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	<channel>		<title>RUWT? News</title>
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		<description>RUWT? News for Real Salt Lake</description>
		<language>en-us</language>
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		<pubDate>Sun, 22 Nov 2009 15:09:18 GMT</pubDate>
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			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Real Salt Lake-Galaxy Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By GREG BEACHAM
AP Sports Writer

Real Salt Lake (11-12-7) at Los Angeles (12-6-12), 8:30 p.m. EDT

LOS ANGELES (AP) --  The only obstacle between David Beckham's Los
Angeles Galaxy and a Major League Soccer championship is an MLS
Cup opponent that barely made the playoffs after finishing the
regular season with a losing record.

Sure, it might sound like a simple Sunday in Seattle for
Beckham, Landon Donovan and the star-studded Galaxy. Yet Los
Angeles coach Bruce Arena is certain it'll be anything but easy
to finish off Real Salt Lake in the league final.

"I don't think any of us focus on who are the underdogs or
anything like that," Arena said Tuesday. "Very little separates
one team from the other. ... Let me tell you, Salt Lake was not
a team with a record of six more losses than wins this year or
something. They were a team that was right up there. They've
been a competitive team throughout the season."

The Galaxy and Real will travel to the Pacific Northwest later
in the week for the one-game culmination of the MLS season, with
Los Angeles looking to win its third league title in its record
sixth appearance in the championship. Salt Lake squeaked into
the playoffs' eighth seed at 11-12-7 before winning three
straight postseason games to make its first final.

"Wow, it sounds like we better not even go," said Real Salt Lake
coach Jason Kreis, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "We don't
even have a chance, do we?"

Nobody in either locker room expects a coronation for the
Galaxy, even after they finally meshed their star talent with
outstanding results. Los Angeles finished with the Western
Conference's best record despite a rocky start to the season
during which Beckham was booed by the home crowd during a
friendly against AC Milan for his elongated dalliance with that
Italian team.

"We've been growing as a team all year, and this is definitely
the culmination of that effort," said defender Gregg Berhalter,
who scored the extra-time winner - his first goal all season -
in last Friday's Western Conference final against Houston. "We
haven't given up on ourselves, and we've been plugging away when
a lot of people were saying we weren't that good of a team."

With Beckham playing the best soccer of his U.S. career while
Donovan rose to the top of the MLS playoff scoring charts, both
stars happily missed national team assignments this fall to
pursue the league title. Since that rocky homecoming in July,
Beckham has reclaimed most of the fan support he lost during his
elongated stint in Italy - even though he's headed back to AC
Milan in January.

"I think the reason (fans staying angry with Beckham) didn't
happen was because of the way David played and demonstrated he
cares about the LA Galaxy," said Arena, who will go for his
third league title after winning two with DC United in the
1990s.

"His performance has quieted his detractors," Arena said. "I
think that day against AC Milan in the exhibition, obviously
there were some frustrated fans, and things weren't perfect, but
I never felt David wouldn't be able to handle it. He's played
with the biggest clubs in the world. I thought he was able to
handle anything, and he's done that."

Real Salt Lake also opened the season under a spotlight. They
were a popular preseason pick to contend for the league title
after reaching the conference championship game last season, but
an early seven-match winless skid suggested Real was overrated -
even to Kreis, who blamed himself for his club's early struggles
with poor motivational ploys and faulty lineups.

"It was dire, and I think I contributed to that because I was
very overconfident," Kreis said. "I think I added to what was a
little bit of an underlying thing on the team that we were a bit
overconfident going into this season. We had been reading a bit
too much about how we would compete for a championship this
year, and we forgot the little things that got us here. We don't
have stars on our team, and we had got away from that a little
bit."

Salt Lake was the last side to make the eight-team MLS playoff
field, winning the tiebreaker with DC United and Colorado after
all three finished with 40 points apiece. Real's 11-12-7 record
wasn't spectacular, but it was good enough to get in - and since
then, they've won three straight matches to advance to their
first league final.

While European observers might scoff at the idea of crowning a
champion that couldn't even win more than it lost during league
play, the system works for Arena and MLS.

"No one cares what the rest of the world thinks," Arena said.
"We have a system here that's really an American sports
tradition here: playoffs. It's not that unique."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/134940-Real-Salt-Lake-Galaxy-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/134940-Real-Salt-Lake-Galaxy-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Wed, 18 Nov 2009 04:44:41 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[RSL wins on PKs to reach MLS Cup final]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO
STATS Writer

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. (STATS) - Real Salt Lake's playoff history may
be brief, but it's known for dramatics.

Gaining its first berth in the MLS Cup final wasn't any
different, beating the Chicago Fire 5-4 on penalty kicks after
120 scoreless minutes in the Eastern Conference final Saturday
night.

Salt Lake reached the playoffs by beating Colorado 3-0 on the
final day of the regular season, making it the second straight
year a season-ending result against the Rapids clinched a
playoff spot.

In both cases, RSL carried that momentum into the conference
final. Last year, the club fell 1-0 to New York despite a 24-11
advantage in shots.

This time, Ned Grabavoy - a Chicago-area native and substitute
in the final minute of overtime - scored the winning penalty
kick in the seventh round as his shot went off the fingertips of
Fire goalkeeper Jon Busch.

"Last year was a little bit of a laugher because we were just so
much better than New York and didn't reach the final," coach
Jason Kreis said. "(This is) really a special night and a
special moment for this club and for everybody involved."

Salt Lake goalkeeper Nick Rimando made three saves in the
shootout - all to his left - after stopping six shots through
overtime.

RSL, which joined the league in 2005, will meet Los Angeles in
the MLS Cup final on Nov. 22 at Qwest Field in Seattle. The
Galaxy reached the title game with a 2-0 overtime win against
Houston on Friday.

The Fire have lost three consecutive conference finals, and fell
for the second time on penalties this season. They lost the
SuperLiga final 4-3 via the tiebreaker to Tigres of Mexico on
June 27.

"It's an empty feeling in your stomach right now," Chicago coach
Denis Hamlett said. "I think all season we worked hard and stuck
together to get to this point and to lose the way we lost
tonight; sometimes soccer is a cruel sport."

The game was nearly decided in the final seconds of regulation
as forward Robbie Findley's shot from the top of the box got
through a crowd in front of the net, but was cleared off the
line by John Thorrington.

Fire forward Brian McBride saw his header hit the crossbar in
the 27th minute, and midfielder Marco Pappa had a shot in the
67th minute saved by a diving Rimando.

This was the first conference final to reach penalties since
Rimando stopped two to help D.C. defeat New England in 2004.

"I can't give all my secrets away, but it's something I feel
comfortable with," he said. "Even these guys, before we went out
for the second half (my teammates) were talking 'listen if we go
down to penalty kicks, we've got one of the best ones in the
league.'"

While reaching the MLS Cup final is a first for RSL, it's also a
first for Kreis, who played 12 seasons with Dallas and Salt Lake
before unexpectedly retiring to become coach in 2007.

"I feel awesome," said Kreis, who was the first player selected
by RSL in the 2005 expansion draft and still ranks fourth in MLS
history with 108 goals. "I feel fantastic. I feel rewarded for
all the hard work that's been put in. To finally get here is
awesome."

RSL owner David Checketts stood by the inexperienced Kreis.

