high-fives out. First to RSL for signing nationally ranked player Conor Chinn as a fourth string forward. He puts star(kick)s in my eyes (and don't get run over)! And also to Nat Borchers for his sweet "Lambeau Leap" (Sandy Spring? Borchers Bound?) into the supporters end after the Saprissa game. It was a very nice touch!

Uh Oh Spaghetti-O's

Crap. Missed all the fanfare around the Ben Cup second leg as my computer has been out with...a computer version of swine flu? I'm not feeling too creative at the moment, can you tell? Anyway, congrats to RSL on a big (and surprising, given recent form) road tie that keeps the cup in Utah for another year. So craziness at home and at work here lately, but I hope to have the site back up to date and fully going again in the next couple weeks (that's not to say I won't possibly get some occasional posts in between now and then). As always, thanks for coming by!

And in honor of the win, here is the beloved cup itself:

Peaceness, kids.

2009 Game 3: DCU vs. RSL: Ben Cup: Round 1, FIGHT!

(Sorry for the Street Fighter reference in the title, couldn't help myself.)
Anyway, I had planned a big review of the big Ben Cup match but a busy (and strange) week kinda pushed all that to the side. In its stead, a mini-review, starting with some sweet, sweet player grades:

Player grades:
Nick Rimando-6 Not a lot to do, left out to dry a bit on the goal.
Tony Beltran-6 Not spectacular by any means, but serviceable.
(Raphael Cox 59)-6 Too many turnovers, but I LOVE this guy's hustle. Getting on my favorites list very quickly.
Nat Borchers-7 Pretty solid in the back, stymied most DCU attacks that came his way.
Jamison Olave-7 Caught defending no one on the goal, but scored one of his own to atone.
Chris Wingert-6 An average Chris Wingert day.
Clint Mathis-6 Didn't get involved as much as he had in the previous 2.
(Ned Grabavoy 74)-6 Providing some nice depth in midfield.
Kyle Beckerman-7 Best game of 2009 so far, got involved and nearly scored.
Javier Morales-7 Quiet, but came up with a HUGE goal out of nowhere for the win.
Will Johnson-6 Similar to Wingert and Beltran, not great by any means, but solid.
Robbie Findley-5 2 of the quietest assists you'll see. Got beat a few times by Jakovic.
(Andy Williams 89)-6 Very little time, hard to grade, but gets an average 6 for not doing anything wrong.
Yura Movsisyan-5 WAY too selfish; decision making is not there.

Coach grade (Kreis)-6 There were some minor adjustments I'd liked to have seen, but overall, ok.
Ref grade (Stott)-4 Not for any egregiously unfair calls, but for his seeming confusion on whether he was reffing for MLS or WWE. A little too physical for a soccer match.

RSL Man of the Match: Kyle Beckerman
Tough one to call as no one stood out. Olave blew it with poor defense on the DC goal. Javi was close but only seemed to play about 25 out of the 90 minutes. Becks wins it with a solid, full-90 effort.

Assclown of the Match: Mother Nature
Another cold, rainy, miserable day for an RSL match? Why of course! And this week, with RSL on the road? Mid-60s and sunny in Sandy, what else?

Pros:
+RSL is on the verge on winning the Ben Cup yet again.
+Late game winning goal for Javi was a beauty and may provide him with a spark.
+Kyle returned to his proper form.
+RSL was able to answer back quickly after an opponent's goal.
+Did I mention that RSL now has the upper hand in the Ben Cup?

Cons:
-The strikers again looked fairly lost for much of the game (like in Seattle).
-Yura's decision making never seems to improve.
-Until the goal, Javi seemed absent for much of the match.
-DCU always seems to kill us at RFK. Can RSL buck the trend to keep the Cup?
-The weather again messes with a home game. C'mon, it's supposed to be spring dammit!

What we learned:
1) RSL can beat DCU, even when they play their first-string keeper.
2) Will Johnson continues to look good on set pieces, giving the reds another option besides just Javi.
3) RSL may finally have the resiliency needed to carry on after getting behind, rather than throwing in the towel.

Game grade: B
It wasn't pretty, and it certainly wasn't RSL's best effort. But the team recovered from being outplayed at home for much of the first half to deliver a nice come from behind win. Let's make it 3 in a row this week boys!

The Traditional Pre-Ben Cup Interview

As has become tradition, here is the pre-game interview with the losing half of the Ben Cup, DCU Ben:

1) Well, here we are yet again with the Ben Cup upon us, and DCU is now 0-3. Is this the year that finally changes?

