REAL SALT LAKE @ LOS ANGELES GALAXY SATURDAY MARCH 10 2012
8:00PM MT THE HOME DEPOT CENTER CARSON, CA
REAL SALT LAKE AT LOS ANGELES GALAXY SATURDAY MARCH 10 2012
8:00PM MT THE HOME DEPOT CENTER CARSON, CA
PROBABLE STARTERS
BROADCAST INFORMATION TV: ABC4 w/ Bill Riley & Brian Dunseth
17 WINGERT
RADIO (ENGLISH): ESPN700 w/ Spencer Warne & Brian Kamler (pre-game show kicks off at 7:30p MT) RADIO (SPANISH): 102.3 FM w/ Nelson Moran & Fernando Hortal
REAL SALT LAKE INJURY REPORT
28
QUESTIONABLE: MF Jonny Steele (L knee internal injury) PROBABLE: DF Chris Wingert (facial laceration), MF Javier Morales (R quadriceps strain), FW Álvaro Saborío (R knee internal injury)
RSL’S HOME AWAY FROM HOME (DEPOT):
Saturday’s 2012 “First Kick” for RSL - its eighth season opener since the team’s inception - takes place at the very same venue, against the very same opponent that ended the club’s 2011 campaign ... Last November 6, eventual MLS Cup 2011 Champion Los Angeles defeated Jason Kreis’ team by a 3-1 score at The Home Depot Center in the Western Conference Final ... With a total of six wins all-time at The HDC (three each against LA and Chivas), the Galaxy home is the venue in which RSL has posted the most road wins in its 7-year history ... RSL has also won a trio of away games at NE and SJ ...
YET ANOTHER FINAL DURING KREIS ERA:
Since the 2008 campaign – the first full season under head coach Jason Kreis and GM Garth Lagerwey – Real Salt Lake has advanced to five so-called “finals” of either the conference, League or continental variety … They are: Year Final Result 2008 West Final vs New York L, 0-1 2009 East Final @ Chicago T, 0-0 (5-4 PKs) MLS Cup vs Los Angeles T, 1-1 (5-4 PKs) 2010 -2011 CCL Final v Monterrey T, 2-2 / L, 0-1 West Final @ Los Angeles L, 1-3 RSL has never won a “final” game in regulation, officially posting an 0-3-3 mark since each of the club’s PK shootout victories are recorded as ties … In both of the 0-1 losses (2008 v NY, 2011 v Monterrey), RSL dictated the pace and tempo of the game, out-shooting the opponent and testing the woodwork, but ultimately could not score to lift hardware before its home fans …
7
SCHULER
ESPINDOLA
5
11
BECKERMAN
MORALES
18 RIMANDO
4 OLAVE
15 SABORIO
20 GRABAVOY
2
OUT: MF Will Johnson (R adductor strain), DF Nat Borchers (L quadriceps strain) DOUBTFUL: n/a
21 GIL
BELTRAN
REAL SALT LAKE HISTORY v LOS ANGELES:
The two teams deemed by most to be the Western Conference powers once again in 2012 have met 20 times in all competitions since RSL was established in 2005, the all-time series tipping just in the Galaxy’s favor, with RSL holding a 7-8-6 record … The teams’ first postseason contest, MLS Cup 2009, was tied 1-1 after 120 minutes, with RSL emerging 5-4 in a seven-frame PK tiebreaker … In last year’s West Final, LA struck first but RSL answered immediately via FW Alvaro Saborio to knot the game at 1-1 at half ... LA added a 56’ goal to take the lead it would not relinquish, despite FW Fabian Espindola smacking the crossbar just seconds after the Keane game-winner ... With DF of the Year nominees Nat Borchers out completely due to a ruptured quad tendon and Jamison Olave - an MLS Best XI selection - hobbled by a quad strain but playing at a 50% capacity, LA ran roughshod in the 2nd half, adding a late goal to win 3-1 en route to a Cup victory vs Houston to go along with the 2011 Supporters Shield trophy ... The all-time results: Real Salt Lake record v LA: 7-8-6 (33 GF, 32 GA) Home games: 4-1-4 (17 GF, 12 GA) Road games: 3-6-1 (14 GF, 16 GA) Postseason: 0-1-1 (2 GF, 4 GA)*incl 5-4 SO win 04/09/2005 05/14/2005 06/11/2005 06/22/2005 04/29/2006 05/13/2006 07/08/2006 08/30/2006 06/17/2007 09/01/2007 09/19/2007 05/03/2008 09/06/2008 05/06/2009 06/13/2009 11/22/2009 04/17/2010 06/09/2010 03/26/2011 10/01/2011 11/06/2011
RSL RSL RSL RSL RSL RSL RSL RSL RSL RSL RSL RSL RSL RSL RSL RSL RSL RSL RSL RSL RSL
1 at LA 3 L 2 vs LA 1 W 0 at LA 1 L 1 vs LA 1 T 2 vs LA 3 L 3 at LA 0 W 0 at LA 2 L 1 vs LA 0 W 2 at LA 3 L 2 at LA 1 W 2 vs LA 2 T 2 vs LA 2 T 2 at LA 2 T 2 vs LA 2 T 2 at LA 0 W 1 vs LA 1 T* 1 at LA 2 L 1 vs LA 0 W 4 vs LA 1 W 1 at LA 2 L 1 at LA 3 L
The Home Depot Center Rice-Eccles Stadium The Home Depot Center Rice-Eccles Stadium Rice-Eccles Stadium The Home Depot Center The Home Depot Center Rice-Eccles Stadium The Home Depot Center The Home Depot Center Rice-Eccles Stadium Rice-Eccles Stadium The Home Depot Center Rio Tinto Stadium The Home Depot Center MLS Cup 2009 – Qwest Field The Home Depot Center Rio Tinto Stadium Rio Tinto Stadium The Home Depot Center The Home Depot Center
REAL SALT LAKE @ LOS ANGELES GALAXY SATURDAY MARCH 10 2012
8:00PM MT THE HOME DEPOT CENTER CARSON, CA
MORE HISTORY vs LA:
Prior to last year’s 3-1 West Final victory over RSL, Los Angeles’ only two wins in the teams’ previous 11 meetings came by 2-1 scorelines in April, 2010 and October 1, 2011 at The Home Depot Center … While RSL also owns an all-time team-high seven wins against Colorado (7-8-6), Chivas (7-9-4) and Dallas (711-2) in addition to LA, the now eighth-year organization has raised its level of play against the Galaxy, which rate as MLS’ most successful team all-time with a 233169-90 reg. season record … Real Salt Lake has always considered The Home Depot Center its home away from home, with six all-time wins at the venue (three against LA, another three against Chivas USA) … The half-dozen victories here represent double the road wins RSL has at New England and San Jose, with Colorado the only other victim of multiple road wins by RSL (2) … Real Salt Lake has won in two of its last six visits to The Home Depot Center against the Galaxy, victories in 2007 and 2009 sandwiched around a 2008 draw prior to losses in 2010 and 2011, both by 1-2 scorelines …
KNOW THINE ENEMY - KREIS v ARENA:
While more than two decades separate the ages of Saturday’s head coaches, the paths of Jason Kreis and Bruce Arena have crossed on numerous occasions across the last 20 years … The battles began on campus in the early 1990’s, when Kreis (and then-teammate Garth Lagerwey) and his Duke Blue Devils squad would regularly butt heads with Arena’s national-powerhouse Virginia Cavaliers teams in fiercely-fought ACC contests … The two would meet with Kreis on the field and Arena on the sidelines on 10 occasions during Kreis’ MLS playing days, with the forward bagging five goals but compiling just a 4-6-0 record while with Dallas and RSL against Arena’s D.C. United and New York Red Bulls squads … It was against Arena and those same Red Bulls on May 5, 2007, against which Kreis kicked off his own tenure as an MLS sideline boss, with a miracle 3-3 draw at RiceEccles Stadium marking the first – but not only – time their two squads would play to a memorable finish … RSL and the Galaxy would trump that ending at Rio Tinto Stadium on May 6, 2009 when the three combined goals in second-half stoppage time tied an MLS record – and brought the match a bizarre 2-2 ending … Kreis finally got the upper hand on Arena on June 13, 2009 in RSL’s 2-0 road win, breaking a string of four ties to begin the duo’s run as coaching adversaries … In both 2010 and 2011, RSL and LA each recorded home victories over the other in the annual pair of MLS Cup 2009 rematches, en route to the Galaxy’s 3-point margin over RSL in the 2010 Supporters’ Shield race as well as last year’s #1 overall seed… Arena laughed the loudest most recently, with the November West Final win, hoisting MLS Cup again 2 weeks later ...
