Fabian Espindola was one of nine unanimous picks by our staff for protected status.

Major League Soccer will hold an expansion draft for the Montreal Impact next week. As in previous seasons, Salt Lake will be allowed to protect 11 players from being taken. The contract status of Alvaro Saborio (Designated Player) and Luis Gil (Generation Adidas) makes each ineligible to be taken.

Thus Salt Lake can choose 11 other players to protect. Real Nation polled its contributors and asked which 11 players should be protected. Here are the results:

Unanimous

We all agreed that these nine players should be protected:

• Nick Rimando
• Chris Wingert
• Nat Borchers
• Jamison Olave
• Tony Beltran
• Will Johnson
• Kyle Beckerman
• Javier Morales
• Fabian Espindola

Questionable

These players received some support but it was not unanimous:

• Ned Grabavoy
• Paulo Jr.
• Collen Warner
• Andy Williams
• Chris Schuler
• Robbie Russell

Assuming the nine players mentioned above are protected, Salt Lake will have two more selections. We suspect that they will go to two of these players.

The protected list becomes public Monday in advance of next Wednesday's draft. We'll see who Garth Lagerwey and Jason Kreis choose. What do you think?

Leave your thoughts in the comments section.

Real Salt Lake lost a hard-fought match at the Los Angeles Galaxy 3-1 Sunday.

The loss ends a tumultuous season for Salt Lake that saw very high highs and extremely low lows. From nearly winning the CONCACAF Champion’s League to the devastating injury of Javier Morales, Salt Lake saw a wild season.

“I think it was a microcosm of our season,” coach Jason Kreis said. “Was it a night we didn’t attack well enough? Maybe. But we did have chances to score.”

Salt Lake hit the woodwork twice in the loss, but was unable to put away the necessary goals.

The match started out playing even but Salt Lake got the first chance on frame in the 5th minute when Robbie Russell got on the end of a Javier Morales corner kick and fired point blank into Josh Saunders. The Los Angeles keeper made the save and kept the match scoreless.

Los Angeles had a good chance in the 9th minute when Landon Donovan got open on the right side during a switch. He was able to freely cross the ball, but Nick Rimando pounced on it to eliminate the danger.

Los Angeles started to move more of the play into Salt Lake’s half around the 15th minute. This paid off in the 22nd minute when Landon Donovan’s cross to Omar Gonzalez ended with Andy Williams pushing the Galaxy centerback and referee Jorge Gonzalez giving a soft penalty kick to Los Angeles. Donovan converted and gave the Galaxy a 1-0 lead.

Alvaro Saborio responded in the 25th minute, when Jamison Olave flicked a Javier Morales corner kick to him. The Costa Rican put it in and equalized the match.

In the 33rd minute, Robbie Keene nearly scored off a set piece, firing hard through traffic and hitting the post; however, Salt Lake was able to clear it.

Keene nearly scored again in the 43rd minute when he juked by Jamison Olave and fired a hooking shot that just missed wide of the post.

Salt Lake captain Kyle Beckerman hit the post to end the first half, leaving the score knotted at one.

The second half started out with Salt Lake controlling possession, but Los Angeles had the first good chance with a counterattack in the 51st minute. Beckham played wide to Keene who crossed to Barrett; however, Will Johnson was able to deflect the header away.

The Galaxy took the lead in the 58th minute when Beckham’s service found a diving Mike Magee in the box.

Salt Lake nearly answered in the 60th minute when Espindola took a surprising shot and hit the bottom half of the crossbar, but it bounced away harmlessly.

Los Angeles scored again when Keene got a one-on-one with Olave and was able to get around the injured defender in the box with a remarkable cutback. His 68th minute shot beat Rimando and gave Los Angeles a two-goal lead.

Javier Morales got a shot on frame in the 84th minute when he juked around the top of the box, and fired. Josh Saunders was fortunate to make a diving save.

Fabian Espindola had a last gasp in the 90th minute when Saborio caught him on a run and The Argentine went one-on-one with Saunders. He missed wide right by a foot.

