I hope I won't get blasted too much for posting this here, but I was hoping to take advantage of the higher traffic on this thread. I also posted this in the NSR forum. Hey all. My wife was thinking of trying to get a simple RSL quilt put together for my son for Christmas. We can't find much in the way of help online. I was wondering if any of you had any ideas. We were thinking of a flag with the RSL shield in the middle, with a border of blue and all on backing. What are some of your creative ideas?
Go down to the team store and talk with the manager and ladies that work there. Tell them your idea and I bet dollars to donuts the give you a deal on something that may work. Those car window flags would make great squares for a quilt if you are doing it that way. Maybe get a jersey with his name on it you could cut in half and put on both sides of a quilt if you are tying one. Go to the store. You can call me a liar if the don't help you out.
Interview with Morales in OK en Español. He mentions his contract being over(?), but wanting to stay.
So, I have heard some very disturbing news this week. I have a close friend who is from Brazil and is very good friends with Paulo Jr. Apparently last week the team sat down with all the players and they were asking manynif them, mostly South Americans, to take the same amount as last year or less. I know Paulo Jr. Has decided to go back to Brazil at this point, but I haven't heard definitively on the others, the consensus was not good however. This would mean before the re-entry draft, we may be getting big news about the deconstruction of this team, most of them would be available for that. Also, the more disturbing news was that a lot of the players don't like our coaching staff. I have thought the exact opposite was true. Anyone else heard anything like this??
DRAMA! why should these guys get any pay raises? We failed in every trophy pursuit this year, you shouldn't get rewarded (higher pay) for falling short. The bigger part of this is that, for the most part, our south american/central american players play in the more offensive positions. Our offense sucked major balls when we needed it to show up. This team needs a makeover, with a heavy focus on the offensive end. I have no problem with Garth (and the FO) telling these guys they either need to take the same amount or even less because of their shortcomings. PJ was supposed to be this 3rd string striker that pushed Espy/Sabo for minutes. Instead we got a guy who ran a ton but couldn't score to save his life. Same with Bonfigli and Braun. I said it in another thread, I wouldn't be surprised if we had all new strikers next year with the lone exception of Sabo. As for the dislike of the coaching staff speculation - if they do, they are at least professional about it. That's all you can ask. Kreis would rub me the wrong way if I kept seeing Jonny Steele on the pitch, too. However, if that is their excuse for not bagging goals, it's a pathetic one.
I doubt there's much to the coaching staff angle, as most of these players have been here for 5+ seasons and you don't stick around that long with the same staff if your working environment stinks. PJ is the exception, and if that's your source, then it might pan out. As for the pay cut angle, it is well known that we will be over the cap even if we make no moves for new players, meaning players need to take pay cuts or stay the same with players being shipped out. I doubt it is only the South American players being asked to take cuts, though they may bear the brunt of it: Javi and Olave are the most physically fragile of the bunch, and without pay cuts, they would probably be on their way out. I imagine Garth's first step is to gauge who can be re-signed at a lower contract before setting about moving folks. And if it is Paulo who is headed back home - will anyone not stuck at the end of 2010 be disappointed? That guy I would want to keep, the one from the last two seasons (well, since the injury) can head for Brazil. I will wish him well and hope he returns to his pre-injury form.
When a team has a major slump in the middle of a season and players stop playing hard its possible the coach is not getting it done. Agree with 15 that it has to rub some players wrong to see a clown like Steele continue to see minutes. Bottom line this team did not get it done under Kries this year or last, blame the players all you want but the buck has to stop at the head coach. Kries has been figured out by the rest of the league and his inability to adjust is becoming a major problem.
agreed I'm not of the opinion he should be sacked quite yet, though. He has a season or two to prove, with a new set of players, that what he didn't wasn't a flash in the pan like PJ but rather long term success that just hit a bump these last 2 seasons
Rimando up for 3 of the 4 final round nominees for save of the year. so many choices i'm torn between the save vs LA or the one vs SKC. I'm voiting the save against LA http://www.mlssoccer.com/sotw/soty2012/final-round
The thing about Nicky is that he makes all of his stops look ridiculous... but they shouldn't have to be. His size (or lack thereof) make these saves look much more brilliant than they ought to be. Is that his fault? No However, it needs to be taken into account. I voted for his save vs KC because it was pure reflection... and I'm a homer. Honestly, a normal size GK could make that save without it being so damn dramatic. Though, would your typically sized GK have those reflections? That's the thing with Nicky. And, for some reason, teams keep hitting shots in the range where he can save them instead of just going for the roof.
Great news, maybe next season he will see some more time on the pitch. Anyone else out there starting to feel like its last season all over again? Waiting and waiting for those big signings and changes only to ultimately see our club do very little rebuilding?
I think that there will be quite a bit of rebuilding/changes in who see's the pitch for the 2013 edition of Real Salt Lake. I get the impression that there is a little bit different point of view on how to move forward between the FO and the Coaching staff. One where the FO wants to see younger players play and develop into quality contributors and that of the Coaching staff that wants to win games. If you take away the option of having more "experienced" guys like Steele, you should create more opportunities for players like Seba. It may not be an all out rebuild but I have a hunch that the Coaching staff will have fewer "experienced" guys to play over young inexperienced players. If not then, yea, next year will look a lot like this year.
I understand the anxiousness of getting on the change train, but it's only been 2 weeks and the playoffs aren't even over yet. It takes time, I wouldn't expect real substantial changes for a month or two at least. The team needs to make decisions on the current roster, hammer out numbers, then make a plan based on who they are keeping around. Hell, we didn't bring in new players from the last core until early spring, just weeks before the season started. And a lot of guys were brought in mid-season, so don't start getting frustrated yet. If we see ourselves come late february without much change to show for the offseason, then start getting worried.
Agreed. Add in the fact that the contract renewal date is Dec. 1st. I think we'll start to hear more changes after that date.
this is when we should see how serious RSL is about rebuilding. If we see guys (bigger pieces of the puzzle, especially) not getting their contracts renewed - then the rebuilding has begun. I want to see us become younger and faster for real this time. Not in hypothetical minimum salary players, but in guys who will see significant minutes on the pitch
If you are getting some deja vu, it's probably your own fault, given that Garth said that they weren't going to do any serious rebuilding last offseason.
Maybe but I am sure we were looking to improve this team last season with some new signings no? At least that is my recollection. Also remember a lot of disappointment on these threads when RSL didn't make any significant moves.