REAL SALT LAKE OPENS THREE-GAME ROAD
TRIP WITH 0-1 DEFEAT AT TORONTO FC
RSL’s Bad Luck
at BMO Field Continues as Toronto FW Joao Plata’s 77th Minute Goal
Stands Tall
TORONTO (Saturday, August 13, 2011)–Real Salt Lake saw its dry spell in regular season play at BMO Field continue, as the Utah side fell 0-1 to Toronto FC to kickoff a three-match road trip spanning the rest of the month of August.
Despite Real Salt Lake creating the more dangerous of the chances throughout the evening – including shots from MF Kyle Beckerman and FW Fabian Espíndola that glanced off the top of the crossbar late in the first half – the Utah side would see its goalless hex on the shores of Lake Ontario continue. A cross-turned-shot from the left side of the area in the 77th minute by diminutive TFC striker Joao Plata would stand tall in the end, the Brazilian’s low ball scooting past the near-post dummy run from FW Peri Marosevic and stranded RSL netminder Nick Rimando before settling just inside the far right post.
Real
Salt Lake Match Notes
- BMO Field has not been a desirable destination for Real Salt Lake, with tonight’s shutout marking the fifth at home for Toronto FC against the Utah side in as many regular season contests dating back to 2007 (RSL now 0-3-2 in MLS play at Toronto). When RSL needed a goal in CCL play against the Reds last September it got the job done, as MF Javier Morales’ free kick tally helped the visitors to a 1-1 result that secured their advancement into the tournament’s knockout phase.
- For the first time in 48 matches across all competitions (MLS regular season and playoffs, CONCACAF Champions League & U.S. Open Cup), Real Salt Lake head coach Jason Kreis rolled out the same starting XI in consecutive contests. The last occasion came just over a year ago in contests against D.C. United on July 31 (3-0 W) and Aug. 7 at Kansas City (1-1 T).
- Real Salt Lake’s already sizeable list of injuries accrued during the 2011 campaign grew around the half hour mark, when DF Chris Wingert was forced from the contest after suffered a broken left wrist. The eight-year veteran and third most “capped” player in RSL history with 116 appearances was replaced by Tony Beltran.
- Real Salt Lake had the services of FW Paulo Jr. in the 18-man gameday roster for the first time in over three months, and the Brazilian striker indeed saw the field with a nine-minute stint off the bench. Paulo Jr.’s last contest for the Claret-and-Cobalt was during the second leg of the CONCACAF Champions League Final against Monterrey back on April 27.
- After playing the full 90 minutes for the U.S. Men’s National Team in Wednesday’s 1-1 draw against Mexico in Philadelphia, RSL captain Kyle Beckerman did the same for his club side tonight at Toronto FC. When adding in last Saturday’s performance against New York, Beckerman logged 270 minutes in three different cities across the last eight days.
- Tonight’s result pushed RSL’s record against Eastern Conference opposition on the season to 3-4-5 (1-3-2 on the road). RSL is in the midst of a stretch of five straight games against the East, and six of its next eight contests will be inter-conference affairs.
- Real Salt Lake will play the middle game in its three-match road trip next Saturday, August 20, when the Claret-and-Cobalt will travel to the Lone Star State to take on the Houston Dynamo (6-7-10, 28 pts.). Kickoff from Robertson Stadium in Houston is set for 6:30 p.m. MT for a contest that will air live on KMYU 2.2. (Comcast 22 / Dish Network 12).
- After tonight’s result, Real Salt Lake is now 2-4-3 in away contests during the 2011 regular season. RSL must get used to the road quickly, as eight of its remaining 12 contests will take place away from the confines of Rio Tinto Stadium.
- Due to his 54th minute red card, MF Will Johnson will be forced to miss next weekend’s match-up in Houston due to caution accumulation. The Canadian international is the first RSL player to miss a match in 2011 due to accruing yellow cards.
MLS POST-GAME QUOTE SHEET
TORONTO FC 1 : 0 REAL SALT LAKE
REAL
SALT LAKE HEAD COACH JASON KREIS
Thoughts
on today’s game:
“Soccer is a very cruel game, that’s what I walk away from this game and think to myself, this is a cruel game sometimes. I think that we did enough tonight, certainly to pick up a draw, and on a different night we walk away from here with all three points. If we score some of those chances that we had tonight things look completely different. The goal that was scored was a very fluky one as well, so all-in-all we just couldn’t get the bounces tonight that I feel we needed to get.”
