BYU vs Dixie State - March 19, 2016

On another cold night, the BYU Cougars took on the Dixie State Storm at the Stadium at South Field.

This game was a tale of two halves.  BYU started out fairly organized, but not as clean or in control as they looked last night.  By the 15th minute, they'd given up a corner, a shot on goal, and been shown a yellow card.  In the next fifteen minutes they continued to give up possession, conceding 3 more corners and eventually a goal.

The final fifteen minutes of the half saw the Cougars start to take control, though they still seemed wasteful on transitions with long passes over the top to no one.  They did manage to get their first and second corners of the game.

Over halftime, Coach Brandon Gilliam made some adjustments that really helped put the Cougars back into the game.  One thing he didn't change was the players on the field, saying that he "wanted to learn how to get out of the hole they were in.  It was a real confidence booster for them."

During the second half, BYU kept more of the ball, and started to put real pressure on the Dixie State Keeper.   Defender Junior Lartey came up big multiple times, shutting down counter attacks with his positioning and athleticism.  BYU scored a tying goal in the 68th minute. It came some solid build up play that culminated in a cross that Dixie State couldn't clear. After ping-ponging in the box,  the Cougars slammed the ball into the back of the net.

BYU continued to apply pressure and scored the winning goal in the 76th minute on a screamer that came from the edge of the 18 yard box.  The Cougars looked very good at this point, collapsing on the ball at turn overs and winning back possession quickly.

As the game entered it's final phase, it began to get very chippy, with 3 yellows being shown (all to BYU) in a 2 minute period.  BYU ended the game with 7 shots on goal, 3 corners, and 4 yellow cards.  Dixie State had 3 shots on goal, 4 corners, and 2 yellows.

After the game, Coach Gilliam had some praise for his team, "Junior looked good.  Michael Anderson (a freshman starter) looked really good overlapping and coming down his line. I think they made the right corrections after the half and learned a lot from it.  It was a real blessing to be down a goal and have them put 10 men behind the ball.  We're going to see that a lot in the PDL, so we need to learn to break it down."

He still wants to see improvement on both sides of the ball though, "We got better looks tonight, but we're still not putting enough in.  We also let them have a couple of spells in the first half.  That's worrying. We can't do that in the PDL or we'll really be punished for it."

Joe Hickman, acting Head Coach for Dixie State was congratulatory after the game, saying, "BYU looked fit, they looked good.  Both of their goals were just perfect - upper corner, there was nothing our keeper could do.  They [the Cougars] are good competition. It's good for us to come up here and play a good team."

Coach Hickman also praised his team, "I think we played well.  We just came up a little short.  I'm really proud of the boys."

BYU vs Westminster Griffins March 18th 2016

After a win against the USL Real Monarchs in Sandy, BYU Men’s Soccer opened their home stadium for 2016 last night with a pre-season game against the Westminster Griffins.  Between the cold, the NIT, and a volleyball game rocking the field house, turn out was a bit sparse.The crowd that did make it out was pumped for a game - and they weren’t disappointed.

While things started a bit slowly, with a lot of probing on both sides, BYU set the tone for the night by keeping most of the possession with a tight passing game.  When Westminster did have possession, BYU’s organized defense quickly moved to cut them out.

Statistically, BYU ran roughshod over the Griffins, with 10 Shots on Goal to 0, and 6 corners to 0.  Interestingly, BYU played most of their corners short with #10, Pedro Vasconcelos, nearly dribbling in a goal in the 43rd minute.  Westminster’s keeper played a great game and held Cougars at bay throughout the first half, and kept the scoreline closer than it might have been in the second. BYU defender #13, Junior Larty, finally beat the Griffins’ keeper, tallying off of a corner kick in the 54th minute.

Westminster went into the book first, with a yellow in the 25th minute.  The game continued to be a bit chippy with 8 cards shown - 3 yellows to Westminster, 4 yellows and a controversial red to BYU in the 72nd minute.  BYU looked a bit disorganized in the first minutes after going down a man, but regathered their focus quickly and continued to hold possession, passing the ball around to kill the clock until #11, Cameron McLaughlin, put in a dagger, posting the Cougars to a 2-0 lead in stoppage time.

While BYU generally seemed to outclass Westminster, Pedro Vasconcelos was the Cougar who shone brightest.  He put in a Man of the Match performance, with great vision, effective passing, excellent dribbling, and solid defensive work.

In talking to Coach Brandon Gilliam after the game, he pointed out several things he liked about his team’s performance, “They put in a solid defensive effort.  It’s something that we’ve been focusing on, but I liked how they stayed organized and kept their shape.  It was also nice to see the depth of this team.  Even the guys who went in at the end of the game were creating chances.”

But not everything met with his satisfaction, “We still need to work on our attacking.  We should have been able to create more chances, and I’d have liked to see better chances.  The real measuring tape will be whether we get better or not.  Beating Westminster won’t help us win the PDL, but improving as a team will. … It’s hard playing a team like the Monarchs last week, and then Westminster this week.  We need to learn to treat all of our opponents the same, or we risk letting up and letting someone into a game that we should just win.”

BYU - Fresno Fuego 2015-05-26

BYU's Saturday night game against the Fresno Fuego was a chilly, wet affair played in front of a smaller crowd. I'd love to see Provo get behind our local PDL team, but I wonder what that's going to take.

BYU had a couple of changes to their normal line-up. Dallin Cutler was sitting out due to a silly red card at the end of Thursday's game and Jace Green was off after getting married — there are some things more important than soccer after all. David Gates was also held out at first because the coaches thought he needed some rest with this game coming on two days rest.

The Fuego were a tough match-up for BYU. They played an undefeated regular season last year and already had 11 points out of 6 games (3-1-2) with a +4 goal differential this year.

Here's my break down of the game in fifteen minute chunks:

Kick-15 — Fuego looked to be faster and tidier with the ball. Their coach was very vocal calling out guidance to his club. Brent Hale looked steady as he was called upon to clean up a couple of chances from Fresno.

16-30 — BYU's passing and distribution are a little off. The seem to win a fair share of challenges only to give them away. Both team traded chances in this block, but the Fuego's was much better, only being stopped by the cross bar.

31-45 — "We'll solve it, just be patient." was the call from the Fresno bench, and it seemed likely to be true, then BYU's Toni Nicolli nearly got onto the end of a long ball as they countered.

Halftime Thoughts — Garrett Losee is still being treated for a mouth injury of some type that occured in the closing minutes of the half. BYU has been playing with fire, too much of their possession has been in the defensive third, and too many of their passes forward have gone to the feet of Fuego players. BYU ended the half lagging Fresno's possession 43% - 57%. The BYU coaching staff pulled together after the halftime whistle to talk about ways they could open up the game.

46-60 — Fresno finally broke through the BYU defense in the opening moments of the half with a goal by Andrew Campbell. The poured on the pressure with several close calls in the following minutes. It really looked like the Fuego were going to blow the game open until David Gates and Sterling Hancock came in. Coach Watkins later said that they were the game changers for BYU.

61-75 — In the 62nd minute, Fresno's Andrew Campbell undercut BYU Goal Keeper Brian Hale as he went up for a ball and received a yellow card. Adding insult to inury, he also either fell hard or was landed on by Hale and had to be subbed off after receiving treatment both on and off the pitch.
In the 71st minute, sub David Gates broke free on a counter and leveled the score with a well taken goal on a 1v1 against the keeper..

76-90 — Following BYU's goal, they've looked confident and dangerous. Bryson Pope was able to really stretch the field, with several break aways, but just wasn't able to finish. Seven minutes of added time (two Fresno injuries and several subs) made for an exciting finish with both teams pushing hard and getting some good looks on goal — though neither side was able to wrap up the win.

Closing Thoughts & Coaches Comments — BYU played hard in the second half after a disappointing first half and deserved the tie.  While the crowd was thin, they certainly had an entertaining game to watch and should have gone home happy.

Fresno's Coach, Scott Alcom:

"They [BYU] have a real team this year. That was a good result by them. We've got some soul searching to do. We're rebuilding, we've got a lot of young kids, but I'm not happy with the result."

BYU's Coach, Chris Watkins:

"I was really pleased with the last 35 minutes, but disappointed that we gave them too much in the first 55."

