I, like many sports fans, can't just call a loss a loss. No, I need someone or some thing to look at and say "this is the reason, this is why we aren't champions". So I need to write this, I need to put some blame somewhere. I realize I'm focusing on the negative, no need to point that out. I've got plenty of positive things to say, but none of that does much to help me get over the loss. So follow through the jump and watch me point fingers, hopefully it makes us all feel a little better.

Continue reading this post »

If you feel like you've already seen this piece, don't worry. You probably aren't the only one feeling a little bit of dejavu surrounding this game. That includes King Kreis and his men. Each of the past few weeks have been so crucial it starts to run together. This week's story lines are similar to those from our last handful of games. I could probably make this match preview by borrowing whole paragraphs from this same match up just a month ago. Then I'd just have to rip some lines about playoff match ups and Supporter Shield hopes from last week's game and the article would be written for me. You deserve better, so I'll make my first attempt at writing a match preview.

Real Salt Lake go into Denver without having tasted defeat in league play since the July 17th loss in Dallas. Our recent league form has been impressive if not wonderful, consistent if not untouchable. One glaring statistic is that we haven't had back to back league wins since defeating New England and the Fire in the weeks leading up to that loss in Dallas. Of course that is easily explained away by our horrorshow of a Concacaf schedule in which our performance was good enough to win the group.

Colorado comes off of last week's impressive road win in Los Angeles. After giving one up, they went on to earn an own goal off an Edson Buddle mistake before the Rapids striker duo Cummings and Casey each contributed to make it a 3-1 win. It was the first time Colorado had come back to win after giving up the first goal in a match since 2006. Though the Wizards did the work for them before the clash at HDC started, the Rapids were able to take what was theirs, a birth in the MLS playoffs. Clinching a spot is also something they hadn't done since '06. You have to believe it was the final crack in the dam for the Rapids to erase their recent years of low tide. 

More after the jump. (Hopefully without anymore terrible lines like the one above.)

Continue reading this post »

A cynical and bitter sports fan has some surprisingly mild things to say about the slow start to our season.

Four points in five games is at the forefront of RSL chatter right now. During most championship defending seasons this is where I'd be grabbing my torch and pitchfork. Hell, this is the first year in 5 that I haven't wanted blood from the FO/Head Coach at this point.

More after the jump

Continue reading this post »

The 2010 MLS team schedules were released today, as I'm sure anyone checking the MLS blogosphere during the offseason knows. The complete schedule can be seen @MLSnet and Salt Lake's schedule is here @RSLSoapbox. I offer my insights, or more realistically my musings, after the jump.

Continue reading this post »