10/17 RSL vs Seattle: How #2 in the West was Won Pre/PBP/Post

Discussion in 'Real Salt Lake' started by georg, Oct 11, 2012.

  1. UPinSLC

    UPinSLC Member+

    Jul 11, 2004
    SL,UT
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    why the ******** are our DEFENDERS the ones being gutsy in the box?
     
  2. RSLer

    RSLer Member+

    Sep 24, 2008
    Stansbury Park, UT
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Oh Vela....
     
  3. UPinSLC

    UPinSLC Member+

    Jul 11, 2004
    SL,UT
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    cant believe that didnt go in.
     
  4. ShaggyReAL

    ShaggyReAL Awesome is my middle name

    Dec 9, 2009
    Salt Lake
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    ****in bullshit game. RSL players should be ashamed. They had no desire to win this game. At least that's what it looked like.
     
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  5. Grimmetal

    Grimmetal New Member

    Oct 17, 2012
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Wasted a huge chance.. but didn't shoot ourselves in the foot either. I take it over a loss... but barely. Disappointed.
     
  6. UPinSLC

    UPinSLC Member+

    Jul 11, 2004
    SL,UT
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    for my 10,000th post:

    ******** you RSL, you had the chance to put away the 2nd spot in the playoffs and you played like a bunch of chickens with your damn heads chopped off. zero urgency, zero desire to go forward, nobody taking risks in the box, nobody trying to making anything happen in the final third. total slop fest with TONS of poor giveaways.

    piss poor effort from RSL.
     
  7. rslfanboy

    rslfanboy Member+

    Jul 24, 2007
    Section 26
    RSL just didn't handle Seattle's high-intensity and high pressure game. SKC did the same thing to RSL early in the year, San Jose the same, all 3 times. We aren't that good if the other team can maintain that level of intensity throughout the match, even if they are a man down.

    Granted, starting Steele doesn't help.
     
  8. TheBiff

    TheBiff Member+

    Apr 8, 2011
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    Ecuador
    Come on guys, RSL did great for being a man down....

    wait...
     
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  9. Lizzie Bee

    Lizzie Bee Member+

    Jul 27, 2004
    Utah
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    At first, I was like, "Ooh, what a fun, fast-paced game." Then I was all, "Sweet. They're a man down. Score!" And then I was like, "SCORE, DAMN IT! SCORE! SCORE!" And then depression set in.
     
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  10. neophyte

    neophyte Member

    Sep 15, 2004
    Salt Lake City
    Not sure why we didn't go for the win until last 5 minutes but I'm guessing a coaching decision.
    Sigi is such a mopey whiner and better get a big fine for his halftime tirade.
    I went for several minutes of that non-stop eulogy by the announcers without realizing there was another team playing the game. Yeah, that team that had the ball the whole time. It's like they thought their job was to convince us that Seattle really is a good team. No analysis, no play by play. One little snippet about how Espy turned nice when he became a dad. Bring back Dunny!
     
  11. SenordrummeR2

    SenordrummeR2 Member+

    Jul 21, 2008
    Layton, UT
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Just finished the game. First thoughts/reactions:

    1) Was it just me, or did Montero's headband look like the waistband cut out of a pair of Fruit of The Looms?
    2) Umm, what the crap just happened? Zero urgency, no men forward. We were playing like we were a man down. I'm having flashbacks of our losing streak this season. Pick it up boys, or we're not making it out of the first round of the playoffs, or the group stage of CCL.
    3) Aaannndd Steele is back to laying turds on the field. So many giveaways and terrible passes.

    Yep, that's about it. Very frustrating game.
     