The Galaxy held on to win 3-1 and earned a birth in the 2011 MLS Cup Final against the Houston Dynamo.

Man of the Match

Javier Morales fought hard and created many chances for Salt Lake. He is the man of the match.

Game Notes

Jason Kreis pulled a surprise on everyone and started Jamison Olave, but not Nat Borchers:

• FORWARD: Saborio, Espindola
• MIDFIELD: Williams, Beckerman, Morales, Johnson (75’ Gil for Williams)
• DEFENSE: Russell, Olave, Schuler, Wingert (67’ Grabavoy for Russell) (82’ Beltran for Olave)
• KEEPER: Rimando

]]> http://www.realsoccernation.com/western-conference-final-gametime/feed/ 0 http://www.realsoccernation.com/2011-playoff-win-conference-semis/ http://www.realsoccernation.com/2011-playoff-win-conference-semis/#comments Thu, 03 Nov 2011 05:13:22 +0000 tpage http://www.realsoccernation.com/?p=2265

Real Salt Lake gutted out a 3-2 aggregate goal victory over the Seattle Sounders Wednesday.

The side fell Wednesday 2-0, but won by virtue of its three-goal margin obtained in a victory over Seattle last weekend.

“Unbelievable battle for everybody,” defender Chris Wingert said. “I hate to say it, but you almost know its going to be like that.”

Salt Lake was able to hold on and get the victory in spite of adverse weather, field conditions, and injuries.

“The entire night was a difficult night,” coach Jason Kreis said. “It was a choppy game, which doesn‘t help us to gain any kind of rhythm.”

Seattle controlled the run of play in the first half, out-shooting Salt Lake 15-1; however, no goals were able to get into the net.

Seattle had its first chance in the 2nd minute when Nick Rimando had to dive through traffic to stop a cross from being redirected on frame.

Seattle nearly scored in the 36th minute when Rimando charged to punch out service and the net was left open for a Sounders shot. Jeff Parke fired directly on frame, but Tony Beltran headed it over the bar.

Salt Lake countered with a chance in the 40th minute when Saborio’s sliding service nearly found Fabian Espindola behind the defensive line; however, Parke made a sliding tackle and put the ball out of bounds.

Seattle appeared to score in the 43rd minute when Freddy Montero backed into Nick Rimando, knocked him over, took the ball and fired it into the net. However, the referee issued a foul on Montero and the goal did not stand.

The first half ended with Salt Lake fortunate to get away without giving up a score. However, the side would not be so lucky in the second half.

Seattle’s Michael Fucito earned a penalty kick in the 55th minute when he was pulled down in the box by Tony Beltran. Osvaldo Alonso converted and brought the Sounders within two.

Lamar Neagle made it a one score contest in the 61st minute when he took a pass from Montero, fired across Rimando and found the corner of the net.

Kreis made the gutsiest decision of the season in the 76th minute, bringing in Yordany Alvarez for Alvaro Saborio and going to a 4-5-1. Potentially facing extra time and a shoot-out, pulling his best striker was a tough call, especially that early.

Fabian Espindola got freed on a break by Morales in the 79th minute and nearly ended the match. He went one-on-one with Keller and nearly scored; however, the United States’ legendary keeper was able to make one last diving save.

Kreis doubled down on his Saborio decision by pulling Javier Morales in 89th minute.

Salt Lake parried chance after chance, even holding on for over 5 minutes of extra time, before the final whistle sounded. The result was a 3-2 aggregate victory and a spot in the Western Conference finals.

Man of the Match

Tony Beltran made a huge save off the line. He is the man of the match.

Game Notes

With Jamison Olave and Nat Borchers unavailable due to injury, Jason Kreis innovated at Centerback:

• FORWARD: Saborio, Espindola (76’ Y. Alvarez for Saborio)
• MIDFIELD: Beckerman, Johnson, Williams, Morales (57’ Grabavoy for Williams) (89’ Gil for Morales)
• DEFENSE: Russell, Schuler, Wingert, Beltran
• KEEPER: Rimando

Real Salt Lake won a 3-0 blowout victory over the Seattle Sounders Saturday in the first leg of the Conference Semifinal.

