2010 Real Salt Lake season

The 2010 Real Salt Lake season was the sixth year of the club's existence. It was also the sixth year for the club in Major League Soccer and the sixth-consecutive year for the club in the top-flight of American soccer.

Real Salt Lake
2010 season
OwnerSCP Worldwide
CoachJason Kreis
StadiumRio Tinto Stadium
Major League Soccer2nd
MLS CupConf. Semifinals
U.S. Open CupDid not qualify
CONCACAF Champions LeagueFinals
Carolina Challenge CupRunners-up
Top goalscorerLeague: Costa Rica Álvaro Saborío
All: Costa Rica Álvaro Saborío (18)
Highest home attendance20,463 vs Cruz Azul
(October 19)
Lowest home attendance11,579 vs Toronto
(September 15)
Average home league attendance18,764
Biggest winRSL 5-0 NE (7/2)
Biggest defeatDAL 3-1 RSL (7/17)
← 2009
2011 →

Real Salt Lake entered the 2010 MLS season as the defending MLS Cup champions, and participated additionally in the CONCACAF Champions League and played play-in propers of the U.S. Open Cup. During 2010, the club had the most success ever in its history, finishing second place in Major League Soccer, as well as becoming the first American-based club to win a Champions League group; in which they won Group A with a 4–1–1 record. Salt Lake played two play in propers of the Open Cup before eventually falling out against D.C. United.

In the MLS Cup playoffs, Salt Lake was paired against FC Dallas, the eventual Cup runners-up, where the Royals fell 3–2 on aggregate in the quarterfinals.

Overview edit

March edit

Real Salt Lake opened the season with a 3–0 road victory against San Jose.
MLS: 1-0-0, 3 points, 3 goals for, 0 goals against

April edit

RSL began April with a 2–1 loss to Houston, losing after the Dynamo earned two penalty kicks just a minute apart. Upon heading back to Sandy, they played to a 2–2 draw against Seattle, with Álvaro Saborío scoring the equalizer in second half stoppage time, in front of a full stadium with a crowd over 20,000. A week later, they headed to Los Angeles to take on the Galaxy, the team they had defeated on penalty kicks to win MLS Cup 2009. Despite losing 2–1, Real became the first team to score on the Galaxy in the 2010 Season, as Los Angeles had shut out their first three opponents. RSL finished April with a 1–0 loss to the reigning Supporters' Shield winners, the Columbus Crew.
MLS: 0-3-1, 1 point, 4 goals for, 7 goals against

May edit

RSL began with a hard-fought 2–1 home victory over Toronto. They then hosted for the first time the new expansion team, Philadelphia, winning 3–0. The next week, they defeated Houston, who had beaten them at home in Houston in April, with a decisive 3–1 win. Going on the road to Los Angeles to face expansion partners Chivas USA, RSL found victory when Fabián Espíndola scored in the 89th minute for the game-winner in the 2–1 win. RSL finished the month with a close 4–1 win over Kansas City in Sandy. Both the five-game win streak and the 15-game home unbeaten streak held by RSL at the end of May are franchise-highs.
MLS: 5-0-0, 15 points, 14 goals for, 4 goals against

June edit

After a disappointing scoreless draw on the road against D.C. United, RSL returned home to hand Los Angeles their first loss of the season by a score of 1–0 on a controversial Javier Morales goal. After a two-week hiatus due to the 2010 FIFA World Cup, RSL drew San Jose 0-0.
MLS: 1-0-2, 5 points, 1 goal for, 0 goals against

July edit

July saw Robbie Findley return from World Cup play for Nick Rimando's 100th MLS win – a 5–0 drubbing of New England. They took their aggressive playing style on the road, beating the Chicago Fire 1–0. Their 10-game unbeaten streak came to an end against FC Dallas at Dallas, followed by a disappointing home draw against Chivas USA. They were back in form against D.C. United, and came away with a 3–0 win.
MLS: 3-1-1, 10 points, 10 goals for, 3 goals against

August edit

RSL's good fortunes continued in August, as the team went undefeated in league play. The month opened with four games in twelve days – three league games and RSL's first CONCACAF Champions League game. After playing to a 1–1 draw with Kansas City at CommunityAmerica Ballpark, RSL paid its first visit to Philadelphia's new PPL Park, earning a point in a 1–1 draw with the Union. RSL headed back to Rio Tinto Stadium to face its 2009 Eastern Conference Semifinals nemesis Columbus. RSL won the game 2–0 on a Morales brace. The team then geared up to begin Group A play in the 2010-11 CONCACAF Champions League. RSL defeated Panamanian champions Árabe Unido in Sandy by a score of 2–1 in a wild match that featured over eight minutes of second-half stoppage time. A week later, the team traveled to Estadio Azul to play Mexico's Cruz Azul. Though RSL led 3–2 after 87 minutes, a crazy finish left Real empty-handed, falling 5–4. The team finished the month with an MLS scoreless affair at BMO Field in Toronto, leaving the team in third place on the table at 40 points with eight league games remaining.
MLS: 1-0-3, 6 points, 4 goals for, 2 goals against; CCL: 1-1-0, 3 points, 6 goals for, 6 goals against