  12. 15 to 32

    15 to 32 Straw Hog

    Jul 1, 2008
    Salt Lake
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Thoughts
    • Was there a single RSL player that played "well" that logged in more than 15 minutes? Each and every guy in red out there sucked balls tonight.
    • For a team that values possession and passing, we really sucked at both tonight. Yeah, the stats say we won the possession battle, but I'd be interested to know how many unforced turnovers we made. It felt like a billion
    • Gil showed why he is so damn difficult to figure out in this match. After 2 stellar games in LA, he looked like Jonny Steele out there.
    • Speaking of Steele, jesus christ... Even by his shitty standards, that was a piss poor game. He had at least 3 if not 4 or 5 passes, with zero pressure, that he literally put on the foot of a sounders player.
    • Really great move on risking Olave on the turf, Kreis. Brilliant move there...
    • Viana looked the same as he did in the reserve match. Awesome moves followed by what the hell was that moments. Overall, though, I still really like the kid.
    • Velasquez deserves a ton more time. Really unlucky that shot didn't go in. And had it... this place would be much different.
    Overall, we need to take a step back and realize the obvious mindset that RSL had coming into this game. A draw suits us incredibly well. Yeah, Seattle is still 3 back with a game in hand, but are they really going to get 6 in their last 2 games? They host Dallas, a team fighting for their playoff lives, and then go to LA, who will be fighting them for that 3rd spot. I'll be shocked if they get anything over 3 or 4. This means a win vs Vancouver and 2nd place is ours.

    Also, that red card really worked against RSL. Seattle plays a style that can really burn RSL if executed properly. We are a side who gives up wing play and is pretty awful at defending speed up top and outside. What did the red card force Seattle to do? Put all their focus on speedy counters down the wings and over the top. Really, in a way, the game changed for Seattle's favor with that second yellow because of their tactical adjustment.
     
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  13. 15 to 32

    15 to 32 Straw Hog

    Jul 1, 2008
    Salt Lake
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Oh, and Sabo haters, if you've ever thought "what does this guy even bring to the table?" watch video of tonight's game vs a game where a team packs it in on us and he is on the pitch. You'll notice a huge difference in our willingness and ability to cross the ball in. Sabo punishes team that allow us to have the wings as much as Seattle was around their 18. Without him, though, we're essentially giving their defense a training session in defensive headers.

    Also, notice how invisible Espy was? That's because Seattle could afford to put 2-3 defenders on him while singling up on Bonfigli. You can't do that against Sabo
     
  14. DrownedElf

    DrownedElf Member+

    Jul 5, 2010
    Ogden
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    You could tell this was a game that we were shooting for a draw in. Once Seattle was forced to play bunker and counter, it really didn't do us any favors without having a guy like Sabo to target with a cross. I'm not upset with the draw, it suited us a lot more than having us throw everyone forward and ending up losing the game on a Seattle counter.

    That commentary was terrible. It was great when they'd foul and it was 'soft', yet we'd foul them with something even softer and they acted like it should've been a card.

    The cameramen were pretty terrible too. Too many times they either didn't keep up with where the ball was at, or we got to randomly stare at Sigi/random fans for 5-10 seconds and it'd finally cut back and there was a whistle by the ref, or the ball had gone out and you had no clue wtf happened.

    And the Seattle fans were incredibly classy. I'm sorry your guy had to take out Morales from behind and get sent off, please feel free to boo him the rest of the match for having the nerve of being in the way of his challenge. Stay ****ing classy, Seattle.
     
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  15. Lizzie Bee

    Lizzie Bee Member+

    Jul 27, 2004
    Utah
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    This, this, and also this.
     
  16. henryo

    henryo Member+

    Jun 26, 2007
    There are still some merits to them, given that the number of games don't differ much across seasons (for the case of RSL, between 30-34 games since inception).

    RSL have matched their highest points total today & another point will create a new record. One can always look at it from 2 perspective: by absolute points & points-per-game.
     
  17. RSLer

    RSLer Member+

    Sep 24, 2008
    Stansbury Park, UT
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I really enjoyed this analysis. With 2 of our top 3 strikers out of the game, we just couldn't find space when SSFC was forced to pack 10 in the box. Plus, Grabs and Will missed the game...although I don't think that made much of a difference on the attacking end.

    The only real disappointments for me was how inaccurate our passes were in the midfield (and the poor touch demonstrated by those receiving passes), and the lack of runs to the posts and into the box. Unforced Turnovers were driving me into a rage. I also just shook my head at all of the backward passes from the midfield. Anyway, if someone had told me before the game that RSL would get a draw in Seattle, I would have smiled and clapped.
     