SUPPORTERS SHIELD TRIFECTA FOR LA?:
Real Salt Lake finished the 2010 MLS regular season 3 points shy of Los Angeles in the Supporters Shield race, the year after RSL defeated the Galaxy in MLS Cup 2009 in Seattle … A year ago, RSL was in SS contention until the late Sept. suspension of Captain Kyle Beckerman, falling off the blazing pace set by LA last year ... The intense RSL v LA rivalry saw each squad win on its home pitch in 2010, LA with a 2-1 win at The Home Depot Center in April – the Galaxy’s lone win in the last 10 games between the two teams – before RSL knocked LA from the unbeaten ranks just prior to June 2010’s MLS World Cup hiatus, winning 1-0 on a controversial Javier Morales goal … Despite both LA and RSL teams being the class of MLS for much of the last three years, FC Dallas ousted each side from the Playoffs en route to MLS Cup 2010 in Toronto … In 2011, RSL defeated LA in its March 26 visit to Rio Tinto Stadium with a 4-1 victory marred by the international absences of FW Alvaro Saborio, MF Will Johnson and MF Arturo Alvarez for RSL, along with Landon Donovan and Donovan Ricketts for LA … RSL MF Javier Morales scored twice and assisted on a third goal by Andy Williams in the first 39 minutes of an eventual 4-1 RSL win, one that also saw FW Paulo Junior score prior to a late Juan Pablo Angel goal for Los Angeles … Then on October 1 in the teams’ last regular-season meeting, Real Salt Lake became the first team in 2011 to go to the Home Depot locker room with a halftime lead, as MF Javier Morales – making his first start of 2011 after missing nearly five months due to the horrific ankle injury suffered on May 7 – curled a corner kick near post to Argentine countryman FW Fabian Espindola, who snapped a header far post for the score … However, LA stormed back in the second half with two goals, both off uncharacteristic defensive mistakes by RSL … The equalizer came when Galaxy FW Chad Barrett took advantage of a miscommunication between DF Jamison Olave and GK Nick Rimando to beat Olave to the ball and loop a shot over Rimando for the goal … 20 minutes later, a low drive in the box by DF Todd Dunivant deflected off both DF Chris Wingert and DF Nat Borchers to result in RSL’s first own-goal in 3 seasons and send RSL home unhappy …
REAL SO-CAL CONNECTIONS:
Several Real Salt Lake personalities hail from Southern California, as GK Nick Rimando is a Montclair, CA native who spent two years at UCLA before entering MLS back in 2000 with Miami … Rimando’s backup, Kyle Reynish, is a Valencia, CA product who won an NCAA Championship with UC-Santa Barbara before being drafted in 2007 by RSL … DF Tony Beltran is from Claremont, CA and attended St. Johnson for one season before transferring back to UCLA for two prior to being drafted by RSL in 2008, while teenage MF Luis Gil calls Garden Grove, CA home …
DOWNLOAD 2012 RSL MEDIA GUIDE HERE: For more in-depth player profiles, stats and club history, please visit: http://pressbox.mlssoccer.com/ content/2012-club-media-guides
REAL SALT LAKE @ LOS ANGELES GALAXY SATURDAY MARCH 10 2012
8:00PM MT THE HOME DEPOT CENTER CARSON, CA
MLS CUP 2009 REWIND:
Real Salt Lake, in just its fifth-ever season, emerged from the Eastern side of the MLS Cup Playoff bracket to face the heavily favored Los Angeles Galaxy in Seattle’s former Qwest Field … The star-studded lineup that included Donovan, Beckham, Ricketts et al faced Jason Kreis’ side which adhered to a “Team is the Star” mantra … En route to an 0-1 halftime deficit courtesy of a Mike Magee goal (assists to both Donovan and Beckham on the counter), RSL saw its most valuable player – MF Javier Morales – knocked out of the game in the 22’ with a knee injury suffered in a late challenge by Beckham, while stalwart midfield engine Will Johnson was replaced at halftime following a bout with food poisoning that had made his ability to even play that day a question … Twenty minutes into the second half, a Yura Movsisyan deflection bounced right into the path of FW Robbie Findley, who beat Beckham to the ball and slotted past GK Donovan Ricketts to even the match and set up another hour of nail-biting but ultimately scoreless soccer, bringing the proceedings to penalties … The PK shootout is where RSL GK Nick Rimando would earn his MLS Cup MVP honors, repeating many of the heroics on display eight days earlier in Chicago, forcing Donovan into a miss and saving two other shots, including FW Edson Buddle’s in the seventh round … Once again the seventh round was the charm, this time around DF Robbie Russell being called upon to deliver … After slotting a low shot that fooled Galaxy ‘keeper Josh Saunders and snuck just inside the base of the left post on what is now the Century Link Field “Brougham End,” Russell would drop to his knees, setting off a celebration five seasons in the making for Real Salt Lake and its fans, who traveled to Seattle by the thousands to watch their team make history … That historic triumph marked the first major-league professional sports trophy to be claimed by a Utah team since the Utah Starzz won the ABA’s championship in 1971, breaking a nearly four-decade drought for the state’s dedicated fans …
RSL BACK IN CONCACAF, THANKS TO LA:
With Los Angeles’ 2011 MLS Western Conference Semifinal win over NY, RSL Nation was disappointed to not be able to host the West Final … However, the Los Angeles victory did benefit RSL by allowing Jason Kreis’ club to secure passage to the 2012/13 CONCACAF Champions League tourney, by virtue of the Galaxy’s “duplicate” spots between the 2011 Supporters’ Shield berth and its trip - and eventual win - in MLS Cup ... Duplicate berths fall to the next best regular-season finisher, and with Seattle – last year’s #2 overall seed – already owning a 2012/13 spot thanks to its U.S. Open Cup title, RSL is next in line as the overall MLS #3 seed … This Fall’s CCL tourney will be played under a new format, as all 24 teams go directly into group play, with only the 8 winners who emerge from a 3-team, 4-game group stage advancing to the Championship round ... LA, SEA and RSL will be joined by Houston, which qualified as a 2011 MLS Cup participant ...
ROLLERCOASTER YEAR PUT IN PERSPECTIVE:
Entering the Playoffs, RSL won 15 games in 2011, matching the organization’s MLS record (set in 2010), while the team’s 53 points marked the second-best haul over Real Salt Lake’s seven seasons … RSL’s five-game win streak in late August / early September ended up as the longest run during the record-breaking MLS campaign, yet was sandwiched by droughts that saw RSL lose 4 of 5 (July 30-Aug. 20) and drop 4 of 6 (Sept. 24 – Oct. 22) … The season kicked off with a CCL Quarterfinal series on Feb. 22 / March 1 against a familiar opponent in Columbus, posting a 7-3-2 mark in all competitions up to and including the Morales injury on May 7 … The next 10 games saw RSL win only a pair, as the team went 2-3-5 as the CCL disappointment and Morales despair double-punch rolled right into losing three key players – FW Alvaro Saborio, MF Will Johnson and Arturo Alvarez – due to CONCACAF Gold Cup duty … That test of depth forced Jason Kreis to use 27 players throughout the season, as young players Luis Gil, Collen Warner, Chris Schuler, Jean Alexandre, Nelson Gonzalez, Artur Aghasyan, Chris Agorsor, Cody Arnoux and Yordany Alvarez each saw action at critical junctures throughout the year, hoping the “baptism by fire” experience pays off when called upon …
FRANCHISE-HIGH 45 GAMES COULD PALE:
With participation this year in a 34-game MLS regular-season, a 4-game newly-formatted CONCACAF Champions League group stage and what RSL hopes is a (for the first time ever) deep Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup run (4 or 5 games), Jason Kreis’ team enters 2012 with the mentality that depth will be tested - new guys baptised by fire - en route to another 5 MLS Cup Playoff contests, the team could approach a new high of nearly 50 games played in a calendar year across multiple fronts ... Last year’s 45 games (34 MLS, 3 Playoff, 6 CCL and 2 Open Cup) games set a new franchise-high, exceeding by three the 2010 season’s 42-game total (30 MLS, 6 CCL, 2 Open Cup, 2 exhibitions and 2 Playoff) … During the 2009 MLS Cup-winning season, RSL played only 37 games (30 reg. season, 1 Open Cup, 2 exhibition and 4 Playoff) … A year earlier, when RSL emerged as the #3 West seed, defeated Chivas and saw wild-card NY bounce top-seeded Houston (allowing RSL to host the West Final), RSL played a total of 38 games …
GRABAVOY GETS IT - FOR 4 MORE YEARS:
One of the heroes of last year’s dramatic postseason series vs Seattle – MF Ned Grabavoy, thanks to his 88th-minute dagger in Leg One that proved to be the series-winning goal – signed a new 4-year deal in the offseason that will keep the former Galaxy Cup ‘05 champion in the Claret-and-Cobalt … The former Indiana University champion was drafted by the Galaxy in 2004 and appeared in 33 MLS Playoff or reg. season games during his first two seasons with the club, including four consecutive starts on the road to winning MLS Cup 2005 with LA …
REAL SALT LAKE @ LOS ANGELES GALAXY SATURDAY MARCH 10 2012
8:00PM MT THE HOME DEPOT CENTER CARSON, CA
Grabavoy’s goal at Rio Tinto Stadium against Seattle came on the six-year anniversary of his only other postseason goal, 10/29/05 for LA in a 1-1, seriesclinching draw against San Jose … The assist man on that goal? Landon Donovan … Grabavoy was claimed off waivers by RSL from San Jose prior to the 2009 campaign, and since then has been a critical component to RSL’s three seasons of success, appearing in 89 reg. season, Playoff and CONCACAF matches – starting 53 – and coming up huge in all phases of the game …
REPLACING “BOR-LAVE”:
Third-year RSL DF Chris Schuler has moved once again into prime candidacy to see significant minutes when RSL’s 2010 Best XI duo and perennial MLS DF of the Year center-backs Nat Borchers and Jamison Olave cannot play … Schuler’s first-ever MLS start came in September, 2010, at Qwest Field, with RSL earning a 0-0 draw before 36,000+ … That venue was also the site of his first-ever post-season start last year … Throughout the 2011 campaign, Schuler started 20 games and appeared in 25 in all competitions, scoring two goals – both game-winners – at New England and vs Philadelphia … As a rookie in 2010, Schuler also appeared in the team’s 1-2 aet Open Cup loss at D.C. United and started RSL’s 3-2 victory in CCL play at Panamanian club Arabe Unido … RSL has understandably struggled since RSL’s Cupwinning 2009 campaign, across all competitions, without the vaunted Borchers/Olave combo, affectionately known as “Bor-Lave” ... The team’s record, with goals and goals against average: RSL CBs 2009-11 2011 only “Bor-Lave” 40-21-27 (80 / 0.92) 10-4-8 (22, 1.00) Other combos: 11-15-6 (50 / 1.56) 6-9-0 (19, 1.27)
LONGEST-TENURED CORE IN MLS HISTORY:
The Kreis/Lagerwey “Team is the Star” mantra has long been lauded for its simple, unselfish approach that has redefined the culture of an organization and enabled a small-market club to compete annually with DP-laden payrolls ... The philosophy that the whole can be greater than the sum of its parts is perfectly epitomized by the fact that TEN players return this year, with the 2012 MLS season marking the group’s fifth or sixth campaign in Claret & Cobalt ... The list: Player GK Kyle Reynish GK Nick Rimando DF Chris Wingert MF Kyle Beckerman MF Javier Morales FW Fabian Espindola DF Tony Beltran DF Nat Borchers DF Jamison Olave MF Will Johnson
Acquisition Date Jan., 2007 Feb. 2007 June, 2007 July, 2007 August, 2007 August, 2007 Jan., 2008 Feb., 2008 March, 2008 July, 2008
RSL GP 5 143 122 121 98 95 56 119 99 88
The consistency of the group that on Saturday will mark 5+ seasons together will mark a new MLS record, breaking the current one held by New England, which saw 8 players compete together from the 2003-07 seasons ... That group was: Joe Franchino, Jay Heaps, Shalrie Joseph, Marshall Leonard, Pat Noonan, Steve Ralston, Matt Reis & Taylor Twellman ...