September edit

September was another spectacular run for RSL, culminating in qualifying for the MLS Playoffs and the CONCACAF Champion's League quarterfinals.

October edit

Squad edit

2010 roster edit

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK   USA Tim Melia
2 DF   USA Tony Beltran
3 DF   USA Robbie Russell
4 DF   COL Jámison Olave
5 MF   USA Kyle Beckerman (captain)
6 DF   USA Nat Borchers
7 MF   USA Alex Nimo
8 FW   CAN Will Johnson
10 FW   USA Robbie Findley
11 MF   ARG Javier Morales
12 MF   HAI Jean Alexandre
15 FW   CRC Álvaro Saborío
16 FW   ARG Fabián Espíndola
No. Pos. Nation Player
17 DF   USA Chris Wingert
18 GK   USA Nick Rimando
19 FW   BRA Pablo Campos
20 MF   USA Ned Grabavoy
21 MF   USA Luis Gil
22 MF   ARG Nelson González
23 FW   BRA Paulo Araujo Jr.
24 GK   USA Kyle Reynish
26 MF   USA Collen Warner
28 DF   USA Chris Schuler
30 DF   USA Rauwshan McKenzie
33 DF   USA David Horst
77 MF   JAM Andy Williams

Reserves edit

Transfers edit

In edit

Date Player Previous Club Fee Ref
February 10, 2010   Rauwshan McKenzie Unattached Free [1]
February 23, 2010   Luis Gil   Kansas City Wizards Trade [2]
March 14, 2010   Álvaro Saborío   Sion Free [3]
March 18, 2010   Tim Melia   Rochester Rhinos Free [4]
September 9, 2010   Paulo Araujo Jr.   Miami Loan [5]

Out edit

Date Player Destination Club Fee Ref
July 6, 2009   Yura Movsisyan   Randers Free [6]
November 26, 2009   Chris Seitz   Philadelphia Union Trade
January 14, 2010   Clint Mathis   Los Angeles Galaxy Trade [7]
February 12, 2010   Rachid El Khalifi Retired Retired

Loan edit

Date Player Transferred to Fee Ref
April 2, 2010   David Horst   Puerto Rico Islanders Loan [8][9]
April 2, 2010   Tim Melia   Charleston Battery Loan
August 1, 2010   Luis Gil   AC St. Louis Loan [6]

Statistics edit

Appearances and goals edit

Last updated on 17 November 2010.[10]
No. Pos Nat Player Total MLS CONCACAF Champions League U.S. Open Cup Carolina Challenge Cup
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
1 GK   USA Tim Melia 0 0 0+0 0 0 0 0+0 0 0+0 0
2 DF   USA Tony Beltran 23 0 17+1 0 3 0 2+0 0 0+0 0
3 DF   USA Robbie Russell 29 0 21+1 0 5 0 1+1 0 0+0 0
4 DF   COL Jámison Olave 31 3 27+0 2 4 1 0+0 0 0+0 0
5 MF   USA Kyle Beckerman 29 1 21+1 0 5 1 0+1 0 1+0 0
6 DF   USA Nat Borchers 37 2 30+0 1 5 0 2+0 1 0+0 0
7 MF   USA Alex Nimo 1 0 0+0 0 0 0 0+0 0 1+0 0
8 FW   CAN Will Johnson 36 6 24+4 1 6 3 2+0 2 0+0 0
10 FW   USA Robbie Findley 34 9 15+9 5 2+4 1 1+0 1 3+0 2
11 MF   ARG Javier Morales 31 8 25+1 7 4 1 0+1 0 0+0 0
12 DF   HAI Jean Alexandre 20 0 5+10 0 3 0 2+0 0 0+0 0
15 FW   CRC Álvaro Saborío 35 18 23+4 12 5 6 1+1 0 1+0 0
16 FW   ARG Fabián Espíndola 28 6 19+3 5 3 1 0+2 0 1+0 0
17 DF   USA Chris Wingert 30 5 22+2 5 4 0 1+0 0 0+1 0
18 GK   USA Nick Rimando 33 0 27+0 0 5 0 0+0 0 1+0 0
19 MF   USA Ned Grabavoy 31 0 18+5 0 6 0 1+0 0 1+0 0
21 MF   USA Luis Gil 2 0 0+0 0 1 0 0+0 0 1+0 0
22 MF   ARG Nelson González 18 2 3+9 1 4 0 1+0 1 0+1 0
23 FW   BRA Paulo Araujo Jr. 6 4 0+3 0 2 3 0+0 0 1+0 1
24 GK   USA Kyle Reynish 7 2 3+0 0 1 0 2+0 0 1+0 2
26 MF   USA Collen Warner 18 1 4+9 0 3 1 2+0 0 0+0 0
28 DF   USA Chris Schuler 4 0 1+0 0 1 0 1+0 0 1+0 0
30 DF   USA Rauwshan McKenzie 9 0 2+2 0 2 0 2+0 0 1+0 0
33 DF   USA David Horst 0 0 0+0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
77 MF   JAM Andy Williams 36 0 20+10 0 5+0 0 0+1 0 0 0

