Real Salt Lake

Following a mid-week loss in the final minutes of the match against the Columbus Crew on Wednesday night, Real Salt Lake continued it's Major League Soccer road trip Saturday against the Philadelphia Union.

In what was supposed to be the second meeting of these two teams this season, each team dominated a half and played to a 1-1 draw.

The two teams were scheduled to meet in an early season match in April in Utah, until both teams willingly rescheduled the match so that Real Salt Lake could focus on the CONCACAF final match they would host a few nights later.

In today's match, the Philadelphia Union came out strong and had multiple scoring chances early in the match. Taking a page out of Real Salt Lake's playbook, they dominated first half possession and were not afraid to attack the heart of the best defense in the league.

After several good chances, and building up a lot of excitement, Keon Daniel scored his first goal of the season for the Union in the 24th minute. His shot came off a ball served in from the corner that he ran onto, split a couple of defenders and nodded down for the score.

As the half went on, the Real Salt Lake defense and goalkeeper Nick Rimando continued to be tested as the Union looked like they would turn this match into a blowout.

Fortunately for Real Salt Lake, they survived the first half barrage and made adjustments in the second half.

For the most part, the last 45 minutes belonged to Real Salt Lake as they returned to their normal game of maintaining possession and limiting chances for the opponent.

In the 53rd minute, Real Salt Lake striker Fabian Espindola took a good pass in the mid-field from fellow forward Jean Alexandre, worked his way through and around two defenders, and fired a far-post strike that just missed the outstretched hand of the goalkeeper.

His third goal of the season proved to be the equalizer as the team held on to earn a much needed point on the road.

The result had to be frustrating for a Union team that should have come away with the victory. Credit the veteran play and coaching adjustments by Real Salt Lake head coach Jason Kreis for coming away with a point.

The Philadelphia Union will next make their longest road trip of the season and face the expansion Whitecaps in Vancouver.

Real Salt Lake will meet D.C. United at home next Saturday.

The Columbus Crew hosted Real Salt Lake in a mid-week match Wednesday evening in the first meeting between these two teams in Major League Soccer play.

Despite scoring very early, Real Salt Lake's normally stellar defense was unable to hold of the Crew attack late, and left with a 2-1 loss on the road.

While this was the first regular season meeting between the two clubs, they met twice before the season started in the CONCACAF Champions League tournament. After a draw in Columbus, Real Salt Lake won 4-1 at home to advance in the tournament.

In tonight's match, Real Salt Lake seemed to pick up right where they left off by scoring in the seventh minute on a corner kick.

The ball was played in well and found the foot of central defender Jamison Olave who took one poke at the ball and placed a high bouncing shot between the crossbar and the outstretched arm of the goalkeeper.

It was his first goal of the season. 

Real Salt Lake held the lead going into halftime and until the 76th minute when Crew forward Andres Mendoza converted a penalty kick to tie the game.

Although it tied the score, the kick came with a bit of controversy.

Columbus fans and coaches expected Jeff Cunningham to take penalty kicks on the night, but just before the kick, Mendoza waved him off.

Had Cunningham converted the kick he would have moved into a first place tie with Jaime Moreno on the all-time goals scored list for Major League Soccer.

The penalty came on minimal contact at the top corner of the box as Justin Meram went down easily after being tripped by Jamison Olave.

With the score tied at one and Real Salt Lake in a good position to possibly steal a point on the road, Columbus midfielder Josh Gardner found himself open with the ball a few yards outside the box. He fired a strike that deflected off of the leg of a defender and changed direction into the back of the net to win the match for the crew in the 82nd minute.

Real Salt Lake nearly put in the equalizer in stoppage time on a corner kick that landed at the near post just in front of the goalkeeper. Real Salt Lake defender Tony Beltran got his foot on the ball and redirected it towards the goal.

Crew goalkeeper Will Hesmer's quick reaction pushed the ball wide of the post and preserved the win for the home team.

Real Salt Lake now has a quick turnaround before they play on Saturday against the Philadelphia Union.

According to a report found on the team website, newly converted forward Jean Alexandre has been named the Major League Soccer player of the week for Week 12 of the Major League Soccer season. 

In only his second start this season, and filling in for a group of forwards that are either injured or playing in the CONCACAF Gold Cup tournament with their national teams, usual mid-fielder Jean Alexandre had responsibility in both goals scored in a 2-0 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps.