UNPRECEDENTED TURNOVER FOR KREIS:
The price of keeping that group together, however, came in the form of a massive offseason overhaul of the team’s depth, Kreis, Lagerwey and the RSL technical staff introducing 8 new faces to the 2012, the most since the 2007/08 offseason, the duo’s first in charge of the club ... Gone are GK Tim Melia (0 RSL games played), FW Chris Agorsor (1 gp), DF Blake Wagner (2 gp), DF Rauwshan McKenzie (11 gp, now signed with Chivas), MF Collen Warner (37 gp, selected by Montreal in expansion draft), MF Jean Alexandre (38 gp, traded to SJ) and DF Robbie Russell (78 gp, traded to D.C. United) ... The last and most notable absence from RSL’s locker room on Saturday will be that of MF Andy Williams, whose seven-year tenure as an “RSL Original” came to end with his retirement in December, 2011 ... Williams played 14 years in MLS, bouncing from Columbus, to New England, to New York, to Miami and finally to Chicago in his first 7 seasons, the 1998 Jamaica World Cup veteran coming to RSL in November, 2004 as the club’s top selection in the expansion draft ... Williams went on to play a club-record 189 games for RSL (122 starts, second only to GK Nick Rimando), with 14 goals, 29 assists and one MLS Cup ring marking his time on the Wasatch Front ...
IDENTIFYING NEW BLOOD, THE RSL WAY:
The RSL time for “Bomma” is not over, however, as he immediately accepted a position as the club’s Head Scout, working with Lagerwey, Kreis and the technical staff to identify players of all ages for RSL’s senior, academy and youth teams, including many of the new faces beginning their MLS and/or professional careers now ... Those players include: GK Lalo Fernandez (signed as Home Grown) DF Terukazu Tanaka (Discovery - Jan. 2012) DF Leone Cruz (via trade from SEA 1/17/12) DF Diogo de Almeida (MLS SuperDraft 2012) MF Jonny Steele (Discovery - Feb. 2012) MF Sebastian Velasquez (MLS SuperDraft 2012) MF Enzo Martinez (MLS SuperDraft 2012) FW Emiliano Bonfigli (MLS Supplemental Draft 2012)
DOWNLOAD 2012 RSL MEDIA GUIDE HERE: For more in-depth player profiles, stats and club history, please visit: http://pressbox.mlssoccer.com/ content/2012-club-media-guides
REAL SALT LAKE @ LOS ANGELES GALAXY SATURDAY MARCH 10 2012
8:00PM MT THE HOME DEPOT CENTER CARSON, CA
KYLE & JAVI SHOW RETURN FOR YEAR 6:
The longest and most devastating absence RSL saw last year involved MF Javier Morales, the team’s 2010 MVP and a 2010 MLS Best XI selection … Morales – out from May 7 to Sept. 28 due to the ankle fracture / dislocation suffered following a bad Marco Mondaini tackle against Chivas USA – made his sixth consecutive start and seventh consecutive appearance Wednesday at Seattle, playing 509 of RSL’s last 540 minutes, seeking to remove the rust from his form and get on the same page as his teammates during the 2011 MLS Cup Playoffs … When Morales and Beckerman – together for 96 games since arriving on the Wasatch Front in mid-2007 – saw the pitch together on Oct. 29 in the 3-0 home win vs SEA, it marked the first time in RSL’s last 29 games / 2745 minutes since Mondaini’s late first-half tackle shattered Morales’ ankle …
MORALES BACK IN THE SADDLE, (ALMOST): Argentine playmaker Javier Morales had played 116 games for RSL (93 MLS regular-season, 8 playoff, 3 Open Cup, 12 CCL) prior to his return last Sept. 28 vs. Chicago in a 30-minute substitute appearance … His first of what would become six consecutive starts to wrap up the 2011 season came just 3 days later on Oct. 1 at Los Angeles, where he tallied the first of three assists in the six games since returning from the gruesome May 7 ankle injury suffered at home vs. Chivas five months ago … The maestro pulled the string with assists on each of RSL’s first two goals in its home playoff win last year against Seattle, with FW Alvaro Saborio finding the back of the net on both efforts in the 41’ and 56’ minutes in the eventual 3-0 win … Throughout the Playoffs, however, it was apparent that Morales - despite the brave face and commitment to return to action - was unable to bear the physical burden brought by three games in seven days, including a game on artificial turf and the SLC - SEA - SLC - LA travel demands ... Doctors went back into Morales’ ankle in December to remove bone spurs in a procedure unrelated to the fracture dislocation suffered in May ... Due to his sixmonth recovery last year along with the rehab this winter, Morales suffered muscle fatigue and atrophy that have hampered him this preseason ... Last week in the FC Tucson Desert Diamond Cup consolation game, Morales came on for the final 30 minutes and was absolutely buzzing around the field, signifying that he is close to finding the form that has made him a perennial MLS MVP candidate the last several years ...
ALL-TIME RESULTS, WITHOUT JAVIER:
Since Javier Morales arrived on the Wasatch Front, RSL has played 51 MLS regular-season/playoff, CCL or Open Cup games without its playmaker, posting a 22-16-14 overall mark (only 7-12-5 away from home) … Head Coach Jason Kreis’ team has gone 17-14-12 in MLS reg. season play, 0-0-1 Playoff, 3-0-0 in CONCACAF and 1-2-1 in Open Cup sans Javi … Since 2009, that record is 1813-11, scoring 2+ goals in only 20 of those 42 games ...