Yes this is the year that DC United finally claims what is rightfully theirs. The Ben Cup yearns to reside in the greater DC metropolitan area.

2) Do you think United has FINALLY learned from past mistakes and will start their first-string keeper in Utah for once?

They have not learned anything. However, by pure lucky happenstance, the backup keeper appears to be injured. The only problem is that the starter is Louis "I think I have the moves of the young Maradona before cocaine" Crayton, and he will try to dazzle you with his footwork... and he will get burned by Robbie Findley who is not kind to keepers of fancy feet.

3) Do you see Rio Tinto playing a factor in this game? This will be DC's first trip there? May it even help DCU by getting them off the artifical turf at Rice-Eccles?

Rio Tinto and real grass will slow down the game which will benefit the aged United attack with their preference to control the pace of the game.


4) I hear that you are not getting local TV coverage of this one. Is that true? And if so, what the hell? When did DCU start getting RSL-style media coverage?

Local TV has boycotted the United coverage for the first part of the season specifically to spite me because I have Verizon Fios and cannot purchase Direct Kick. I can think of two specific events that ushered in the era of DCU getting RSL-style media coverage, (1) DCU started playing like RSL and (2) when PG County denied the stadium building. Local TV is ahead of the curve on this and can see that this franchise has no marketable future in DC. Is a hint of bitterness coming across? Just checking.


5) Which RSL player are you most concerned about as a DCU fan? And conversely, which probable starter (RSL has used the same lineup in both games so far) concerns you least? Do you think DC will be able to exploit this player?

I think we have to be most concerned about RSL's speed in the attack, which means Findley. It's hard to tell after two games which player does not concern me or if we could exploit that particular player, but I'll go with Olave. I think he has a short fuse and we have some guys that like to get under the skin. I'm hoping for an early straight red.

6) On a scale of 1-10, how pumped are you for some sweet sweet Ben Cup action?

Let's put it this way, I love the Ben Cup so much I wanna take it behind the middle school and get it pregnant. (ed. note-quite possibly the best and most appropriate response ever)

7) Finally, I'd like to say that I think fans all over MLS wish you guys the best in getting a stadium. Now that it appears the PG Co. plan has fallen through, where else do you think DCU could settle? Are you concerned they may move the team?

I'm going to go with the esteemed Mr. Soccer Insider and say, Vamos St. Louis United! They can only keep the team in RFK and losing money for so long before wiser business minds prevail and send them somewhere else. I'm still holding out for a Northern Virginia stadium but if I were to put money on it, I'd put money on St. Louis.

In closing, I would just like to say that between insane work hours, technical difficulties with MLSLive.tv, and no local coverage I have yet to watch an entire match this season. I am hoping that changes this weekend as DC takes a big step towards bringing the Ben Cup to its rightful home. Vamos United!

BEN CUP IS HERE!

Man, I can't believe that only 3 games into the season, we already have the Ben Cup upon us. And, of course, this is a terrible week for it with my schedule, but I will try to have some fuller coverage up in the next couple of days. But as a quick recap, let's take a quick look back to last year:

Leg 1, April 12th, Salt Lake City, UT: DCU 0 - RSL 4
-2 goals for Kyle Beckerman, 1 each for Espi and Robbie Findley
-RR MOTM: Dema Kovalenko; 2 assists and seemingly involved in every positive RSL play.

Leg 2, April 26th, Washington, DC: RSL 1 - DCU 4
-2 (PK) goals for Moreno, 1 each for Gallardo and Quaranta
-Carey Talley salvages the Ben Cup with a late goal off a Tony Beltran assist
-RR MOTM: Chris Wingert; only RSL player with an above average grade on the night.

RSL and DCU tie on record (1-1-0), but RSL wins on aggregate goals: 5-4.

Let's hope RSL doesn't need to take this year's Cup to tiebreakers. Come on ya Reds! Go RSL!

US Open Cup

Congrats to Ben Cup rival DC United on winning the Open Cup over Charleston tonight. Well done ya blacks!

We Are The Champions! Ben Cup Leg 2 Review

I'm trying a new format on my reviews to try and cut down the length. Not every game requires the 'War and Peace' treatment. Right now I'm just testing things so this will be a work in progress. If you've got any suggestions, let me know!