Is
it difficult to scout a team that has made so many personnel changes recently?
“They haven’t changed anything from their last two matches. We looked at the D.C. match and we evaluate that and go over that, show our players that formation, and Mr. Winter threw us for a little surprise tonight as he came out in a 3-4-3. I think tactically that caused us a few problems for us in the first half, but at halftime we talked about it, and I think we sorted it out and, in my opinion again, controlled the match.”
REAL
SALT LAKE MIDFIELDER WILL JOHNSON
On
tonight’s result:
“We were just extremely unlucky. As far as chances go I think it was pretty one-sided. But if you don’t put your chances away you are always leave yourself liable for a lucky goal and that’s what happened.”
Thoughts
on the new look TFC team:
“They’re improving. It’s hard to say. I think we were pretty much the better team tonight. It will be interesting to see how they do in the Champions League and in the rest of the season. Hopefully they rebuild. These fans deserve a good team; they support this team, they’ve supported this team a lot so they deserve a good team. Hopefully those guys can go in the right direction and the results will speak for themselves.”
REAL
SALT LAKE CAPTAIN KYLE BECKERMAN
Thoughts
on the match:
“We played some good soccer, made some good plays and created some good chances, but we just couldn’t score tonight.”
Was
there any fatigue after playing the full 90 minutes in the USA friendly earlier
this week?
“Yeah, a little bit, but I just wanted to push through. I’ve got another week before the next game so I didn’t really think about it.”
How
does this Toronto team compare to the team that you last played earlier in the
year?
“I thought that they were better than the last time that we played them. I think that our lack of finishing our plays kept them in the game. That’s the name of the game – if you don’t score you can’t change the game. We just missed our chances.”
TORONTO
FC HEAD COACH ARON WINTER
On
his tactical tinkering to the 3-4-3 formation:
“We are always playing 4-3-3 but changed for the rest of the game. The thing that I want in the future when rebuilding in the end is when an opponent is playing like Real Salt Lake is that you can play also 3-4-3 like we did today and I have to give a big compliment to the team because we have done very well. If you watched the whole game and the possession we had with the ball, against a very good opponent, everyone is forgetting that Salt Lake is good. I think that is a big compliment for the guys that you are watching also that every game there is progression and improvement.”
On
the performance of goalkeeper Milos Kocic:
“The whole team, everybody, owes the subs a big compliment including Milos, of course, they have all done very well. You saw in the games against Real Esteli we have also done very well and today of course in a different league. A big compliment for him. The moments he had to come out of the box he did very well and it is not easy when you play only two games until now. A big complement for everybody, also for the guys that came in, also for all the young guys. I’m happy that finally the way we played resulted in a victory.”
Do
you plan Keep Torsten Frings back in defence?
It depends how the opponent is playing, today we had to think a lot about should we play with 4 defenders or should we play with 3 defenders; 2 markers and a free man. At the end we made the choice because it was the best choice at the moment for the players that we had.
TORONTO
FC GOALKEEPER MILOS KOCIC
On
the save vs. Will Johnson in stoppage time:
“That’s why I’m there, to stop the shots, right, and help the team perform. The team had a great game and I stood well there for them as well to help them get the 3 points and I think its not my performance, it’s a team performance.”
How
was the communication with the defenders in front of you because they seem to
have made it pretty easy for you?
“Of course, yeah exactly. Having a guy like Torsten (Torsten Frings), an experienced guy leading the defense is unbelievable. I am very fortunate to have a player like that especially with Iro (Andy Iro) a very physical guy. All the guys did a great job and I don’t want to say one name, two names, but I think the collective effort was great.”
TORONTO
FC MIDFIELDER JULIAN DE GUZMAN
Commenting
on 3-4-3 formation:
“We also knew coming into this game we knew Real Salt Lake was one of the better teams, probably the best team in the league that plays good football with a diamond in the middle and two guys up front. Our approach was to have three guys in the center covering the two, three against two in the back. This allowed Stinson and Borman to put pressure on there full backs whenever they do overlap because they are a team that likes to bring numbers forward. Then we had (Joao) Plata and Peri (Marosevic) who are normally wingers but this time were more tucked in the middle in the midfield. It was pretty much man to man throughout the midfield and everyone had to stay on top of that.”
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