SABORIO SPECIAL FOR RSL STRIKE FORCE:
RSL’s predatory striker Álvaro Saborío provided the late 1st-half game-winner in the highlight-reel playoff win at home vs. Seattle, marking the 12th GWG for Saborio in his 65 RSL games in all competitions over the last two seasons … When Saborío – the first DP in RSL’s sevenseason history – finds the back of the net, Jason Kreis’ team is a dominating 20-3-5 in all competitions (the last loss coming in the 2011 West Final at LA, and the only loss prior to 9/24 at DC was the rain-soaked 4-5 loss at Cruz Azul), compared to the 11-14-14 mark when he plays and does not score, as well as RSL’s 7-3-4 record when Sabo is unavailable …
ESPINDOLA MOVES UP TO NEW LEVEL:
RSL’s “other” FW, Fabian Espindola headed home a Javier Morales corner kick in the 45th minute at LA on October 1 for his 10th goal of the season … With the duo each notching 10 goals this season, RSL boasts a pair of double-digit scorers for the first time in its sevenseason history … Espindola’s goal was the 26th of his five-year RSL career, spanning 95 MLS games … A list of RSL’s single-season double-digit scorers: SINGLE-SEASON GOALS – RSL YEAR PLAYER GP 2011 Alvaro Saborio 23 Fabian Espindola 27 2010 Alvaro Saborio 27 2009 Robbie Findley 27 2006 Jeff Cunningham 31
GOALS 11 10 12 12 16
CAPTAIN KYLE, BACK IN ACTION:
RSL was ecstatic to welcome back its Captain, Kyle Beckerman, to the lineup during last season’s three Playoff games, after missing “KB5” for the final four games of the regular season due to either U.S. Men’s National Team duty or the 3-game suspension as a result of his 10’ red card received on Sept. 28 at home vs. Chicago on Sept. 28 … Playing a man down for 80 minutes after already conceding an 0-1 lead to the Fire, RSL suffered its worst home loss in the team’s seven-year history on that night, then proceeded to lose 10/1 @LA and 10/6 @VAN without Beckerman, before managing to secure one-point draws on 10/14 @COL – allowing Beckerman to become the only undefeated, 7-time Rocky Mountain Cup winner – and on 10/22 v POR … All told, RSL managed a 2-3-3 mark across MLS, CCL and Open Cup games not started by its Captain, who was forced in heartbreaking fashion to miss the second (home) leg of the 2010/11 CONCACAF Champions League Final vs. Monterrey back in April due to yellow card accumulation as well …
DOWNLOAD 2012 RSL MEDIA GUIDE HERE: For more in-depth player profiles, stats and club history, please visit: http://pressbox.mlssoccer.com/ content/2012-club-media-guides
REAL SALT LAKE @ LOS ANGELES GALAXY SATURDAY MARCH 10 2012
8:00PM MT THE HOME DEPOT CENTER CARSON, CA
BECKERMAN SAW VALIANT MVP HOPES FADE: RSL Captain Kyle Beckerman – often the hero
during the five-month absence of playmaker Javier Morales last season – was lost against Los Angeles on Oct. 1 due to red card suspension following a momentary loss of control in the 11th minute of the Sept. 28 home loss vs. Chicago … He also missed the subsequent Rocky Mountain Cup duel at Colorado and the home regularseason finale against Portland on Oct. 22 after the MLS Disciplinary Committee handed him an additional two-game suspension for “endangering the safety of an opponent” … Just after RSL conceded an early Marco Pappa score, Fire DF Daniel Paladini challenged Beckerman from behind, causing the 12-year veteran to lose his head and throw his shoulder/head into Paladini’s jaw … Referee Baldomero Toledo immediately sent Beckerman off, the first red card of Captain KB5’s 121-game RSL career and just the second of his 269game MLS career with Miami, Colorado and RSL … “It’s not like me,” Beckerman said. “It’s not something I’ve done in the past. It was just something out of nowhere, and I just feel bad and sorry to not only our fans here, but also to the league because I feel that we’re really trying to grow this league, and it’s grown a ton but that type of play has no place here in our games in MLS. I made a mistake and I just split-second made a decision that was really hurtful to the team. And so I’m sorry for that. For most of my career, I’ve been able to not do anything stupid like that,” Beckerman said. “Last night was one of those freak moments that I let get away from me. I’m sorry for that, and embarrassed. I’ll do everything I can to not let it happen again.” The 29-year-old midfielder leads RSL in assists with nine – good for a 5th-place tie in the League, extending a career high – to go along with five game-winning assists during RSL’s 15-win 2011 season, second only to that other “Becks,” LA Galaxy midfielder, David Beckham … KB5’s career total of 10 game-winning assists leads RSL all-time, three ahead of MF Javier Morales (7) … The RSL Captain has started and played a full 90 minutes in 31 of RSL’s 40 games this year (25 out of 29 MLS games, along with 5 of 6 CCL matches and the Open Cup Quarterfinal at Dallas) … Out of the 40 games in all competitions, Beckerman has sat out only the CCL Final v. Monterrey and 9/21 at New York (suspended for both due to yellow card accumulation), the 2-0 Open Cup home win v. Wilmington Hammerheads and last week at VAN … Prior to the red card and the resultant suspension, national soccer scribes Steve Davis (SI.com), Grant Wahl (SI.com) and now Ridge Mahoney (Soccer America) and Ives Galarcep (FoxSoccer.com) had each mentioned Beckerman as a dark horse candidate in the 2011 MLS MVP race for his tireless efforts to assume RSL’s playmaking mantle in place of the injured Javier Morales …
ROAD WARRIORS SEEK 2012 TURNAROUND:
The draw at Colorado on 10/14 in the team’s last reg.season trip was RSL’s fourth consecutive winless performance on the road following the team’s threegame road win streak from Aug. 27-Sept. 21, matching the franchise high set back in August, 2006 … Once the worst road team in the history of MLS, Real Salt Lake has recently stepped up on the road when competition is fiercest, winning critical postseason matches (2-4-0, with two shootout wins) on the road and performing well away from home (1-2-3, with one loss at Saprissa still winning series) in hostile CONCACAF Champions League territory … A recent advent of road success places the squad’s all-time MLS regular season road mark at 19-63-27 (.298; 100 GF / 182 GA) following the 109th road contest in League play on Oct. 14 at COL …
ADDITIONAL ROAD-WEARY NUMBERS:
Since Kreis took over, RSL’s MLS road mark is 15-3922, with the new team mark of five road wins last year exceeding the four achieved in 2010, and more than doubling the two earned in each of the 2007-09 seasons … Last year’s 5-8-4 road mark was good for 19 points, matching the 2010 team-record total (4-4-7 in 2010) … Starting back on Aug. 13 at Toronto, and factoring in the new Oct. 6 date north of the border, the Claret-andCobalt played 9 of its final 13 regular season contests – and 5 of the last 7 – away from the friendly confines of Rio Tinto Stadium … “RSL Nation” was unable to scratch Canada off the list of places its beloved Claret-andCobalt have never won (Texas, Canada, Philadelphia, Portland) …
WHAT A DIFFERENCE ONE WEEK MAKES:
Real Salt Lake’s 3-1 victory at NY last September 21 – also the team’s last road win, incidentally – allowed RSL to equal its all-time high for wins in a season (15), matching its 2010 total; it also gave RSL a new standard for road wins (5) in a season, surpassing the four away victories claimed in 2010 and 2006 … The three goals in the first 21 minutes marked the fastest start to a 3-0 lead, surpassing the trio of firsthalf goals scored in 30 minutes on July 23, 2005 (v DAL) and in 41 minutes on March 26, 2011 (v LA) … That night at Red Bull Arena marked the first time EVER that RSL scored three goals in a half on the road … And for 48 minutes against the Red Bulls, prior to the 69’ consolation score by New York’s Joel Lindpere, RSL saw its all-time club goal differential stand at EVEN … An amazing accomplishment, considering the seven-year old club was -39 its first two seasons and -45 prior to the Jason Kreis coaching era … Since the 2nd Fabian Espindola goal gave RSL a 3-0 first-half lead, Jason Kreis has seen his Claret-andCobalt side outscored 2-13, with only a late Alvaro Saborio score at D.C. and Fabian’s first-half header at LA finding the back of the net … In 218 all-time MLS regular-season matches, RSL has now scored 278 goals, while allowing 289 …
REAL SALT LAKE @ LOS ANGELES GALAXY SATURDAY MARCH 10 2012
1
LALO FERNANDEZ
8:00PM MT THE HOME DEPOT CENTER CARSON, CA
GOALKEEPER
2
TONY BELTRAN
DEFENDER
HEIGHT: 6-3 WEIGHT: 170 DOB: 12/16/92 HOMETOWN: El Paso, TX ACQUIRED: Signed as Home Grown Player, 1/11/12 LAST CLUB: C.A. Penarol (Uruguay) PRONOUNCIATION: LAW-lo LAST SEASON:
HEIGHT: 5-8 WEIGHT: 150 DOB: 10/11/87 HOMETOWN: Claremont, CA ACQUIRED: PRONOUNCIATION: BELL - trann LAST SEASON: Played 28 games (23 starts) in all competitions, scoring one goal, adding one assist LAST MLS GOAL: yet to score in 77 career MLS games LAST MLS ASSIST: 03/19/11 @ SJ (64’) - 20 games ago
Real Salt Lake’s eye towards the future was bolstered in February with the signing of promising goalkeeper Lalo Fernandez as the club’s third-ever Homegrown Player. The addition of Fernandez marks the second dip into the Homegrown Player well by Real Salt Lake in less than a year, following on the heels of fellow RSL-Arizona Academy product Nico Muñiz (Sept. 2011) and Donny Toia (May 2011).
After playing the second-most minutes of his career in 2011, Tony Beltran again showed why he belongs in the discussion with the best outside backs in Major League Soccer. For the second time in his career the 24-year-old made more than 20 starts and helped solidify a back line that was depleted by injuries all season long – until he unfortunately suffered one of his own, limiting his minutes in the final two months of the season.
The 19-year-old Fernandez has kept busy over the last year-and-a-half, helping the RSL-Arizona Under-18 squad begin its first season in U.S. Soccer Development Academy in October 2010 and going 5-3-3 (1.00 GAA, 4 shutouts) in 11 appearances through the spring of 2011. After initially agreeing to play collegiately at the University of Wisconsin, Fernandez tacked course and tested the international waters, first spending a training stint with Mexican first division side Atlas – based in his birthplace of Guadalajara – before signing with Uruguayan power C.A. Peñarol last August.
While his staunch 1-v-1 defending continued to be rock solid, the cerebral and supremely fit Beltran has also provided more consistency when jumping into the attack, his flying runs up either flank ending with dangerous service into the area more often than during his previous two seasons of play. It can’t be long until Beltran sheds the status of one of the most underrated outside defenders in Major League Soccer, but, until then, the RSL braintrust will be more than happy to unleash the mature-beyond-his-years winger upon opponents that may underestimate the UCLA product’s considerable talent and tenacity.
The 6-foot-3, 165-pound Fernandez has been involved in the Youth National Team set-ups of both the United States and Mexico, playing for the Mexican Under-17s and training with the U.S. Under-20s last November. The El Paso, Texas, native’s goalkeeping skills run in the family, as his father, enjoyed a career as a professional netminder in Mexico.