1st Half Grade: C-
Judging by the scoreline (and the reaction from people across the internet), I must say I was expecting worse in this one. RSL played pretty well in the 1st half, controlling the first 15 minutes and then outplaying DC over the last 10-15. The 15 in the middle though? All DC, all the time. RSL's defense held up pretty well to only allow one goal. Of course, the goal was on a PK called after a Dema Kovalenko handball in the box. If you haven't seen it, it was called when Dema went in for a sliding tackle and the DC cross hit him in the arm. Intentional? No way. A soft call? Perhaps. If the shoe were on the other foot would I want/expect a PK for RSL? Definitely. So I can't really say too much about that call, I can forgive it. Plus, if RSL's midfield play could lead to an attack, or our forwards could find some seams, perhaps we'd get a shot or two off and maybe even *gasp* score!

2nd Half Grade: F
Honestly, RSL didn't play all that bad as a team for most of the second half, but any time you give up THREE FREAKING GOALS in a half, it's hard to get any other grade. I'm not sure why, but that's two games in a row that RSL has actually improved after going 3 in the back. I know we can't score, so loosening up the defense is probably a bad idea, but if results don't change soon, maybe Jason should look into it. How bold are ya? Anyway, before you ask, let's get to the 2nd PK. This one I'm not so forgiving on. Mainly because the foul that should have been called was the hold outside the box. Emilio never would have been slowed down enough for Talley to catch him if he hadn't been held outside the box. The tackle itself looked fairly clean, but it was from a weird angle and from behind, so I can understand it, even if I've seen far worse go without being called. Talley really was terrible on that sequence, with the turnover that started to DC break and the tackle that was whistled for a PK. Nice job buddy! Either way, I think this was a pretty iffy call, like I said, since the original, blatant foul was outside of the box. The Quaranta volley goal was nice, but too easy. Morales fell asleep and let him go free on the weak side, and with Borchers distracted on the 3-man backline, he never even saw him to pick him up. In fact, RSL's weak side defense was exposed numerous times in this game, including on the Gallardo goal. Borchers missed the header, letting the ball fall to Gallardo near the end line. He then bent the laws of physics and volleyed it into the back of the net. An amazing goal. If you haven't seen it, check out the 'video highlights' link on the MLSnet game recap. RSL did pick up what ended up being the Ben Cup winning goal after they went down 3, with Beltran getting on the scoresheet for the first time as a pro by flicking a header to Talley off of a corner. Talley basically just ran into the ball and bulldozed it into net. And with that, RSL are your 2008 Ben Cup Champs, oh yes!

Pros:
-Olave looks like he could be the real deal.
-Joy at least looked like he belonged on the field for stretches.
-Chris Wingert looks good as of late.
-RSL looked to still be putting in some effort, even down 4-1 late.
-We got to see that goal by Gallardo. Wow.
-RSL are your Ben Cup Champions (by a score of 5-4)!
-Thomas Rongen's bow ties. Hilarious!

Cons:
-Deuchar and Beckerman were nowhere to be found.
-Movsisyan tripping over the ball, trying to force through 5 defenders, and never, ever passing.
-Weak side defense.
-Complete ineptitude going forward. Can't cross, can't send through balls, can't get shots on net (13 shots with only 4 on goal [31%]! DC had 16 & 11 [69%])
-This RSL team looks like every other RSL team.
-Thomas Rongen's bow ties. Horrendous!

Game grade: D-
Ouch. RSL's problems in attack are back again. You're telling me that Indra is actually worse than our current strike force? I don't believe it (plus, he'd sell RSL jerseys overseas. Oh well.). Gallardo is the real deal, I can't wait until we "earn" our DP. That'll be sweet.

Player grades:
Nick Rimando-6 Some decent work, not a lot he could do on most of the goals
Chris Wingert-7 Pushed forward, defended well, nice game for Chris
Nat Borchers-5 Probably his worst game for RSL so far.
Jamison Olave-6 Showed some flashes, he could be a good one
Ian Joy-4 Again, positioning problems, but sadly probably his best game for RSL
(Andy Williams 58)-5 Played well, but too many of his patented shots to the moon
Dema Kovalenko-5 Very up and down, let frustration get to him
Javier Morales-3 Nice free kicks, otherwise contributed nothing to the attack
Carey Talley-4 Good game other than the horrendous turnover/PK combo play
Kyle Beckerman-3 Completely absent from the game, we need more from Becks
(Tony Beltran 73)-5 Decent in limited time
Kenny Deuchar-3 I honestly thought that I'd missed him being subbed off at one point
Robbie Findley-4 RSL's best forward on the day. That's not saying much
(Yura Movsisyan 59)-3 PASS THE @!%*$ BALL!!!