"Even as a player, I had picked him out as someday the coach of
our franchise," Checketts said. "I just knew that a guy that
size to lead MLS in scoring had something very special. What he
had special, it turns out, is how much he cares about our
franchise, and he's done some job this year."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/134107-RSL-wins-on-PKs-to-reach-MLS-Cup-final</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/134107-RSL-wins-on-PKs-to-reach-MLS-Cup-final</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 15 Nov 2009 16:21:52 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Real Salt Lake-Fire Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By ANDREW SELIGMAN
AP Sports Writer

Real Salt Lake (11-12-7) at Chicago (11-7-12), 8:00 p.m. EDT

CHICAGO (AP) --  Chicago Fire goalie Jon Busch has enjoyed
watching Cuauhtemoc Blanco the past three seasons and doesn't
want the "circus" to end.

Real Salt Lake would love nothing more than to pull down the
tent.

With a spot in the MLS Cup up for grabs, there is certainly no
shortage of story lines as these teams prepare to meet in the
Eastern Conference finals on Saturday in Bridgeview, Ill.

There's Blanco's pending departure and the Fire's desire to keep
the "circus," as Busch put it, surrounding the Mexican superstar
going a little longer. There's reports that Real owner Dave
Checketts is negotiating to sell nearly half the franchise to
local real estate developer Dell Loy Hansen. And there's the
simple fact that both teams are trying to break through to the
MLS Cup after falling in the conference finals a year ago, with
the Fire going down in the East and Real losing in the West.

"We've been very, very up and down and at times maddeningly
inconsistent," Real coach Jason Kreis said Wednesday in a
conference call. "But what we have shown this year is when we're
good, we're very, very good."

And, after finishing fifth in the Western Conference, Real
looked sharp in knocking off Columbus in the Eastern semifinals,
scoring the final three goals in a 3-2 victory on Nov. 5 to take
a series win on a 4-2 aggregate.

Now, they'll try to take out Chicago, the runner-up to Columbus
in the East during the regular season with 45 points and a loser
in the conference finals the past two years.

This time, the Fire are looking to advance to the MLS Cup and
delay the departure of Blanco, who signed with Chicago in 2007
and is headed back to Mexico to play for Veracruz.

"Everywhere we go, people want to come out and see him," Busch
said. "They don't really want to see us, but they want to see
him. It's pretty cool to see that circus that follows him
around. He's been great in the locker room with the guys, just
trying to be one of the guys. Obviously, on the field, his
vision that he brings, not many people can do that. Obviously,
that helps us in the game situations. I think all in all, it's
been a good situation for the Chicago Fire to have over the last
two years."

Blanco didn't play in the two regular-season games against Salt
Lake. Even so, the Fire got the better of Real.

Chicago pulled out a 1-0 win at home on Aug. 1 on Patrick
Nyarko's header in the 76th minute, and played to a 1-1 tie at
Salt Lake on Sept. 12. Now, Real will have to contend with
Blanco, who has come on strong after being limited by nagging
injuries.

The veteran midfielder was at his best in a 2-0 victory over New
England last week that gave Chicago the series win, scoring one
goal and setting up another, to lead the Fire back to the
conference finals for the third straight year.

"They have a good midfield group, and not only Blanco, but we're
going to have our eyes on all the attacking options," Real
midfielder Andy Williams said.

Starting with Blanco.

"He's a player that sees passes and can make plays that the
majority of players can't, to be completely honest," Kreis said.
"You've got to be aware when he's on the ball, what else is
happening? What are the other runs? Who's getting in behind you?
He can see those passes and complete those passes a lot of
people can't."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/133037-Real-Salt-Lake-Fire-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/133037-Real-Salt-Lake-Fire-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:42:20 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Real Salt Lake eliminates Columbus]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By BOB STEIN
STATS MLS Correspondent

COLUMBUS, Ohio (STATS) - It wasn't always attractive, but it was
effective and that's all that mattered to Real Salt Lake coach
Jason Kreis.

Javier Morales and Robbie Findley scored first-half goals and
Real Salt Lake advanced to its second straight conference final
with a 3-2 victory over the defending MLS Cup champion Columbus
Crew on Thursday night.

"The answer's always in the pudding," Kreis said. "This is the
first time in a long time, the first time since I've been a
coach here, that we've got any kind of result here. Or even
played a good game."

The victory, combined with a 1-0 home win Saturday, gave Salt
Lake a 4-2 aggregate win in the two-game series. After setting
an MLS record with a 24-game home unbeaten streak, Columbus
finished the season with three straight losses at home.

"If you look at the last three games ... it's not like we were
outplayed by any teams," said Crew coach Robert Warzycha.
"Obviously today was a game that we also dominated, but, you
know, somehow we gave them some goals. ... Sometimes the better
team doesn't win."

Guillermo Barros Schelotto, the reigning MLS MVP, gave the Crew
a 1-0 lead with an improbable tally off a 56-yard free kick in
the 19th minute. The ball bounced just outside the box and
passed inches beyond the reach of diving goalkeeper Nick
Rimando.

"Nobody got a head on it, and it went through," Rimando said.
"You really can't do anything unless someone clears it."

Schelotto scored again in the 35th minute. He intercepted a pass
from Salt Lake defender Robbie Russell and redirected the ball
to teammate Emmanuel Ekpo, who returned the pass. Schelotto
wrong-footed defender Jamison Olave before curling a low, hard
shot from the edge of the penalty area inside the right post.

"He was good," Kreis said of Schelotto, who was benched by
Warzycha on Saturday. "He was unbelievable. ... Sometimes
coaches make interesting decisions. (Warzycha's) decision to
insert him tonight I think lit a little fire under Mr.
Schelotto's rear end, and he was fantastic."

That gave the Crew a 2-1 cumulative lead, but it was
short-lived. In the 37th minute, Morales scored an opportunistic
goal following questionable defending in front of Columbus
goalkeeper William Hesmer.

Moments before the end of the first half, Crew captain Frankie
Hejduk was whistled for hauling down Salt Lake's Fabian
Espindola inside the penalty area. Findley drove a penalty kick
into the left side of the net as Hesmer dove to the right.

"I think the response from the guys was amazing," Rimando said.
"Earlier in the year, it wasn't like that, so I think we learned
a lot. And 2-0 became 2-2 at halftime and gave us confidence in
the second half."

Andy Williams scored in the 74th minute to give Salt Lake
additional breathing room.

In the 85th minute, the Crew's Robbie Rogers sent a pass into
the penalty area that second-half substitute Jason Garey headed
toward the goal. Rimando made a leaping, fingertip save for one
of his eight on the night.

In 2008, Salt Lake played in the Western Conference final, but
will compete this year in the Eastern finals due to MLS playoff
seedings.

Kreis said he hoped the victory would bring newfound respect for
his club.

"It'll be interesting to see this week if all those people who
were saying 'they've got no chance' are now starting to say
'they've got a chance,'" he said. "That'll be interesting."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/131682-Real-Salt-Lake-eliminates-Columbus</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/131682-Real-Salt-Lake-eliminates-Columbus</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 04:40:04 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Real Salt Lake-Crew Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO
STATS Writer

Real Salt Lake (11-12-7) at Columbus (13-7-10), 8:00 p.m. EDT

Guillermo Barros Schelotto never left the bench in the Columbus
Crew's playoff opener. Having him on the field for the second
leg of the Eastern Conference semifinals could provide the
offensive boost they need, but Real Salt Lake may have the
momentum.

The reigning MLS MVP will try to help the Crew muster some
offense and engineer a comeback against Salt Lake when the teams
meet Thursday night in Columbus.