3
DIOGO DE ALMEIDA
DEFENDER
HEIGHT: 6-0 WEIGHT: 175 DOB: 1/2/89 HOMETOWN: Piricicaba, Brazil ACQUIRED: PRONOUNCIATION: dee - OH -go DAY al - MAY - duh LAST SEASON: Played 22 games (all starts) in goal for D.C. United, registering five shutouts and a 1.68 goals-against average
4
JAMISON OLAVE
DEFENDER
HEIGHT: 6-3 WEIGHT: 210 DOB: 4/21/81 HOMETOWN: Medellin, Colombia ACQUIRED: Signed in March, 2008 as Discovery PRONOUNCIATION: HAW-miss-son oh-LAW-vay LAST SEASON: Played 31 games (all starts) in all competitions, scoring 3 goals, adding 1 assist and named MLS Best XI LAST MLS GOAL: 07/23/11 v SJ (83’) - 9 games ago LAST MLS ASSIST: 7/4/11 v NE (83’) - 11 games ago
Real Salt Lake’s search for a naturally left-footed fit on its back line may very well have come to an end with its selection of SMU product Diogo de Almeida back in January. Other outside back options were on the board towards the start of the second round, RSL was enamored with the athletic de Almeida’s size and speed, not to mention his technical ability, which was no surprise after his progression from forward to midfielder to defender during his first three years with the Mustangs. While RSL will not expect the 23-year-old to fill in minutes right away, the Brazilian’s progress throughout the year will prove vital to the planned wing-back rotation system that could prove crucial to the Utah side’s lateseason success.
It seemed to take a couple of years for MLS fans and pundits to fully appreciate the depth of talent that RSL center back Jamison Olave possessed. However, now that he’s a known commodity, the RSL center back can’t seem to stop the plaudits coming his way, the ultra-athletic center back garnering spots on the MLS Best XI and MLS All-Star teams for a second consecutive season in 2011. He began the year by not only displaying his usual defensive prowess, but also securing himself an even bigger spot in RSL lore courtesy of some offense, as it was his goal at Deportivo Saprissa that would swing the CONCACAF Champions League Semifinal series the Utah side’s way. While RSL fans loved seeing “The Verb” represent the Claret-and-Cobalt against Manchester United in the All-Star Game once again, they were also left holding their collective breath after a sliding tackle sidelined him with an MCL sprain in his left knee. Success, it appeared, might come at a price. However, Olave would return after missing only a month, using his unique blend of size and closing speed – in addition to a growing sense of comfort with the ball at his feet – to keep opposing forwards on lockdown. Olave would again suffer from injury, this time a quadriceps strain, during the 2011 postseason, but the 2012 preseason sees the Colombian fit as a fiddle and ready to lead the RSL backline to more impressive and historic numbers – more specifically the ones in the “W” and “SO” columns. And, speaking of numbers, the 30-year-old Olave will hit a nice round one the next time he sees the field, as his next appearance on the fiels will mark his 100th in MLS regular season play.
REAL SALT LAKE @ LOS ANGELES GALAXY SATURDAY MARCH 10 2012
5
KYLE BECKERMAN
8:00PM MT THE HOME DEPOT CENTER CARSON, CA
MIDFIELDER
6
NAT BORCHERS
DEFENDER
HEIGHT: 5-11 WEIGHT: 165 DOB: 4/23/82 HOMETOWN: Crofton, MD ACQUIRED: Trade with Colorado for Mehdi Ballouchy on 6/17/07 PRONOUNCIATION: LAST SEASON: Played 36 games (34 starts) as Captain, scoring 3 goals & 9 assists (6 game-winners), earning USMNT call-ups and All-Star consideration LAST MLS GOAL: 09/3/11 v PHI (18’) - 4 games ago LAST MLS ASSIST: 09/17/11 v KC (54’) - 2 games ago
HEIGHT: 6-2 WEIGHT: 175 DOB: 4/13/81 HOMETOWN: Pueblo, CO ACQUIRED: PRONOUNCIATION: NATT LAST SEASON: Played team-high 37 games (all starts), scoring 4 goals & 1 assist as MLS DF of the Year Finalist LAST MLS GOAL: 9/17/11 v KC (54’) - 6 games ago LAST MLS ASSIST: 05/7/11 v CHV (87’) - 24 games ago
Many players start to think about the next stage of their careers after a dozen seasons in the pros, the portion involving final contracts, farewell tours and the like. However, most players aren’t like Kyle Beckerman, whose 12th season only propelled him towards bigger heights both with his club and for his country, as 2011 saw the RSL captain go from a perennial MLS All-Star and part-time U.S. Men’s National Team performer to a legitimate league MVP candidate and First XI stalwart for Jurgen Klinsmann’s USA squad. Beckerman’s ability to step up his game in the absence of main playmaker Javier Morales showed both on and off the stat sheet, his increased leadership role on the field during an adversity-filled 2011 proving just as crucial as his career-best nine assists (including six game-winning helpers) across regular season play.
Ever since he crashed the Colorado Rapids roster as an undrafted camp invitee back in 2003, Nat Borchers has been tough to take off the roster sheet … make that nearly impossible to take off. While missing four of 34 regular season games like Borchers did in 2011 wouldn’t be noteworthy for most players, for the “Ironman of MLS” it was more than a bit out of the ordinary. And even with that said, Borchers’ 30 starts last season allowed him to become the only player across Major League Soccer with at least 29 starts in each of the last four years. Death … Taxes … Borchers, indeed.
The 29-year-old Beckerman is hitting his peak as he enters 2012, a year in which he’ll likely leap into the league’s all-time top 20 in games played and started while also playing an integral role for the US Men’s National Team as it begins its qualifying journey for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Finals in Brazil. While an offseason adductor strain might have slowed RSL’s heart-and-soul down temporarily, Beckerman should be ready to set the tone for the Claret-and-Cobalt right out of the gates in what he hopes is a lucky 13th season in MLS.
7
FABIAN ESPINDOLA
FORWARD
The big story for Real Salt Lake as it approaches its season opener in Los Angeles might just be if the three-time RSL Defender of the Year winner will be in Jason Kreis’ First XI. The right quadriceps strain the 30-year-old backline staple suffered in last October’s postseason opener against Seattle has forced a cautious approach during this year’s preseason camp, but Borchers vows to be ready to go for rematch of the Western Conference Championship … a game the ever-steady center back would have certainly been a difference-maker in had he been able to give it a go.
8
WILL JOHNSON
MIDFIELDER
HEIGHT: 5-9 WEIGHT: 160 DOB: 5/4/85 HOMETOWN: Buenos Aires, Argentina ACQUIRED: PRONOUNCIATION: ess-PEEN-doh-la LAST SEASON: Played 34 games (32 starts) in all competitions, scoring career-high 11 goals & 5 assists
HEIGHT: 5-10 WEIGHT: 155 DOB: 1/21/87 HOMETOWN: Woodridge, IL ACQUIRED: PRONOUNCIATION: LAST SEASON: Played 33 games (30 starts) in all competitions, scoring 2 goals & 2 assists
LAST MLS GOAL:10/1/11 @ LA (45’) - 1 game ago LAST MLS ASSIST: 10/02/11 - 10/22/11 v. POR (46+’) - ACTIVE
LAST MLS GOAL: 07/04/11 v NE (24’) - 14 games ago LAST MLS ASSIST: 07/9/11 v DAL (94+) - 13 games ago
Seemingly overshadowed by other forwards every since he joined Real Salt Lake five years ago, the attention turned Fabian Espíndola’s way in 2011 seemed to increase. Then again, everything involving Espíndola seemed to be ratcheted up a notch last season – his focus, an already-high energy-level and even his notoriety across the league all received noticeable bumps. However, the most important thing the fiery Argentine increased last year was his production, as Espíndola knocked home a career-best 10 goals in league play and added a goal and two assists during RSL’s CONCACAF Champions League run that allowed to Utahns to continue their historic path to the tourney’s finals.
Will Johnson was a busy guy in 2011, but when you’re depended upon to be a stalwart for both your club and country, well, that just goes with the territory. But with Johnson possessing one of – if not the best – motors in all of Major League Soccer, the industrious 25-year-old not only has the stamina to handle the added workload, but the pride and character to relish it. He also has the history to prove he can handle the added miles as well, playing at least 2,000 minutes and in at least 25 regular season contests for the Claret-and-Cobalt in each of his first three full seasons … and that’s not counting the additional wear-and-tear (and pressure) endured during Cup competitions.
It’s easy to forget that Espíndola was a part of the massive rebuilding process that Jason Kreis began midway through 2007; and yet, at the same time, it seems hard to think about RSL without the passion and grit of the 26-year-old forward. Re-signing Espíndola was priority #1 for Real Salt Lake this past offseason, and when two sides were able to agree to a four-year pact you could almost hear an audible sigh of relief from Claret-andCobalt fans near and far. With his regular up-top running mate, Álvaro Saborío, a question mark for the start of the campaign, the scoring burden will likely fall to Espíndola – then again, that’s something the confident striker will likely pick up as well.
With another round of World Cup qualifying in store for his Canadian National Team and another run in the CONCACAF Champions League on the docket for Real Salt Lake, it’s going to be another chock full calendar in 2012 for Johnson, who will again be depended upon to man the left side of RSL’s midfield diamond. While a procedure to correct a sports hernia issue might slow Johnson down for the first few weeks of the season, the RSL faithful can rest assured his odometer will start spinning furiously sooner rather than later.
