REAL SALT
LAKE’S 1-0 HOME WIN OVER CHICAGO FIRE SOUNDS LIKE A
BROKEN RECORD
RSL Becomes First Team in MLS History to
Record 23-Match Undefeated Streak at Home in Regular Season Play;
Utah Side Jumps
Back Into Share of Top Spot on MLS’ Overall Table with Five Games Remaining
SANDY, Utah (Saturday, September 18, 2010)
– Real Salt Lake (13-4-8, 47 pts.) continued its historic run of form
this afternoon at Rio Tinto Stadium, as the Utah side used a penalty
kick conversion from FW Álvaro Saborío just before the stroke of
halftime and a fifth-straight shutout in League play to post a 1-0 victory
over the visiting Chicago Fire (6-9-8, 26 pts.).
The win in Sandy broke Real Salt Lake’s tie with the
2008-09 Columbus Crew for the longest home undefeated streak in League play,
the Utahans becoming the first team in MLS history to go 23 straight home
matches without suffering a defeat. The three points also, at least
temporarily, pushed RSL back into a share of first place in the
League’s overall standings, the team’s 47 points pulling even with
Western Conference cohort Los Angeles Galaxy, who welcomes D.C. United to The
Home Depot Center later this evening.
Real
Salt Lake Match Notes
·Real Salt Lake has started its 6-games-in-18-days stretch in
perfect fashion with two wins this week, but the schedule only gets tougher for
the Claret-and-Cobalt across the next seven days. RSL will first head south to
Panama for its CONCACAF Champions League
Matchweek 4 fixture on Wednesday,
Sept. 22, against Arabe Unido at
the Estadio Rommel Fernandez in Panama City, with that contest kicking off at 6:00 p.m. MT(live on Fox Soccer Channel). The squad will then return to Utah
for next Saturday’s Rocky Mountain Cup
rivalry opener against the Colorado Rapids, with the 8:00 p.m. MT kickoff also set to be broadcast on FSC.
·Real Salt Lake now owns the two longest shutout streaks in MLS in
2010, its current 532-minute stretch, which began on August 11 at PHI, sitting
only behind its 567-minute run earlier this summer (5/31 v. KC – 7/17 @ DAL).
·When combining MLS regular season, MLS Cup Playoff, and CONCACAF Champions
League competition, RSL’s undefeated streak and Rio Tinto Stadium now sits at
26 games, a run that started back on June 6, 2009, with a 1-1 draw against
Colorado. The undefeated streak includes 23 League contests (16-0-7), two CCL
matches (2-0-0), and one playoff contest (1-0-0).
·GK Nick Rimando extended his
league-lead in shutouts with his 12th clean sheet of the season, now
two better than both Will Hesmer (CLB) and Donovan Ricketts (LA). The shutout
was the 72nd of his MLS career, good for fourth place on the
League’s all-time chart and just two behind third-place Joe Cannon (SJ). The shutout
was the 13th of the season for RSL when throwing in Kyle Reynish’s effort on Sept. 9 at Seattle.
·The penalty kick score for FW
Álvaro Saborío was his team-high 9th goal in MLS play (T-5th
in MLS) and his 14th for RSL across all competitions this season (also
has 5 in CCL play).
·Today marked the 100th
career start in an RSL uniform forMF
Andy Williams. The only remaining “RSL
Original” ranks 2nd in the category in team annals behind only Rimando
(106).
·After
scoring in his RSL debut Wednesday night in CONCACAF play against Toronto FC, FW Paulo Jr. made his MLS debut this
afternoon with an active 14-minute stint off the bench in place of FW Robbie
Findley.
·Real Salt Lake is now just the 5th team in MLS history to lose just once in 20 League matches, the squad compiling a 12-1-7 mark since a 0-1 defeat at Columbus on April 24 that moved its record at that point to 1-3-1. Oddly enough, the only team to defeat RSL during the stretch, FC Dallas (0-2 L on July 17) also has one of the five such streaks in League annals. The two sides are set to meet in RSL's final regular season home contest of 2010 on October 16.