The Crew are the reigning MLS Cup champion, and followed up
their first league title by going 13-7-10 to win a second
consecutive Supporters' Shield.

Much of that success has been attributed to Schelotto, who was
named league and Cup MVP last year after he had seven goals and
19 assists in the regular season before adding six more assists
in the playoffs.

The midfielder-forward, who assisted on all three Columbus goals
in the title game against New York last November, finished this
season with a team-high 12 goals and three assists, but was
rendered a spectator during Saturday's 1-0 loss at Salt Lake in
the first leg of this playoff series.

"Did you check his stats? How many goals does he have the last
four or five games since coming back from his injury? I put out
the players in my mind that can do the job and help the team,"
coach Robert Warzycha said. "Sometimes in the games you're not
scoring. Me as the coach, I have to find the solution. I'm not
saying I'm right all the time.

Warzycha hinted at putting Schelotto back in the lineup
Thursday.

"It's going to be a different game," Warzycha said. "Usually at
home we play much better. I need to see how he can best help the
team. If the team needs him he is going to play."

Columbus went 9-2-4 at home, but might need its playmaker after
losing four of its last five by 1-0 scores.

"It's always been a team that scores in bunches," midfielder
Danny O'Rourke said. "When we're hot, we're hot and when we're
not we're not."

The Crew managed just two shots on goal Saturday, as forward
Robbie Findley found the back of the net with two minutes to
play, giving RSL an advantage as it tries to return to a
conference final for a second consecutive year.

The Crew, though, beat Salt Lake 3-1 in the last meeting at
Columbus on July 18, improving to 4-1-0 all-time there.

Real's struggles on the road are well-documented. The team went
2-11-2 as visitors this season and owns a 10-51-16 all-time road
record.

"Right now, it's a different game because we won at home,"
midfielder Javier Morales said. "We need a tie there, but we
have to know that it will be a hard game. I think we have to
look for (at least) one more goal."

Findley could be key again for RSL after leading the team with a
career-high 12 goals in the regular season before getting his
first in the playoffs against the Crew. That came a week after
he scored twice in a 3-0 win over Colorado to help Salt Lake
clinch a playoff berth.

Findley's goal in the first leg was set up by fellow forward
Yura Movsisyan, who will leave the team in January to join
Randers FC of Denmark after scoring a career-high eight goals
this season.

"Anytime you come in, you want to make a difference," Movsisyan
told RSL's official Web site. "It doesn't matter whether you get
an assist, you get a goal or you shut a play down."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/131410-Real-Salt-Lake-Crew-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/131410-Real-Salt-Lake-Crew-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:36:51 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Salt Lake blanks defending MLS Cup champion Crew]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[SANDY, Utah (STATS) - Clutch performances are quickly becoming a
trademark for Robbie Findley. And for the second straight week,
the speedy forward proved to be the difference maker.

Findley scored in the 88th minute to help Real Salt Lake post a
1-0 win over the defending MLS Cup champion Columbus Crew on
Saturday in the first leg of the two-game playoff series.

The win gives Salt Lake a much-needed cushion as the teams head
to Columbus to play again Thursday.

"They wanted to come in here, bunker in and play defense and get
a 0-0 draw," RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando said. "Obviously,
getting one goal is great for us. We wanted a couple of more but
they're a tough team to break down."

Will Johnson set the scoring play in motion with a quick
throw-in to Yura Movsisyan on the left flank. Movsisyan tracked
the ball into the corner and delivered a hard cross across the
goalmouth toward the right post.

A charging Findley threaded the ball perfectly between Crew
goalkeeper William Hesmer and the post.

Findley scored twice in the first half of a 3-0 win over
Colorado last Saturday.

Still, Salt Lake coach Jason Kreis credited the latest win to
Movsisyan. He came off the bench after starting against the
Rapids and provided a major spark late in the second half.

"It's not good enough to continue with what's been going on,"
Kreis said. "That's why we make substitutions. We wanted a
little bit more and I thought Yura gave it to us."

Columbus struggled to generate much of anything on offense and
ended up being the third straight team to be held scoreless at
Rio Tinto Stadium. The Crew generated seven shots to eight for
RSL, but didn't have a shot on goal in the second half after
recording two before halftime.

Columbus coach Robert Warzycha made a curious decision to pull
reigning league MVP Guillermo Barros Schelotto out of the
starting lineup. Schelotto, who scored 12 goals this season, did
not play at all.

Warzycha defended the move by saying he was attempting to revive
a slumping offense after seeing the Crew - a two-time
Supporters' Shield winner - score once in its final four regular
season games.

But the results were not what he hoped to see.

"Obviously, you always go into the games to score goals,"
Warzycha said. "You cannot tell the players not to score goals.
But sometimes you cannot create chances and that's what happened
today."

RSL viewed the decision to sit Schelotto as a sign Columbus was
more concerned with forcing a draw and taking the series back to
Ohio on even ground than doing anything else.

And after seeing the Crew bunkering in and defending for 90
minutes, Salt Lake fully anticipates seeing a much different
team on Thursday.

"We're up 1-0 now, but it's not over," said Findley, whose team
went 9-1-5 at home in the regular season. "We got another
90-minute game to go. And they're going to throw everything at
us at home. We got to be sharp when we go over there."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/130471-Salt-Lake-blanks-defending-MLS-Cup-champion-Crew</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/130471-Salt-Lake-blanks-defending-MLS-Cup-champion-Crew</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 01 Nov 2009 01:41:37 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Crew-Real Salt Lake Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN
STATS Senior Writer

Columbus (13-7-10) at Real Salt Lake (11-12-7), 6:00 p.m. EDT

The defending MLS Cup champion Columbus Crew earned a second
straight Supporters' Shield for the highest point total in the
league.

Their reward is an Eastern Conference semifinal opener on the
road against the team with the best home record in the league.

The Crew and Real Salt Lake will play the first leg of their
series Saturday in Utah, where the home team has lost once all
season.

Columbus (13-7-10) finished with 49 points - eight shy of its
total last season but still enough to earn another Supporters'
Shield. The Crew beat Kansas City, Chicago and New York to earn
their first MLS Cup in 2008.

"It was still special to celebrate the Supporters' Shield with
the fans and accept that trophy for two years in a row, but now
that's over and every team's on an even playing field and we
need to prepare for the playoffs accordingly," midfielder Brian
Carroll said.

Columbus earned a 1-all draw with Kansas City last year in the
first leg of the conference semifinals, and is looking for a
similar or better result to take home this time. It won't be
easy since Real Salt Lake (11-12-7) went 9-1-5 at Rio Tinto
Stadium and this will be its last game at home, where it has
scored a league-high 34 goals.

Real Salt Lake won 3-0 over Colorado behind two first-half goals
from Robbie Findley last Saturday and gained a playoff berth
when other results went its way. Last year, RSL reached the
playoffs for the first time and upset Chivas USA in the Western
Conference semis before falling to New York.

"Our guys have to truly believe right now," coach Jason Kreis
said. "I feel like it has been such an effort to make it to the
playoffs, what I'm wary of is kind of everybody taking a breath
and going, 'Ahh, we're here.'

"For me, that's not good enough, because honestly, in my mind -
and I'm not just saying this to say it - I feel like we have a
team that can beat anybody on a given day. So we have to
believe."