“We’re very, very pleased with the result,” coach Jason Kreis said. “For me, that was a complete match.”

The victory gives Salt Lake a commanding lead going into next Wendesday’s second leg at Seattle; however, the home side lost both center backs, Nat Borchers and Jamison Olave, to injury.

Neither player’s status was clear as of Saturday evening; however, Salt Lake is used to playing with injuries. Coach Jason Kreis noted that this match was the first time he had started his first choice lineup since April.

“I looked at Will when Olave when out and I said, ‘Well it was nice while it lasted’,” defender Chris Wingert said. “You’ve gotta have a little bit of depth and deal with what comes.”

Salt Lake’s depth was on display for the remaining 60 minutes of the match when Chris Schuler entered for Olave. The side managed to control the run of play for the entire match, dominating possession and shots on goal.

Real Salt Lake had the first good opportunity in the 8th minute when Alvaro Saborio was fouled just outside the Seattle box. Javier Morales took the resulting free kick and found the head of Saborio in the box; however, the Costa Rican’s shot was just wide.

Salt Lake’s next good chance came in the 20th minute when Will Johnson drove forward and fired a hard shot from distance. Kasey Keller made a diving stop, and Salt Lake was unable to recover the rebound for the likely goal.

Andy Williams nearly scored in the 24th minute when a give-and-go with Alvaro Saborio sprung him open in the box. Once again, Keller was able to make a diving save to keep the match scoreless.

Salt Lake finally got on the board in the 41st minute when Morales fed Wingert driving into the box. The left back’s shot found its way across the area and Saborio tapped it in.

Salt Lake continued to dominate into the second half. Saborio scored his second in the 53rd minute with a clinical back heel when Morales served him in the box.

Grabavoy made it 3-0 in the 88th minute when his shot on goal bounced around and fell into the back of the net.

The victory gives Salt Lake a decided advantage going to Seattle next week; however, that advantage may be diminished based upon the availability of Borchers and Olave for the remainder of the playoffs.

Man of the Match

Alvaro Saborio scored twice and created numerous other opportunities. He is the man of the match.

Game Notes

Real Salt Lake had its first-choice lineup available for the first time since April:

• FORWARD: Espindola, Saborio
• MIDFIELD: Williams, Beckerman, Morales, Johnson (79’ Grabavoy for Morales)
• DEFENSE: Russell, Olave, Borchers, Wingert (32’ Schuler for Olave) (84’ Gil for Borchers)
• KEEPER: Rimando

Olave’s injury is a quadriceps strain, while Borchers was diagnosed with a knee strain.

Tyler's interview with Garth touched on the importance of Javier Morales to Real Salt Lake's playoff hopes.

Garth Lagerwey has always fascinated me. And it's not just that he and Jason Kreis teamed together to create one of the best turnarounds in Major League Soccer.

A Key Figure

Sure, they took the MLS equivalent of the LA Clippers and helped them win an MLS Cup in just over two years. Then led the same squad to MLS' first-ever group victory in the CONCACAF Champions League, and even came within one unfortunate goal of winning the entire tournament.

But they did it with a model different from nearly every other team in MLS.

While nearly every team in the league is searching the globe for the next big DP, Salt Lake has ignored Thierry Henry, David Beckham, Rafa Marquez, and other big names to build a deep team that plays together.

The Rules

I've interviewed Lagerwey many times, but I wanted to get him in a different setting and see how he evaluates a game.

The rules were simple:

• We spent the recent Chicago game in a quiet box
• Nothing was off limits
• Anything could be taken off the record after the match

This freed him up to be completely honest and enabled me to get a different perspective on how he views a match.

Our conversation covered everything from the team to the business of soccer, to the Holy War, and everything in between. I learned a ton, but there were five specific lessons learned during a brutal match for Real Salt Lake.

1. Garth is remarkably composed

The laughing, relaxed Garth you hear on the radio each week still shows up during a tough match. The match was an ugly blow-out that Garth called “the worst home loss in franchise history.” Even though he was clearly upset, Garth was able to maintain his composure throughout the match… even when we were off the record.