RSL Man of the Match:
Chris Wingert - For the second straight game, Wingert has been the best player on the field for RSL. He looked good in the back, in the midfield, and even pushing forward on the wings. He even put a decent corner in. Too bad for RSL that our best production is coming from right back, but well done Chris!

Assclown of the Match:
Luciano Emilio - He must have spent the summer at the "Cuauhtemoc Blanco School of Flopping." Financial aid is available for those who qualify.

Game Preview: Ben Cup Leg 2-Full Throttle

I'd have liked to get more Ben Cup content up this week, but work has been crazy. If you haven't already, check out my interview with DC Ben, done after Leg 1. Some good stuff there. Also, on a quick non-BC related note, the infamous 'anonymous' appears to be calling us RSL fans out after last weeks crapfest in Toronto (check the comments at the bottom). Stand up for yourselves and be heard, RSL fans! Do I smell a new rivalry coming on?
Anyway, here's some keys to tomorrow night's game:
1) Abuse Gonzalo Peralta. He was awful in Salt Lake and, by all accounts, awful last week at home in DC. RSL needs to take the game to him and force him to prove that he can defend.
2) Cover Emilio. Yes, he has been worse than terrible all season, I agree. However, one of these days he is bound to break out of it, you don't have a 20 goal season by accident. He got free a couple times at Rice Eccles and luckily didn't make RSL pay. At RFK I see that having a different outcome.
3) Come out with purpose and attack always. RSL has never played well in "bunker mode." Yet, they try to do it all the time. For a prime example of why RSL should not do this, see last week's 1st half. Enough said.
4) Solid defense. Yes, this is an obvious one, but it needs to be said in this instance. Sturgis is out for at least a couple weeks, so it will most likely be Talley back at d-mid. He's been very up and down this season. Hopefully he's up tomorrow. In addition, Ian Joy has been VERY shaky all year. If he's in, we need some better play from him. I say if as there are grumblings that Beltran and Olave may both start this week. If that happens, we need the defense to gel quickly. Can it happen? Let's hope.
5) Remember, it's the Ben Cup, relax. RSL always wins the Ben Cup. They have a 4-0 lead. No worries, just relax and let nature run its course. RSL having the Ben Cup is just the natural order of things.

Lineup I'd use: GK-Rimando; D-Wingert, Borchers, Mantilla (Olave if injuries are too much), Beltran; M-Kovalenko, Williams, Beckerman, Morales; F-Deuchar, Findley (Espi is out injured)
On a side note, I still rate Findley WAY above Movsisyan. Wake me when Movs does something, ANYTHING, productive in an RSL kit.

Lineup I expect: GK-Rimando; D-Wingert, Borchers, Mantilla (Olave if injuries are too much), Joy; M-Talley, Kovalenko, Beckerman, Morales; F-Deuchar, Findley

Royal Prediction:
United will be too fired up. Between the 4-0 shellacking in Leg 1, the 2 game losing streak, the run of bad form for many key players, and the backing of what still looks to me to be MLS's most passionate crowd, I just think there are too many things for DC to use as motivation in this one. Ben Cup stays in Salt Lake, but it won't be pretty. DCU 3 - RSL 1; RSL wins Ben Cup 5-3.

DCU Ben Interview

So I decided to do a quick interview with the eastern half of the Ben Cup committee after last Saturday's 4-0 shellacking. Here's the results in their entirety:

Royal Review: First of all, let's get your general thoughts on Leg 1 of the Ben Cup.

DC Ben: I'll try to keep it family friendly, but there is a special curse that Jables (Jack Black) uses when Kage (Kyle Gass) criticizes his inward singing. Initials C.A.. Best curse ever. That's my first thought. Then there is a curse from the film Donnie Darko that I reserve for Tom Soehn. Initials S an F. Second best curse ever. But since I do not use such language I will say that I was quite disgusted and disappointed.


RR: Did you end up watching the entire game or did you give up?

DCB: Of course. I did go to bed at half, but I watched the rest of the game without knowing the result on Sunday morning. I did not abandon ship on Saturday night because of the score so much as 14 hour work days and a newborn. I had to sleep. Although I will say the lack of sleep did soften the blow.

RR: How can DCU turn things around in Leg 2?