This matchup features two of the best forwards in the league in
Findley and Columbus star Guillermo Barros Schelotto, the
reigning league MVP. Both were part of a five-way tie for third
place in MLS with 12 goals.

The Crew are very familiar with Findley after he notched the
first hat trick in RSL history in a 4-1 victory April 2. Jason
Garey scored twice when Columbus evened the season series with a
3-1 victory July 18.

Columbus isn't entering with a lot of momentum, scoring one goal
in losing three of its last four. The Crew fell 1-0 to New
England on Sunday.

"It's not panic mode or anything," forward Steven Lenhart said.
"We have a ton of experienced guys. It's good to get it out of
our system now."

There have been two repeat champions in league history. D.C.
United won the first two MLS Cups in 1996-97 and Houston won two
straight from 2006-07.

The second leg will be in Columbus on Nov. 5.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/130088-Crew-Real-Salt-Lake-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/130088-Crew-Real-Salt-Lake-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:16:09 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Salt Lake clinches playoff berth with 3-0 win over Rapids]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Sandy, Utah (STATS) - For the second straight season, Real Salt
Lake used a win over the Colorado Rapids in its regular season
finale to secure a playoff berth. The Rocky Mountain Cup rival
Rapids now must wait until Sunday evening to learn their fate.

Buoyed by a pair of second-half goals from forward Robbie
Findley, RSL clinched a playoff spot with a 3-0 victory over the
Rapids on Saturday night at Rio Tinto Stadium.

The victory assured Salt Lake (11-12-7) a spot in the MLS Cup
playoffs. Now, both RSL and the Rapids (10-10-10) must wait and
watch New England's match at Columbus on Sunday. If the
Revolution upset the top-seeded Crew or tie, they would leapfrog
Colorado for a playoff spot and Salt Lake would open the
postseason against Columbus. Should New England lose, the Rapids
would earn a playoff spot and face the Crew, while RSL would
open against Chicago.

Findley's effort proved his worth all over again after spending
the previous two matches on the bench. RSL coach Jason Kreis
decided to go with Findley in the first eleven on Saturday and
was pleased with how he rose to the occasion.

"For him to come in this weekend and handle things the way he
did speaks volumes to the development of Robbie Findley," Kreis
said.

Findley converted a header in the 15th minute to give RSL a 1-0
lead. Andy Williams set the play in motion by lobbing a cross to
Fabian Espindola on the left side. Espindola then looped the
ball up to the right post and Findley, who threaded it perfectly
between Colorado goalkeeper Nelson Burpo and the post.

His second goal came in the 33rd minute, when he brought down a
long pass from Williams, popped it up and over the head of an
onrushing Burpo, and slid the ball home for an uncontested
score.

"When I turned around I saw him coming out, so I figured I'd hit
it over his head and then get on the end of it," Findley said. 
"It worked out."

While Findley was scoring with ease, the Rapids could do little
against an RSL defense that notched its 11th shutout of the
season.

Salt Lake blanketed Colorado forwards Omar Cummings and Conor
Casey throughout the match to limit their touches and
opportunities to create havoc on the offensive side.

The strategy worked well. Although the Rapids outshot RSL 13-12,
they managed just one shot on goal after halftime. Cummings and
Casey combined to put just three balls on frame through 90
minutes.

Colorado coach Gary Smith felt like his players did not
capitalize on chances they had to cut into the lead - especially
in the first half.

"The scoreline I don't think in any way, shape or form flattered
Salt Lake," Smith said. "It was an extremely difficult night for
our players in terms of winning and losing battles around the
field. Salt Lake won more. More of their players were better
than more of ours and it was very evident from start to finish."

RSL added a third goal in the 85th minute, when Yura Movsisyan
took a pass from Javier Morales and dribbled down into the post.
After cutting around Drew Moor, Movsisyan blasted a low shot
toward the opposite post and buried it in the corner of the net.

"2-0 is always the most dangerous lead in soccer," Salt Lake
midfielder Will Johnson said. "We knew that we needed one more
and we'd kill them off and Yura did that for us."

With its latest shutout, Salt Lake set a franchise record for
fewest goals allowed in a season - 35.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/128787-Salt-Lake-clinches-playoff-berth-with-3-0-win-over-Rapids</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/128787-Salt-Lake-clinches-playoff-berth-with-3-0-win-over-Rapids</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 25 Oct 2009 05:55:48 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Rapids-Real Salt Lake Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By ANTHONY GIORNALISTA
STATS Senior Writer

Colorado (10-9-10) at Real Salt Lake (10-12-7), 9:00 p.m. EDT

Major League Soccer's playoff race heading into the regular
season's final week is easily the tightest in league history.
The Colorado Rapids and Real Salt Lake, though, are no strangers
to late-season tension.

In one of many meaningful games this week, the Rapids look to
avoid being eliminated from playoff contention by Salt Lake for
the third straight year Saturday night.

More than 50 different postseason scenarios are possible this
week, with 12 of the 15 teams having clinched a playoff spot or
still in the running for one.

Through the past year of playoffs in the four major sports, only
the NHL had a final week anywhere near as undecided, with 57
percent of its teams either having clinched or still contending.

Colorado (10-9-10), the No. 5 team in the Western Conference
with 40 points, only needs to defeat Salt Lake (10-12-7) to make
the playoffs.

If the Rapids lose, however, they can still make it with a
two-goal or better defeat and two of these four teams with 39
points - Toronto FC, New England, D.C. United and FC Dallas -
win. With a draw, Colorado can still reach the postseason if all
of the teams lose or tie, or if any one of the four win.

"I don't know every possible situation," Rapids defenseman Pablo
Mastroeni said. "The extent of my knowledge is if we win, we
solidify a spot. If we tie, then we're basically hoping two or
three teams on the other side lose or tie. That's all I know."

Salt Lake, meanwhile, needs to defeat Colorado and hope that no
more than one of the teams with 39 points wins. Unless all off
four clubs lose, Salt Lake will likely need to beat the Rapids
by more than one score because its current plus-5 goal
differential could help its cause in a tiebreaker.

Salt Lake made the playoffs last season in dramatic fashion,
getting a goal from Yura Movsisyan in the 90th minute to tie
Colorado 1-all on Oct. 25 and eliminate the Rapids. In 2007,
Salt Lake didn't have a chance to make the postseason, but
Robbie Findley scored in the 87th minute to knock Colorado out
with a 1-0 victory Oct. 20.

Those matches, both of which were in Colorado, left the Rapids
out of the playoffs in two straight years for the first time in
their history.

Colorado has gone winless in its last six matches overall
(0-2-4) and is 0-5-4 on the road since a 3-2 win at New York on
May 30. The Rapids lost 2-1 at FC Dallas last Saturday night in
their latest letdown.

Salt Lake hasn't fared much better of late, going 1-3-1 after
winning its previous two. It has been shut out in two of its
last three games, including a 1-0 defeat at Toronto FC last
Saturday.

"I feel like we have let too many opportunities go by this
season and put ourselves in this position because of dropping
games that we should have won because we didn't take care of
business," Salt Lake coach Jason Kreis said.

Salt Lake tied Colorado 1-all at home June 6, but lost 2-0 on
the road May 2.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/128349-Rapids-Real-Salt-Lake-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/128349-Rapids-Real-Salt-Lake-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:20:19 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Brennan keeps Toronto FC in playoff chase]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[TORONTO(AP) -- Jim Brennan scored his second goal of the season,
goalkeeper Brian Edwards earned his first shutout and Toronto FC
beat Real Salt Lake 1-0 on Saturday to boost its slim playoff
chances.

