By Ridge Mahoney Both finalists were intensely deserving of lifting MLS Cup, so one can’t begrudge Sporting Kansas City its title. Ten rounds of penaltykicks were needed for SKC to outlast Real Salt Lake, which had won its MLS Cup in 2009 on penalty kicks, 5-4, but this time fell short, 7-6, in a marathon. […]
real salt lake
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Saborio and Wingert good to go, Kreis' future unclear
[MLS CUP COUNTDOWN] Real Salt Lake should get back its two starters, Alvaro Saborio and Chris Wingert, who missed the second leg of the Western Conference final for Saturday’s MLS Cup final against Sporting Kansas City (TV: ESPN, UniMas, 4 p.m. ET). Less clear is the futureof RSL coach Jason Kreis, whose contract is about […]
Posted inSoccerTalk with Paul Gardner, Story
MLS Cup: The KC Method vs. the RSL Style
By Paul Gardner Scanning the Kansas City and the Real Salt Lake rosters for a likely MVP in today’s final, two names — representing two very different aspects of soccer– stand out: Aurelien Collin for KC, and Javier Morales for RSL. Collin the defensive battler. Morales the creative schemer. Suggesting that if KC win, it […]
Posted inSoccer America Confidential, Story
MLS Cup Preview: Real Salt Lake rates edge in positional comparisons
By Ridge Mahoney There’s a lot more to a championship game than the matchups of players, individually and collectively, but running down theteams position-by-position does highlight strengths and weaknesses. For MLS Cup 2013 to be played Saturday (4 p.m. ET, ESPN) at Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kan., here’s how thecontestants stack up: GOALKEEPERS. Jimmy […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Rimando wins second straight Save of the Year honor
[VIDEO PICK: Goalkeeping] Real Salt Lake’s 5-foot-9 goalkeeper Nick Rimando, who will be busy on Saturday trying to win his third MLS Cup, wonMLS’s Save of the Year award for the second straight year with his double-stop against the against the Colorado Rapids. The 34-year-old Rimando, in his 14th MLS season, won MLS titles withReal […]
Posted inSoccer America Confidential, Story
Real Salt Lake, the makeover team, makes it all the way to final
By Ridge Mahoney Rebuild. Revamp. Reload. Rebound. None of those words matter to Real Salt Lake, where the ‘r’ word thatcounts is Results. It can cap off a remarkable season of recovery (!) by beating Sporting Kansas City in the 2013 MLS Cup championship game on Saturday. Regardless of the outcome, however, RSL hasproven that […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Referee of the Year Grajeda gets final
[SPORTING KC-REAL SALT LAKE: Referee] Hilario Grajeda, who refereed the 2013 MLS All-Star Game in Kansas City, will returnto Sporting Park to referee Saturday’s MLS Cup final between Sporting Kansas City and Real Salt Lake. Here’s are some stats on the 2013 Referee of the Year. 23. Grajeda refereed 23 games in 2013, tied with […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
MLS Cup should be hottest ticket, and coldest final ever
[SPORTING KC-REAL SALT LAKE: Countdown] MLS Cup 2013 will surely be remembered for two things: Saturday’s Sporting Kansas City-Real Salt Lake game is the hottestticket in the history of league, and it will be the coldest final. The extra week between the second leg of the conference final and MLS Cup allowed for the host […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
RSL takes revamped squad into MLS Cup
[MLS PLAYOFFS: Portland-Real Salt Lake] The MLS Western Conference title came down to two teams that went through very different turnarounds in 2013, and in theend, experience prevailed. Leading, 4-2, from the first leg, and not fazed by a typically frenzied Portland crowd at Jeld-Wen Field, Real Salt Lake fended off the Timbers and notched […]
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Aggressive approach, home field boost Timbers' chances
[MLS PLAYOFFS: Portland-Real Salt Lake] When Portland and Real Salt Lake meet Sunday to decide which of them will play in MLS Cup, the team that needs to scorewill have its greatest attacking threat. In a conference call with reporters Friday, head coaches Caleb Porter and Jason Kreis gave updates on Diego Valeri and Alvaro […]