REAL SALT LAKE @ LOS ANGELES GALAXY SATURDAY MARCH 10 2012
11
JAVIER MORALES
8:00PM MT THE HOME DEPOT CENTER CARSON, CA
MIDFIELDER
12
EMILIANO BONFIGLI
FORWARD
HEIGHT: 5-9 WEIGHT: 165 DOB: 1/10/80 HOMETOWN: Buenos Aires, Argentina ACQUIRED: PRONOUNCIATION: HAW-vee-err LAST SEASON: Played 16 games (15 starts) in all competitions, scoring 5 goals & 4 assists in injury-shortened campaign LAST MLS GOAL: 3/26/11 v. LA (9’, 44’) - 8 games ago LAST MLS ASSIST: 10/1/11 @ LA (45’) - 3 games ago
HEIGHT: 5-10 WEIGHT: 150 HOMETOWN: Bahia Blanca, Argentina ACQUIRED: 2012 MLS Supplemental Draft PRONOUNCIATION: bone-FIGG-lee LAST SEASON:
Perhaps no player in Major League Soccer was poised to have a better 2011 than Javier Morales. From the get-go, the Argentine midfield maestro was pulling the strings for a Real Salt Lake side on the cusp of international glory, his infectious attitude, quiet leadership and abundant skill helping a pioneering club earn plaudits from every corner of America’s soccer landscape. So while RSL’s disappointment at the end of its CONCACAF Champions League run in late April was a tough blow for the squad, it’s quite telling that the result’s effect on the team’s season paled in comparison to the loss of Morales to an ankle injury just 10 days after the stinging defeat.
Five years ago, Real Salt Lake brought a young Argentinean striker into its side by the name of Fabian Espíndola … and now the Utah side is hoping it has unearthed a similar talent in his countryman, Emiliano Bonfigli. The lanky striker proved worth taking a flyer on in the MLS Supplemental Draft, the 23-year-old showing more than enough finishing prowess during RSL’s opening preseason camp to earn a spot on the team’s forward depth chart. With a congested schedule ahead, expect Bonfigli to be firmly in the mix for the “spot starter” role up top alongside fellow “young guns” Paulo Jr. and Cody Arnoux.
It is also telling that, during a stretch of two weeks when clumsy challenges like the one Morales suffered from felled some of MLS’ other brightest attacking talents, RSL’s playmaker vowed to come back before season’s end. Anyone who saw the incident must have thought Morales’ thoughts were wishful thinking at best, but they also weren’t witness to the hard work he put in day after day. While the air was sucked out of the building that day, Morales knew it wasn’t sucked out of the season, and he wanted to make sure he could help the squad finish the challenge it had laid down at the start of the year – add hardware to the trophy case.
DOB: 4/15/88
While that goal wouldn’t come to fruition, the comeback of Morales inspired not only his teammates, but the RSL faithful as well, who could not get enough updates on the status of “Javi” and when – not if – he would return to the field. While Morales was never back to 100% during the final six weeks of the season, he showed plenty enough to make it clear that he was closer than anyone, save himself, might have thought. But, perhaps more than anything, his comeback allowed everyone the opportunity to remember a different image of #11 at Rio Tinto Stadium in 2011 – the thunderous standing ovation he received upon entering the Sept. 28 match against Chicago in front of the largest crowd in the stadium’s history. 20,762 fans, all there to pay tribute to the heart-and-soul of RSL, to see the maestro pick up his baton once again. The start of the 2012 campaign sees Morales continuing to overcome injury, an offseason procedure to clean out bone spurs in his left foot and a right quad strain suffered during the preseason limiting him during the squad’s preparations for the upcoming season. But if 2011 proved anything, it’s that Morales will be able to overcome any challenge thrown at him … and likely sooner than anyone could imagine.
14
YORDANY ALVAREZ
MIDFIELDER
15
ALVARO SABORIO
FORWARD
HEIGHT: 5-10 WEIGHT: 165 DOB: 5/24/85 HOMETOWN: Cienfuegos, Cuba ACQUIRED: PRONOUNCIATION: jor-DONN-ee LAST SEASON: Played 5 games (4 starts) on loan from Orlando City, where he was named 2011 USL PRO MVP as championship-winner
HEIGHT: 6-0 WEIGHT: 170 DOB: 3/25/82 HOMETOWN: San Carlos, Costa Rica ACQUIRED: PRONOUNCIATION: AL-vuh-ro sabb-oh-REE-oh LAST SEASON: Played 29 games (28 starts) in all competitions, scoring team-high 13 goals (incl. 5 game-winners) & 4 assists
LAST MLS GOAL: yet to score in 5 games LAST MLS ASSIST: yet to assist in 5 games
LAST MLS GOAL: 10/22/11 v. POR (46+’) - ACTIVE LAST MLS ASSIST: 7/23/11 v SJ (78’) - 13 games ago
When it came to taking advantage of an opportunity in 2011, nobody did it better than midfielder Yordany Alvarez, who parlayed his USL PRO League MVP performance for Orlando City S.C. into a quasi-starting gig last September shortly after joining Real Salt Lake on loan at the roster freeze deadline. The one-time Cuban international provided quality cover for Kyle Beckerman, whose suspensions and U.S. MNT call-ups across the last quarter of the season forced Alvarez onto the field for five contests.
As a forward there’s always pressure to perform, and in 2011 the pressure seemed to be both a blessing and a curse for Álvaro Saborío, who began the year with a new contract that heaped on the added weight of becoming Real Salt Lake’s first-ever “Designated Player” (though the title was more a technicality thanks to the transfer fees involved in obtaining his full rights). The roller-coaster season saw Saborío bag goals in bunches and in some critical moments, but also included some droughts and mountains of adversity on the national team front for his native Costa Rica.
The 26-year-old performed well enough during the impromptu “trial by fire” that RSL sought to secure his services on a more permanent basis, and the Utah side did just that in February by coming to buyout terms with Orlando and locking up the holding midfielder via a new three-year deal. With Beckerman again slated to pull double-duty for club and country during much of 2012, fans can expect to see Alvarez back in the Starting XI mix on many more occasions.
A part of that ebb-and-flow of output was due to injury, as Saborío rushed back from offseason knee surgery quickly in order to help keep his hot hand in the CONCACAF Champions League going from the prior fall. While he indeed helped carry the squad to the tournament’s finals, his production and availability would suffer in the months to follow, only to ratchet back up during a torrid stretch in mid-summer. When the dust settled, “Sabo” had collected 16 goals across 32 games in all competitions, keeping pace with the 18 tallies in 36 contests the season prior. The wear-and-tear resulted in another surgery on his right knee immediately after the season, making his return to the line-up at the start of 2012 a question mark. However, the “Tico Terror” won’t be sidelined for long, as he has progressed strongly during the club’s preseason camps and is expected to be on the field and creating havoc for the opposition by April at the very latest.
REAL SALT LAKE @ LOS ANGELES GALAXY SATURDAY MARCH 10 2012
16
NICO MUNIZ
HEIGHT: 5-10 WEIGHT: 155 HOMETOWN: Albuquerque, NM ACQUIRED: PRONOUNCIATION: MOON-yees LAST SEASON:
8:00PM MT THE HOME DEPOT CENTER CARSON, CA
MIDFIELDER DOB: 10/18/92
NICK RIMANDO
CHRIS WINGERT
DEFENDER
HEIGHT: 5-11 WEIGHT: 170 DOB: 6/16/82 HOMETOWN: Babylon, NY ACQUIRED: Trade with Colorado Rapids, 6/14/07 PRONOUNCIATION: LAST SEASON: Played 29 games (28 starts) in all competitions, tallying one assist LAST MLS GOAL: 05/22/10 @ CHV - 40 games ago LAST MLS ASSIST: 08/26/09 v. CHV (85’) - 50 games ago
Real Salt Lake broke new ground last fall when it agreed to terms with Nico Muñiz, making the midfielder the first RSL-Arizona Academy member to jump straight to the “big club” from Casa Grande. While technically unable to perform for the MLS outfit until the new year, the now 19-year-old Muniz joined the first team in Utah upon the announcement in September, giving him a leg up on preparations for his first professional campaign with what amounted to a seven week “sneak peek.” Muñiz started three of his six appearances (346 min.) as a regular call-up for the RSL Reserves in 2011, and the Albuquerque native should expect to see his development continue largely through opportunities in MLS Reserve League fixtures during the 2012 campaign.
18
17
GOALKEEPER
HEIGHT: 5-9 WEIGHT: 185 DOB: 6/17/79 HOMETOWN: Montclair, CA ACQUIRED: Trade with NY Red Bulls, March, 2007 PRONOUNCIATION: ruh-MONN-doe LAST SEASON: Played 39 games (all starts) in all competitions in goal for RSL, with 16 wins and 15 shutouts and a 1.08 GAA
The outside back position in RSL’s 4-4-2 system is perhaps one of the most challenging spots in Major League Soccer – to call them “defenders” is simply not doing them justice. The role requires players to have the physicality to defend one-on-one, the speed and stamina to make run after run up and down the flank to provide width in attack and the technical acumen to make things happen with the ball, be it by providing crosses into the area or quick combinations with the midfield. You have to be smart, disciplined and in ridiculously good shape … in other words, you almost have to be Chris Wingert. The 29-year-old Wingert will enter the 2012 season as RSL’s longest-tenured field player, beating out his former ex-Colorado teammate Kyle Beckerman for the honor by three days courtesy of their back-to-back trades in mid-July 2007. That longevity has not only shot him up the RSL all-time rankings in numerous categories, but it’s also allowed him to master the abilities necessary to thrive on the island that can sometimes be the outside back position in Jason Kreis’ preferred line-up. To protect against the wear-andtear that saw nagging injuries effect the three-man rotation of Wingert, Tony Beltran and the departed Robbie Russell last season, the Claret-and-Cobalt will hope Wingert can mentor whichever two players emerge in the back-up battle out wide during preseason to increase the rotation to four by midseason. If there’s anyone up for the task of mentoring it would be Wingert, a locker room leader who also has the NSCAA Scholar-Athlete of the Year honor from his Senior season at St. John’s in his back pocket.