Toronto (10-10-9) is tied with New England, D.C. United and FC
Dallas for the eighth and final MLS playoff spot with 39 points.
Real Salt Lake (10-12-7, 37 points) fell to 11th.

Both teams are still alive for the final playoff spot, but will
likely need help from other teams to secure a postseason berth.

Toronto, which has allowed an MLS-high 15 goals after the 75th
minute, was able to hang on against Salt Lake, which has scored
a league-high 17 goals in the last 15 minutes. The sellout crowd
erupted when the referee blew his whistle after 4 minutes of
added time in the second half.

Toronto, which went 5-0-2 in its final seven home matches while
outscoring opponents 12-5, wrapped up its home schedule at
8-3-4.

Toronto snapped the scoreless tie just 2 minutes after the
restart. Defender Emmanuel Gomez started the scoring play with a
long pass from inside his own half that forward Chad Barrett
chested down inside the Salt Lake penalty box.

Goalkeeper Nick Rimando came off his line to block Barrett's
shot, but Brennan raced in and fired the rebound into the far
corner, past sliding defender Jamison Olave.

Making his second straight start in place of the injured Stefan
Frei (dislocated finger), Edwards preserved the lead in the 72nd
minute with a diving save to deny Salt Lake substitute Robbie
Findley.

Edwards had two shutouts in his rookie season last year.

---=

Story from: STATS LLC, http://www.stats.com.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/127093-Brennan-keeps-Toronto-FC-in-playoff-chase</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/127093-Brennan-keeps-Toronto-FC-in-playoff-chase</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 18 Oct 2009 03:09:31 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
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				<title><![CDATA[Real Salt Lake-Toronto FC Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By ALAN FERGUSON
STATS Writer

Real Salt Lake (10-11-7) at Toronto FC (9-10-9), 4:00 p.m. EDT

To keep their playoff hopes alive, Real Salt Lake and Toronto FC
will have to spoil each other's chances.

If they are to reach the postseason, both teams likely need
back-to-back wins and some help in the season's final two weeks,
beginning with Saturday's matchup in Toronto.

Real Salt Lake (10-11-7) trails New England by one point for the
league's final wild-card berth, and Toronto FC (9-10-9) is two
points back of the Revolution.

RSL helped its cause with a 2-0 victory over visiting New York
on Wednesday night, when Andy Williams and Fabian Espindola
scored in the final 10 minutes of regulation. Nick Rimando
needed to stop just one shot for his eighth shutout, which
snapped a three-game winless slide that included back-to-back
losses.

"It means we're still alive and we live to fight another day,"
coach Jason Kreis said. "Saturday's another Cup Final for Real
Salt Lake."

Toronto FC, meanwhile, hurt itself by blowing a late lead at
home in last week's 1-all draw with San Jose, one of the
league's worst teams.

Defender Nana Attakora's goal in the 47th minute had Toronto on
the verge of its second win in four games, but the Earthquakes'
Cornell Glen scored in the 93rd minute on Brian Edwards, making
his first start of the season for an injured Stefan Frei.

TFC has allowed an MLS-worst 15 goals after the 75th minute.

"By the numbers we're not out of it, but it definitely feels
like it right now," forward Chad Barrett said. "Obviously, it's
a huge loss, even though it was a tie."

The result didn't eliminate Toronto from postseason contention,
but it needs a victory this week and a Chicago win or tie
against the Revolution to keep its hopes alive. TFC wraps up its
regular season at New York next Saturday.

A loss and a New England win would eliminate Real Salt Lake
before its season finale - also next Saturday - against Colorado
at home.

Toronto would seem to have the advantage in this matchup thanks
to its 7-3-4 home record, second-best in the Eastern Conference
behind Columbus. Toronto is 4-0-2 since June 13 at BMO Field
while outscoring its opponents 11-5.

RSL, meanwhile, has the league's third-worst road mark at 2-10-2
and is winless in two previous trips to Toronto. It's dropped
two straight away from home overall and has one win in its last
six road games.

However, Salt Lake earned a 3-0 win in the teams' previous
meeting this season, at Rio Tinto Stadium on June 27. Yura
Movsisyan, Kyle Beckerman and Clint Mathis tallied goals for RSL
and Rimando stopped a pair of shots to earn the shutout.

Toronto is expected to once again play without Frei, who is
recovering from a dislocated finger. Midfielder Carl Robinson is
out at least five weeks after breaking bones in his face during
a collision with a teammate in practice, and defender Marvell
Wynne is doubtful due to a thigh strain.

However, midfielder Amado Guevara is expected to return after
playing with the Honduras national team in a pair of World Cup
qualifiers.

Toronto FC won the season series 1-0-1 in its inaugural 2007
campaign, and the teams split their two meetings in 2008.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/126927-Real-Salt-Lake-Toronto-FC-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/126927-Real-Salt-Lake-Toronto-FC-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Sat, 17 Oct 2009 01:12:18 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
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				<title><![CDATA[Real Salt Lake keeps playoff hopes alive, blank Red Bulls]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By JASEN ASAY
STATS MLS Correspondent

SANDY, Utah (STATS) - Andy Williams made a prediction on
Facebook earlier in the day, and then he delivered.

The Real Salt Lake midfielder wrote online, "ESPN2 tonight
following the USA game. Don't miss it, I'm scoring tonight,"
followed by a smiley face.

Williams did just that, notching a goal in the 80th minute of
RSL's 2-0 win over the New York Red Bulls on Wednesday night.

"I've done it before and it's never worked," Williams said about
his online prediction. "I just had a feeling today."

Williams received a perfect cross from Robbie Findley and beat
goalkeeper Danny Cepero for his second goal of the season.
Cepero made seven of his eight saves before Williams' goal,
keeping the Red Bulls (4-19-6) even with RSL.

Fabian Espindola added a goal in the 90th minute, his third of
the year, to seal a key win for RSL (10-11-7).

The victory kept RSL's playoff hopes alive, and was also the
first time in its five years of existence that the club beat New
York. Prior to Wednesday, RSL had been 0-4-6 against the
franchise, the only MLS team it had failed to defeat since
joining the league in 2005.

RSL came into the contest needing at least a win and a tie
against New York and on Saturday at Toronto FC combined with a
win or tie by Chicago against New England later on Saturday to
stay in the playoff hunt.

"It means we're still alive and we live to fight another day,"
said RSL head coach Jason Kreis. "Saturday's another Cup Final
for Real Salt Lake."

The Red Bulls, well out of playoff contention, played mostly a
defensive-minded game taking just five shots with only one on
goal. The team played without starting forward Juan Pablo Angel,
who didn't make the trip due to an injured ankle.

"The big problem was we were short-handed in the attack," said
New York head coach Richie Williams. "But whoever we put in, we
need to do better in the final third and have a better attack."

RSL had dominated the game, but hadn't finished any of its
scoring opportunities. That changed when Williams stepped on the
field to replace Clint Mathis in the 63rd minute.

Williams said he and his teammates, which outshot New York 21-6
with a 10-1 advantage in shots on goal, knew if they kept the
pressure on they would eventually score.

The veteran's leadership was also critical to the win, according
to his coach.

"He's done exactly what's asked," Kreis said. "I thought we were
playing really well up to that point but we needed an extra
spark."

