Quakes/RSL Running Blog (Happy Birthday Melissa!)

By: Sean | May 31st, 2008

The first two legs of my triple-header today took place north of the border, with the soccer gods smiling on me on both occasions. First, I watched Toronto FC brush aside the Galaxy 2-0, and the local side (Portland Timbers) held on to win 1-0 at Montreal. A few notes from those games:

1) The Galaxy would have a good chance of going winless without Donovan and Beckham. They never looked like challenging today.
2) TFC’s supporters were as lively as ever. Some people have voiced displeasure about their behavior regarding streamers and the like, but I don’t see too much of a problem with it.
3) Montreal’s new stadium is wonderful. Located right next to the Olympic Stadium (R.I.P. Expos), the 13,500 seat stadium is very, very nice.
4) Portland’s defense is solid. They move well together, and do not make many mistakes. Should injuries come up for the Quakes, perhaps they should look north for a replacement.

Pre-Game:

Real Salt Lake
Rimando
Beltran
Olave
Borchers
Wingert
Williams
Kovalenko
Beckerman
Morales
Deuchar
Espindola

Quakes:
Cannon
Hernandez
Cochrane
Garcia
Denton
Corrales
Vide
Grabavoy
Salinas
Kirovski
Johnson

Thanks to today’s sideline reporter, ex-player, and fellow blogger Brian Dunseth for the line-ups.

5:40 – Apparently, a front-page article in the Salt Lake Trib today blasts the Royals, calling them the worst team in MLS. Dunseth interviewed Kyle Beckerman about it, he said “its us versus them now. If they come to me with a question, its ‘no comment’.” Catfight!
5:50 – Ned Grabavoy sounds like Justin Long, the kid from the “Mac vs. PC” commercials.
5:55 – Sob-story interview with Dema Kovalenko. What a hack.
5:58 – Dick’s Sporting Goods commercial – Is that really Ben Olsen’s old lady? Touche.
6:02 – Max Bretos and Christopher Sullivan will be calling the game. I’d mute it, but then I wouldn’t have anything to write about.
6:04 – Football lines! Astro-turf! It’s the MLS, next!
6:06 – Frank in a nice suit. I read something about the team being sponsored by a haberdashery. Looking very clean.

Game Time

1′ – Quakes right to left in white.
2′ – Sullivan: “Beckerman has been high.” Captain Obvious!
2′ – RSL PK. Off a freekick, a Quake was called for a handball. Awesome.
3′ – Morales to take the PK… SAVED!!!!! YOU’LL NEVER BEAT JOE CANNON!!!!!!!
5′ – It sounds like Real Salt Lake hired the same samba band that the San Jose CyberRays had.
6′ – Good movement by the Quakes, Corrales uncorks one from 40, nails a Royal in the face. Hah. Gets a corner.
7′ – Nothing comes from the corner. Salinas brought down Kovalenko. He’ll pay for that later.
8′ – Corrales with a lot of energy in the middle of the park, brought down hard by Beckerman. Foul, no card.
9′ – RSL FK on the wing. Gathered easily by The Joe.
10′ – Hard foul from Cochrane. Color me unsurprised.
11′ – Ensuing freekick cleared easily. Beltran, just back from U23 duty in France, getting forward and sending in crosses, but no one there to finish.
12′ – Salinas put on the afterburners and toasted Wingert. Then ran right out of bounds.
13′ – SJ corner comes to nothing. Jorge Gonzalez is our ref. FYI.
14′ – Dangerous backpass from Shea, dealt with by Hermandez and Cannon.
15′ – Sullivan: “I think San Jose has started well.” Heard it from the fake-latino-accent horse’s mouth.
16′ – Andy Williams and Kirovski both wearing 77. Between the two of them, have they played for every MLS team? Ever?
17′ – Hernandez runs over Morales, foul called. Ball flighted in, comes to nothing.
19′ – This is boring. Possession about even, neither team creating chances.
20′ – Our first offsides call! Espindola! Gracias!
22′ – Ball played in by Williams, bounces roughly 90 feet back into the air, Cannon collects.
23′ – Salinas, Johnson, Kirovski, Corrales connecting well, good movement. Corrales fouled on the outside of the area. FK coming up.
24′ – Corrales into the wall, ball played back in, Kirovski offside.
25′ – Bretos: “Grabavoy having a great season in San Jose.” 0 goals, 3 assists in 8 games.
26′ – Royals moving the ball around well, but ends with a goal kick for The Joe.
27′ – Cochrane down, holding his groin.
28′ – Apparently all is well, he is staying in the game.
29′ – Johnson holding the ball up well, Salinas plays a long one back to RJ, but broken up.
32′ – Last 5 minutes, Royals dominating possession.
33′ – Cochrane tries an 80 yard, cross-field pass. I’ll let you figure out how that ended. Hint: Goal-kick Rimando.
34′ – Salinas intercepts a pass, big ball in, Rimando collects.
34′ – Joe Vide gets his name called for this first time. Seriously.
34′ – Max Bretos quotes Richie Valens. Tells you all you need to know about this game.
35′ – Corrales hard foul on Wingert. No card, but you can feel one coming soon.
36′ – Freekick comes in, melee in front of the net, calls for a penalty, shot off the post, next shot Cannon saves, then cleared. Three chances, zero goals. Wheeeeeee!
37′ – San Jose freekick, taken by Corrales. … Goal kick Rimando.
39′ – Shot on goal!!! Andy Williams sends one into orbit.
40′ – Salinas intercepts from RSL’s defense, off to the races, gets the shot off, but Rimando saves.
41′ – Deuchar hits the ball off Garcia, gets the corner.
42′ – Espindola shot, Cannon save. Next corner, foul by Espindola.
44′ – RSL sub? Robbie Findley in for Espindola. Espindola unhappy. Boo hoo.
45′ – One additional minute.
45+1′ – Corrales yellow card. Gonzalez pointing “1, 2, 3″ for multiple infractions.
45+2′ – Cannon saves the free kick. End of the half.