DCB: Easy. 4 man back line. And I will be there, which will make them realize that they care about the Ben Cup.

RR: What will be the outcome of Leg 2?

DCB: DC 5 RSL 0 fueled by anger and a DP that got plenty of rest. (editor's note: HAHAHAHAHA!)

RR: Why does DCU have such a hard time in Utah?

DCB: I'll go with altitude, that sounds about right... oh and ALWAYS thinking RSL is a crap team on a crap pitch (ok, that part is true), which they CLEARLY are not. Maybe RSL sucks all season long, but they DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT suck against DC.

RR: A lot has been said about Soehn's decision making in the game (not playing Gallardo, 3-man backline, etc.)-what are your thoughts? What do you think of him as a coach in general?

DCB: I realize I have adopted a frustrated and angry tone for most of this interview but to be honest DC plays a ridiculously crowded schedule for the number of quality players that we have. The coaching staff has to decide to put a lesser team on the field every now and again. I have to believe that Soehn knew he was not putting out his best squad but I'm not sure how to explain the 3 man back. I mean, on the road you should as a rule bunker and counter which means bolstering the defense and going thin on the attack. Maybe it was the best lineup for using the most reserves.

In general I think he is pretty good. I think he is learning and experimenting and I'm ok with that right now. Soehn has the benefit of assuming his squad can win if he puts the first team out there. That gives him more time to try new things without the pressure. Obviously these are all assumptions. And when you assume bla bla bla...

RR: DC has been very up and down so far this year, what are your expectations for the rest of the season?

DCB: I expect to see some more ups and downs for another month or so and then I expect the team to come together and do very well. I don't expect them to lose 4-0 ever again.

RR: How much does this team miss now-gang member Christian Gomez? Is Gallardo going to be able to replace him?

DCB: The team does not miss Christian Gomez version 2007. He disappeared for games at a time and was always so pouty. I wish him only the best but not for him to come back. Gallardo has replaced him. Gallardo is better than Gomez. Is he worth DP money? That is a question for another day... a day that comes after the 2008 season

RR: If you could pick one RSL player and put him on United, who would it be (if anyone)?

DCB: Beckerman. I love his bite, passion, dreadlocks, and those bombs he puts in the net. It's weird that I like him so much considering how much I hated him when he played for the Denver West Sideuhz. Also, he scored 12 points for my MFLS team.

RR: Any other thoughts on anything (Ben Cup, DCU, RSL, MLS, popular music, world politics, the letter H, anything!)?

DCB: The Ben Cup will come to DC sometime in the next 3 years. I guarantee it. Music sucks. Politics, especially those of the world are AWESOME! The letter H is my favorite Spanish alphabet letter.

Good stuff as always from DCU Ben; be sure to check out his DCU blog The Edgell Supporters. And thanks to him for the interview and for tipping me off to THIS (seriously, go here. NOW.).

Game 3: Ben Cup Leg 1: DC United @ Real Salt Lake

Wow. Am I glad that I go to the Ben Cup games. Last year was RSL's first win of the season, all the way in June. This year was an absolute drubbing, resulting in a 4-0 win, RSL's biggest ever. Normally, I'd go through the motions and write a full review, but even though it was not perfect, I'm not in the mood to be critical. You saw it, and if you didn't, do yourself a favor and find it somewhere. Truly entertaining. Anyway, without a full written review, that just leaves us with the grades and the regular "Pros and Cons."

Pros:
-The Ben Cup is basically assured of keeping the Ben Cup, so for the 3rd year (of 3), DCU will not win it.
-FOUR goals. Four. By RSL. Just think about that.
-Beckerman finally came back to life, scoring two goals.
-Sturgis started for Talley and looked good.
-Dema Kovalenko was just great. Aggresive, in control, and always moving play forward.
-Findley. His touch was still rough, but it's hard to argue with a goal and an assist in 20 minutes. Plus, the goal was hilarious. Just a terrible goal from a defensive standpoint. Go watch it and laugh!
-Granted it was when the game was solidly put away, but Beltran looked good in limited minutes.
-The central defense was very strong. Borchers is the new Eddie Pope back there, I tell ya.
-The absolutely dejected "We paid to see THIS?" body language from the little Barra Brava corner.
-The attacking mentality by RSL in the second half. Instead of the usual RSL 'Let's sit on a lead' game, the took the game to DCU and played a full 90.
-Just about everything else.