"Our plan, Coach Sackett's plan came together. We wanted to hold out Gates until the second half, then put him in with Pope and make this a track meet. We thought if we could hold them in the second half we could win this thing."

"Sometimes it was like we thought we were Barcelona and we didn't need to work to get the win — but we're not. We're not skill guys, we're a blue collar team."

I think Brian Hale got wrong footed on the goal — he's such a great athelate, I can't believe that went in on him."

BYU's Coach Sackett:

"It's hard, it's frustrating to get the tie, but we did well. We did what we needed to do. Maybe a little more in the first half and we might have had the win."

BYU - RSL Friendly 5/19 2012

What a surprising result! But Coach Watkins put it into perspective after the game saying, "It's one of those things, you play a team that you should beat, and every once in a while they get lucky." That's not to say that BYU doesn't feel pretty good about (an admittedly lucky) point against RSL. I was also surprised to see James Rust and Brian Kamler, the ESPN 700 team, in the media area calling the game.

You can check out the highlights here. If you prefer video highlights, YouTube is your friend.

Instead of a full game summary, let me share some of the things that stood out to me. Before the game started, we saw La Barra ReAL march in with flags flying and drumming as they went. They kept up the songs most of the game. I hope it helped the BYU faithful see the kind of presence engaged (no, not that kind) fans can bring to a game. I was a bit bummed to see Javi and Chris Wingert in civvies, but it was worse to not see Nat at all. It was good to see a starting line-up that featured a nice mix of regular starters and guys getting some looks.

The first 15 minutes of the match really set the tone for the game. BYU seemed capable of defending the final third even if they gave up a lot of possession. The Cougars did launch a couple of counters, but RSL just soaked up the pressure and would eventually win the ball back. Several times RSL came close to getting a goal only to be denied by a superb play by a BYU defender, like a nice goal-line clearance by Will Burton of a shot by Will Johnson.

I was a little shocked at how much success BYU found down the right side of the field. It looked like they were able to turn Estridge more than a couple of times. On the other hand, Olave was normally there to clean things up as soon as the ball was crossed in. He really looked like a beast out there.

As the first half waned, Fabi played a nice assist to Will Johnson who netted the opening goal. It was something you just felt was coming with RSL's superiority. Poor shots and some nifty defending were all that had kept them off the score sheet for so long.

During the half-time break, I was entranced by Javi playing kick arond with his son. Pretty soon, Olave came out and joined the game. As the break neared the close, Sabo took a turn playing as well.

The second half was marked by a different RSL line-up, but also a good mix of players — including a trialist from New York, Adrian Cronis (not sure of the spelling on this, I got his name from Jeff Cassar as he was headed to the bus -- update, it's Andreas Chronis). I also liked seeing Sebastian Velasquez getting some time and showing pretty well. The game continued, looking much like the first half. RSL might have looked a bit more dangerous, but too many shots ended up either just wide or off the wood work.

La Barra Real seemed to lose a little steam with about 15 minutes left in the match. About the RSL also seemed to back off the pressure, as though they were content with a 1-0 lead. In the closing minutes, BYU made them pay for it with a well taken goal by David Gates, who pulled off his shirt in celebration and earned a yellow card.

As normal at these affairs, the best part came afterward, when the RSL players and coaches graciously hung around a tiny little pitch and signed autographs, posed for pictures, and talked with fans. PDL might not be the draw (or the soccer) that is MLS, but these friendlies and RSL's willingness to spend some time with the fans can only help increase the sport's visibility at all levels.

2012 Media Interview Follow Up -- On Frame

The (relatively) new On Frame show has been required listening for RSL fans and others since it started. I wanted to follow up on my recent Media Interview and who better than Brian Dunseth (@BP_TOW), or at Bumpy Pitch, and Spencer Warne (@espn700guv) to lend a different perspective. Read on, then let me know what you think. If you've got any follow up questions, post them below and I'll see if Dunny and Spence will take a crack at them.

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Pat: I love the work you're doing with "On Frame". It's a great show and, I think, a positive sign for soccer's growing media footprint in Utah. How did the show come to pass?

Spence: The show had been "whispered" about, the last couple of years. Myself and Dunny have talked about it in the past and we'd done a couple of shows together trying to get it done, scheduling was an issue. And I've always wanted to work with him (Dunny).

I was always in the ear of John Kimball (Senior VP at Real Salt Lake and ESPN 700) about a need for a soccer specific show, thankfully he and Trey Fitz-Gerald (VP of Broadcasting and Communications) made it happen this year.

Dunny: We had tried three or four shows on ESPN700 over the past couple of years, but because of a couple different issues with scheduling and my own personal television commitments, we couldn't make it happen on a permanent basis.

This past offseason we decided we were going to make it happen and Monday night would be the easiest night for everyone involved to pull off.

Pat: There have been signs of growth in other media outlets as well. What do you think it's going to take to see more coverage of RSL, MLS, and soccer generally here in Utah? Where do you think the next breakthrough will happen

Dunny: I've always used the analogy that soccer is like Punk Music... We're always going to have our own lane in the sports world and we're not going to compete with the bigger sports leagues in the United States for awhile. That being said, there are certain markets like Salt Lake where you can have a much different 'in market' effect. A lot of that has to do with the accessibility of the players themselves to fans and the community as well as the fans and their own individual digital push.

And it also takes time. Utah is an interesting market because before Real Salt Lake (and with all due respect to the lower level professional teams that were here before), there hasn't been a lot of 'high level' soccer games played here. There's no Division 1 soccer and the youth development to the professional ranks has been spotty at best. Only Todd Miller, Adam Acosta, Joey Worthen and Justin Braun have made it to Major League Soccer, with only Braun really making an impact.

At the end of the day, winning makes the biggest impact on any market in the United States and I know that Real Salt Lake recognizes that as priority number one.

Spence: My personal view, is that the growth of RSL in the media will continue to happen regardless, they play an attractive style and continue to compete for trophies. But I think it will take off more when they bring through an academy product. And probably more so if that product is from the SLC area.

From the view of a Liverpool fan, Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher are seen as idols in the Red half of Liverpool, they connect with the locals and the media will always be drawn to the local product (The local boy done good). Sadly huge pressure will be put on that lads shoulders, I suppose it's a blessing in disguise that these young players are so far away and out of the public eye down in Arizona.

Pat: The second half of Spence's answer makes me think about team development. What do you think it will take to get the reserve league and the development leagues out of the shadows an onto a bigger stage?

Spence: Well first of all, I really like watching reserve team football! It's for the proper football fans, hoping to catch a glimpse of a young player that might make it into the game day squad.

I'm not a huge fan of the squad travelling mid-week though, in fact I'd go so far to say that it's mindboggling. Travelling, scheduling and $$$$. As for a bigger stage? Well you market your 1st team product, there is plenty of room within the MLS to get stronger before worrying about the developmental leagues.

Dunny: I'm not sure it necessary to push the 'Reserve League' to the forefront. The main importance of it from my perspective is giving young players important 90 minute matches that can't be replicated through practices and an opportunity for players rehabbing or coming back from injury to work their way back to full fitness and sharpness.

I do think MLS missed the boat in terms of scheduling as doing individual Reserve games during the midweek definitely takes away from teams preparation and training schedules when over half the team is missing.

Pat: In a similar vein, it seems like there are some young/new players moving up into more recognizable roles with RSL. What do you think it will take for them to really succeed in Salt Lake? What are you looking to see from them?

Dunny: The one 'young' player that has set the bar in terms of consistency and level of play is Luis Gil. But he's also had almost two years of experience with the team, the tactics and the philosophy set forth by Jason. The rest of the younger/new players just need to continue to make the most of their opportunities while learning what is expected of them every single time they step on the field.

Because this is one of the deepest teams in MLS and the veteran experience on the field, I don't envision Jason leaning on the younger / new players during MLS league play, but more than likely the Reserve League, US Open Cup and CONCACAF Champions League to 'test' players.

Spence: As for the young players, we'll see them come through and get minutes. I really love the way Jason K. treats the young guys. Not scared to use them, but in the same vein, would probably prefer not to use them. I think the coaches are top notch, been there and done it (been a rookie before). And then you have players like Beckerman, Ned, Morales who are such an example to those young midfielders, same could be said for Borchers, Olave and Wingert. Then you throw in Nick Rimando and Saborio.....Not only is it quality on the training field to learn from, but they have experience to pass on.