  18. georg

    georg Member+

    May 25, 2009
    Parowan, Utah
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Add Paulo, sit Bonfigli , sit Steele (for like 26 months) and start Valasquez and I think that will be your team
     
  19. goobx1

    goobx1 Member+

    Jul 9, 2007
    Salt Lake
    Sabo IS the best player on RSL with exhibit A last night.

    I will take the draw. I would have liked a little more urgency going forward but I think RSL was happy coming out of there with a draw before the game and didn't want to risk giving up a cheap goal or cheap call from flopping Freddy, see the Schuler yellow-straight up dive by Freddy, and leave Seattle without any points.

    RSL was unlucky that Gspurning was able to get to a couple of those shots. Javi's shot early in the second half was a pretty good shot I thought was in when it left his foot. Inches away.

    RSL has to feel good. They got what they wanted without Sabo, Will, Grabs and have to feel 3 points would have been a bonus.
     
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  20. I_Believe_In_Kreis

    Oct 2, 2006
    on the pitch
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    OK, a few comments/answers/thoughts that hopefully might explain a few things about this game:

    1. On the fact that NBCSN used the Seattle feed: This game wasn't supposed to be on NBCSN at all. It only got picked up this week. Originally there was supposed to be a hockey game in that time slot, but it came open when the NHL went on strike. There was no money or time to get the usual NBCSN crew to the game so they just picked up the Slimers' feed and ran with it.
    2. On the commentating itself: When we had Ross Fletcher during On Frame on Monday, I thought he was a pretty cool guy. I changed my mind after hearing him call this one. I know who writes his checks, but his bias is way too over the top. To be fair, I expect a little homerism, but I don't expect comments like "Schuler should have gotten a red for grabbing Montero." As far as Keller is concerned, he's just a poor broadcaster in general, homer or not.
    3. On RSL pre-red card: RSL was committing good numbers into the attack. Unfortunately they were leaving themselves open to a counter. They almost hung themselves out to dry a few times. Credit Seattle for this - they are a complete team and can attack in many ways. They are a midfield possession team but they can counter almost as well as LA. I feel RSL was taking quite a few risks before the red card and was lucky to not get burned.
    4. On RSL post-red card: It's clear that the tactic changed and RSL took a more conservative approach after the red. It's like RSL said "no way we're going to give up a goal to a 10-man team." So they sat in and stopped committing numbers forward. With Seattle wearing down from having to cover all that extra ground, very late in the match I think RSL changed its mindset again and started thinking maybe they could nick one. It almost worked....great save by Gspurning on Schuler, but Seattle was flat-out lucky on the Seba shot.
    5. More on RSL post-red card: Why did RSL not go for the win more aggressively? I think we need to at least consider the possibility that Kreis would rather finish 3rd than 2nd. If you want to finish 3rd, 3 points would have been too many, 0 points too few. Reading between the lines in Jason's comments, I think this is a real possibility.
    6. MOTM: Borchers.
     
  21. TheBiff

    TheBiff Member+

    Apr 8, 2011
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    Ecuador
    Has anyone seen Bonfigli? Guy is seriously MIA.

    This game became interesting when Velasquez and Viana came on.
    Honestly, if we have no other choice for striker than Bonfigli we should just start with a 4-5-1
     
  22. 15 to 32

    15 to 32 Straw Hog

    Jul 1, 2008
    Salt Lake
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Bonfigli is frustrating to watch play. In that reserve game against Houston, he was making runs AND getting the ball into space. How many times in the first half did he make a great run (or start to) just for us to cut it back or go out wide? You can tell he has little to no chemistry with Espy/Javi as he just doesn't know what to do up top. And you can tell that they aren't used to having a guy with his flat out speed. I can't remember the exact minute, but Bonfigli was making a dead sprint against a Sounders player and Javi(?) played in a through ball without enough pace on it. Had he put 5 or 10 more yards on it, Bonfigli would have been 1v1 with Gspurning.