Real
Salt Lake Partners Go "23 for 23" for RSL Season Ticket Holders
In honor of Real Salt Lake's record 23-game MLS home unbeaten streak, Utah's Major League Soccer club and its corporate partners thanked the League's best fans for their role in the record run by surprising 23 RSL Season Ticket Holders with gifts, many valued at $500 or more, during a post-game ceremony following the 1-0 win over Chicago on Sept. 18 at Rio Tinto Stadium. Real Salt Lake would like to thank America First Credit Union, AT&T, Budweiser, Burger King, Comcast, ESPN700, FIJI Water, JetBlue, KFC, Les Olson Company, Mountain America Credit Union, Oh My Crafts, Pepsi, Pixels Foto & Frame, Rio Tinto, RSL Express, Salt Lake Regional Medical Center, US Bank, Workers Compensation Fund and XanGo for their generosity to "RSL Nation" and their continued support during the team's historic 2010 campaign.
<strong><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Sponsor</span></strong> |
<strong><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Gift</span></strong> |
<strong><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Recipient</span></strong> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">AFCU</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">$500
Gift Card</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">Alisha
Lopez</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">JetBlue</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">Set
of 2 vouchers</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">Amy
Roberds</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">MACU</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">$500
Gift Card</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">Wayne
Habenicht</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">US
Bank</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">$500
Gift Card</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">Richard
Lahr</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">JetBlue</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">Set
of 2 vouchers</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">Edith
Carrasco</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">WCF</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">iPad</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">Chad
Hales</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">Rio
Tinto</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">Framed
Championship Photo & $100 Merch Gift Card</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">Jesus
Martinez</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">SLRMC</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">Ogio
Bag & RSL Merchandise Pack</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">Aaron
Recksiek</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">OMC</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">Discovering
Possibilities Event Access</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">Rachel
Lyon</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">XanGo</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">$300
gift card </span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">Kyle
Rootsaert</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">Comcast</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">Sony
Vaio Laptop</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">Aimee
Erekson</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">KFC</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">52
2-Piece Meals</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">Rafael
Gonzalez</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">AT&T</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">Phone
& $100 gift certificate</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">Susa
Lindsey</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">LOC</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">Sharp
Aquos 19 inch High Definition Flat Screen TV</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">Maryanne
Lyon</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">Budweiser</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">Cruisin'
Cooler</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">Josh
Weibel</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">BK</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">Free
Whopper Value meals for a year</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">Teresa
Martinez</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">XanGo</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">Snowboard</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">Tim
Allred</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">Pepsi</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">Mountain
Bike</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">Donny
Domer</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">FIJI</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">Water
for a year - 12 cases</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">Tera
Firpo</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">ESPN
700</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">University
of Utah Football Tickets</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">Paolo
Gonzalez</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">RSL
Express</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">$500
Concessions Credit</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">Ashley
Anderson</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">RSL</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">4
KISS Tickets</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">Sarah
Torres</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">Pixels
Foto n Frame</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">Shadow
Boxed Signed jersey</span> |
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">Kevin
Smith</span> |
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER POST-GAME QUOTE SHEET
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2010
RIO TINTO STADIUM –
SANDY, UT
REAL SALT LAKE
1 : 0 CHICAGO FIRE
REAL SALT LAKE HEAD
COACH JASON KREIS
On RSL claiming the
first 23-game home undefeated run in MLS history:
“It’s really cool. We’ve
put a lot of emphasis on it, and we haven’t shied away from our feelings about
how important it is to our club, our coaching staff, and our players.
We’ve taken a lot of pride in it and put a lot of weight in it. So now we
get to, at least for a few minutes, celebrate it.”
On the MLS debut of
FW Paulo Jr.:
“I thought he came in
and did pretty well this afternoon. The first thing he does when he gets
on the ball is take a shot, which hit the post. That’s why we signed him,
because we know he strikes a fantastic ball. He can do some dangerous things in
and around the opponent’s goal.”
On the potential of
this RSL squad:
“[Last preseason] I
really felt like this is the group I envisioned for a long time, playing the
type of soccer they’re playing. This is the team I think we’ve been trying to
build for a long time, and this is the team that should challenge for
championships for quite a while.”