2. Business is good for RSL

The team sold out a weeknight match against Chicago just a few weeks after selling out against the Holy War football game (BYU vs. Utah). The team has gained prominence in Salt Lake and is getting more successful. If anything, they've become the model for other MLS teams to follow in making CONCACAF a legitimate competition on the business side, as well as the soccer side of things.

3. Getting Javier Morales Ready for the Playoffs is Critical

Javi made his return to the field during this match. Garth said the Argentine playmaker would need a few games to get back into his top form, but that the side really needs him ready for the playoffs. We saw flashes of brilliance from Javier that night, and we saw his teammates relearning how to play through him.

4. The Difference Between a Coach and a GM

When captain Kyle Beckerman received an early red card, Garth said the match might get chippy. If it was, Javi was unlikely to make an appearance. Still, Jason Kreis put Morales in to thunderous applause.

Garth quipped… “Now you see the difference between a coach and a GM. Jason wants to get him in, and I'm just worried he's going to get hurt again.”

5. Simple Possession Means the World

When I asked what statistics and attributes Garth looks for in a match, I was shocked by his answer… “simple possession” was the first thing he mentioned. While he often referred to specific plays as good and bad, that possession really is the focus of the team.

It was fascinating to spend a match with Garth. He and Jason have built an incredible team, and I anticipate they will continue to win as long as these two friends are at the helm.

“Beat Sea-attle, Beat Sea-attle.”

Real Salt Lake left the field Saturday to these chants, but not from their fans. It was Portland Timbers fans cheering for their rival's defeat.

Salt Lake's fans, for their part, were stunned by a match their team dominated but failed to win after a stunning 90th minute equalizer against the run of play.

With a disappointing draw on the books, Salt Lake's playoff opponent was not yet decided, but that didn't stop Portland's fans.

Just a few minutes later, word reached Salt Lake's locker room that Dallas was losing 4-0 and a sigh of relief came over the side.

When the Dallas match went final an hour later, Real Salt Lake officially became the 3rd seed in the Western Conference and was paired with Seattle for a home-and-home series that will take place over the next 11 days.

While the match contained many positives for Salt Lake, it also contained a disappointing goal that made the team wait an extra hour to celebrate the third seed.

Salt Lake started well, despite a few early giveaways. By the 8th minute, the side was in control and got the first good chance of the match. Alvaro Saborio's shot from just outside the box was a few feet wide, but the threat a good sign.

Saborio had another great chance in the 12th minute when Morales' service to the far post was just a little higher than he anticipated. The Costa Rican international was so close that he landed in the net.

Salt Lake's dominance paid off in the 45th minute when Saborio took a pass from Espindola as he got behind the defense and chipped the bouncing ball over Troy Perkins. The goal gave Salt Lake momentum and the lead going into halftime.

The second half started with Portland getting more chances. The best early one came in the 56th minute when a shot was fired right into Chris Wingert's arm. The referee ruled it a hand ball in the box, but Kenny Cooper put the resulting penalty kick off of the crossbar.

Things got chippy toward the end of the match, with hard fouls (often off the ball) becoming prevalent.

Portland managed a stunning equalizer in the 90th minute when Futty Danso put a loose ball in the box into the net.

The match ended a 1-1 draw with Salt Lake waiting on Dallas' result to see who the side would play.

Man of the Match

Alvaro Saborio was a beast on the field, giving his team a goal and numerous opportunities to score.

Game Notes

Salt Lake started the first team lineup, minus the suspended Kyle Beckerman:

• FORWARD: Saborio, Espindola
• MIDFIELD: Williams, Y. Alvarez, Morales, Johnson (84' A. Alvarez for Williams)
• DEFENSE: Russell, Olave, Borchers, Wingert
• KEEPER: Rimando

In the latest edition of the Real Nation podcast, the guys discuss:

• Real Salt Lake winning its 5th Consecutive Rocky Mountain Cup
• Playoff Implications for this weekend
• Thierry Henry
• And Much More…

Be sure to listen to the latest edition of the podcast.

Listen Now

Music: Kevin MacLeod