Pat: I've been impressed with the guests you've brought in so far and the topics you've been able to cover. What are some of the things you hope to cover in the upcoming months (besides looking ahead to the upcoming RSL games)?

What are some of the things you'd like to do on the show but realize that you probably couldn't pull off? (Maybe guests who wouldn't care about an SLC based show or topics that wouldn't move the needle enough to bring up.)

Spence: In short, I want it to be a longer show! We don't have enough time.

I want it to be a World soccer show because a lot of the listeners enjoy the football in England, Spain.....The list goes on. An American show (so many good Americans playing abroad)....But obviously a huge MLS/RSL twist. I want it to be even more fan interactive. Dunny is the one who has a major influence on guests. Trey obviously helps with the RSL lads (also helps that the RSL players are great to chat to). I'm excited to talk to anyone regarding soccer.

We're striving to make it longer than 2 hours, make it sponsorship worthy at the end of the day, so it can continue to grow. Travel to these exhibition games, and speak to the players from the biggest teams.

It also helps if you like the guys you work with!

I think that kinda answers both. Thanks for asking.

Dunny: One of the positives of having played around MLS for so long and now moving into the TV side of things (as well as Bumpy Pitch / The Original Winger) are the relationships I've built with the players on different teams. I've always thought that the success of any MLS based show is the strength of the players and their own personal opinions.

And the fact that this isn't league driven, but more 'team' driven with incredibly loose reigns is an absolute positive.

Recapping the previous RSL game, then looking ahead to the upcoming opponent through an opposing players perspective / their own personal story and how they plan on approaching RSL, then finally hearing from an RSL player on how they plan on approaching the upcoming opponent was always vital in putting this show together.

I agree with Spencer, two hours isn't long enough.... But it comes down to the listeners, the downloads and the overall online / digital support for the story telling we're trying to achieve. And obviously it comes down to money and the sponsorship side of things.

Media Interview 2012

With the increased media coverage for RSL this year, I've revisited my earlier media interviews (2008 and 2011). This time I've asked Michael Lewis (@MCLTribune), Jeremy Horton (@RSL_Jeremy), James Edward (@DesNewsReal), and Bill Riley (@espn700bill) to sit down and answer a few questions about RSL (@realsaltlake) and the media. Enjoy!

You might also want to check out My follow up with Spence and Dunny from "On Frame".

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Pat: RSL's media footprint (and soccer's generally) is continuing to grow in Utah. How do you think this will affect RSL and our two PDL teams?

Michael: I don't know that media coverage has a great deal to do with the performance of the team on the field. Surely, though, more media coverage usually expands the reach of the teams being covered, and has the potential to bring in more fans and, in very broad and general terms, further empower a team with more revenue and resources. But I would say mainstream media coverage is growing slowly -- the team still cannot command much attention if something else important is going on -- and won't matter at all to the PDL teams, which few people even know exist.

Bill: I think that media coverage of any sort for RSL/MLS is a good thing at this point in time. We've certainly seen the coverage of the team grow as the success/sustained success has grown. It's grown to the point now that it's top of mind for more than just soccer fans. I don't think the media coverage has any real affect on the team's performance. To be very honest, I don't think the two PDL teams register with sports fans, perhaps just the extremely hardcore soccer fans. I don't see a time where they garner much more media coverage than teams like the Provo Angels or the Ogden Raptors.

Jeremy: I agree with Bill and Mike that media coverage doesn't directly affect RSL's performance. But I think there could be some indirect effects. If more people know about the product, that should increase the demand which in turn should lead to more ticket & merchandise sales. When the dollar figures are trending positive, team owners tend to be willing to reinvest in the product. To put it another way, I doubt the Galaxy would have bought David Beckham if they didn't think they could recoup most or all of his costs in the form of increased ticket sales and jersey revenues. So over time, I think the media can have some positive impact on the on-field product.

James: Through the years, I believe that both major newspapers in Salt Lake City have given RSL exceptional coverage. I think hardcore soccer fans appreciate it, but more than anything our commitment to covering RSL has demonstrated to non-soccer people that it's newsworthy whether they care or not. I think the biggest media development this year is the Ch. 4 deal. I don't think it can be overstated how big this is for growing the RSL brand in Utah. For the first time ever, if you own a TV and live in Utah — regardless of your cable provider — you can watch any RSL game. For casual fans who may or may not go to a game each year, the ability to watch matches on TV nonetheless will help them build a connection with the team.

Pat: How do you think the growing role of social media will impact RSL and the media's coverage of soccer?

Michael: Like other sports, social media (especially Twitter) often gives everybody, including journalists, a view inside the minds of the players who post there, and RSL has quite a number of players who do so. I think that can help broaden and deepen the quality of items produced about the team -- either in print or on TV -- by potentially exposing reporters to tidbits they otherwise might not have known about that can inform their pieces. More importantly, though, I see the *team* using the social media to effectively bypass the relative lack of mainstream media coverage to reach their fans. Soccer has always dealt with that problem in the United States, and so it has developed a much more advanced online following than, say, the Jazz. No longer does the team need to rely on newspapers or TV bytes to tell its fans what's coming up, or where to buy tickets, or how to win free stuff. All of that can be done directly, and the increasing quality of the league's branded web site MLSSoccer.com also helps with that.

Bill: Social media certainly helps out a sport like soccer that might not get wide spread media coverage in the US. It allows a team to target information to it's fans and supporters that might not reach them through the usual media channels. Here in SLC though I think that the media coverage, with our lack of numbers of professional sports franchises, of RSL is actually very good. I think that social media can assist the mainstream media with insight and information straight from players that might otherwise be overlooked. Again I don't think social media increases the coverage of soccer, just enhances.

Jeremy: One thing I think makes MLS really attractive to fans when compared to the other major U.S. sports leagues is how accessible the players are. You don't see many MLS players who have entourages and muscle following them everywhere. You won't get thrown out of the restaurant for asking Javi Morales for an autograph. Social media helps to fuel that image of MLS players as "just regular guys." As far as the media is concerned, you can already see the impact of that - most major publications and TV/radio spots are already repeating players' tweets. I think the RSL media outlets do a great job of mixing their own coverage and insight with input directly from the players via social media.

James: I'll echo what just about everyone else has said, social media allows RSL fans to have a much more personal connection with the team than ever before. Whether they're "liking" or "following" the fans can communicate directly with the players. From a media perspective, it's about the same. We interact with the players on a weekly basis at training, but social media helps us get a glimpse of their lives away from the game.

Pat: What do you enjoy about covering RSL? What are some of the harder aspects of providing professional coverage (vs, say being a soccer nerd who blogs for the fun of it)?

Bill: I enjoy the sport of soccer and when you are around a team and cover them on a regular basis, in any sport, you strike up relationships with players and coaches. That's probably the most enjoyable part of covering RSL or any team. I will agree with the earlier point that MLS athletes are for the most part much more accessible and approachable, whether that's the nature of the game itself or this level of the sport, it doesn't really matter to me. I just enjoy the ability to interact freely with most of the entire staff.

I don't know that there is anything difficult about providing professional coverage, it's part of the job. Some in our business struggle with that part of it, but for the most part media members-print, electronic, radio, tv-all do a good job of remaining professional and providing good coverage of their product.

Jeremy: I enjoy pretty much everything about it: Getting to know the team, staff, and players is great, and I enjoy my association with the other journalists who are regulars on the RSL beat. Bottom line is I don't make enough money from this to do it grudgingly, especially when I could be sitting with my family in our seats, so I really am happy to get to do what I do. Mostly though I get a lot of satisfaction from being able to "spread the word" about the sport I love.

For me the hardest part is when I have to interview a player who's not in the mood to be interviewed. This is mostly an issue with visiting teams, not RSL. Some of them seem to like to take out their frustrations on whatever unlucky journalist happens to be in front of them. I don't have the personality to roll over and take it, so I've had some pretty testy exchanges...memorable ones include Eddie Johnson and Bruce Arena. Other than that, sometimes meeting editorial requirements that come from goal.com's home office (things like deadlines, word counts, etc.) make my job challenging.