Top scorers edit

Disciplinary edit

Formation edit

Starting XI vs. Colorado on Oct. 23:

Overall edit

Games played 40 (30 MLS, 6 CONCACAF Champions League, 2 MLS Playoffs, 2 U.S. Open Cup)
Games won 20 (15 MLS, 4 CONCACAF Champions League, 1 U.S. Open Cup)
Games drawn 13 (11 MLS, 1 CONCACAF Champions League, 1 MLS Playoffs)
Games lost 7 (4 MLS, 1 CONCACAF Champions League, 1 MLS Playoffs, 1 U.S. Open Cup)
Goals scored 66
Goals conceded 36
Goal difference +30
Clean sheets 15
Yellow cards 64
Red cards 1
Worst discipline   Jámison Olave 10   0  
Best result(s) W 5–0 (H) v New EnglandMajor League Soccer – 2 July 2010
Worst result(s) L 2–0 (A) v DallasMajor League Soccer – 17 July 2010
Most appearances   Nat Borchers (37)
Top scorer   Álvaro Saborío (18)
Points Overall: 56/90 (62.22%)

Last updated: 17 November 2010
Source: Competitions' Wikipedia articles.

Club edit

Coaching staff edit

Position Staff
General Manager   Garth Lagerwey
Head coach   Jason Kreis
Assistant coach   Robin Fraser
Assistant coach   Miles Joseph
Assistant coach   Jeff Cassar
Strength and conditioning Coach   Dan Barlow
Team Administrator   Elliot Fall
Equipment Manager   Kevin Harter
Assistant Equipment Manager   Mike Rigby
Head Athletic Trainer   Jake Joachim
Head Team Physician   Andrew Cooper
Team Orthopedist   Dr. Mark Scholl
U-17 Head Coach   Greg Maas
U-17 Assistant Coach   Nermin Sasivarĕvić

Updated to match played 20 October 2010
Source: Real Salt Lake

Management edit

Owner/Chairman   Dave Checketts
President   Bill Manning
Chief Financial Officer   Gary Reimer
Sporting Director and Director of Youth Development   Rob Karas
Ground (capacity and dimensions) Rio Tinto Stadium (20,008 / 103x67 meters)

Updated to match played 20 October 2010
Source: Real Salt Lake

Competitions edit

Overall edit

Competition Started round Current
position / round
Final
position / round
First match Last match
MLS 2nd March 27 October 23
CONCACAF Champions League Group Stage Finals August 18, 2010 April 27, 2011
U.S. Open Cup Qualifier Qualification final April 14 June 2
Carolina Challenge Cup Group Stage Runner-up March 13 March 20

Updated to match played 20 October 2010
Source: Competitions

Major League Soccer edit

League table edit

Conference

Pos Team Pld W L T GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 LA Galaxy 30 18 7 5 44 26 +18 59 MLS Cup Playoffs
2 Real Salt Lake 30 15 4 11 45 20 +25 56
3 FC Dallas 30 12 4 14 42 28 +14 50
4 Seattle Sounders FC 30 14 10 6 39 35 +4 48
5 Colorado Rapids 30 12 8 10 44 32 +12 46
6 San Jose Earthquakes 30 13 10 7 34 33 +1 46
7 Houston Dynamo 30 9 15 6 40 49 −9 33
8 Chivas USA 30 8 18 4 31 45 −14 28
Source: MLS