In just his second match playing as a forward for Real Salt Lake, Alexandre scored his first career goal and notched his first career assist.

In the 32nd minute, Alexandre received a pass on a ball through the Whitecap defense from Real Salt Lake team captain Kyle Beckerman. After a couple of touches to set up a shot, he popped the ball over the goalkeeper to the far post.

Late in the second half, he followed up his goal with his first career assist when he played a ball ahead to fellow forward Fabian Espindola, who struck home a one-on-one goal against the Whitecap goalkeeper.

This is the first player of the week honor for Jean Alexandre, and the second for a Real Salt Lake player this season. Javier Morales was named the player of the week in the 2nd week of the season, a few weeks before going down with a severe injury.

The play of Alexandre on Saturday was a bright spot for Real Salt Lake, who will need his play over the next month while other forwards are away with their national teams.

Chris Johstoneaux is a contributor to Bleacher Report that usually covers the NBA, and Major League Soccer. If you liked this article, please take a moment to leave me a comment and follow me on Twitter at @JazzRSLExaminer.

For a Real Salt Lake team that has been struggling for several weeks, a home match against the expansion Vancouver Whitecaps could not have come at a better time.

Playing without three players—with their international teams—and missing Jamison Olave due to red card suspension, a shorthanded Real Salt Lake dominated the match with both possession and scoring opportunities from start to finish.

The result was a 2-0 victory and three full points in the standings for Real Salt Lake.

For the first time in several games, Real Salt Lake was able to score an early goal and take a lead into halftime.

After a long buildup and a few good scoring chances that narrowly missed the goal, Jean Alexandre, getting his second straight start at the forward position, was able to punch one into the back of the net.

In the 32nd minute, Alexandre received a great through ball from Kyle Beckerman at the top of the box, took a couple of touches and popped the ball over the goalkeeper to the far post.

It was the first goal scored by Alexandre in his Major League Soccer career.

The second half started much like the first ended, with Real Salt Lake dominating possession, and the Whitecaps being unable to do much with the ball.

After multiple shots and several good scoring chances, Fabian Espindola was able to score his second goal of the season and give Real Salt Lake a needed insurance goal.

Espindola scored in the 79th minute when a ball from Alexandre made it through the Vancouver defense and Espindola found himself in a one-on-one situation with the goalkeeper. He was able to put it home for Real Salt Lake.

Hopefully for Espindola and Real Salt Lake, this goal and victory will exorcise the demons the team has endured this season. For Espindola, it was his first goal since missing a great chance early in the CONCACAF final against Monterrey.

When asked about Espindola's goal, head coach Jason Kreis stated, “It was very gratifying to see. In the last two games, the ground that he has covered and the balls that he has chased down … he’s taking a few more risks than typical. I think he’s doing that because he knows that someone has to make a difference for us right now and he is trying to be that guy that will do it.”

After scoring, it seemed Espindola was celebrating much more than a single goal. Perhaps this will get him going again, and he can return to scoring for Real Salt Lake.

Although well deserved man of the match honors went to Alexandre for scoring his first goal and following it up with a great assist, credit should be given to center back Chris Schuler, who played a great match in place of Olave.

His play could give Real Salt Lake more options in their already stellar defensive backfield.

Match Notes: With his late goal, Fabian Espindola moved into third place all-time in goals scored for Real Salt Lake with 18 (Robbie Findley 29, Jeff Cunningham 19).

Goalkeeper Nick Rimando earned his seventh shutout of the season, coming in the team's 10th match. The team has allowed only four goals all season, with two coming while playing down a man.

Real Salt Lake has a busy week with a Wednesday match on the road against the Columbus Crew, and a Saturday match in Philadelphia against the Union.

Remember the good ole days when Real Salt Lake were just a goal away from reaching the Club World Cup and forever being branded as the most successful MLS club in history? Remember when the Rio Tinto was not just a stadium full of equal opportunity for both sides, but a 20,000-seat Hell-hole that was destined to only produce one result?

As the rest of MLS tries to forget, RSL fans are trying to hold on to the few memories they still have and use their detective skills to figure out what has been the cause of the team's recent struggles.

Here is a cheat sheet of how to get RSL out of this stunning slump.

Offense was never really a dominating part of RSL’s game, even when the team was nearly on top of the continent, but their recent attack would not scare a self-conscious turtle to get back in its shell. The loss of Javier Morales certainly has played a significant role in RSL’s recent struggles, but Mondaini cannot be solely blamed for the club’s failure.

