Observations by The Czar

Czar Jake · 07-14-2005, 05:47 PM

Observations by the Czar

Where does the blame fall?

Real Salt Lake’s Jason Kreis had a hat trick in Minneapolis on Wednesday against the USL side Minnesota Thunder. Sounds like things went well, right? Actually it was a new low for the troubled expansion team. After a promising start, Real Salt Lake has set the all-time MLS record for most minutes without a goal, been destroyed by Chivas 5-1, and bowed out of the US Open Cup immediately, after losing to Minnesota 6-4.

A team that looked so good on paper – Pope, Kreis, Mathis – is being ripped to shreds. So where does the blame fall? Is it on Coach Ellinger? The players? Maybe GM Steve Pastorino? Furthermore, does a firing or a trade need to take place, or should RSL simply stay the course and hope for a better tomorrow?

Maybe it’s Coach Ellinger. He was highly touted as the genius behind the development of players like Landon Donovan, DaMarcus Beasley and Freddy Adu. But player development does not necessarily translate to successful team play. Perhaps he can’t create any chemistry within the team. Perhaps he is not the tactician that Steve Pastorino thought he was.

It could be Steve Pastorino. Pastorino was given much credit for helping the Chicago Fire become a success on the field and at the box office. Then again, the man in charge of running the team may have made some bad decisions. Was he so focused on drawing fans that he signed only big names, and no big-time players?

It might be the players. Their salaries have been leaked recently, and they contain some interesting numbers. Mathis, for example, is the 8th highest paid player in Major League Soccer. Real Salt Lake has two of the top 10 paid players. Their team payroll is one of the largest in the league. New England has the lowest team payroll. After seeing these numbers, Uncle Dave is going to think he got some bad advice.

Do the players care? Are they proud to represent Real Salt Lake, or is it just about the paycheck? At times it seems that some players aren’t playing with any passion. Often they seem to be going through the motions – passing the ball around for a while – but never really willing themselves and their teammates to get a goal, or to win the game.

Where does the blame fall? I don’t know. Maybe you can chalk it all up to being an expansion club, and hope that the years to come are better to Real Salt Lake. In the meantime, it’s a shame to waste such big, passionate Salt Lake crowds on poor, uninspired soccer.

Despite our team being in the discussion for worst MLS side of all time, I for one am still ecstatic that there is an MLS team in Salt Lake City.

GOAL!!!!!!

Clint Mathis finally has reached the Suarez line with one goal. Meanwhile, Kreis still did have a hat trick on Wednesday…

BAD CALL

8 Real Salt Lake players make less than $17k per year, including guys getting minutes with the first team. Are they missing practice to work the day shift at Taco Time or what?

OWN-GOAL

Real Salt Lake have still not scored in the North end of Rice-Eccles. Meanwhile, their record has moved to 0-9-1 in away stadiums, including a 5-1 drubbing by Chivas and a wild loss to a minor league team.

SoccerPrime · 07-15-2005, 08:08 AM

Interesting article in the SL Trib today has Pastorino saying that he and Checketts are behind Ellinger and that they think he is doing a good job (???).

Zathras · 07-17-2005, 01:11 PM

Actually, the Thunder play in Saint Paul, not Minneapolis. Minneapolis is the larger city, but Saint Paul is the capital of the state and more developed culturaly.

However, I have to say after the Thunder game, what I saw was that the team as a whole was lacking in heart, a state epitomized by Mathis who never got beyond a trot. I have a strong suspicion that Cletus is a cancerous element that would best be removed from the locker room of RSL.

Czar Jake · 07-19-2005, 04:32 PM

Thanks for the tip, Zathras. To be honest, I was just too lazy to look up whether it was St. Paul or Minneapolis, so I just guessed. woops!

Blondie · 07-24-2005, 07:19 PM

I'm just curious.

devNull · 07-25-2005, 12:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blondie

I'm just curious.

Many were published in newspapers. The NY Times had an article which linked an Excel spreadsheet with all of the salaries in the league (the story has now been archived so you can't get to it w/out paying). If you are interested send me a PM w/ your e-mail address and I can e-mail you the spreadsheet.