Michael: One of the best things about covering RSL is how accessible the players are. That is hardly the case in every pro (or even college) sport, and being able to relate on a "normal" level makes it much more of a pleasure. You get to know the players. They're usually open and honest and available. It makes the job easier — for everybody, I'd submit — and a lot more fun. I'd rather not cover out-of-touch multimillionaires with armed entourages, thankyouverymuch -- though the irony is that soccer is probably much more like the NFL or NBA in Europe and other parts of the world. So we sort of get to enjoy some of the side effects of MLS not quite being a major force in this country yet. And harder aspects of providing professional coverage? I don't know that I could really say, having never been on the other side of the fence. I suppose answering for what you write might be one thing, viewed from the other side. Some bloggers who don't attend games as press and interview players or coaches can write whatever they want without much accountability from their subjects, whereas we have to be there every day (pretty much) and answer to them if they disagree with something we've written. It rarely happens, though, and when it does, it's just part of the job, so I guess I don't consider it onerous. I suppose others might, though.

James: Two things jump out. First, the beat has taken me to places I never would've gone otherwise, places like the White House or Monterrey, Mexico with the occasional police escort. Secondly, talking to players and coaches for eight years now has helped my understanding of the sport grow exponentially. There are still millions of people who know the game better than I do, but I like to think I'm no dummy. Maybe I'm wrong. I'll echo what Michael Lewis said about some of the difficult aspects of the job. With our obligations on twitter and blogs and filing multiple stories on deadline, I often feel like I've only watched half a match when the final whistle blows. Thank goodness there are instant replays, are sports writers in the press box would miss half the goals scored as we feverishly type away.

Pat: Bill, calling a game is perhaps a little bit different than writing about the game (at least there are often charges of 'homerism' against some of the broadcast teams out there). What do you think about calling a game neutrally?

Bill: Everyone in my line of work has a different approach to calling a game. It depends on the sport, each sport has its own rhythm and flow to how it is played, so that will dictate how a game can be called. My approach has always been to bring a certain level of excitement, color and energy to the broadcast, whether it's football, basketball or soccer. I try my very to bring those things to both sides of the broadcast. But you have to remember that at the end of the day I work for Real Salt Lake, I am their broadcaster. I don't go out of my way to cheerlead or to be a homer, but I certainly want RSL to win and succeed. If I worked for ESPN, NBC or Fox Soccer I would have to call a game more neutrally and I've worked for networks before have done that. I'm not a huge fan of over the top "homerism", but I understand that some clubs or organizations like that. I've been very fortunate that I work for folks that like my style and support how I call a game.

Pat: Can you share any stories from the pressbox/interview room to help give us a picture of what it's like to watch a game that way?

Jeremy: The thing most people don't realize is that there's no cheering, booing, clapping, etc. in the press box. We're all striving to be professionals, so when a critical goal is scored, all you hear is a softly-muttered "well, that was a nice goal" followed by furious typing. Yet we're all emotionally invested in the team to some degree so keeping that restraint can be hard. The one time I can recall when it all went out the window was the RSL/Arabe Unido game back in 2010...that was the horrific time-wasting game. Everybody in the box was so frustrated by Arabe Unido's tactics that when RSL scored the go-ahead goal in the 98th minute or whenever it was, we all stood and applauded. That was the one time nobody seemed to care about the rules.

Michael: Well, I can say that I've never stood and cheered for anything in the press box, having clearly missed the Arabe Unido game. :-) Indeed, Jeremy is right that the atmosphere is usually pretty businesslike, especially because everybody is busy trying to write (or prepare to write) their stories, post blogs and post on Twitter -- all while watching the game. And in all honesty, it's sometimes hard to catch everything that goes on during the game, because you're so busy trying to get things written and turned in on deadline. (Speaking as a newspaper writer who has old-fashioned deadlines, clearly.) That's especially problematic for late games that still hang in the balance late in the game. Aaaaiiigggghhh! Talk about working your last nerve. You spend half your time writing your latest version to send in as soon as the final whistle blows, only to hear a roar and look up to see that somebody has flipped the script on you. "Get me re-write!" And there we go again. If I've ever cheered for anything, in fact, it was early goals, and lots of them — mostly for one team or the other. Also, NO OVERTIME. In fact, now that I think about it, that's the best part of covering soccer (except or the playoffs) — no overtime. And no timeouts every 20 feet down the court, and no endless and eternal pitching changes, and no ceaseless commercial breaks for the video replay guy. Two hours, you're done. And usually pretty entertaining in between.

James: If you're a fan, you'd never want to watch a game from the press box. It's boring. You can't cheer, you can't stand, you can't sing. We do, however, get great post game access. Whether RSL wins or losses, talking to players and coaches after a match helps provide great context to what we've just watched for 90 minutes.

Pat: RSL has a reputation of being a very deep team, how do you think the team is stacked for a busy season and what do you think of their approach to building depth?

Bill: I think it's too early to tell how the team is set up for the season and number of games that will be played later this season. But the early returns appear to be good. Sebastian Velasquez appears to be ready for the big stage and doesn't appeared fazed by MLS so far and Jonny Steele has been a pro and too seems ready to step onto the MLS Stage. Outside of those two guys, we really don't know enough yet about the newer/MLS inexperienced players that RSL has brought in this season. What they appear to have is at least one good option behind the Top 11 players on the team for depth matters-Paulo Jr. up top, Velasquez and Steele wide in the MF, Gill up top of the diamond, Alvarez in the holding spot, and Schuler in back.

Jeremy: Bill already talked about the specifics of RSL's depth...I don't have anything to add to what he said. Regarding their approach to building depth, I think it's a good one and I think the results bear that out. I don't think any other team could have gone through all the injuries, suspensions, and callups that RSL did and manage to finish 3rd. Clearly the way RSL distributes its cap space lends itself to building depth. The difference in quality between the best guy on the roster and the last guy is not as great as other teams, and it's because the difference in pay between the best guy on the roster and the last guy on the roster isn't as great either.

Michael: Excellent question, and I don't think anybody really knows. Although Sebastian Velasquez and Chris Schuler certainly have started well, there are way too many new faces among the reserves who we haven't seen yet to know how well they might perform if and when they're needed later. Tanaka, for example, is supposed to be the third outside back, but he hasn't played (and the team used a trialist at that position in its last reserve game, so it's clearly still on the lookout). So who knows? Given that so many of them are new to the team and young, it's not unreasonable to think that they're probably a little further away from being really good just yet. As far as the team's approach to building, I don't think it's dissimilar from most teams — pick up a few draft picks, made a trade or two, sign some free agents that you think fit your system. I think like most times, it works or not depending mostly on how astute you can be in assessing the talent and signing the players.

I should point out that Jeremy offered a much better answer about the depth than I did, and he's totally right. Keeping the top salaries on the team lower allows more money to be distributed to more players, theoretically allowing more to be spent on the reserve players in order to get better ones there. At the end, though, it's still most important to sign the right guys — having extra money to spend isn't worth anything if you can't assess the talent.

James: Last year was the first year that RSL really had to rely on its young players, and it certainly went through some struggles as a result. With a big roster turnover in the offseason, RSL will need to rely even more on the youngsters. I don't think Chris Schuler falls in this category anymore though. He'd start on most teams in MLS. As for everyone else, it's inevitable they're going to need to make contributions. But, if injuries and red cards pile up and they're asked to contribute in a manner they're not quite ready for, the team could go through some rough patches.

Pat: Jason Kreis has been outspoken about his dislike for the current version of the reserve league. He's talked about aligning the reserve games with the regular games, both when and where they're played. He's also talked about having each MLS team field a lower division team on a separate salary cap as part of a reserve system. What do you think about these approaches? What would you like to see from a reserve system?

Bill: To be very honest I don't know about the economics of the league to talk in depth about this issue. It seems to me though that having the reserve matches the day after the full squad matches makes much more sense from a travel and cost situation. Plus it doesn't disrupt the practice routine of a team during the week.

Jeremy: Jason was outspoken about something? Shocking!:) He's 100% right - the reserve league setup was pretty much ideal the way it was before. I think MLS blew it on this one. You can't expect young guys to become better pros if they're missing the chance to train with the vets because they're across the country playing a reserve league match. And reserves don't get the chance to impress the coaching staff in real match play if the coaches can't be at the match. And how is a team supposed to hold a decent training session when there's not enough guys around to do anything but play small-sided games? I agree with Jason - reserve matches need to be the day after the "varsity" game like they were before.