During the national anthem, players from each team and the four
officials wore white T-shirts with in honor of Charlie Davies.
The U.S. national team midfielder was in a Washington, D.C.,
hospital following an automobile accident Tuesday in which he
sustained career-threatening injuries.

Fans also showed support for the 22-year-old player by holding
up white paper with No. 9s on them during the ninth minute.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/126587-Real-Salt-Lake-keeps-playoff-hopes-alive-blank-Red-Bulls</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/126587-Real-Salt-Lake-keeps-playoff-hopes-alive-blank-Red-Bulls</guid>
				<pubDate>Thu, 15 Oct 2009 05:34:17 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
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				<title><![CDATA[Red Bulls-Real Salt Lake Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO
STATS Writer

New York (4-18-6) at Real Salt Lake (9-11-7), 10:00 p.m. EDT

The last time the New York Red Bulls visited Rio Tinto Stadium,
they stunned Real Salt Lake to advance to their first MLS Cup
final last fall.

Another loss to New York might severely dent Salt Lake's playoff
chances this year.

RSL will look to gain a measure of revenge Wednesday night by
beating the Red Bulls for the first time while trying to extend
their MLS-record road winless streak.

Salt Lake (9-11-7) reached the MLS Cup playoffs for the first
time last season and eliminated Chivas USA 3-2 on aggregate in
the Western Conference semifinals. The team's run came to a
shocking end in the West final, as it hit the post several times
to fall 1-0 to New York.

This year, Real is four points behind eighth-place New England
for the final playoff position and two back of the ninth-place
tie between FC Dallas, D.C. and Toronto FC.

Real has a game in hand on all of those clubs but has failed to
gain much ground during an 0-2-1 stretch that continued with a
3-0 loss at Dallas on Sept. 26.

Salt Lake fell behind early in each of its last three games, and
it squandered a second-half lead to settle for a 1-all tie in a
friendly with C.D. Guadalajara of Mexico last Wednesday.

"Obviously there's a lot of positives you can take out but, at
the end of the day, we had a lead and we gave it up," midfielder
Will Johnson told the team's official Web site. "If we do that
one more time this season, our season is 100 percent over."

RSL trailed after 2 minutes in its last meeting with New York on
April 18, losing 2-0 on the road to fall to 0-3-6 in the
all-time series.

The Red Bulls (4-18-6) are already assured of finishing with the
worst record in MLS, a year after losing 3-1 to Columbus in the
Cup final.

One of the reasons for New York's spiral is its poor play on the
road. The club hasn't won as the visitor since the West final,
going 0-12-2 while getting outscored 25-3. That stretch is part
of a league-record 26 straight regular-season games without a
win on the road (0-19-7), dating to a 2-1 victory over Los
Angeles on May 10, 2008.

A 1-0 loss at San Jose on Oct. 3 extended that dubious record.

Heading into their final road game, the Red Bulls look to avoid
joining RSL (2005) and the Galaxy (2003) as the only teams in
league history to go winless away from home for an entire
season.

"It's time to go out there and just work your (butt) off, to be
blunt, try to salvage whatever you can from these last (two)
games," defender Mike Petke said. "It's easy to pack it in and
throw the towel in when you're not playing for anything, but you
can play for pride, you can play for team, the organization, the
fans."

New York has tied all four of its regular-season visits to Utah.

RSL visits Toronto on Saturday before concluding the regular
season a week later by hosting Colorado.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/126248-Red-Bulls-Real-Salt-Lake-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/126248-Red-Bulls-Real-Salt-Lake-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:16:08 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Cunningham leads FC Dallas by RSL 3-0]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[FRISCO, Texas(AP) -- Jeff Cunninghamhad his fourth multigoal game
of the season to lead FC Dallas to a 3-0 win over Real Salt Lake
on Saturday night.

Real (9-11-7) has lost consecutive games and is three points
behind New England for the final wild-card spot with three
matches remaining.

In the fifth minute, Cunningham took a pass from Dave van den
Bergh inside the penalty area and fired a half-volley into the
right corner of the net from 12 yards.

Van den Bergh then sent a through ball from outside the penalty
box for David Ferreira, who raced past Real Salt Lake defender
Nat Borchers and ripped a shot from close range into the left
corner to make it 2-0 in the 10th minute.

Cunningham capped the scoring in the 87th minute with a
right-footed blast from the top of the penalty circle for his
15th goal, tying him with Colorado forward Conor Casey for the
MLS lead.

Van den Bergh's two assists gave him a career-high 10, while
Ferreira also tallied assists on both of Cunningham's goals.

FC Dallas (8-12-6) is now 7-0 all-time at home against Salt
Lake. FC Dallas goalkeeper Dario Sala finished with a
season-high six saves, including a diving stop in the 41st
minute on a point-blank shot by Salt Lake defender Pablo Campos
from inside the 6-yard box. FC Dallas captain Pablo Ricchetti
was benched for this match and not listed among the 18 players
eligible.

---=

Story from: STATS LLC, http://www.stats.com.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/122610-Cunningham-leads-FC-Dallas-by-RSL-3-0</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/122610-Cunningham-leads-FC-Dallas-by-RSL-3-0</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 27 Sep 2009 04:45:12 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
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				<title><![CDATA[Real Salt Lake-FC Dallas Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By MATT BEARDMORE
STATS Writer

Real Salt Lake (9-10-7) at FC Dallas (7-12-6), 8:30 p.m. EDT

FC Dallas coach Schellas Hyndman is pleased his team leads the
league in goals scored, but he'd be far more satisfied if it
wasn't giving up the most.

Dallas looks to improve to 7-0-0 all-time at home against Real
Salt Lake on Saturday night when the Western Conference foes
square off.

After taking a 2-1 lead over Kansas City on Jeff Cunningham's
second-half goal last Saturday, Dallas (7-12-6) allowed two
scores in the final 13 minutes and lost 3-2.

FC Dallas, which leads MLS with 41 goals, is averaging 3.0 in
its last four matches. Hyndman's club, though, is 1-2-1 during
this stretch.

"The difficult part for us is to recognize that we've scored
more goals than anyone in the league, but we're tied for last
(with New York) by giving up 43," he told Dallas' official Web
site. "You can't say we're not a good team or a decent team. We
lead the league in goals but we also give up the goals."

FC Dallas has a league-worst 5-3-2 record when leading at the
half. One of those defeats came in Salt Lake on July 24, when
Dallas led 2-0 at halftime but lost 4-2.

RSL, however, has lost all six games it has played in Dallas,
including a 2-1 defeat in its last match at Pizza Hut Park on
May 24, 2008.

Salt Lake's comeback win in the only meeting this season
consisted of Yura Movsisyan getting two goals, Robbie Findley
scoring on a penalty kick and Dallas midfielder Daniel Torres
having an own goal.

RSL (9-10-7) nearly made another remarkable comeback in its last
match - Saturday's 3-2 loss at Houston.

Salt Lake trailed the West-leading Dynamo 2-0 after five minutes
and was a man down after the 32nd minute when defender Jamison
Olave was sent off with a red card. RSL made it 2-all in the
60th minute on Movsisyan's seventh goal of the season but
allowed a goal in the 81st minute, snapping its three-match
unbeaten streak.

"We came into a tough place to play against one of the best
teams in the league, and you always want to get a point, but I
think it shows a lot of character what we did tonight, and it
gives us some confidence heading into our next couple games,"
said Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Nick Rimando. "Obviously, we
wanted at least a point and three points would have been great,
but we have four games left. That leaves 12 points for us to
get."