19
ENZO MARTINEZ
MIDFIELDER
HEIGHT: 5-7 WEIGHT: 160 DOB: 9/29/90 HOMETOWN: Rock Hill, SC ACQUIRED: 2011 MLS SuperDraft, 17th overall pick, 1/15/12 PRONOUNCIATION: ENN-zoh LAST SEASON:
LAST MLS WIN: 9/21/11 at NY - 6 games ago LAST MLS SHUTOUT: 10/14/11 @ COL - 1 game ago Nick Rimando would have been hard-pressed to duplicate the record-setting 2010 campaign he presided over between the posts for Real Salt Lake, but his 2011 season was not all that far behind. Once again finishing at or near the top of Major League Soccer in goals against average, shutouts and wins, Rimando’s 12th MLS season gave credence to the theory that the shelf life of the American goalkeeper is almost limitless … a good sign now that the 32-year-old Rimando is the elder statesman of the Claret-and-Cobalt after the offseason retirement of Andy Williams. That being said, it takes more than age to climb towards the top of MLS’ record books, which is exactly what Rimando has done by ranking second in all-time shutouts (87) and third in wins (121), games played in goal (288), starts in goal (also 288) and minutes in goal (26,073). Much like teammate Kyle Beckerman, Rimando’s international career has also picked up steam once again, as the Southern California native has been a regular call-up under the new regime of Jurgen Klinsmann since his appointment as USMNT’s sideline boss last summer. If Rimando can continue to produce sparkling performances like the first half he turned in against Panama in January, it will be a busy year of shuffling between club and country for the RSL fanbase’s favorite “homeboy.”
Some things are just meant to be, and that seemed to be the general consensus when highly-touted midfielder Enzo Martinez fell right into the lap of Real Salt Lake late in the first round of January’s MLS SuperDraft in Kansas City. Why the key cog for North Carolina’s College Cup-winning side slid to the 17th overall pick will never be known, but what is for certain is that the motivated midfielder’s savvy on the ball, mature decisionmaking and industrious workrate will make the native Uruguayan a perfect fit in the diamond midfield RSL has perfected under Jason Kreis. While the RSL Technical Staff gushed about the Generation adidas product’s production and ability, it was even more impressed with his maturity off the field, forcing many of the pundits who questioned where the 21-year-old might fit on the field for many teams to also admit that the Claretand-Cobalt might just have come away with the steal of draft day.
REAL SALT LAKE @ LOS ANGELES GALAXY SATURDAY MARCH 10 2012
20
NED GRABAVOY
8:00PM MT THE HOME DEPOT CENTER CARSON, CA
MIDFIELDER
21
LUIS GIL
MIDFIELDER
HEIGHT: 5-7 WEIGHT: 150 DOB: 7/1/83 HOMETOWN: New Lenox, IL ACQUIRED: Waivers from SJ Earthquakes, 3/--/09 PRONOUNCIATION: LAST SEASON: Played 33 games (25 starts) in all competitions, scoring playoff-series-clinching goal vs SEA in West Semis LAST MLS GOAL: 10/16/10 v. DAL (59’) - 25 games ago LAST MLS ASSIST: 07/31/10 v. DC (13’) - 34 games ago
HEIGHT: 5-10 WEIGHT: 155 DOB: 11/14/93 HOMETOWN: Garden Grove, CA ACQUIRED: Trade with KC Wizards, March, 2010 PRONOUNCIATION: GILL LAST SEASON: Played 27 games (16 starts) in all competitions, scoring 2 goals LAST MLS GOAL: 8/20/11 @ HOU (60’) - 8 games ago LAST MLS ASSIST: none in 23 career appearances
During his third season in Claret-and-Cobalt in 2011, Ned Grabavoy continued to find more minutes in the platoon system with Andy Williams on the right side of Real Salt Lake’s diamond midfield, but, due to injuries and national team call-ups, the veteran also found himself at other spots in the diamond through necessity. Despite suffering from a nagging hamstring injury of his own late in the campaign, the gritty Grabavoy was able to register the second most appearances, starts and minutes of his eight seasons in Major League Soccer.
Real Salt Lake’s philosophy for the development of Luis Gil had always been “slow and steady,” but then Javier Morales’ devastating ankle injury and a slew of national team call-ups hit in the spring, and the acceleration of Gil’s learning curve soon followed. RSL Head Coach Jason Kreis originally took a committee approach to replacing Morales as the summer progressed, but the rotation would eventually include a heavy dose of the then-17-year-old Gil, who indeed proved capable of rising to the challenge while also doing plenty of “on-the-job” training. While inconsistent, as most teenagers growing up in a professional league tend to be, Gil more often than not showed glimpses as to why he was coveted by some of the world’s top sides prior to joining the Claret-and-Cobalt back in 2010.
With Williams retiring during the offseason, the versatile Grabavoy will be depended upon even more by Head Coach Jason Kreis to set the tone on the field and in the locker room as one of the team’s core members. The good news for Kreis and fans of RSL is that, thanks to a new offseason contract, the 28-year-old midfielder will put his masterful onthe-ball ability, vision and tenacity on display at Rio Tinto Stadium for at least the next three seasons.
22
JONNY STEELE
HEIGHT: 6-0 WEIGHT: 180 HOMETOWN: Larne, Northern Ireland ACQUIRED: via discovery option in Jan., 2012 PRONOUNCIATION: LAST SEASON:
MIDFIELDER
DOB: 2/7/86
The physicality of the opposition might not be as much of a problem in 2012, as Gil entered RSL’s preseason camp noticeably bigger and more confident, both on the ball and within the squad. With regular starters Morales and Will Johnson both dealing with injuries heading into the season, Gil may very well find himself a member of the starting XI when March rolls around
23
PAULO JUNIOR
FORWARD
HEIGHT: 5-7 WEIGHT: 155 DOB: 1/23/89 HOMETOWN: Teresina, Brazil ACQUIRED: via loan in August, 2010 (purchased Jan., 2012) PRONOUNCIATION: PAUL-low LAST SEASON: Played 13 games (5 starts) in all competitions, scoring 2 goals & 4 assists LAST MLS GOAL: 4/9/11 @ NE (47’) - 8 games ago LAST MLS ASSIST: 9/24/11 @ DC (85’) - 2 games ago
Jonny Steele has squeezed a career’s worth of stops into his first eight professional seasons, but the preseason pact he signed with Real Salt Lake might just allow the 26-year-old midfielder to stop and settle down for awhile … besides, there’s precedence for this sort of thing with the Utah side (see Williams, Andy). After years of hopping between second divisions clubs and indoor teams, the native of Northern Ireland has finally earned the opportunity to display his talents on the North American continent’s top stage, eight years after his stateside journey began with a trial for FC Dallas. While Steele’s presence will ratchet up the amount of bite in the RSL midfield, thinking of him as simply a “hardman” would be a mistake, as the former Wolverhampton performer didn’t win the 2008 USL-1 MVP award for the Puerto Rico Islanders on hard tackles alone.
2As explosive as the fall 2010 debut of Paulo Jr. onto the Real Salt Lake scene was, it appeared that the Brazilian’s 2011 was equally as disappointing … but one look at the limited sample size of stats might just prove otherwise. While the swashbuckling striker missed exactly half of the season due to lingering hamstring and hip flexor injuries over the summer, when he was on the field he was able to produce, notching a pair of goals and five assists in what amounted to just under 600 minutes across MLS and CONCACAF play. The diminutive forward’s season got off to a sparkling start, as he recorded a goal, an assist or both during his first four overall appearances. However, the injury bug would strike soon afterwards, derailing a promising start and limiting him to substitute and spotstart duty across the last three months of the season. Despite the health concerns, Real Salt Lake recognized Paulo Jr.’s potential this past offseason and acquired the 23-yearold’s player rights from the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers in February. The Utah side hopes a new three-year contract will provide the stability and confidence the still-developing striker needs in order to perform, which would result in a dangerous complement to first-choice forwards Fabian Espíndola and Álvaro Saborío.
REAL SALT LAKE @ LOS ANGELES GALAXY SATURDAY MARCH 10 2012
24
KYLE REYNISH
8:00PM MT THE HOME DEPOT CENTER CARSON, CA
GOALKEEPER
26
SEBASTIAN VELASQUEZ
MIDFIELDER
HEIGHT: 6-3 WEIGHT: 190 DOB: 11/3/83 HOMETOWN: Valencia, CA ACQUIRED: 2007 MLS SuperDraft PRONOUNCIATION: LAST SEASON: Played 3 games (all starts) in goal for RSL, registering 2 wins, 2 shutouts and a 0.67 GAA LAST MLS WIN: 4/9/11 @ NE (1 career win) LAST MLS SHUTOUT: 4/9/11 @ NE – 2nd career clean sheet
HEIGHT: 5-7 WEIGHT: 140 HOMETOWN: Greenville, SC ACQUIRED: 2012 MLS SuperDraft PRONOUNCIATION: LAST SEASON:
With the retirement of Andy Williams this past offseason, goalkeeper Kyle Reynish becomes the recipient of the “current longest tenured RSL player” title, as the netminder drafted on Jan. 18, 2007 will begin his sixth full season with the squad in 2012. As the back-up to the 2nd-longest tenured player, Nick Rimando, the UC-Santa Barbara native hasn’t had many occasions to show his stuff in recent seasons, but when he was able to in 2011 he would deliver, notching two shutout wins in his three first-team appearances. The 27-year-old ‘keeper will not only continue to be perhaps the league’s most underrated understudy, but will also be looked at to help mentor young Lalo Fernandez, RSL’s latest Homegrown addition to the roster.