Overall

Pos Team Pld W L T GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 LA Galaxy (S) 30 18 7 5 44 26 +18 59 CONCACAF Champions League
2 Real Salt Lake 30 15 4 11 45 20 +25 56
3 New York Red Bulls 30 15 9 6 38 29 +9 51
4 FC Dallas 30 12 4 14 42 28 +14 50 CONCACAF Champions League
5 Columbus Crew 30 14 8 8 40 34 +6 50
6 Seattle Sounders FC 30 14 10 6 39 35 +4 48 CONCACAF Champions League
7 Colorado Rapids (C) 30 12 8 10 44 32 +12 46
8 San Jose Earthquakes 30 13 10 7 34 33 +1 46
9 Kansas City Wizards 30 11 13 6 36 35 +1 39
10 Chicago Fire 30 9 12 9 37 38 −1 36
11 Toronto FC 30 9 13 8 33 41 −8 35 CONCACAF Champions League
12 Houston Dynamo 30 9 15 6 40 49 −9 33
13 New England Revolution 30 9 16 5 32 50 −18 32
14 Philadelphia Union 30 8 15 7 35 49 −14 31
15 Chivas USA 30 8 18 4 31 45 −14 28
16 D.C. United 30 6 20 4 21 47 −26 22
Source: MLS
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head record; 3) goal difference; 4) number of goals scored
(C) Champions; (S) Supporters' Shield

Results summary edit

Overall Home Away
Pld Pts W L T GF GA GD W L T GF GA GD W L T GF GA GD
30 56 15 4 11 45 20  +25 11 0 4 31 7  +24 4 4 7 14 13  +1

Last updated: September 26, 2010
Source: Major League Soccer
Pld = Matches played; Pts = Points; W = Matches won; T = Matches tied; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; GD = Goal difference

Round123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930
StadiumAAHAAHHHAHAHHHAAHHAAHAHAHHAAHA
ResultWLTLLWWWWWTWTWWLTWTTWTWTWTWTWT
Position27710139553333332332333332222222
Updated to match(es) played on September 26, 2010. Source: MLS Results and League table
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; L = Loss; T = Tie

Regular season edit

  Win   Tie   Loss

March edit

March 27, 2010 San Jose Earthquakes 0–3 Real Salt Lake Santa Clara, California
6:00 p.m. PT McDonald   58'
Leitch   53'
Opara   90'
ESPN Report
MLS Recap
Morales   14'
Espindola   27'
Grabavoy   39'
Morales   54'
Olave   65'
Stadium: Buck Shaw Stadium
Attendance: 10,589
Referee: Jorge González

April edit

April 1, 2010 Houston Dynamo 2–1 Real Salt Lake Houston, Texas
8:00 p.m. CT Davis   53' (pen)
Davis   55' (pen)
Boswell   90'
Report Morales   16'
Wingert   45'
Olave   55'
Espindola   90'
Stadium: Robertson Stadium
Attendance: 18,197
Referee: Jair Marrufo
April 10, 2010 Real Salt Lake 2–2 Seattle Sounders FC Sandy, Utah
7:00 p.m. MT Johnson   53'
Wingert   59'
Saborio   90+4'
Report 1
Report 2
Zakuani   11'
Marshall   56'
Borchers   72' (o.g.)
Stadium: Rio Tinto Stadium
Attendance: 19,970
Referee: Abbey Okulaja
April 17, 2010 Los Angeles Galaxy 2–1 Real Salt Lake Carson, California
7:30 p.m. PT Buddle   11'
Buddle   76'
Report Beckerman   40'
Williams   56'
Stadium: The Home Depot Center
Attendance: 20,344
Referee: Mark Geiger
April 24, 2010 Columbus Crew 1–0 Real Salt Lake Columbus, Ohio
7:30 p.m. ET Schelotto   38' (pen) Report Beckerman   50' Stadium: Columbus Crew Stadium
Attendance: 14,322
Referee: Steven DePiero