I disagree with his idea that teams should field a lower-division team on a different cap...that would be another extraordinary benefit to the large-market teams. What would keep a team like LA from putting David Beckham (and his salary) on the reserve team and calling him up for top-flight games? And if you solve that by eliminating move-ups and move-downs from the first team to the second team, what would be the incentive to waste a draft pick and pay a guy who will never see first-team action? If you really want a young guy to get playing time at a lower level, loan him out like you currently can.

Michael: I think he's right about the way the reserve league is formatted now. It just seems beyond stupid to create all of the logistical and financial challenges just to have the reserves play off on their own in the middle of the week or something, often disrupting training and leaving coaches unable to watch them play. The old way was clearly smarter, and the league probably should return to that unless there's some big piece of the puzzle I'm missing. As for a lower-division team on a separate salary-cap system ... I suppose that could work, though I suspect in reality it would be mostly rearranging the deck chairs and calling things different names. Ultimately, I believe Jason's goal is to see the salary budget rise to accommodate better players and more of them, and I'd guess that he envisions a way for a separate lower-division team to achieve that. But whether the league and other teams would agree, I don't know. And I don't know that I *want* to see anything out of a reserve league. I do think it's wise for the league to have such a mechanism if the aim is to cultivate young and often homegrown talent.

James: I don't have much insight about this other than to say, play the games on Sunday morning for heck sake. On so many levels it just makes sense.

Pat: RSL has been in a good place the last couple of years with meaningful games (US Open Cup and CCL) to fill the schedule rather than resorting to bringing in teams for friendlies. Among fans (and not just RSL fans), there's a lot of talk about 'trophies, not friendlies'. What difference do you think it really makes to the organization, the fans, and the media?

Bill: I think it makes a huge difference to the organization and fans. Friendlies are exhibition games that mean absolutely nothing. Every organization that's worth a damn (RSL is included here) aims for trophies, whether it's Open Cup, CCL, Supporters Shield or MLS Cup. No one remembers or cares the final score of a match with Everton, Club America or Real Madrid, they are just fun events. Great teams in any sport are measured by winning championships and the hardware that comes along with them. I think in talking to players and coaches the fact that despite the good regular season results, that RSL hasn't won any kind of trophy since 2009 bothers them. Hence the emphasis on it this season.

Jeremy: The bottom line is what role do sports play in society? I think sports satisfy our human need to experience meaningful competition...the key word being meaningful. As a fan I would rather watch a random regular-season match against another MLS team than an exhibition against a Real Madrid. And honestly, as a reporter, I would rather cover a regular-season match than a friendly, even if it's easier to come up with story lines in a friendly.

Michael: It would make all the difference for RSL to win trophies rather than friendlies, especially considering that the one trophy they do have is widely considered a hot-at-the-right-time fluke. Winning another would validate the way the team has been building and striving, rather than force the team to endure losing its crucial core of players overthe next few years without having achieved anything more.

Pat: Finally, here's a chance to take of your media cap and put on your fan cap if you'd like. What do you hope/expect/fear in the 2012 season?

Jeremy: Mostly I hope to see RSL hoist a trophy this season. As I've gotten to know the players, I've felt their pain as they haven't won a trophy since 2009...for their sakes, I'd like to see that change. I also hope to see RSL make another good run in the CCL. I expect RSL will be near the top of the table this year, but it's too much of a "murderer's row" in the western conference (and possibly too easy of a road for Kansas City) to predict a Supporter's Shield win. And it's way too early to to have reasonable expectations of what will happen in the playoffs. What I fear this year is more of what we saw last year: Injures/suspensions/callups making it difficult to establish a rhythm, a loaded conference where everybody beats up on each other, and lots of possession with little scoring to show for it...as we are taught over and over in coaching certification classes, possession by itself is nothing - it needs to have a purpose.

Bill: I don't think you have to take off a media cap to hope for success for this team this season. My hope is a deep run to MLS Cup this season and success in CCL. I think if RSL can remain healthy, meaning minus MAJOR injuries, they have an outstanding chance to do it. At 100% I believe that RSL's Top 15-18 are as good as anyone in MLS.

Michael: Sorry, but I probably shouldn't predict too much. I'm never right, anyway. If I hope for anything, it's that players remain healthy. Injuries suck, and take all the fun out of it.

BYU 3/24/2102 Post-game Interview pt 1

After Saturday night's game, I was able to catch Coaches Chad Sackett and Brandon Gilliam for a couple of questions each.  I really noticed Brandon being vocal and coaching on the sideline during the game and it made me think about how the PDL can be a source of coaching development as well as player development.  I asked Chad what he thought about Brandon's role.

I also asked Brandon about his role on the sideline.

Supporting my local team!

Tonight was a busy night of soccer.  RSL hosting Chivas USA, the USMNT U23s taking on Canada, and my hometown BYU Cougars hosting the University of Denver Pioneers in a preseason friendly.  Pollyanna and I went to the BYU game (it's hard to argue with a game a mile from your house), and I tried to track the RSL game at RSLKickOff while Pollyanna manned the camera and I watched and took notes on the game in front of us.

Minutes 1-15:
BYU gave up a yellow card (Garrett Losee) very early, and absorbed a lot of pressure from the Pioneers.  They seemed to do well moving the ball down the right side of the field, but it would be hard to call their possession dangerous.  I was impressed with BYU's defensive hustle.  Assistant Coach Brandon Gilliam was a vocal presence on the bench.

Minutes 16-30:
BYU's Sterling Hancock playing some good defense.  BYU still doing well with possession, but too often making unforced give-aways.  They seem to win more than their share of those balls back though.  Losee gets a good shoot on goal off a counter but the Pioneers Keeper, Mate Aguirre, is there to make the save,

Minutes 31-45 (and stoppage):
First subs for both teams.  BYU's possession seems to be mostly in their own half, with occasional probes forward.  In the 43rd minute we're starting to hear some chanting from the crowd - "BYU!  BYU! B! Y! Youuu!".  BYU responds by looking very dangerous.  First, Losee gets another nice strike which is deflected high -- too bad, he'd beaten the keeper.  In the resulting corner a BYU player (didn't get his number) attempted a bicycle kick, and finally another BYU player heads the ball high.  The Pioneers end the half with a fruitless goal kick.

At the half, I'd say BYU is playing well and winning the posession battle (though it's mostly toothless possession).  When they've gotten forward, they haven't been as sharp as they need to be.

Minutes 46-60:
Pioneers get the first chance of the half, but shoot high.  The resulting BYU possession comes to naught as a free kick is pushed just too far forward for a lurking striker on the left.  BYU retakes possession, then gives it away with an errant pass, retakes it, and it ends with a cross being smothered by the Pioneers Keeper.  More BYU possession, killed this time by a bad first touch.

Minutes 61-75:
BYU swarming and winning the possession battle.  When they lose the ball, they seem to get it right back most of the time.  Then the Pioneers get possession and move up the right side where they win a corner and score in the 70th minute.  BYU is not rattled and pushes numbers up into the attack.  They get some nice chances, but nothing to show for them.

Minutes 76-90:
BYU is keeping a lot of possession.  In the 81st minute, they move a CB up into the attack and start playing a very high line.  The Pioneers counter and there's a nervy moment for BYU as the ball is pinged around the box for too long before being cleared.  Both sides trade attacks, with Denver nearly getting a striker through on a goal kick over the top — his shot is way off target though.

Stoppage time:

BYU is very dangerous on repeated corners, the Pioneers seem unable to clear and finally Losee equalizes with a goal you felt was almost inevitable.   BYU keeps the pressure on, winning another corner.  The ball bounces around the box with a shot, a save, another shot, a nice partial clearance, and finally the full-time whistle.

Final thoughts:
This was a good night for BYU and with better finishing, they could have scored a couple.  I don't think anyone is unhappy with the tie though.  I caught up with Coach Sackett and Coach Gilliam after the game, so look for some interview notes on Monday.

BYU drops Home Opener to Fresno Fuego - 20 May 2011

It's been raining most of the week, but the weather cleared in time for the game leaving conditions just about perfect for a night of soccer. Sadly, the recent bead weather seems to have scared people away. A lot of people missed an entertaining, if chippy, game.