On outside
influences:
“Expectations, pressure,
and outside influences, I think that’s for outside people. People in the
locker room know what we’re capable of, people in the locker room know what’s
expected and demanded of them. When we do those things, we’ll win.”
REAL SALT LAKE
MIDFIELDER KYLE BECKERMAN
On what to take from
today’s record-setting result:
“[The record’s]
definitely a big deal, something that we’ll look back on and be proud of. We’ve
just got to find that energy. We need to fix that before the next game.
We’re going to be really tough to beat in the playoffs.”
REAL SALT LAKE
FORWARD ÁLVARO SABORÍO
On his penalty kick
conversion just before halftime:
“I aimed for the right
side of the ‘keeper and hoped that it would go through. Here I’ve made
four [penalties] already, so I’m very confident. I feel good when I have
to make the penalty. I don’t remember [the last time I missed one].”
On Real’s record
setting home victory:
“It’s great. I think
it’s wonderful for the team and the club. Now we have to look forward and
keep it going.”
REAL SALT LAKE GOALKEEPER
NICK RIMANDO
On the team’s
defensive performance and shutout against Chicago:
“If they’re not going to
score, they’re not going to win. When the defense gets us shutouts and
gets us opportunities on goal, that’s where our offense comes from.”
On RSL’s
record-setting home undefeated streak:
“You don’t think about
it until the 19th or 20th game comes around and you get
closer to records. Obviously your focus is always on the game, but in the back
of your brain you’re thinking about getting those records. We really wanted
it. Even though some of the games were ugly, as a team we grew up and
found a way to win. We want to continue to write history for Real Salt
Lake.”
CHICAGO FIRE HEAD
COACH CARLOS DE LOS COBOS
Overall thoughts on
the match:
“The first half was very
balanced, and we had two chances to score. But all season long we have been
having big mistakes, and we are not learning from them. In the final minutes of
the first half and the final minutes of the match we lost concentration and we
were not focused. All the guys fought and tried to make good things happen in
the second half. I think the guys gave 100% today.”
On the Fire’s playoff
chances:
“It’s definitely
difficult now, but we still have seven matches left to play and that’s 21
points available. We need to fight. We are losing points because we are not
concentrating all the time. The other reason it is difficult is because the
other teams in the [Eastern] Conference are adding points. We have really good
moments in all of our matches, but we are not taking advantage of this.”
On the difficulty of
playing a man down:
“It’s very difficult to
play the second half missing a player, even if you have a very good team
overall. But we are a team that always wants to try to attack. We tried to
control the ball, but it is just more difficult [with ten men].”
CHICAGO FIRE DEFENDER
C.J. BROWN
On the Fire’s
performance on the day:
“It was not good. We are
having a mental struggle and it’s about getting guys working. We have very good
individual soccer players, but we need to form that team and getting guys to
work [as a team]. When the game is going rough we need guys to step up and work
hard rather than trying to play possession, and we just need to get after it.
And we are not doing that right now.”
On the physical
nature of the match:
“As far as the physical
play goes, that’s just the game. I don’t think it was any worse than any other
game that I have been in. There some plays here and there that some players got
in on, but that’s mild compared to when it starts in the playoffs. It’s part of
the game.”
On having to play
with 10 men for the second 45 minutes:
“It was good in a sense
for us because [Real Salt Lake] stopped attacking and they were playing
possession, which gave us a few opportunities to go in on goal.”
On what to expect for
the remainder of the season:
“We just need to focus
on MLS. All it takes is for one team above us to screw up and for us to start
winning some games. All we have to do is squeak into the playoffs. For me, and
a lot of the guys, we are still going to battle. Every game for us has a
playoff mentality.”
CHICAGO FIRE
MIDFIELDER MARCO PAPPA
On his return to the
pitch:
“It was great to get
back on the field. It had been a while since I’ve played with the team, and it
was nice to get in the game and fight for a result.”
On whether the Fire
can still make the playoffs:
“We have to work hard.
We made it to the [Conference Finals] last year. We are going to do everything
we can and work really hard until the end of the season."