May edit

May 1, 2010 Real Salt Lake 2–1 Toronto FC Sandy, Utah
7:00 p.m. MT Olave   14'
Williams   42'
Report De Rosario   88' (pen) Stadium: Rio Tinto Stadium
Attendance: 12,659
Referee: Kevin Stott
May 8, 2010 Real Salt Lake 3–0 Philadelphia Union Sandy, Utah
2:00 p.m. MT Williams   17'
Beckerman   27'
Beckerman   41'
Olave   51'
Saborío   70'
Borchers   81'
Report Arrieta   50' Stadium: Rio Tinto Stadium
Attendance: 14,224
Referee: Hilario Grajeda
May 13, 2010 Real Salt Lake 3–1 Houston Dynamo Sandy, Utah
7:00 p.m. MT Findley   3'
Saborío   24'
Borchers   26'
Saborío   60'
Report Chabala   33'
Mullan   72'
Boswell   77'
Stadium: Rio Tinto Stadium
Attendance: 12,945
Referee: Alex Prus
May 22, 2010 Chivas USA 1–2 Real Salt Lake Carson, California
7:30 p.m. PT Saragosa   26'
Braun   80'
Report Williams   39'
Wingert   45+1'
Alexandre   66'
Espíndola   89'
Stadium: Home Depot Center
Attendance: 14,287
Referee: Yader Reyes
May 29, 2010 Real Salt Lake 4–1 Kansas City Wizards Sandy, Utah
7:00 p.m. MT Olave   29'
Espíndola   31'
Saborío   34'
Russell   84'
Grabavoy   90+2'
Report Besler   27'
Kamara   32'
Wolff   42'
Conrad   73'
Arnaud   82'   82'
Stadium: Rio Tinto Stadium
Attendance: 15,588
Referee: Ricardo Salazar

June edit

June 5, 2010 D.C. United 0–0 Real Salt Lake Washington, D.C.
7:30 p.m. ET Report Stadium: RFK Stadium
Attendance: 15,328
Referee: Jair Marrufo
June 9, 2010 Real Salt Lake 1–0 Los Angeles Galaxy Sandy, Utah
7:00 p.m. MT Williams   63'
Morales   80'
Morales   81'
Report Juninho   20'
Gonzalez   85'
Stadium: Rio Tinto Stadium
Attendance: 19,513
Referee: Edvin Jurisevic
June 25, 2010 Real Salt Lake 0–0 San Jose Earthquakes Sandy, Utah
7:00 p.m. MT Campos   87' Report Corrales   58'
Busch   60'
Stadium: Rio Tinto Stadium
Attendance: 16,216
Referee: Silviu Petrescu

July edit

July 2, 2010 Real Salt Lake 5–0 New England Revolution Sandy, Utah
8:00 p.m. MT Espíndola   22'
Espindola   27'
Olave   45+2'
Wingert   47'
Saborío   52'
Saborío   57'
Findley   85'
Report Stadium: Rio Tinto Stadium
Attendance: 19,101
Referee: Kevin Stott
July 8, 2010 Chicago Fire 0–1 Real Salt Lake Bridgeview, Illinois
8:30 p.m. CT Conde   51' Report Findley   40' (pen)
Johnson   69'
Espíndola   90'
Stadium: Toyota Park
Attendance: 17,847
Referee: Terry Vaughn
July 17, 2010 FC Dallas 2–0 Real Salt Lake Frisco, Texas
7:30 p.m. CT Ihemelu   40'
Ferreira   68'
Shea   69'
Harris   77'
Report Johnson   42' Stadium: Pizza Hut Park
Attendance: 11,170
Referee: Hilario Grajeda
July 24, 2010 Real Salt Lake 1–1 Chivas USA Sandy, Utah
8:00 p.m. MT Beckerman   51'
Grabavoy   66'
Saborío   82'
Report Espinoza   28'
Trujillo   54'
Padilla   70'
Kennedy   78'
Stadium: Rio Tinto Stadium
Attendance: 19,469
Referee: Mark Geiger
July 31, 2010 Real Salt Lake 3–0 D.C. United Sandy, Utah
7:00 p.m. MT Saborío   13'
Wingert   58'
Findley   79'
González   94+'
Report Talley   17'
Bošković   17'
Najar   67'
Stadium: Rio Tinto Stadium
Attendance: 17,719
Referee: Ramón Hernández

August edit

August 7, 2010 Kansas City Wizards 1–1 Real Salt Lake Kansas City, Kansas
7:30 p.m. CT Kamara   21'
Smith   29'
Bunbury   71'
Report Morales   22'
Johnson   31'
Findley   33'
Borchers   41'
Grabavoy   61'
Stadium: CommunityAmerica Ballpark
Attendance: 10,385
Referee: Paul Ward
August 11, 2010 Philadelphia Union 1–1 Real Salt Lake Chester, Pennsylvania
7:30 p.m. ET Fred   2'
Mwanga   8'
Torres   93+'
Report Espindola   17'
González   37'
Alexandre   50'
McKenzie   60'
Borchers   79'
Stadium: PPL Park
Referee: David Gantar
August 14, 2010 Real Salt Lake 2–0 Columbus Crew Sandy, Utah
7:00 MT Morales   11'
Morales   60'
Report Hejduk   48' Stadium: Rio Tinto Stadium
Attendance: 16,906
Referee: Jorge Gonzalez
August 28, 2010 Toronto FC 0–0 Real Salt Lake Toronto, Ontario, Canada
7:00 p.m. ET Report Olave   18' Stadium: BMO Field
Attendance: 21,047
Referee: Baldomero Toledo