Fresno put BYU on their heels with a piercing run and score off of the opening kick-off. The Cougars never quite recovered. Playing on a wet field that seemed to slow them down a half step, the boys in blue always seemed to be just behind the final pass, though they were able to rattle two shots off the woodwork. The Fuego adapted better to the field conditions and put two more balls into the goal.

One strike, the third, was particularly beautiful. With his back to BYU's goal, Tyler Reinhart chested down a pass from Gustano Cignetti. In one fluid motion, Reinhart spun and took his shot putting the ball past keeper Cory Cosgrove.

BYU should take away some positives from the game. They had several dangerous looking runs. BJ Pugmire was unlucky not to put away a goal or two. I'm sure the team will be looking to put things right on Tuesday when they play their in state rivals, the Ogden Outlaws.

It might not be the level of MLS, but I'm sure glad to have a PDL team in my backyard.

Interviewing the Pros, What Sports Writers Think about RSL and MLS

Back in 2008 I interviewed Michael Lewis (@RSLTribune) and James Edward (@DesNewsReal) about RSL, MLS, and what it was like to cover them. With all the changes in the world of RSL, I wanted to reprise that interview. Michael was kind enough to join me again. This time around, he's joined by Jeremy Horton (@RSL_Jeremy) who writes for Goal.com.

RSL and MLS have come a long way since the last interview, I can't wait to see what happens next.

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Local coverage of RSL has exploded. Where do you think RSL and MLS sit in terms of the local sports scene? What about the national scene?

JH: I've seen big strides in not just the amount of coverage RSL is getting locally, but the quality of coverage has improved as well. Print and TV media are taking RSL more seriously, and their reporters are more soccer-saavy and knowledgeable. You still get the occasional "soccer sucks...why do I have to be here?" article, but there's a lot less of that. RSL still gets less love than college football and the Jazz, but the gap is narrowing. I think that's due to exactly one thing: winning.

Nationally, RSL has become the darling of American soccer. It's a feel-good story; small market team, no big names. People love this stuff. Right now I'm getting 5 times the normal amount of e-mail from soccer reporters around the country, asking questions about RSL. I think it's great for the team and MLS in general.

MCL: Judging by the traffic our RSL coverage generates, I would say that RSL sits a strong third in its local market, behind the Jazz and the two universities, Utah and Brigham Young. What's been most interesting to me is that the team seems to have forged its own niche of fans relatively independent of the other sports in town. Not that there isn't any overlap, but there's not as much as some might have imagined would have been necessary for this club to thrive. In fact, it seems to have a fan base that is very independent and dedicated to it foremost. Of course, it's not to the point that RSL can generate much interest among the sports-radio crowd — and Jeremy is right; surely every article includes some dullard's online comment that "soccer's dumb, can't use your hands!" — but that probably isn't the case anywhere in the U.S.

Nationally, I'd say RSL is a monster story within the soccer community. It has often been a major focus for national magazines and web sites the past 18 months because of its successes and the way it has achieved them — with its "team is the star" approach. That's an appealing storyline, as well as a difficult one to manage in the world of modern sports, so I think that helps. It also helps that RSL has built itself to this level from its very humble origins as an absolutely train wreck of a team, in its early years.

JH: Mike brings up a great point about insulation in the RSL market. I feel like a lot of RSL fans are more dedicated than your average Jazz or college sports fan, but that average sports fan isn't as likely to ever show up at an RSL game on a whim. So the insulative effect kind of goes both ways.

Last time around we talked a bit about RSL's potential for growth. James and Michael both pointed to growth/attendance as a function of success on the field. It looks like their observations have held true. What do you think needs to happen off the field for RSL to capitalize on it's current run of success?

JH: Off the field, I believe RSL need to keep finding ways to turn occasional attendees into regular attendees. I think RSL have made significant strides in garnering support from within the Latino community - success in the Champion's League has helped a lot. They need to keep building that relationship. I also think RSL need to strengthen their ties in the youth soccer community because those "soccer families" are a key support base. Their newly-announced relationship with Sparta is a great step. Finally, the team should do more to reach out to the college demographic. They won't take in tons of money now, but making them into fans now will pay dividends in the future when they have families and disposable income.

MCL: I agree that those are laudable and potentially effective goals, but I also believe that there is nothing any team can do off the field that achieves more than winning on the field does. It lures ever more casual fans who then might enjoy the games and become more dedicated, and their kids grow up with soccer as the same kind of authentic backdrop as baseball, football and basketball have been for generations of sports fans in the United States. Conversely, losing teams almost never, in my experience, enjoy great crowds because they have some partnership with a club program or great promotional displays at the grocery store. Winning sells, more than anything else.

JH: Obviously Mike is right on the money. I mentioned some things RSL can do off the field, but continuing to win will help RSL grow more than everything else put together. They're about to sell out the Champion's League final two weeks in advance with almost no marketing specifically for this game. That's what success on the field will do for you.

If you could change one thing about the way RSL's front office interacts with the media, what would it be?

JH: Honestly, nothing. I wouldn't change a thing. The front office has always been first-class with me, even when I was an amateur blogger. They used to drag players down to the Salt Lake library for us to interview on The RSL Show - one or two players every week for five years and counting! One day Robbie Findley was sitting there on the show rapping, and I asked myself, 'would Kobe Bryant ever be doing this'? Not a chance. Only this franchise would make players that accessible to a bunch of regular guys like me. And because of that, my name got out there and I eventually landed in this career. I will be forever grateful to the front office for that.

MCL: Don't think I'd change anything, either. Surely it owes in part to the team's origins as an entity trying to carve out a niche for itself in the marketplace, but it continues to provide fantastic service to those of us in the news media. Access is incredible -- miss somebody at practice? they'll have him call you -- the entire staff is approachable, friendly, honest and forthcoming. Don't think you can find that at many major sports organizations. At the root of it, I sense, is a feeling from the top down that treating the media well and respectfully begets a certain reciprocity. It also illustrates an understanding that we are there mostly to tell the team's story. Yes, that might sometimes include negative appraisals or difficult circumstances. But even then, it's not the end of the world, and this team as much as any other appreciates that greater access and availability allows a broader story to be told, and a greater inclination for media outlets to provide coverage. The hard truth is, if you make it too hard for people to cover your team -- especially when you're an upstart soccer team in the United States and not the NFL or NBA -- you make it really easy for people not to bother. This team has done the opposite, and I think very clearly have reaped serious benefits.

As for other teams, I have found most of them pretty accommodating and professional as well, though a few still sometimes make things more difficult than they need to be or act a little too self-important. Thankfully, that's pretty rare.

RSL's daily news roundup is including a lot more fan-produced, blog material. How do you think this kind of information impacts your role as a professional reporter? How do you interact with it?

JH: I love it. I love seeing fans producing material because they have a passion for the team that no indifferent beat writer can manufacture. It probably helps that I got my start in that same vein. The proliferation of social media means more people have access to players' thoughts, which increases the legitimacy of fan-produced material. I don't really feel like fan-produced material is impacting what I do because I don't really view us as competitors. I feel we're more like teammates. My opinion is there can never be too much coverage out there. And you're starting to see the major print and TV media outlets start to incorporate or quote these bloggers, which I think is the right thing to do.

MCL: Again, I think part of RSL's willingness to embrace that aspect of the media stems from the fact that it's hard for a soccer team in the U.S. to generate a ton of news coverage in significant portions of the mainstream media. But it's also true that the media landscape is shifting significantly to include more and more fan-generated content, blogs, etc., and I don't see how that's necessarily a bad thing. It might not be the prototypical "professional journalism," per se -- it's harder for fans and bloggers to invest the time and effort it takes to cover the team on a regular, in-depth basis, and I think there will always be a demand for those of us in the media who can -- but the opinions and analysis expressed in those forums are hardly any less valid. Some of those fans and bloggers are really very well educated on the team and the game, and I've found I've learned quite a lot from them. If nothing else, they inform the discussion, and as Jeremy said, I don't think there's any such thing as too much coverage.

I see a bit of grumbling from fans of other teams, and I remember grumbling about MLS' handling of the Galaxy leading up to the 2009 championship. What impact do you think being a media darling has on RSL's fans and potential fans?