RSL trails Chivas USA by three points for fifth in the West but
is 2-9-2 on the road this season.

Dallas is 5-0-1 in its last five home games.

Cunningham, who had an assist and missed a second-half penalty
kick against RSL on July 24, has 12 goals and four assists in
his last 10 games.

Playing for RSL from 2006-07, Cunningham had 18 goals. He led
MLS with 16 in 2006.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/122252-Real-Salt-Lake-FC-Dallas-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/122252-Real-Salt-Lake-FC-Dallas-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 25 Sep 2009 21:06:40 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
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				<title><![CDATA[Davis lifts Dynamo over Real Salt Lake]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By JEREMY RAKES
STATS MLS Correspondent

HOUSTON (STATS) - It took five minutes for Houston to score as
many goals Saturday night as the Dynamo did in their last four
games.

But, it took Brad Davis' tally in the 81st minute to lift
Houston a 3-2 win over 10-man Real Salt Lake.

The win helped the Dynamo (12-8-7) take the MLS lead over
Columbus by a point and broke a four-game league winless streak.

"Good hard fought win. Difficult game. Spectacular goal to win
it for us," said Houston head coach Dominic Kinnear. "I'm happy
that we won to extend our lead in the West and to get back to
winning.

"We started out great and then we took our foot off the pedal. 
They crept back into the game and they are just chunking guys
forward because they have to and they need points, so its
important for us to remain discipline and at times we were not."

RSL (9-10-7), meanwhile, had its three-game unbeaten streak
snapped and missed a chance to climb into a tie for fourth place
in the Western Conference.

"We came into a tough place to play against one of the best
teams in the league, and you always want to get a point, but I
think it shows a lot of character what we did tonight, and it
gives us some confidence heading into our next couple games,"
said RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando. "Obviously, we wanted at least
a point and three points would have been great, but we have four
games left. That leaves 12 points for us to get."

Off a free kick by Davis, Brian Ching got his left foot on the
ball in the middle box and scored 68 seconds into the game to
give Houston a 1-0 lead.

Geoff Cameron followed with a goal off a corner kick by Davis in
the fifth minute that extended Dynamo's lead to 2-0.

"Our team's been struggling of late, so to get a win feels
good," Davis said. "Credit to those guys for making good runs,
my job is to just put the ball in there and give them a chance."

Houston was outscored 4-2 during its winless streak.

Kyle Beckerman cut Dynamo's lead to 2-1 in the 27th minute with
a goal from the upper middle box, and Yura Movsisyan made it 2-2
in the 60th minute after controlling the ball in the upper right
box and firing a shot into the left side of the net.

"I was extremely proud of my guys to show that kind of fight in
those kinds of circumstances tonight," said RSL head coach Jason
Kreis. "I think there's not a whole lot to feel good about, I
think we have to feel very good about that game and match next
week and the next three matches after that."

Jamison Olave was sent off in the 32nd minute for a hard tackle
to put RSL down a man, but Ching was also shown a red in the
82nd minute for a hip check to even the sides.

The game also featured five yellow cards and the ejection of
Dynamo assistant coach John Spencer.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/120989-Davis-lifts-Dynamo-over-Real-Salt-Lake</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/120989-Davis-lifts-Dynamo-over-Real-Salt-Lake</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 20 Sep 2009 04:42:22 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Real Salt Lake-Dynamo Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By MATT BECKER
STATS Senior Writer

Real Salt Lake (9-9-7) at Houston (11-8-7), 8:30 p.m. EDT

The Houston Dynamo lost their lead in the chase for the
Supporters' Shield with another loss last weekend.

Not owning the league's best record could be the least of their
concerns, as they might end up out of the playoffs altogether if
this slump continues.

The Western Conference-leading Dynamo look to bounce back from
one of their most disappointing defeats and avoid their worst
league losing streak in more than two years Saturday night when
they host Real Salt Lake.

Houston (11-8-7) seemed like a lock to make the playoffs two
months ago, but that's not the case anymore.

The Dynamo are winless in four straight and are 3-6-4 since June
20 after winning eight of nine. They've scored only two goals in
their last four MLS matches and are in danger of losing three in
a row for the first time since May 16-26, 2007.

Despite all these struggles, Houston is still atop the West, but
four teams are right on its heels within four points.

"We're fighting for points. We've got 40 points but we want to
get ahead of the group. It's important to create a gap between
the teams behind us," defender Geoff Cameron told the Dynamo's
official Web site after Sunday's 2-1 loss to East-leading
Columbus.

Cameron was in the middle of a controversial call in the final
minutes of Sunday's defeat, which allowed the Crew to move ahead
of Houston for the best record in the league.

After the Dynamo's Cam Weaver scored in the 80th minute to tie
the game at 1, referee Jorge Gonzalez called a penalty on
Cameron for knocking over Crew forward Alejandro Moreno in the
penalty box in the final moments of regular time.

Columbus' Eddie Gaven scored on the penalty kick and several
Dynamo players confronted Gonzalez following the match as the
Crew celebrated.

"These points all matter," said Brian Ching, who leads Houston
with seven goals. "For it, in our eyes, to be unfairly taken
away from you, it's not hard to have that emotion bubble over."

Points also are important for Real Salt Lake (9-9-7), which is
trying to make a last push for the playoffs.

Salt Lake is unbeaten in its last three games (2-0-1), but to
have any chance for a postseason berth it will need to play well
on the road - something it has struggled to do.

RSL plays three of its final five games on the road and is 2-8-2
away from Salt Lake City this season.

"It's do or die at this point on the road," defender Tony
Beltran told the team's official Web site following last
Saturday's 1-1 draw with Chicago. "We know we can do it, so
we'll go out there and give it our best. We got nothing to
lose."

RSL played the Dynamo to a 1-1 draw in Houston on June 20 and to
a scoreless tie in Salt Lake City on Aug. 15.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/120634-Real-Salt-Lake-Dynamo-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/120634-Real-Salt-Lake-Dynamo-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 18 Sep 2009 19:43:03 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Olave's second-half goal gives Salt Lake 1-1 tie with Fire]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[SANDY, Utah (STATS) - Giving up a late first-half goal to the
Chicago Fire put Real Salt Lake in a tough spot. Jamison Olave
rescued Salt Lake from a potentially damaging loss.

The Colombian defender came through with a goal in the 72nd
minute to help Salt Lake to a 1-1 draw with the Fire on Saturday
night.

While RSL (9-9-7) is tied with Toronto FC for the last MLS
playoff spot, Chicago (10-6-9) moved into a tie with Columbus
for first place in the Eastern Conference.

With the Fire leading 1-0, Olave outraced three Chicago players
to track down a lead ball fed deep into the penalty area by Andy
Williams. Once Olave corralled the ball, he slotted a low
right-footed shot inside the right post for his third goal of
the season.

It is the kind of play teammates have come to expect from Olave,
who has a penchant for coming up with both goals and defensive
stops at critical times.

"He's dangerous on both sides of the ball," Salt Lake goalkeeper
Nick Rimando said. "He's someone with a lot of pace, a lot of
size and covers a lot of ground. When you have a back that can
score goals and defend - it's a plus."

Chris Rolfe had given Chicago the lead in the 44th minute when
he jumped high to snag a cross from Marco Pappa, brought the
ball down on his chest between a pair of RSL defenders and
flicked a line drive past Rimando.