46′ – Quakes in white going left to right.
46′ – Wingert down the left crosses low, but Cannon collects. Positive start for RSL.
47′ – GOAL Salt Lake. Findley beats Hernandez to the inside, and lets rip from 25. Great shot.
49′ – Grabavoy goes down holding his knee. Gets up, play on.
50′ – Balls swinging in from the left, Salt Lake has come to play in the second half. All RSL right now.
51′ – Espindola did have an injury, asked to be subbed, which brought in Findley. Gee thanks.
52′ – Beckerman long range shot, Cannon tips over the bar.
53′ – More danger from Wingert down the left, ends up a corner. Deuchar crying for a foul. Yawn.
55′ – Nice, mazy run from Salinas, evading a couple defenders, before he loses out, and Corrales fouls.
57′ – Corrales creates a corner.
58′ – Grabavoy takes, Deuchar clears.
59′ – SUB: James Riley in for Shea Salinas.
60′ – GOAL Salt Lake. Morales and Findley with a beautiful 1-2 pass, and Morales nutmegs Cannon for the goal. Very nice stuff. Stick a fork in it.
61′ – Yellow Card for Hermandez. Came in late on Beckerman, who was coming down the left.
62′ – Salt Lake corner – comes to nothing.
65′ – Nothing happening. Something has to change for the Quakes to salvage anything from this match.
67′ – Nice movement from the Quakes, ends with a ball in from the left, straight to Rimando. Much better from San Jose.
69′ – Sullivan just compared Grabavoy to Francesco Totti and Roberto Baggio. Just sayin’.
70′ – More from Denton on the left, winning a corner. Quakes kept possession in the box for a bit, but ultimately, came to nothing.
71′ – SUB: Kelly Gray on for Joe Vide.
72′ – Another PK for RSL. Garcia pulls down Williams in the box. Great ball from Morales. Good call. Williams would have scored.
73′ – GOAL Salt Lake. Kovalenko. Sigh.
74′ – SUB: John Concliffe on for Jovan Kirovski.
75′ – Deuchar and Findley had a 2-on-1 vs Cochrane, but Cochrane blocks Findley’s shot.
78′ – Wingert down, got clipped by Hernandez, no foul.
79′ – SUB: Matias Cordoba on for Javier Morales.
80′ – Grabavoy with a half-chance, over the bar.
81′ – Hard foul by Deuchar on Hernandez. Yellow Card for Deuchar. And deserved.
82′ – San Jose corner, comes to nothing.
84′ – GOAL SAN JOSE!!! After the best period of play in the second half, Cuncliffe finishes a nice combination play, which included a back heel from Grabavoy. A good finish as well.
85′ – SUB: Tino Nunez on for Kenny Deuchar.
86′ – Long range effort from Kelly Gray flies over the bar.
88′ – Cunliffe with a shot from 30 yards, just wide.
90′ – Three additional minutes.
90+3′ – Game over.