DP Alvaro Saborio and Espindola have failed to supply constant pressure on opponent defenses and are playing too passive in the attacking third. Kyle Beckerman will also need to become more aggressive in 50-50 duels to produce positive counterattacks. This trio especially needs to start playing to their potential if RSL has any hope of getting out of the gutter.

Fans will also need to help get this club back on the right track.

Losing in the CCL final was heartbreaking, but that doesn’t mean the Salt City supporters can mourn the next couple of months. With the Western Conference stacked from head-to-toe this year, RSL needs avid fan support for every tough home game if they have any chance at capturing the Supporter’s Shield. Losing home games could be the difference between winning the Shield and missing the playoffs for RSL.

Overall, RSL fans and players just need to relax. Panicking this early in the season will not make their road to glory any easier.

And trust me, that road is not a walk in the park as it is.

The club will lose MLS All-Star Nick Rimando, DP Alvaro Saborio, Will Johnson and Arturo Alvarez to Gold Cup duty next month in a difficult part of the schedule. If the offense gets back on its feet, and the fans finally regain their balance after coming back down to earth, maybe the tide will reverse as quickly as it did last month.

For the first time since the summer of 2009, Real Salt Lake has lost a Major League Soccer match at home.

Rio Tinto Stadium, known as "The Fortress" has been very good to Real Salt Lake, who owned a 29-match unbeaten streak until Lamar Neagle and the Sounders came to town.

Playing in the rain for the second straight week, the result was a 2-1 victory for the road team.

Although it was Neagle's goal in the 84th minute that proved to be the game-winner, the turning point of the match occurred much earlier.

After the two teams played an even first half, the pace of play began to pick up after halftime. In the 58th minute, Real Salt Lake defender Jamison Olave was issued a straight red card for dragging down Seattle forward Mike Fucito on a scoring opportunity.

Forced to shift the match to a defensive strategy, Real Salt Lake gave up the first goal in the 72nd minute when Patrick Iannni got on the end of a ball served in from the corner that bounced off several Sounders before finding the back of the net.

A few minutes later Seattle added an insurance goal that was needed to preserve the win. Lamar Neagle shot a great shot from just outside the 18 that skimmed the bottom of the bar and went in.

His goal was needed because Real Salt Lake substitute Nelson Gonzalez fired one past goalkeeper Kasey Keller to cut the lead in half. He was assisted by youngster Luis Gil who was playing in his first MLS match.

Goalkeeper Kasey Keller held his ground in the closing minutes and denied Real Salt Lake the opportunity to tie the game.

Real Salt Lake next looks to start a new home unbeaten streak next Saturday when they take on the expansion Vancouver Whitecaps. With the red card suspension to Olave, and Will Johnson leaving to play for Canada in the Gold Cup, the team will be even more shorthanded and things could get worse for Real Salt Lake.

Anytime an athlete can play for his or her national team, it is a very prestigious honor.

Over the next month, the United States will host the CONCACAF Gold Cup tournament that will feature the best soccer players from 12 countries in the North and Central America region.

With players being selected from current rosters of their club teams from all over the world, the upcoming tournament will alter the lineups of several teams in Major League Soccer.

Many teams will make adjustments to accommodate play without those who are away to help their country.

Real Salt Lake is no different from other MLS clubs but perhaps will see the effects of call-ups more than any other team.

For a team that has not yet gotten back on track following a very difficult loss in the CONCACAF Champions League final, and is dealing with the significant loss of their star player to injury, the timing of this tournament could not be worse.

Four Real Salt Lake players have been selected to the teams of four different countries. Goalkeeper Nick Rimando (USA), midfielder Will Johnson (Canada) and forwards Arturo Alvarez (El Salvador) and Alvaro Saborio (Costa Rica) could all miss time while playing for their national teams.

Will Johnson will stay with Real Salt Lake to play in it's home match against the Seattle Sounders before leaving to miss at least three matches?

The two forwards who have started the last two weeks for Real Salt Lake have already left for national team duty. They will miss at least four matches and possibly more if their national teams advance beyond the group stage.

Head coach Jason Kreis is now faced with the task of juggling his lineup to try to replace the departing players. Coming into the season, depth was one strength that the team had, but due to injuries, the roster is more limited and the task is much more difficult.

Here is a breakdown of possibilities that Kreis has:

Defenders: The defensive back line should be unaffected. Jamison Olave, Nat Borchers, Chris Wingert and Robbie Russell should continue to play the dominating defense they have shown all season long.