If you were not aware of Sebastian Velasquez when Real Salt Lake selected him towards the end of the 2012 MLS SuperDraft, well, you weren’t alone … the plucky playmaker was the first Junior College player to be selected on draft day since Kansas City took another member of the RSL family, Yura Movsisyan, six years earlier. The Wasatch Front is a long way from Spartanburg Methodist College in South Carolina, but when word from collegiate scouting contacts about the “diamond-in-the-Upstate” came across RSL’s attention, due diligence by assistant coach Miles Joseph paid off for the now-21-year-old midfielder via an invite to the club’s December combine in Arizona. Velasquez impressed enough there to earn the nod to the next level, where he will be allowed plenty of time to learn how pull the strings on the top of RSL’s midfield diamond behind Javier Morales and Luis Gil.
27
CODY ARNOUX
FORWARD
28
DOB: 2/11/91
CHRIS SCHULER
DEFENDER
HEIGHT: 5-10 WEIGHT: 170 DOB: 4/13/88 HOMETOWN: Wilmington, NC ACQUIRED: via special MLS lottery in March, 2011 PRONOUNCIATION: arr-KNOW LAST SEASON: Played 2 games (0 starts) in all competitions for RSL, totaling 69 minutes
HEIGHT: 6-4 WEIGHT: 185 DOB: 9/6/87 HOMETOWN: Aurora, IL ACQUIRED: PRONOUNCIATION: SHOO-ler LAST SEASON: Played 23 games (18 starts) in all competitions, scoring 2 goals
LAST MLS GOAL: yet to score LAST MLS ASSIST: yet to assist
LAST MLS GOAL: 9/3/11 v PHI (26’) - 6 games ago LAST MLS ASSIST: yet to record assist in 20 career games
The 2012 season can almost be considered a fresh start for forward Cody Arnoux, who was injured upon joining Real Salt Lake last February and couldn’t return to the field from injuries until the season was mostly through. However, with a year of seasoning in RSL’s system under his belt, a completely clean bill of health and plenty of work ethic in tow, the former Wake Forest standout will be ready to make up for lost time and contribute major minutes off the bench during the Claret-and-Cobalt’s busy campaign.
What a difference a year made for defender Chris Schuler. After showing a glimpse of promise that was cut short due to injury in 2010, the Chicagoland native returned to the field with a vengeance in 2011, playing in 27 matches across all competitions as injuries and suspensions wrecked havoc at times on the RSL backline. Five months after breaking his foot just the day after RSL clinched a spot in the CONCACAF Champions League knockout phase, it was perhaps fate that Schuler would be called upon to serve in place of the suspended Nat Borchers right off the bat against Columbus in the CCL Quarterfinals. The 24-year-old would pass that test with flying colors, and, as the RSL Technical Staff began to grow more and more comfortable with him, Schuler would also begin to draw assignments at outside back as situations dictated. While some may think it unfortunate to sit behind one of the best center back tandems in league history on the depth chart, it is clear during the 2012 preseason that Schuler has been soaking up knowledge from Borchers and Jamison Olave over the course of his first two pro seasons. Learning the tricks of the trade from those pillars both technically and leadership-wise will certainly pay off with even better performances when called upon down the road, which may occur just as much this season with another congested schedule on the docket for the Claret-and-Cobalt.
REAL SALT LAKE @ LOS ANGELES GALAXY SATURDAY MARCH 10 2012
44
LEONE CRUZ
HEIGHT: 6-1 WEIGHT: 170 HOMETOWN: Round Rock, TX ACQUIRED: Trade with Seattle, 1/17/12 PRONOUNCIATION: lee-OH-knee KRUZE LAST SEASON:
8:00PM MT THE HOME DEPOT CENTER CARSON, CA
DEFENDER DOB: 6/13/87
JASON KREIS
TERAKAZU TANAKA
HEIGHT: 5-8 WEIGHT: 150 HOMETOWN: Ibaraki, Japan ACQUIRED: via Discovery option in Jan., 2012 PRONOUNCIATION: tuh-KNOCK-uh LAST SEASON:
The path to the ranks of Major League Soccer for Leone Cruz was not a common one, but, in the end, the talented center back appears to have found a willing dance partner in Real Salt Lake the second time around. After failing to stick around with Seattle Sounders FC after being drafted by the Cascadia outfit in 2011, Cruz chose to finish up his studies at Southern Methodist University and stay soccer-sharp by playing in matches in the newlyresurrected Reserve League. Those stints included a pair of games in Claret-and-Cobalt last summer, when RSL reaffirmed its pre-draft assessments of Cruz’s skills and kept the Texas native on its radar through January, when it swung a deal with Seattle during the Supplemental Draft to bring the defender on board. After winning a spot on the roster during preseason, Cruz will be expected to form a solid bond with fellow reservist Chris Schuler – with the added benefit of being able to learn from two of the league’s best “middle men” in Jamison Olave and Nat Borchers.
HC
53
HEAD COACH
ALL-TIME RECORD: 57-50-43 (MLS) COLLEGE: Duke ‘94 HOMETOWN: Omaha, NE APPOINTED: May 3, 2007 PRONOUNCIATION: KRYSE LAST SEASON: 15-11-8 (MLS); CCL Finalist; lost in Open Cup Qtrs AS A PLAYER: scored 108 career goals w/ Dallas (1996-2004) & RSL (2005-07) Real Salt Lake Head Coach Jason Kreis traded in his record-setting boots and captain’s armband on May 3, 2007 to become the organization’s second head coach, overhauling a previously moribund locker room to become just two seasons later the youngest Cupwinning coach in MLS history, guiding RSL to the title in 2009. Under his watch, RSL has also advanced to three of the last four Conference Finals, become the first American side to win a CONCACAF Champions League group and the first U.S. team to advance to the CCL Finals. With back-to-back 15-win MLS seasons in 2010 and 2011, Kreis’ teams have earned points in two out of every three matches they play, as the intense, demanding leader now owns an all-time 72-64-52 mark as a head coach, breaking down as follows: MLS regular-season (57-50-43), CONCACAF Champions League (6-3-3), MLS Cup Playoff (4-4-4), Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup (2-5-1) and international friendlies (3-2-1).
DEFENDER
DOB: 7/14/85
2As proof the RSL Technical Staff is committed to leaving no stone unturned in its search for talent, enter Terukazu Tanaka, an outside back prospect GM Garth Lagerwey spotted during a combine in Tokyo shortly after the end of the 2011 season. The 26-year-old right-sided defender brings five years of professional experience in the Japanese first and second divisions with him across the Pacific, a pedigree he hopes will earn him not only a spot on the RSL roster, but a regular slot in the outside back rotation alongside returning vets Chris Wingert and Tony Beltran.
AC
JEFF CASSAR
ASST. COACH
COLLEGE: Florida International University ‘97 HOMETOWN: Livonia, MI APPOINTED: May 2007 PRONOUNCIATION: cuss-SARR AS A PLAYER: Played 11 seasons as a goalkeeper for Dallas, Miami and New York from 1996-2006 ...
AC
MILES JOSEPH
ASST. COACH
COLLEGE: Clemson ‘98 HOMETOWN: Clifton Park, NY APPOINTED: February, 2010 PRONOUNCIATION: AS A PLAYER: Played in six MLS seasons from 1996-2001 for New York and Dallas, scoring 12 career goals in 125 games ...
At the time of his hire, Mr. Kreis became the youngest active head coach in MLS at 34 years and 127 days of age. Kreis works closely with former Blue Devil and Dallas Burn teammate and current RSL General Manager Garth Lagerwey regarding player acquisitions, scouting, the MLS Draft and all player personnel-related matters. The Kreis-Lagerwey partnership has resulted in the implementation of a culture where players, staff and fans work as one for the RSL shield, epitomizing a “Team is the Star” attitude. Kreis, Lagerwey and the team’s coaching staff – Jeff Cassar, Miles Joseph and C.J. Brown – compose the lone technical staff among MLS’ 18 teams comprised entirely of ex-MLS players. This distinction means that the RSL braintrust now boasts cumulative MLS experience of 74,811 total minutes, covering 923 games and including 128 goals and 22 shutouts (the equivalent of nearly 30 complete seasons of service). The RSL staff has the unparalleled ability to tap into personal experience as it guides, assists and develops RSL players.
AC
C.J. BROWN
ASST. COACH
COLLEGE: Cal-State Hayward ‘96 HOMETOWN: Hayward, CA APPOINTED: January, 2011 PRONOUNCIATION: AS A PLAYER: Won 4 U.S. Open Cups and one MLS Cup during 13year MLS career with Chicago Fire ... Will be inducted into Chicago’s “Ring of Fire” as part of RSL visit to Toyota Park on May 9 ...