September edit

September 4, 2010 Real Salt Lake 1–0 New York Red Bulls Sandy, Utah
7:00 p.m. MT Espíndola   4'
Olave   39'
Report Tchani   18'
Borman   38'
Stammler   74'
Stadium: Rio Tinto Stadium
Attendance: 19,115
Referee: Ricardo Salazar
September 9, 2010 Seattle Sounders FC 0–0 Real Salt Lake Seattle, Washington
Report Saborío   54' Stadium: Qwest Field
Attendance: 36,078
Referee: Paul Ward
September 18, 2010 Real Salt Lake 1–0 Chicago Fire Sandy, Utah
2:00 p.m. MT Beckerman   33'
Saborío   47+' (pen.)
Report Conde   30'   46+' Stadium: Rio Tinto Stadium
Attendance: 14,440
Referee: Jorge Gonzalez
September 25, 2010 Real Salt Lake 1–1 Colorado Rapids Sandy, Utah
10:00 p.m. EDT Campos   32'
Espíndola   66'
Warner   78'
Borchers   90'
Report Casey   10'
Wynne   16'
Casey   36'
Wallace   82'
Stadium: Rio Tinto Stadium
Attendance: 18,317
Referee: Ramón Hernández

October edit

October 2, 2010 New England Revolution 1–2 Real Salt Lake Foxborough, Massachusetts
Sinovic   40'
Mansally   82'
Perovic   93+'
Report Borchers   68'
Grabavoy   41'
Saborío   84'
Stadium: Gillette Stadium
Attendance: 18,130
Referee: Ricardo Salazar
October 9, 2010 Week 28 Real Salt Lake 0–0 New York Red Bulls Red Bull Arena, Harrison
16:00 EDT   38' Olave
  39' Beltran
(Report) Albright   38'
Miller   43'
Attendance: 20,829
Referee: Jair Marrufo
October 16, 2010 Real Salt Lake 2–0 FC Dallas Sandy, Utah
Grabavoy   59'
Espindola   75'
Williams   80'
Morales   89'
Pearce   88' Stadium: Rio Tinto Stadium
Attendance: 20,236
Referee: Baldomero Toledo
October 23, 2010 Colorado Rapids 2–2 Real Salt Lake Commerce City, Colorado
Cummings   16'
Casey   51'
Moor   93+'
Olave   54'
Grabavoy   82'
Saborio   91+'
Saborio   95+' (pen)
Stadium: Dick's Sporting Goods Park
Attendance: 17,729
Referee: Ricardo Salazar

MLS Playoffs edit

Real Salt Lake qualified for the 2010 MLS Cup playoffs following a 2–1 victory at New England on October 2. Amid the controversy surrounding the playoff structure,[11] Salt Lake was seeded as the number two team in the Western Conference bracket, drawn against the third-place West team, Dallas. The draw took place at Major League Soccer's headquarters in New York City on October 24.

The Conference Semifinals served as a two-leg, home-and-away aggregate series with no away goals rule enforced. Salt Lake played at Dallas in Pizza Hut Park on October 30. Despite an early goal from Fabian Espindola in the fifth minute, Dallas would rally with a pair of goals from Jeff Cunningham and Eric Avila, giving not only Dallas the victory, but a lead in the a series.

Both clubs would return to Rio Tinto on November 6 for the second leg. A 17th-minute goal from Dax McCarty gave Dallas 3–1 advantage in the series, and not only jeopardized Salt Lake's chance for going on the Western Conference Championship, but the chance RSL would end their home-match unbeaten streak. A goal from Robbie Findley ensured the streak would stay alive, but it was not enough to defeat Dallas on aggregate, as Dallas would advance 3–2 on aggregate.[12]

October 30, 2010 Conf. Semifinals FC Dallas 2–1 Real Salt Lake Frisco, Texas
3:00 PM MDT Benitez   25'
Cunningham   44'
Hernández   49'
Harris
Avila   88'
Report Espindola   5'
Williams   46'
Morales   49'
Stadium: Pizza Hut Park
Attendance: 11,003
Referee: Kevin Stott
November 6, 2010 Conf. Semifinals Real Salt Lake 1–1
(2–3 agg.)
FC Dallas Sandy, Utah
8:00 PM MDT Olave   25'
Grabavoy   29'
Borchers   34'
Findley   79'
Report McCarty   17'
Chávez   27'
Loyd   84'
Stadium: Rio Tinto Stadium
Attendance: 19,234
Referee: Jorge Gonzalez