Rolfe felt Chicago established a dominant tone early that led to
a desirable result.

"I thought we played very well tonight - especially on the
road," Rolfe said. "We put them under pressure and we had
moments where we had great possession of the ball as well."

RSL was hurt by a depleted midfield. Kyle Beckerman sat out
while serving a one-game suspension and Javier Morales played
limited minutes after coming back from a recent ankle injury.
Salt Lake also lost Clint Mathis a few minutes into the game to
a sprained left ankle.

Coach Jason Kreis felt Mathis' departure disrupted RSL's
offensive rhythm.

"We need the ball," Kreis said. "We have good players out there
and we got to have possession of the ball for long stretches of
time. We didn't do that after Clint left the game. We never
really established a rhythm or got enough possession in the
first half."

The Fire had better news on the injury front, welcoming back
Brian McBride. The veteran forward, who had been sidelined with
a shoulder injury since mid-July, started the game and was
replaced in the 73rd minute by Calen Carr.

Chicago coach Denis Hamlett thought his team enjoyed an extra
boost from having McBride back in action.

"When he's on the field, he just makes other players around him
better," Hamlett said. "It was good to have him back tonight and
he gave us all he had tonight."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/119190-Olaves-second-half-goal-gives-Salt-Lake-1-1-tie-with-Fire</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/119190-Olaves-second-half-goal-gives-Salt-Lake-1-1-tie-with-Fire</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 13 Sep 2009 05:23:13 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Fire-Real Salt Lake Preview]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO
STATS Writer

Chicago (10-6-8) at Real Salt Lake (9-9-6), 9:00 p.m. EDT

The Chicago Fire are in position to move atop the MLS standings.
Getting Brian McBride back from injury earlier than expected
could provide a lift.

The Fire are expected to have their top scorer available when
they visit Real Salt Lake on Saturday night.

Chicago (10-6-8) is second in the Eastern Conference, one point
behind Columbus and two back of West-leading Houston for the
overall league lead. The Crew hosts the Dynamo on Sunday, so the
Fire could move past one or both teams with a victory.

They received a boost to their chances Thursday, when they
learned McBride would be available against Salt Lake (9-9-6).
The former U.S. national team star forward underwent shoulder
surgery July 17 and was expected to miss for 3-4 months.

"He's in full go," Fire coach Denis Hamlett said. "He's looking
good. We are still being cautious, and working on his fitness
and getting his soccer sharpness back. We want to make sure we
put him in situations, with the shoulder and bicep, that he has
some contact. There is a chance (he would be available to play)
this weekend.

"If anybody can come back from this, it's Brian. He's a warrior,
a guy you knew would fight to get back on the field."

McBride leads Chicago with six goals in 16 games after netting
five in 11 last year following four seasons with Fulham FC of
England's Premier League.

If McBride is unable to start, the Fire could opt to use Patrick
Nyarko up top. The forward, who was drafted seventh overall out
of Virginia Tech in the 2008 SuperDraft, has four goals but
hasn't scored in five games since hitting the back of the net in
the 76th minute of a 1-0 home win over RSL on Aug. 1.

The Fire, who went 4-3-1 without McBride, are hoping a 13-day
layoff can help them rebound from a 1-0 loss to visiting D.C. on
Aug. 29.

"It has been a long season, and any time you can give some guys
a few days off, to get away from soccer and come back hungry, it
comes at a good time," Hamlett told the Fire's official Web
site.

Chicago is 5-1-3 all-time against Salt Lake, including 2-1-1 on
the road.

RSL is tied with New England and Chivas USA for the fourth and
final wild-card position, while also sitting one point behind
seventh-place Seattle.

"We can't kid ourselves," midfielder Will Johnson told Real's
official Web site. "There's still a lot of work to do."

Salt Lake is looking for a third consecutive win after beating
Kansas City 1-0 on Aug. 29, three days after a 4-0 victory over
Chivas USA.

Playing at home could help RSL, as it's 7-1-4 there while
outscoring opponents 28-10. The club is unbeaten in seven games
(4-0-3) at Rio Tinto Stadium since losing 2-0 to the Wizards on
May 16.

RSL, though, will be without midfielders Kyle Beckerman and Ned
Grabavoy, who are serving one-game suspensions for an
accumulation of yellow cards.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/118888-Fire-Real-Salt-Lake-Preview</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/118888-Fire-Real-Salt-Lake-Preview</guid>
				<pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2009 23:54:13 GMT</pubDate>
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				<title><![CDATA[Salt Lake earns rare road win, 1-0 over Wizards]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[KANSAS CITY, Kan. (STATS) - Real Salt Lake took stock at
halftime: They were down to 10 men, with a backup keeper in goal
and an atrocious franchise history on the road.

No worries.

"We always play a man down against a full side in training,"
said keeper Chris Seitz, who made seven saves and recorded his
first career victory in Saturday night's 1-0 win over the Kansas
City Wizards. "We've done that 30 or 40 times this year. So when
that happened, we said, 'We've been here before.'"

Pablo Campos scored in the 18th minute for Real (9-9-6), which
won on the road for just the 10th time since entering MLS as an
expansion franchise in 2005.

Salt Lake had to play short-handed after the 42nd minute, when
midfielder Ned Grabavoy drew a straight red card for a foul on
Kansas City's Davy Arnaud. The victory wasn't assured until
forward Fabian Espindola cleared Zoltan Hercegfavi's header out
of the goal mouth in the closing seconds of second-half stoppage
time.

"We continue to talk about battling, having a fighting
mentality," Real coach Jason Kreis said. "Tonight was a great
example of a team believing in itself and being willing to work
for results."

It didn't hurt that Kreis' side was facing a team that hasn't
scored yet this month and hasn't won since beating New England
3-1 on June 13.

Kansas City suffered its fourth consecutive shutout loss and saw
its winless streak reach seven matches. The Wizards (5-10-6)
have not scored in 424 minutes since the first half of a 1-all
draw against the Los Angeles Galaxy on July 25. They have been
outscored 11-0 since and lost Saturday night despite outshooting
Real 17-5, including an 8-3 advantage in shots on goal.

"I just moved to midfielder, but I've played forward my whole
life," Kansas City's Herculez Gomez said. "I can tell you that
when you don't score goals, it's going to affect you. It does
weigh on us. There are teams that have a certain swagger, and
right now we're looking to find it."

Campos' goal, on assists from Robbie Russell and Andy Williams,
came after he found a seam in Kansas City's central defense. He
slipped unmarked up the middle, took a short diagonal cross from
Williams and easily beat keeper Kevin Hartman from 8 yards.

"It was just a complete breakdown," said interim coach Peter
Vermes, who has seen his team go 0-3 since he took over Aug. 4
for the fired Curt Onalfo. "They only had one guy up, so
everything was a breakdown from side to side. Everybody was
late. They just kept passing the ball and eventually they found
the last guy sitting there by himself on top of the box."

Besides Grabavoy's mandatory suspension for his ejection, Real
Salt Lake captain Kyle Beckerman will serve a one-match
suspension for yellow card accumulation. The U.S. national team
midfielder drew a caution late in the first half for fouling the
Wizards' Matt Besler.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[soccer]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/115956-Salt-Lake-earns-rare-road-win-1-0-over-Wizards</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/soccer/news/115956-Salt-Lake-earns-rare-road-win-1-0-over-Wizards</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 30 Aug 2009 15:13:31 GMT</pubDate>
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