D.C. bent on revenge as RSL visit
D.C. United wants to avenge earlier 4-0 shellacking in Utah
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RFK MEMORIAL STADIUM, Washington, D.C.
April 26, 2008 | 7:30 p.m. ET (CSN-DC; KUTV-2)
WEEK # 5 | GAME # 31
Two weeks ago, D.C. United and Real Salt Lake met at Rice-Eccles Stadium, and the result was a stunner, Real winning for the first time on the season in a 4-0 triumph, their third consecutive win against United at home. United come into the game off back-to-back losses and in seventh place in the Eastern Conference, mirroring last year's start that ended in a Supporters' Shield. Real followed the win against D.C. with the first game of this two-game road swing, a 1-0 loss last Saturday at Toronto FC.
REFEREE: Baldomero Toledo. SAR (bench): Rob Fereday; JAR (opposite): Craig Lowry; 4th: Jorge Gonzalez
MLS Career: 48 games; FC/gm: 27.4; Y/gm: 3.9; R: 17; pens: 17
INJURY REPORT: D.C. UNITED - OUT: MF Ben Olsen (ankle surgery); MF Jeff Carroll (toe surgery); QUESTIONABLE: DF Gonzalo Peralta (knee contusion); MF Devon McTavish (mid-foot sprain); MF Domenic Mediate (hamstring strain) ... REAL SALT LAKE - OUT: MF Nathan Sturgis (L hamstring strain); DOUBTFUL: MF Brennan Tennelle (L ankle sprain); QUESTIONABLE: FW Fabian Espíndola (R hamstring strain); PROBABLE: DF Ian Joy (L ankle bone spur), DF Matias Mantilla (R knee sprain), GK Kyle Reynish (R shin contusion)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
SUSPENDED: none
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (7 meetings): United 3 wins, 13 goals ... Real Salt Lake 3 wins, 12 goals ... Ties 1
AT RFK STADIUM (3 meetings): United 2 wins, 8 goals ... Real Salt Lake 0 wins, 3 goals ... Ties 0
• This is the second of two meetings on the year between the teams, both coming in just two weeks' time, as Real make their lone visit to East Capitol Street.
• The teams split the season series a year ago, each holding serve on their home ground.
• Real Salt Lake have won the last three meetings with United at Rice-Eccles Stadium. In 2006, the loss snapped a 14-game unbeaten streak for United (they went on to win just twice more over the rest of the year), while in 2007, the win was RSL's first of the season, in its 12th game.
• D.C. United have never lost to RSL at RFK Stadium, Real getting a point in a 2006 draw.
• Coaches record: Jason Kreis vs. DC: P3 W2 L1 D0 ... Tom Soehn v RSL: P3 W1 L2 D0
LAST MEETING (MLS):
4/12: RSL 4, DC 0 (Beckerman 12, 77; Espindola 19; Findley 87)
• Within 20 minutes at Rice-Eccles Stadium two weeks ago, RSL had jumped out to a two-goal lead. In the 12th minute, Kyle Beckerman ripped a low shot from just outside the area after racing up the middle unmarked to collect a return pass, beating United goalkeeper Jose Carvallo.
• Then in the 19th minute, a long ball was looped into the penalty area from midfield, and Fabian Espindola corraled it on the bounce before banging a volley from an angle off Carvallo and into the goal.
• Real put the game away with two late goals. Beckerman scored his second 12 minutes from the end when Findley laid back a ball at the top of the box and the RSL midfielder lashed it home inside the right-hand post. Then in the 87th minute, Findley took advantage of a weak header aimed back for Carvallo, popping it over the 'keeper and into the empty net.