U.S. Open Cup edit

April 14, 2010 San Jose Earthquakes   3–3 (aet)
(3–5 p)
Real Salt Lake Buck Shaw Stadium, Santa Clara
7:00 p.m. PT Beitashour   51'
Leitch   68'
Álvarez   88'
Morrow   103'
Burling   109'
Report Findley   7'
Johnson   8'
González   60'
Beckerman   89'
Borchers   118'
Attendance: 2,718
Referee: Alejandro Mariscal
Penalties
  Álvarez
  Gjertsen
  McDonald
  Sánchez
Johnson  
Beckerman  
Findley  
Russell  
Williams  
June 2, 2010 D.C. United   2–1 (a.e.t.) Real Salt Lake RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C.
7:30 p.m. ET Luciano Emilio   75' (pen)
Morsink   92+'
Najar   107'
James   123+'
Report Beltran   70'
Warner   73'
Alexandre   77'
Johnson   81' (pen)
Attendance: 3,074
Referee: Mark Kadlecik

CONCACAF Champions League edit

By winning the 2009 MLS Cup championship against Los Angeles, Real Salt Lake qualified directly into Group Stage for the 2010–11 edition of the CONCACAF Champions League. It was RSL's debut in the competition.

The draw for the group stage was held on May 19, 2010 in New York City. Salt Lake was paired with 2009 Panamanian champions Árabe Unido as well as the Mexican Professional League's, Cruz Azul and fellow MLS-opponent Toronto FC who qualified for the competition by winning the 2010 Canadian Championship.

Salt Lake's opening game took place on August 18, hosting Árabe Unido in which they won 2–1 thanks to a pair of goals from Álvaro Saborío. RSL would then head down to Mexico City's Estadio Azul to take on Cruz Azul for an August 25 match. During a part of the game, Salt Lake took a 3–1 lead over Cruz Azul, and look destined to become the first MLS club to defeat a Mexican team on Mexican soil in a meaningful competition. However, late goals from Cruz Azul's Javier Orozco gave Azul a 4–3 lead in the 89th minute. A stoppage time goal from Salt Lake's Will Johnson seemed to have savaged a point for RSL; however, a goal with less than twelve seconds remaining in stoppage time from Christian Giménez gave Cruz Azul the final goal to win 5–4.

The Royals would commence Champions League action again on September 15 hosting fellow league team, Toronto FC. In spite of an early goal from Macion Santos, RSL was able to rebound and score four unanswered goals, giving Salt Lake a 4–1 victory and a tie with Cruz Azul for first place in Group A. One week later, the Royals would travel to Panama City to take on Arabe Unido for their home fixture of pool play. Goals from Saborio and Johnson secured a 3–2 road victory for Salt Lake. With the victory, RSL became only the sixth MLS club to win a meaningful competition against a Central American opponent on their home turf. On September 28, Salt Lake qualified for the knockout stage of the tournament with a 1–1 draw against Toronto FC at BMO Field.

Tied with Cruz Azul with 3–1–1 records apiece, a victory would give Salt Lake first place in their group. Because of the late season push for the Supporters' Shield, Kries fielded primarily a second-tier squad against Cruz Azul. A record crowd came to Rio Tinto on October 19 to watch the group stage finale between the two sides. Goals from the recently acquired Paulo Araujo Jr. and from Collen Warner led to a 3–1 victory over the Cementeros. The win resulted in RSL winning Group A, as well as them becoming the first MLS club to win a Group in the CONCACAF Champions League.

On November 1, CONCACAF held the draw for the Championship Round at their headquarters in New York City. The round commenced during Salt Lake's 2011 season.[13]

Group Standings edit

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
  Real Salt Lake 6 4 1 1 17 11 +6 13
  Cruz Azul 6 3 1 2 15 9 +6 10
  Toronto FC 6 2 2 2 5 7 −2 8
  Árabe Unido 6 1 0 5 4 14 −10 3

Results summary edit

Overall Home Away
Pld Pts W L T GF GA GD W L T GF GA GD W L T GF GA GD
6 13 4 1 1 17 11  +6 3 0 0 9 3  +6 1 1 1 8 8  0

Last updated: November 16, 2010
Source: CONCACAF
Pld = Matches played; Pts = Points; W = Matches won; T = Matches tied; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; GD = Goal difference

Round123456
StadiumHAHAAH
ResultWLWWTW
Position122111
Updated to match(es) played on September 26, 2010. Source: MLS Results and League table
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; L = Loss; T = Tie