JH:Sure, other teams' fans will grumble - that's the nature of being a sports fan. We always want our team to get the press and not the others. But for those who are RSL fans or potentially could be, being the "media darling" is nothing but a positive. Especially given the character and hard work that RSL's coaches and players display on the field, and their humility off the field, make them the kind of team that people like to get behind. The way the players get behind each other and their "team is the star" attitude is appealing to us average joes. That's how we want things to go at our jobs, but it seems like every company has its David Beckham, doesn't it? So the media attention is nothing but a plus for RSL fans and potential fans.

MCL: If you mean that people grumble because some teams in the league sometimes appear to be treated as the "stars" without the credentials to back it up, well, that's just always going to happen, in every league in every sport. But RSL has done so well that it has started to reverse that -- seems like you can't watch an MLS game anymore without the broadcasters raving about what a great job they're doing at RSL -- which surely satisfies a fan base that has grown accustomed (and weary) of the big-market teams getting so much of the attention even before they have done anything. There are so many potential fans who might become interested now, too, because RSL is being mentioned all over the country (and the region, with Champions League) by virtue of its increasingly impressive performances. Many of those people might never have known RSL had existed, in the past.

What are your favorite RSL memories of the last couple of years?

JH: Obviously the MLS Cup run was great, as has been the Champion's League so far, but my best memories center around the nondescript moments: warm summer nights at the stadium, working with the front office, getting to know the players. The fans obviously know we've got great soccer players here, but they may not understand that these great players are also great people. So I'd say watching this team grow and come together over the last few years has become the most indellible memory I've got.

MCL: I must say that I won't soon forget how quickly a roaring sellout stadium in practically a shantytown of a neighborhood in Costa Rica can fall almost entirely silent, courtesy of RSL's Jamison Olave the other night.

My other favorite memories include wondering just how long it was going to take his teammates to finally reach Robbie Russell to mob him after the winning penalty kick at the 2009 MLS Cup — their rush to do so seemed to take FOREVER! — and sitting stunned at how RSL came roaring back in that playoff game in Columbus that started their drive to the Cup. Most of all, I'd say I have really enjoyed getting to learn more about the sport — I was a total neophyte when I began covering RSL in 2005 — and the way the players, coaches and team executives have been so willing to help teach me, even if they didn't even really know they were doing it. Although I'm far from an expert, I do feel like I have a much greater grasp of the game, and a far greater appreciation of it.

How to deal with the CCL and Superliga

With the Don's latest state of the league comments about the importance of the Concacaf Champions League (CCL) and the extra load that it puts on teams that do well in the MLS standings, I've been thinking about what the league could do. Let's start out with the commissioner's problem description:

We need to prove that we can be among the best teams in the region, and that means beating Mexico. It certainly means beating teams from smaller countries that don't have our resources. What we've got to look at, clearly it is almost a disincentive for clubs when they finish in the top four [in MLS] and they play right now in so many different tournaments and competitions. We are trying to mix that up between Champions League, SuperLiga and the U.S. Open Cup.

I've seen a lot of comments on blogs that suggest rewarding the teams that get into the CCL or Superliga either monetarily or with some kind of roster exemptions. I think that's a bad model to follow, because it increases the disparity between the haves and the have-nots in the league.

A better model would be to find a way to get every team extra playing opportunities and increase all of the teams roster sizes and salary caps. In fact, we might already have all the pieces in place (or at least in recent memory). What about something like this (for US teams only ... the Canadians have their own system in place):

CCL is handled per the current system; MLS Cup Winner, Supports Shield Winner, US Open Cup Winner, and the next highest finisher in the MLS Championship playoffs get to go. The first two get right into the main tourney, while the last two go into the play-in round.

The next four finishers in the MLS playoffs go to the Superliga. This tournament should be expanded to include other Concacaf teams that don't qualify for the CCL. It would become sort of an analog to the Euoropa League.

Bring back the Reserve League, sort of, for the rest of the teams. What about a third tier tournament that takes in all of the MLS teams (including the Canadian ones) not involved in the CCL or Superliga. Mix in some invited USL (and whatever the new breakaway 2nd division league becomes) and maybe a couple of non-US/Canadian teams.

With a three-tiered system like this, all of the teams would play the extra games needed to level the playing field. It would provide an opportunity for every team to get the extra player development that non-league games provide. Every team would have similar loads in terms of games/playing time throughout the year. Best of all, there are more opportunities for us fans to catch a game.

BYU Game Tonight (4/10/2009)

In a third tune-up match of the pre-season, the BYU Cougars will be hosting the Weber State at the Stadium at South Field.

This should be a great chance to warm up for a big weekend of soccer, even if the weather is a bit chilly.

TFC @ RSL -- the TLA cup on July 28th

I’ve been giving a lot of attention to the Cougars recently, and I’ll probably do one or two season wrap up posts about them now that their season is over, but now my attention is turning more toward RSL and the rest of MLS. Grabbing my immediate attention, RSL will face visiting Toronto FC in a battle of turf based, recent expansion teams this Monday.

RSL didn’t do too well against Santos in its last friendly, but has a chance to redeem themseves tonight against Saprissa. Their league record has been pretty good of late though, and their defense has been outstanding. With Fabian Espindola returning to the lineup tonight, I think we can look for some offensive spark to be added to the mix.

Toronto hasn’t looked good in league, tournament, or friendly play. They’ve not won a game since mid-June, and have dropped games (including the Canadian championship) to USL teams. I’m sure that pride and passion will be at the fore for TFC when they play in Salt Lake City.

RSL has a chance to pad their Western Conference lead with a win at home, and I think that’s what we’ll see. I think Rimando will extend his unscored upon streak, and that RSL will put a couple of balls into the back of the net, call it a 0-2 final.

RSL will probably need the full three points to stay on top since LA should beat FC Dallas. I don’t think Colorado or Houston will be taking any points from their games this week though, so (hopefuly) we’ll start to see some separation in the west.

Vancouver Whitecaps Residency @ BYU

I wasn’t able to watch the game live Friday night, but I did record the BYU-TV broadcast to watch on Saturday. I really wanted to see how the Vancouver Whitecaps Residency program looked. I’ve got to say that it’s an impressive program.

For the most part, Vancouver owned the field last night—coming away with a 2-0 win. While the whole team looked good Randy Edwini-Bonsu stood out, with both great speed and nice control. At one point he turned on the jets and made up about 20 yards overtaking a BYU midfielder in front of him.

I’m interested in seeing which other teams (USL or MLS) might start up another PDL level residency program. I don’t know that we’ll see anything for another year or two. If the Whitecaps can capture a couple of solid players I think we’ll see more teams picking up the idea.

While BYU didn’t manage to put anything into the back of the net, they did have some dangerous looking moments. Steve Francis and Zack DeFrancis both had good looks at the goal but weren’t able to convert. Bryan Black started in goal and looked pretty good, his size and positioning worked out pretty well.

RSL Reserves @ BYU

Last night was a rarity in soccer, a big game in which the final score didn’t really matter. RSL’s reserves beat the BYU Cougars in the Coug’s brand new Stadium at South Field in front of 3110 fans. Beat is probably too soft a word, RSL’s Robbie Findley put the ball past BYU’s Brandon Gillam twice in the stretch of two minutes midway through the first half, at which point RSL seemed to let off the gas. They continued to play very well in the defensive and middle thirds of the fields, but didn’t look like they were trying very hard in the final third. RSL put a third goal on the board minute when Quinney Varela scored in the 90th.

Oft injured Nathan Sturgis started for RSL and took a knock in the opening minutes, and was off the field by the fifth minute. I saw him at halftime with ice on his ankle, but not looking too put out. Hopefully it’s just a ding and doesn’t affect his return to the senior side or his olympic aspirations.

It was also interesting to see Clint Mathis in the midfield for RSL. A Real staffer I was sitting next to said that he was just a friend of Jason Kreis and was playing to keep in shape for the upcoming European season.

Kenny Deuchar and Robbie Findley both started the game. Robbie looked pretty good, but my first up close and personal view of the good Doctor didn’t impress me too much. His touch seemed off, his passes were often weak dribbles, and he put another nice chance over the crossbar. Hopefully he gets past whatever is holding him back, but I’m no longer convinced that he’s the answer for RSL’s front line.