Through eight matches, they have only allowed two goals. This defensive unit may be what saves Real Salt Lake during the Gold Cup stretch.

Due to being the third goalkeeper, Rimando would only miss time if the other two US Gold Cup keepers are not able to play. In the event that he does miss a match, backup Kyle Reynish has proven to be more than capable in the past.

Midfielders: While they only actually lose one player in Will Johnson, there will be several changes in the midfield. Having already struggled to replace injured star Javier Morales, Kreis will now most likely start Andy Williams and Collen Warner.

Warner was injured in the last match, and may not be available against the Sounders. Jean Alexandre and Nelson Gonzalez may see starts and an increase in playing time.

Forwards: Over the next several matches that these players will miss, play at the forward position will define the success of Real Salt Lake.

While the team is expecting the return of Fabian Espindola, he may not have a lot of help up top. The clubs other forward, Paulo Jr., has been injured and not expected to return soon.

This leaves a gaping hole to be filled by young inexperienced forwards who are not yet ready to play at this level, or a midfield player who is not used to playing as a forward. Andy Williams, Will Johnson and Jean Alexandre are possibilities to play alongside Espindola.

While all three are good players who are capable of scoring, the time taken for them to adjust to the forward position could greatly impact the team.

Espindola must return to the form he showed last season for Real Salt Lake to continue to push forward and be able to outscore it's opponents.

One other option that Kreis may have is to change his formation from his preferred 4-4-2 (four defenders, four midfielders, two forwards) to a more defensive 4-5-1 to maximize play from his midfielders.

This change in formation is not likely, but one strength Kreis has shown over his time as the head coach, is his ability to adjust for the needs of the team and game.

Regardless of which adjustments are made, the next month could be the stretch that makes all the difference for Real Salt Lake this season.

Hopefully it will be for the good.

In a Sunday evening match between two of the best goalkeepers in Major League Soccer, Real Salt Lake traveled to Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas to take on FC Dallas.

Trying to change their fortunes in that stadium, Real Salt Lake came out in their "Victory Gold" uniforms that they have only used three other times in club history. Each time previously they have played to a result.

Real Salt Lake has never beaten or played to a draw with FC Dallas on the road in team history, and has a 0-9-0 record.

Tonight was different, however, as Real Salt Lake played to a 0-0 draw for the second week in a row.

Both teams were without their star play-maker they planned to have at the beginning of the season, and it showed as neither offense could really get going.

FC Dallas mid-fielder/forward David Ferreira, and Real Salt Lake mid-fielder Javier Morales are both out with significant injuries.

In the first 45 minutes, Dallas held the edge in shots and attacking chances, but Real Salt Lake held the advantage in time of possession.

Each team did have a good chance to score early, but each of the two best goalkeepers in major league soccer had spectacular saves when they punched away high, strong shots to keep the match scoreless.

Kevin Hartman's save came on a good shot from distance from RSL's Will Johnson, and Nick Rimando's on a ball that was poked at and redirected from just inside the 18 yard box. Both keepers were able to add to their personal shut out totals and extend their scoreless streaks.

Both teams had several good crossing opportunities across the face of the goal, but on each occasion there was no one on the other end to punch in a goal.

FC Dallas came out strong in the second half with several chances, including a hard shot the Rimando pushed over the cross bar, and a free kick from outside the 18 that just missed the RSL wall and sailed wide of the far post.

In the 82nd minute, referee David Gantar suspended the match due to rain and lightening, The delay lasted for nearly two hours.

Hoping to re-create the magic that Brek Shea had against the Los Angles Galaxy a few weeks ago in a similar situation, the two teams returned to the field but left without scoring.

With both teams receiving a point for the draw, Real Salt Lake still trails FC Dallas by single point. Both clubs trail the Galaxy in the Western Conference.

Chris Johstoneaux is a contributor on Bleacher Report who usually covers the NBA and Major League Soccer. If you liked this article, please take a moment to leave me a comment and follow me on Twitter at @JazzRSLExaminer.

For the second time this season Real Salt Lake played a match following a stunning loss.

The first was when they traveled to Portland following the the heartbreaking mid-week defeat in the CONCACAF final to Monterrey.

They lost to Portland 1-0.

After just a few weeks, RSL once again is fighting to regain it's confidence and composure after suffering the loss of it's best player and play-maker Javier Morales to a needless and reckless tackle from Chivas USA player Marcos Mondaini.