Match results edit

August 18, 2010 Group Stage Real Salt Lake 2–1   Arabe Unido Sandy, Utah
8:00 p.m. MT Saborío   45'
Olave   48'
Williams   65'
Saborío   94+' (pen.)
Wingert   97+'
Report Cooper   13'
Carroll   29'
Rodríguez   51'
Cooper   52'
Calderón   71'
Justavino   86'
Caesar   92+'
Santamaría   93+'   95+'
Stadium: Rio Tinto Stadium
Referee:   Paul Ward
August 25, 2010 Group Stage Cruz Azul   5–4 Real Salt Lake Mexico City, Mexico
7:00 p.m. CT Orozco   5', 75', 88', 89'
Biancucchi   18'
Cervantes   22'
Villa   91+'
Giménez   93+'
Report Saborío   23' (pen.)   43'
González   27'
Espíndola   64'
Findley   87'
Johnson   92+'
Stadium: Estadio Azul
Attendance: 3,400
Referee:   Oscar Moncada
September 15, 2010 Group Stage Real Salt Lake 4–1   Toronto FC Sandy, Utah
8:00 p.m. MT Beckerman   21'
Olave   40'
Beckerman   49'
Saborío   69' (pen.)
Araujo   80'
Report Santos   8'
Martin Šarić   44'
Stadium: Rio Tinto Stadium
Attendance: 11,579[14]
Referee:   Mauricio Morales
September 22, 2010 Group Stage Arabe Unido   2–3 Real Salt Lake Colón, Colón, Panama
7:00 p.m. (UTC−5) Aguilar   2'
Caroll   24'
Angulo   51' (pen.)
De La Cruz   57'
Report Johnson   10', 43'
Saborío   36'
González   76'
Espíndola   59'   87'
Stadium: Estadio Armando Dely Valdés
Referee:   Benito Archundia
September 28, 2010 Group Stage Toronto FC   1–1 Real Salt Lake Toronto, Ontario, Canada
8:00 p.m. ET Peterson   19'
Usanov   52'
Warner   34'
Beckerman   60'
Morales   67'
Stadium: BMO Field
Referee:   Trevor Taylor
October 19, 2010 Group Stage Real Salt Lake 3–1   Cruz Azul Sandy, Utah
8:00 p.m. MT Warner   22'
Alexandre   35'
Araujo   43', 67'
Warner   69'
Report Huiqui   64'
Villaluz   71'
Gimenez   90'
Stadium: Rio Tinto Stadium
Attendance: 20,463

Notes edit

  1. ^ "D.C. United Signs Australian Striker". Washington Post. January 18, 2010. Retrieved September 19, 2010.
  2. ^ "Metro acquires Chris Albright for two draft picks". MetroFanatic.com. January 14, 2010. Retrieved February 10, 2010.
  3. ^ "Real Salt Lake signs striker Alvaro Saborio". Yahoo! Sports. March 14, 2010. Retrieved March 14, 2010.
  4. ^ "D.C. United signs Floribert N'Galula". D.C. United. January 21, 2010. Archived from the original on June 15, 2011. Retrieved February 24, 2010.
  5. ^ [1] Archived 2010-10-18 at the Wayback Machine – MLSSoccer.com
  6. ^ a b "D.C. United resigns Emilio". Yahoo! Sports. January 11, 2010. Retrieved February 4, 2010. [permanent dead link]
  7. ^ "D.C United Sends Fred to Philadelphia, Reacquires Goalie Troy Perkins". CSNWashington.com. January 13, 2010. Archived from the original on July 23, 2012. Retrieved February 10, 2010.
  8. ^ PR Islanders FC (April 1, 2010). "En realidad, es Real el acuerdo" (in Spanish). Puerto RIco Islanders FC. Retrieved April 2, 2010.
  9. ^ PR Islanders FC (April 2, 2010). "El defensa David Horst a los Islanders" (in Spanish). Puerto RIco Islanders FC. Retrieved April 2, 2010.
  10. ^ "Real Salt Lake 2009 | Major League Soccer". Archived from the original on March 31, 2010.
  11. ^ Mayers, Joshua (October 14, 2010). "Convoluted MLS postseason confuses even Sounders FC". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on October 18, 2010. Retrieved November 7, 2010.
  12. ^ "Kreis: When it counted, RSL played scared to lose | Major League Soccer". www.mlssoccer.com. Archived from the original on November 9, 2010.
  13. ^ "2010–2011 CONCACAF Champions League Schedule" (PDF). CONCACAF. April 7, 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 1, 2010. Retrieved June 9, 2010.
  14. ^ RSL push past TFC for share of Group A top spot