• Here's Kreis's team (4-3-1-2): Nick Rimando - Chris Wingert, Nat Borchers, Matias Mantilla, Ian Joy (Tony Beltran 83) - Dema Kovalenko, Nathan Sturgis, Kyle Beckerman - Javier Morales (Andy Williams 63) - Kenny Deuchar, Fabian Espindola (Robbie Findley 70). Substitutes Not Used: Yura Movsisyan, Jamison Olave, Chris Seitz, Carey Talley
• Here's Soehn's team (3-3-1-3): Jose Carvallo - Bryan Namoff, Gonzalo Peralta, Domenic Mediate - Devon McTavish, Clyde Simms, Marc Burch (Santino Quaranta 46) - Rod Dyachenko - Fred, Luciano Emilio (Franco Niell 62), Jaime Moreno (Dan Stratford 80). Substitutes Not Used: Marcelo Gallardo, Quavas Kirk, Gonzalo Martinez, Zach Wells
D.C. UNITED
D.C. United returned home but went down to defeat for the second consecutive week, this time falling 2-1 to the Columbus Crew on MLS Primetime Thursday at RFK Stadium. United have three points and sit at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, a point behind the New York Red Bulls and seven off the pace of the Kansas City Wizards.
LAST MATCH
• D.C. United were returning home after a 4-0 thrashing at Real Salt Lake, while the Crew were back on the road after winning for the second time in two starts at their Crew Stadium home, defeating Chivas USA 4-3.
• The Crew struck first, opening the scoring in the 32nd minute. Guillermo Barros Schelotto slipped the ball to an overlapping Frankie Hejduk, and his low drive into the goalmouth was bundled over the line by Alejandro Moreno, who slid in just ahead of a United defender.
• Ten minutes later United drew level. Luciano Emilio played provider, continuing the ball's path from left flank to right, and defender Bryan Namoff came storming into the right side of the area to rip the ball goalward first-time, taking a deflection off a sliding Crew defender on its way past Will Hesmer.
• But barely a minute later the Crew once again were in front. Adam Moffat looped a cross from the right corner over goalkeeper Zach Wells and into the goalmouth, where it bounced off the head of United defender Gonzalo Peralta -- trying to fend off the crashing Moreno -- and into the net.
• United boss Tom Soehn made three changes from his first XI in the 4-0 loss to RSL as he returned to his first-choice group. Back in were Zach Wells, Gonzalo Martinez and Marcelo Gallardo, replacing Jose Carvallo, Domenic Mediate and Rod Dyachenko.
• Here's Soehn's team (4-3-1-2): Zach Wells - Bryan Namoff, Gonzalo Martinez, Gonzalo Peralta, Marc Burch (Franco Niell 57) - Devon McTavish (Santino Quaranta 68), Clyde Simms, Fred - Marcelo Gallardo - Luciano Emilio, Jaime Moreno (Rod Dyachenko 57). Substitutes Not Used: Jose Carvallo, Quavas Kirk, Domenic Mediate, Dan Stratford
• "I didn't think we were as sharp as we needed to be. We talked all week about breaking them down, and making sure that [Guillermo Barros] Schelotto and [Alejandro] Moreno on the counter attacks didn't hurt us. We gave them way too much space and they punished us for it," Soehn said.
TEAM NEWS
• As much as United has tried to avoid it, the club has once again seemingly been afflicted with the "CONCACAF hangover" that affects MLS clubs after participating in the CONCACAF Champions' Cup in the opening weeks of the league campaign. Houston, the league's other participant this season, has started the season without a win in their first four matches.
• "We found openings, we just didn't finish our chances, and that seems to be the saga the last few games," said Soehn. "So I don't want to keep going back to tired legs, because it's getting old for me. But we need to rest, and then this week we're going to work really hard to make sure we're clinical in the areas we need to be clinical in."
• The match had been dubbed as the "Yankee SuperClasíco", matching Argentinean playmakers who had faced each other in the big derby of the Pampas - Boca Juniors (Schelotto) vs. River Plate (Gallardo).
• It hurts more to lose a game at home than to lose a dinner [previous bet]," Gallardo said. "Of the four games, we've lost three - not what we had hoped. We all wanted to get a good result but we don't have to get desperate, we have to work to correct our mistakes."
• A year ago, United suffered through an 0-3-1 stretch to begin the season. Included in this year's 1-3-0 start is the 4-0 loss to Real Salt Lake, the fourth match in a five-match string over 20 days.
• "We've been through a tough stretch. I feel this is déjà vu from last year," said Soehn. "We've got a long week coming up and we're going to work hard to make sure we are where we need to be, because we're not there yet."
• Looking to give the attack a jumpstart, United signed former New York Red Bulls striker and Liberian international Francis Doe to a contract. While he is not expected to be available for Saturday, he could be in uniform for the match in Colorado the following weekend.