Cons:
-Joy still leaves guys way too open and seems to lose sight of what he's doing at times.
-Deuchar was out of control in the first half, bad calls or no. He needs to keep his emotions in check.
-There were still a couple of dangerous moments on defense, including a scary 1st half moment where Emilio got an opening WITH THE BALL in the 18. Most of the dangerous plays seemed to come from the sidelines.

1st Half grade: A
2nd Half grade: A+

Player grades:
Nick Rimando-7 Didn't have much to do, but was strong when called upon.
Chris Wingert-7 Another quietly solid game from Wingert.
Nat Borchers-8 Very strong on the back line, stymied DCU all game.
Matias Mantilla-8 Solid game, more under control than usual.
Ian Joy-6 Good for the most part, still a couple lapses.
(Tony Beltran 83)-7 Didn't have time to do much, but looked capable.
Dema Kovalenko-9 Simply brilliant. Involved somehow in nearly every good play.
Javier Morales-7 Played well, occasionally took a touch too many.
(Andy Williams 63)-8 Saw the game well, good passing.
Nathan Sturgis-8 Carey who?
Kyle Beckerman-9 Solid defensively...oh yeah, and two goals...
Kenny Deuchar-7 Missed a header or two, let emotions get the best of him, but when under control was very strong.
Fabian Espindola-8 Put his body on the line repeatedly (including getting kicked in the face), looked good.
(Robbie Findley 70)-8 First touch keeps him from a 9, but otherwise brilliant.

Game grade: A+
4-0. Against a solid DC team. Basically singlehandedly winning the Ben Cup. Brilliant. Possibly RSL's best game.

RSL Man of the Match:
Dema Kovalenko - Yes, Becks had two goals (and it was a VERY close decision), but without Dema, RSL may not have gotten one. Great game.

Assclown of the Match:
The ref was seemingly MLS usual: pretty awful, but this weeks "AOTM" is dedicated to DC fans and goes to Tommy Soehn. You pay Gallardo over $1.5 million and have him sit the bench? I don't care how many games you've played recently, get his lazy ass on the field! Then, you play a ton of reserves and go with a 3-man backline? Without your DP midfielder or your holding mid stalwart (the injured Olsen) to control the game? Stupid.

Ben Cup 2008 Leg 1 Preview

Well, it is already here. And in less than 3 weeks, we will have a winner. This weekend is Leg 1 of the annual Ben Cup between RSL and DCU. RSL comes in with a disappointing 0-1-1 record, while DC comes in at 1-1-0. DC is a bit of a mystery this year, looking very good in destroying Toronto (although TFC was down a man for much of the game) and looking not so good while getting smacked around by Kansas City. Last year's MLS MVP and golden boot winner Luciano Emilio has looked very awkward this year; let's hope he doesn't turn that around any time soon. I've already predicted a 2-1 RSL victory for the game and I stand by it. DCU does not play well in Salt Lake City and RSL should be hungry for a win, we don't need to lose another season by May 1st. GO RSL! Viva la Ben Cup!

The keys for RSL:
1) Everyone: "Knock, knock"
JK: "Who's there?"
Everyone: "Nathan"
JK: "Nathan who?"
Everyone (frustrated): "NATHAN @!#&! STURGIS!"
I think everyone is in agreement that Nate should get the start over Carey Talley, but even if he doesn't, JK should not be hesitant to pull the trigger and make the sub should Carey falter at all. (Or he could go with my even more crazy idea of putting Sturgis in for Joy and go with a midfield of Dema-Becks-Williams-Morales, but that's a whole different story)

2) FINISHING. Someone on RSL needs to put the ball in the back of the net. Please. I'd like to see a bunch of high crosses this game, trying to get them to the head of Kenny Deuchar. However, I will take goals any way I can...PLEASE! RSL needs to at least put some of these shots on goal, Wells has been shaky so far in '08, so let's test him and make him work!

3) NO MORE EXTRA TIME GOALS!!! I don't care if Esky's goal was meaningless and undefended, it was still deep into 2nd half injury time. That means 2 games, two 90+ minute goals. Completely unacceptable. If RSL wants to win, this needs to stop. Now.

4) Have Robbie Findley come on and score two goals again. That seemed to work last year. :D

Kenny Deuchar celebrates with the Ben Cup! Sweet!