Mattias Mantilla started in the back, and looked good and not-so-good by turns. By the tenth minute of the game, it was obvious that Mantilla was unhappy with the refs. He seemed to be getting awfully close to a card for dissent at several points in the game. His tough challenges also earned the displeasure of the crowd who were booing his every touch by the end of the game. He did come up with several big plays, but also had a couple of gaffes—misjudging a long ball and letting BYU get control in the backfield at one point in the first half, and being undressed by a BYU player (Jordan Cushman?) in the second.

One last RSL observation, it was interesting to see how intent Jason Kreis was even in the closing minutes of the game. Although he was very gracious in his post game comments (see Drew Daniel’s write-up for Kries’ comments), it was obvious he was ‘on task’ during the game.

On the BYU side of the ledger, they put a lot of players out on the field (working through four different keepers for example). I’m sure the experience was good for all of them, and they all seemed to have enjoyed the night. The usual suspects looked good. Jace Green and Zack DeFrancis both looked as though they might score at several points in the game.

The new stadium looks like it will be a great place for BYU mens’ soccer. The crowd was loud and fairly involved in the game. (They even drowned out the small contigent of RSL fans—at least from where I stood.) I don’t envy visiting PDL clubs, this place has the makings of a PDL fortress.

I also really enjoyed sitting with the BYU-International Spanish-speaking commentators. I loved hearing them call the game, and thought it was cool to hang it with them as they interviewed Javier Morales at the half. Javi seemed to enjoy being interviewed in Spanish, and it was nice to be able to follow along with most of the questions and answers.

Oh, and I’d like to thank Robbie Findley for being very friendly and posing for a picture with two of my former scouts who caught up with him right after the game. Moments like those go a long way in community building.

Good Weekend for RSL and BYU

It’s been a good weekend for the teams I follow. Both BYU and RSL won their games, with BYU claiming the season series over Ogden 3-0-1 and RSL climbing into 1st place in the (somewhat weak) west. RSL’s U-17 team also won it’s final round game against DC United’s U-17 team, earning both the SUM U-17 championship and entry into the 2009 Trofeo Quixote U-17 tournament in Madrid, Spain.

BYU and the RSL Reserves will be facing each other on Tuesday night to open BYU’s new ‘Stadium at South Field. This should be a fun game, and I can’t wait to go and see it. (As usual, I’ll be taking my son—not quite as usual, he’ll be on crutches after dislocating his knee.)

One interesting bit is that RSL’s win put them at 1.43 ppg, good enough for first place in the MLS West, while BYU’s 1.64 ppg is only good enough for fourth in the PDL Northwest and leaves them out of the playoffs. The PDL might be a few steps below the MLS in terms of quality, it looks like they’re ahead of them in terms of competition …

US Open Cup 2008: Thoughts after the quarterfinals

Intersting results last night. Crystal Palace Baltimore has to be a huge surprise, even in losing last night they were impressive taking the New England Revolution to penalties—what more could you ask from a USL2 side? I’m also glad to see both USL1 sides moving on (Seattle on PKs over the Kansas City Wizards after a 0-0 tie and Charleston on a 3-1 win over FC Dallas).

I’m not sure how I feel about the USL1 v USL1 and MLS v MLS semi final round. On the one hand, it guarantees an MLS v USL1 final, but it would have been nice to see two usl1 v MLS games in the semis too.

As the semi’s stand, I think we’ll see a very hot DC team beat New England and the MLS-bound Sounders beat Charleston. I’d like to pick Seattle in the final, but I don’t see anyone outside of the Super Liga stopping DC United right now.

Ogden at BYU: July 8th

Tonight I’ve decided to try something new. I’m typing up this blog entry and will post it once I get home (I’d have posted it from here, but I can’t get any WiFi signal here at Haws Field). Hopefully this goes pretty well.

After last weeks loss, BYU coach Chris Watkins talked about using the remainder of the season to get younger players some time as the Cougars build toward next season. Given the rivalry between these two teams you’ve got to think that the grooming process might have to wait for another game. We’ll see how things look when we get to game time.

Okay, BYU’s starting lineup seems like it’s pretty seasoned. It looks like the rivalry trumps last week's comments.

Game starts

At five minutes in, the game has been fairly balanced BYU has had a bit more posession, but Ogde has looked more organized. I still think BYU loses too much posession on the long balls they tend to play out of the back.

Jordan Cushman is taking the right side corners tonight.

Drew took a bit of a knock in the 12th minute, but game back onto the field quickly and doesn’t seem ot have lost a step.

Fifteen menutes in and things are about the same, BYU seems more energetic but not as crisp as Ogden.

BYU is starting to look like they’re getting it together. Their passing is more crisp and they’re winning more balls and creating some chances.

at the thirtieth minute BYU is controlling most of the possession, but can’t put the final touch together. They look pretty solid on defense though, when Ogden does gain control and pressese the attack. Steve Fellows almost put in a beautiful cross by Zach DeFrancis, bu the effort goes just wide.

I can’t tell if BYU’s problems are chemistry or concentration. They show flashes of great play, putting together good passes and nice control, but then drop a cross into a slot without a runner coming on to it.

Ogden puts a nice attack together with about nine minutes left in the hald, but it comes to naught as the shot is over the crossbar. The Outlaws continue to come on strong as time is winding down, they’ve put together three or four good attacks while allowing BYU only one.

Maybe I spoke too soon, with about two minutes left, BYU get’s a great run from Steve Fellows resulting in a corner kick. Derek Taylor gets on the end of it, but puts a header high and left. They take the ball back just past midfield and drive again, only to see a beautiful ball go just left of the goal.

Britton Osborn earns a yellow with a minute left on the clock, but Ogden isn’t able to capitalize. Brit continued to jaw at the ref, and could well have drawn a red.

End of first half.

Overall, the center ref has been a bit hesitant to call anything, but the game hasn’t gotten out of control. Neither team has been able to put their stamp on the game. It's been great fun to watch so far, I'm looking forward to a strong second half.

Second half starts

Ogden has owned the game in the early minutes of the second half, controlling posession and forcing two corner kicks.

BYU is able to take back some possession and go on the attack, though Zack DeFrancis put the final shot wide.

(BYU) Curt Graham goes in for Derek Taylor in the fifty-second minute. The substitution pays of moments later as Curt puts the ball in the back of the net.

0-1 BYU

The Ogden bench is steaming abut what they’re claiming are non-calls. But they manage to put a sitter over the crossbar when it’s dropped in their lap. You can complain about the refs all you want, but you have to make those shots if you want to win a game.

Play has evened out a bit, both sides are attacking well and looking dangerous.

Ogden makes a double substitution, let’s see if it pays off as well from them.

BYU counters with a substitution of their own, brining Steve Magleby on for Jordan Cushman.

Ogden has been on the attack, but is a call or two and a big save from Brandon Gilliam from equalizing.

BYU just dodged a bullet with a goal line clearance on a a shot by Ogden 21. Ogden earns a corner from the clearance though.

BYU subs their captain off, with #26 going on in his place. It looks like a trade for fresh legs and a bit of height.

Ogden equalizes on a beautiful cross to an unmarked Kyle Christenson.

1-1 Ogden

BYU gets it right back on a quick goal by Steve Fellows (assist Brit Osborne). One of the Ogden players had stepped out of play with an equipment problem and BYU struck fast.

1-2 BYU

BYU nearly picked up another goal as Steve Fellows drove a nice pass just beyond a driving Zack DeFrancis.

Another sub on both sides are standing on the side just waiting to be signaled in. BYU’s Zack DeFrancis is coming of and being replaced by Jace Green. While James Jarmillo is being replaced by Zach VanWagenen for Ogden.

BYU misses wide left on a nice shot by Jace Green. Brit Osborn is coming off and Scott Heaton replaces him after the shot.

Steve Magleby is able to take a shot, but it’s a low roller that’s easily stopped by Ogden’s keeper.

BYU has controlled the last 10 minutes or so of the game at the end of regulation. The ref has indicated 3 minutes of stoppage time, and the Ogden bench is going crazy.

Jace Green gets another great chance, but the Ogden keeper is able to touch it wide.

End of game

This was a very fun game to watch. The Ogden coaches and players are obviously still unhappy, but I don't think either team was unduly favored by the ref tonight. As usual, there were more chances left on the field by both teams than potential scoring opportunities lost to bad calls or non-calls.