• "In the time that we've had him, he's given us a different dimension than some of the other guys we have," said Soehn. "He's dynamic with his pace, holds the ball well and he's finished [well] so far. On that side, you like adding a piece that you don't have and you want to see what he turns into, having him in our system for a while."
• Soehn was also quick to add that Doe's addition was not an indictment of 2007 MLS Golden Boot winner Luciano Emilio, who has scored just two goals in eight games in all competitions despite having a passel of chances.
• "As far as Luciano's sake, I think he's fighting the game a little bit," said the second-year boss. "He wants to score so bad. But it'll come, and when it does come, we have the confidence in him that we did last year, that they're going to come in bunches. So we just have to make sure that we're harder to play against and the rest will fall into place."
REAL SALT LAKE
Real Salt Lake began their two-game road swing on a down note, the only goal of the game coming from a free kick in a 1-0 loss to Toronto FC last Saturday afternoon at BMO Field. Real have four points from four matches, in a three-way tie for third place in the Western Conference with Chivas USA and the LA Galaxy, four points behind FC Dallas.
LAST MATCH
• Toronto FC were returning home following just the club's second-ever win on the road, a 3-2 victory at the Los Angeles Galaxy, while Real Salt Lake were coming off their first victory of the new season, 4-0 at home against D.C. United.
• The game's lone goal came just after the half-hour mark. Amado Guevara was tripped up almost right on the line marking the penalty area, and Laurent Robert drove the resulting free kick under the RSL wall and past goalkeeper Nick Rimando for his first MLS goal.
• Real were held without an attempt at goal over the opening 45 minutes, but turned the tide in the second half. Yet their best chance didn't find the target, a full volley from Dema Kovalenko screwing well wide of the right-hand post from the heart of the area.
• RSL head coach Jason Kreis made one change to the team that defeated D.C. United 4-0 the Saturday before. Robbie Findley came back into the starting team, replacing Fabian Espindola.
• Here's Kreis's team (4-3-1-2): Nick Rimando - Chris Wingert, Matias Mantilla, Nat Borchers, Ian Joy (Andy Williams 62) - Dema Kovalenko (Yura Movsisyan 79), Nathan Sturgis (Carey Talley 27), Kyle Beckerman - Javier Morales - Kenny Deuchar, Robbie Findley. Substitutes Not Used: Tony Beltran, Fabian Espindola, Jamison Olave, Chris Seitz
• "I think we came out tactically and played that game a little bit wrong, to be honest," said Kreis. "The coaching staff takes full responsibility for that. [We were] sitting back when perhaps we should've pressed them from minute one, which is the tactic we took up in the second half."
TEAM NEWS
• Real managed only one attempt at goal in the opening 45 minutes and barely got the ball out of their own end. After the break, they had more of the ball and created more chances.
• "Tactically I thought we had to go out and high-press them as we would at home, treating it as though it was our home game for the first 15 minutes," Kreis said. "And I thought the soccer needed to be better. I thought there wasn't enough space between the ball and our guys were giving the ball away a bit needlessly in the first half."
• Kreis tinkered with his formation midway through the second half, bringing on midfielder Andy Williams for Ian Joy in the 63rd minute and going with a 3-5-2 formation. RSL immediately got a pair of good scoring chances and ultimately outshot the Reds 8-4 in the second half.
• "We responded well," midfielder Kyle Beckerman said. "We didn't get the goal, but we responded well. We showed some good soccer which we can do. If we can just do that right from the start, we'll be all right."
• Still, despite the loss and the poor opening 45 minutes, Kreis was pleased with the way his club dealt with Toronto FC and felt they still deserved to come away with something.
• "We've got a really good understanding of how we want to defend as a team," Kreis said. "Again, it's not about the two center backs, or the back four, or the back four plus one. It's about the effort the entire team puts forth defensively."
• Said goalkeeper Nick Rimando: "When we went at them in the second half, it seemed like we played better and defended better. We got some opportunities and going into D.C. that's what we're going to need. We're going to need more opportunities to win the game."
• Midfielder Nathan Sturgis is listed as out for the United match. Sturgis suffered a hamstring strain on Saturday in Toronto and had to be carried off the field in the 27th minute.