BEN CUP LEG 1
DC United at Real Salt Lake
Rice Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City, UT
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Kickoff at 7:00 PM Mountain
TV: Directkick
Radio: 700 AM (still with the wonderful Bill Riley)


PS-Be sure to check out the DCU half of the Ben Cup, The Edgell Supporters and their interview with the creator of the new Ben Cup logo, the newly dubbed "3rd Party Ben." It's worth reading just for my new favorite quote: "It would make sense, as an outside observer, to cheer on the underdog, who, remarkably, in this case would be DCU."

Ben Cup 2008 is here!

It is that time of year once again. Ben Cup season is upon us. In 3 short days RSL will once again be halfway to glory. 2-1 RSL. I'll try and get some more in-depth stuff going soon (this is a terrible week for the Ben Cup to be coming), but I wanted to get this picture of our official 2008 logo up and running. Major thanks to DCU Ben's friend Ben on the logo. And, as always, check out our Ben Cup partners The Edgell Supporters for more Ben Cup festivities.

Ninja...Ninja rap, even

Sorry for the Vanilla Ice reference. I was watching that the other day on Youtube. Hilarious stuff.

ANYWAY, on to the latest from RSL Land (also known to fans as the 19th level of hell):

"The [USA U-23] roster has been reduced to 20 players, with Nate Sturgis (calf) and Adam Cristman (hamstring) not fit enough to make the trip to China." Straight from the US U-23 blog
Thanks RSLFM Report for the heads up.

I hate to think this, let alone say this (and jinx him further), but Sturgis seems to be turning into an injury machine. This is almost certainly giving the (and I use this term VERY loosely) "braintrust" in LA too much credit, but maybe there is a reason they let Sturgis go so easily. Hopefully Nate can use the rest of his time off this offseason to get healthy and come back and have a great year next year. That way we can just call him a "talented player" instead of "talented but injury prone".

On a completely different topic, not a day goes by where I don't hear about (possible and real) signings and trades in MLS, including the latest doozy:
D Bobby Boswell to Houston for GK Zach Wells & a second round draft pick

So Houston, already the MLS champs, trade away their backup goalkeeper for a former MLS defender of the year. Yes, Boswell had a poor season last year, but I think a change in scenery and the motivation to prove himself again bodes well for him and Houston. Meanwhile, RSL does nothing (other than waving goodbye to Eddie Pope and then waiving promising defender Kipre). Somehow I think not changing, and even losing THE key piece of, a team that has yet to make the playoffs while the champs bolster their defense is not the way to bring a winner to Utah.
Even LA is looking to further skirt the salary cap by adding Polish striker Maciej Zurawski to the roster from Scotland's Celtic FC

Meanwhile, there is not a word on any moves coming from RSL's camp. Note to Dave Checketts: 'People like to cheer for winning teams. Especially in sports that may be considered "fringe" by some. Especially in Utah. Try getting some decent and ESTABLISHED personnel in here, including in the front office. Winning can be fun, I promise.'

How RSL plans to suddenly become better than teams that have already proven themselves better than RSL just by losing their top defender is beyond me. Can anyone explain it to me? Anyone?

PS to Dave-Seriously, I love this guy. Open the checkbook.

PPS-

Quick Update

It doesn't look like I'll be able to get a full review up today (that's what you get for having a job...), but the big Ben Cup finale ended with a 2-1 victory for DC United. This results in both teams having a 1-1 record in this years cup, with both teams scoring 3 total goals and 1 away goal. It hasn't been 100% confirmed through DC Ben, but it appears this year's Ben Cup has ended in a tie! Craziness! On the positive side, the trophy will stay in Salt Lake for another year since they are the last team to win the Ben Cup. Strange goings on I tells ya! Anyway, full review coming SOON

"It's the final countdown...."

It's officially Ben Cup season as the second leg is now the next game on the schedule for Real Salt Lake and DC United. The game will be Wednesday, September 12th at 5:30 (Mountain) at RFK Stadium in DC. Even better, the game will actually be available for SOME RSL fans to watch as it will be available on DirectKick. It will also be broadcast locally on 700 AM (or 1600 AM para español).

The game will be Leg 2 of the yearly Ben Cup rivalry. Real holds the lead in the competition after a 2-1 win in the first leg back on June 23 in Salt Lake City. A win or tie will clinch Salt Lake's 2nd straight Ben Cup title, otherwise we will be getting into goal differential/away goals/etc. territory. Hopefully RSL will smoke them and it will not come to that.

So get into the spirit and preach the good word of the Ben Cup far and wide! Heaven knows RSL needs as many competitions that it can win as possible! :) GO REAL SALT LAKE!