    Viana was an interesting guy to watch. He wanted the ball really bad, which I love, but he wanted it in positions that he shouldn't. Also, I get the sense that he still doesn't buy into the whole "we don't play wingers" thing. As soon as he came on, his feet were on the touchline.
     
  23. I_Believe_In_Kreis

    Oct 2, 2006
    on the pitch
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I concur...Viana is interesting. My biggest issue is that he seems to want to hang onto the ball a lot. I can see him being the kind of guy who wants to take people on, which frankly I think RSL needs a lot more of. In Javi's golden years he was doing that much more frequently and I think RSL misses that. The problem with Viana is he doesn't know when to dribble and when to pass. When RSL is at its best there's a distinct pass-and-move rhythm, and when RSL is in that groove, you want to keep it going. Once last night RSL was doing that and Viana interrupted a sequence of two-touch with about 5 seconds of dribbling in a circle...totally killed the flow of the play. Contrast that with the reserve match where they had that two-touch thing going on, he did the same and sprung Mansally for the first goal. He is supremely talented, he just needs to learn how RSL wants him to execute. That will take time.

    But if Kreis can teach him when to do what, look out: Viana could terrorize MLS.
     
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  24. 15 to 32

    15 to 32 Straw Hog

    Jul 1, 2008
    Salt Lake
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    And while I understand the frustrations on here, lets look at a few things:
    • Record in the last 5 games: 3-1-1
    • Record vs Seattle + LA: 3-1-2
    • Record vs Seattle: 1-0-2
    • Record vs LA: 2-1-0
    • Points @ Seattle: 4
    • Points @ LA: 6
    That bodes well for the playoffs as we are almost guaranteed to play one of those 2 teams.
    ******** SJ and our record against those assholes
     
  25. UPinSLC

    UPinSLC Member+

    Jul 11, 2004
    SL,UT
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    my thoughts:

    No Sabo means we didnt even attempt to cross a ball into the box. I literally cannot think of one attempted cross other than a free kick/corner. I know we had several opportunities to do so, but almost every single move into the final third resulted in us trying to dance our way into the box. And when we did get into the box we freaking tried to pass it around and into the goal instead of taking a ********ing rip, at least until BELTRAN and SCHULER of all people made their way in. /facepalm.

    On the idea of playing for a draw and third place, if that results in us having the first game at home in the playoffs, it's brilliant. Look at the success of this team in home and away competition formats, we almost EXCLUSIVELY do better when the first game is at home. Hell, look no further than last years playoffs against Seattle. Want examples of when we have the second match at home? Against Dallas in the 2010 playoffs. Against Monterrey in the CCL finals. The ONLY time I can think of where we had the second match at home and did well was against Columbus in the CCL quarters (and even that was tense as we did not play well until the second half). Want examples of us doing well with the first match at home? Chivas 2008 playoffs. Columbus 2009 playoffs. Seattle 2011 playoffs. Saprissa 2011 CCL. The idea of "home field advantage" by having that second game of the playoff series at home does not apply to RSL. I was pissed last night for RSL not going for the jugular and securing the second seed. But quite frankly, I'd rather them have the third seed and get the first game at home.

    On Viana, I was THRILLED when he came on, pretty much demanded the ball and then took on guys trying to get into the box. I was so damn sick of tired of watching 80 minutes of idiots in red trying to pussy foot the ball around the box and then lose it on a shitty pass. Somebody had to have the balls to get the ball and make something happen, Viana tried. He had some good moves, got by a few guys who were caught flat footed. Also lost the ball a couple times, but I'll take it. We NEED a player like him who wants to take guys on in these situations. Espy does a good job of it, but Paulo doesnt, Sabo doesnt, Bonfigli doesnt and none of our midfielders do. In a match where Espy is being completely marked out of it due to not having Sabo, Viana is very useful in the midfield. He obviously needs to work on his fitness because those times he loses the ball he's going to have to bust his hump to get back and cover the vacated area he left.
     
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