A Look Back

Real Salt Lake went into week nine of the Major League Soccer Season feeling shocked, confused and a little bit lost.

After losing Javier Morales for what could be the rest of the season, there were a lot of question marks in the mid-field.

Fortunately they would be hosting the Houston Dynamo at Rio Tinto Stadium, a place where they had a 28 match regular season unbeaten streak.

Although Real Salt Lake was favored in the match, the emotions of the situation took over and they came out playing a bit flat and did not show the dominance that many expected early in the season.

Both teams had good scoring opportunities late, but the result was a scoreless draw.

Collen Warner, who has played well this season, started in place of the injured Morales.

Following the match head coach Jason Kreis critiqued his play by saying, “It wasn’t horrible, it wasn’t good either. He didn’t check the box and answer his questions. He didn’t put the flag in the ground and say this position is mine, either.”

The biggest positive for this team is that they got past the emotional first match following the big injury.

A Look Ahead

Real Salt Lake has a full week off before traveling to play at FC Dallas next Sunday night. They will no doubt take advantage of the extra day of rest and training time to prepare for the rematch of the playoff game last season that sent Real Salt Lake home for the season.

Both teams are doing well in the Western Conference with FC Dallas leading by just one point, but  they have played three more games than RSL. Both teams are also dealing with injuries to key players.

FC Dallas comes into the match with a five match unbeaten streak, including a 2-0 victory over the Philadelphia Union.

At 5-1-1, Real Salt Lake has the best record of any MLS team through seven games. They trail the Galaxy by three points but have played five less matches.

They will have a good opportunity to move on without Morales and give others a chance to step up and perform.

A result for Real Salt Lake on the road would be a very positive step in the right direction.

News and Notes

Real Salt Lake leads the league in goals allowed with just two all season.

The also lead in off side calls, and rank high in number of corner kicks taken per game. They had nine against Chivas USA.

RSL reserve players Luis Gil and Donny Toia both saw action in the U-20 International Match against France this week. Gil scored in the 54th minute and played the full 90 minutes.

Sundays match against FC Dallas starts at 5:00 MST and can be seen locally on KMYU 2.2 (Comcast 22 / Dish Network 12)

It can also be heard on ESPN 700 in Utah.

The new sign leading out of the locker room in every Major League Soccer stadium should read

"CAUTION: PLAY AT YOUR OWN RISK. MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER WILL NOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ACCIDENTS OR INJURY."

In the wake of the third severe injury suffered by an elite player, Major League Soccer showed that they are not as concerned as they should be with the safety of their players by suspending Chivas USA forward Marcos Mondaini only four games for violent, reckless and completely unnecessary play.

The suspension is actually only for three games with one additional game for the red card. He will also pay a fine of $1,500.

The tackle in question occurred in the first half of a recent match between Chivas USA and Real Salt Lake.

After being beaten in the run of play with a good piece of skill by Javier Morales, Mondaini chose to take out the frustration of the match on Morales' ankle.

As Morales set to shoot the ball from just outside the box, Mondaini slid in and took out his plant leg. He was several yards away from touching any part of the ball.

This incident is the third this season of players being severely hurt and out for the season.

Earlier this year, Seattle Sounder Steve Zakuani went down on another reckless tackle against the Colorado Rapids. He suffered a broken leg, and like Morales is likely out for the season.

FC Dallas star David Ferreira also underwent surgery to repair an injury suffered on a tackle.

Major League Soccer had an opportunity to send a message regarding this type of rough play, but did not do enough to change it.

Many have suggested that the penalty for the offending player should be just as long as the player that was injured, and Mondaini should be out as long as Morales.

To put this into perspective from other leagues, Los Angeles Laker Andrew Bynum drew a five-game suspension and a fine for an unsportsmanlike hit on Mavericks guard J.J. Barea.

The difference there is that Barea got up and is still able to walk.

Morales underwent surgery Monday and will not be able to begin training for at least four months.

If Major League Soccer wants to gain control of their league and clean up play to maintain the integrity of the beautiful game, they must be more proactive in handling their discipline.

Four games is not enough to change anything. The suspension should have at least matched that of David Mullan's if not longer.

They had a good chance to take care of it here, but did very little.

Would the outcome have been the same if it were David Beckham or Thierry Henry?

If you are an MLS player, as far as Major League Soccer is concerned, play at your own risk—you may be next.