Other thoughts:
-It's bad enough when people on the net spell RSL as RLS, but they also did it in today's print edition of the Salt Lake Tribune. "...after Fabian Espindola tied the game for RLS..."
-4 goals given up??? And 3 to the fearsome strike force of...Corey Ashe to Nate Jaqua???!?!?! What the hell? Seriously! I can see one, possibly even two. But 3 goals from the same combination of those two??? PATHETIC.

Catch-all update

So it didn't take long for Colorado to bring out Mehdi's "thug side." (thanks Steve Goff/Soccer Insider for the link) Fernando "Straight Thuggin' G" Clavijo must be proud. I think he may be a gang leader, but that's not confirmed. That trade was the steal of the century, I'm telling you... By the way, check out Mr. Victorine shortly after, that's quite an ice pack!

In other recent news, RSL has released backup to the backup to the backup keeper Matt Wideman, who saw a total of no action with RSL and has probably now had his development stunted for good. :) Also released was long-time Royal Danny Torres, in order to free up a senior international roster slot. Let's hope RSL's new SI's are actually good and not just guys they signed solely because they are Argentinian and because other Argentinians are currently playing quite well in MLS. Although, knowing RSL, it wouldn't surprise me... Anyway Danny, thanks for the memories...

Also, Freddy "Road Redwood" Adu has finally made his much lusted after move to Europe. I have two words for that: good riddance. If he won't play with passion or effort or even skill for our team we don't need him. He's definitely been part of the problem. Don't let the door hit you on the way out...actually, do. It may knock some sense into you. Either way, best of luck in Europe to Freddy, as I do hope his potential comes to fruition, the US team could use as many skilled technical attackers as it can get.

And now, we come to this weeks mfls.com Fantasy News (cue fanfare). Here's what the week 18 lineup looks like:

---------------------------Hesmer (CLB)---------------------------

------Wynne (TOR)-----Barrett (HOU)-----Larentowicz (NERds)------

----Joseph (NERds)--Ralston (NERds)--Holden (HOU)--Toja (DALass)----

--------Johnson (KC)------Esky (RSL)------Cristman (NERds)---------

A lot of NERds this week as they are the only team with 2 games: today vs. the "Pull over I gotta" Wiz and Sunday against the Black and Red of DC "Can't Win the Ben Cup" United. Esky is an iffy pick as he may still be out with whatever injury he has that he picked up whenever he did. Funny we didn't hear more about it...did he get called up to the Liberian National Team too??? But my other forwards (Galindo and Angel) both have the week off so I'm taking a shot with him (plus I like him so it works out on all fronts). Here's my spur of the moment (as always) mfls predictions for the week's games:
KC 2 - NERds 2
CLB 2 - CHI(cago) 1
Crapids 0 - Dallass 2
HOU 3 - RSL 1
DC 1 - NERds 1
LA 0 - TOR 2
I hope I'm wrong on RSL, I'll be at the match with some friends from out of town (the proprietors of "The Edgell Supporters" and Ben Cup losers). Perhaps they're here for a scouting trip? hahaha Anyway, I'm hoping to see a good performance from the Reds but I'm not holding my breath...

Finally, with DCU Ben coming to town the trophy for the Ben Cup will (hopefully) soon be finalized. I'll get pictures as soon as possible. Don't forget, Leg 2 is coming soon (Sept. 12) to RFK Stadium in Washington, DC. RSL is holding a 1-0-0 record and a +1 goal differential this year after winning it last year. Let's go RSL!!!
(Also, congrats to DCU on advancing to the semifinals of Superliga (that seems like that needs superhero fanfare before you say it)-smack around Houston the Galaxy! (duh, they JUST played Houston...I'm stupid... ha ha))

PS-Thanks to MLSnet for the videos and myself for the sweet, sweet Clavijo picture.

Welcome

Hello there internet land kids, and welcome to the Royal Review. A (probably) sparsely updated blog about MLS team Real Salt Lake. I mainly will post recaps of games, but if I feel the need to post other things (previews, news, commentary) it will go here. This is also being designed to be the official RSL home of the Ben Cup, a yearly rivalry between RSL and DC United. So thanks for coming by and enjoy the blog. I will start by posting my most recent review from the July 4th Toronto match. For older reviews check out the Ben Cup group listed below. Thanks! Peaceness.

For more Ben Cup love try:
The Edgell Supporters (DC home of the Ben Cup)
The Ben Cup group on myspace