Is Real Salt Lake’s Game for Real?

by Sean Grybos on July 30, 2008

Toronto FC watched an opportunity for a precious away point dissolve with Robbie Findley’s late strike during Major League Soccer’s recent edition of Monday Night Football.  While this storyline was important, especially when looking at the crowded Eastern Conference, the most amazing part of the evening was the fact that Real Salt Lake now sits in first place in the Western Conference four points above the Houston Dynamo.   With 27 points, RSL has as many points this season in 19 games as the team had from all of last season.  That is awesome.

With some savvy scouting of the South American continent as well as the addition of veteran leadership from Europe, Real Salt Lake has given the MLS audience a chance to witness one of the greatest “from bottom dweller to contender“ tales in the history of the MLS.

Along with last season’s key  trio of Kyle Beckerman, Robbie Findley, and Nick Rimando, RSL brought in a pair of Argentines in Javier Morales and Fabian Espindola to bolster the attack.   Three experienced veterans, who have contributed to the team’s success, were also signed from Europe:  Kenny Deuchar via Scotland, Nat Borchers via Norway, and Ian Joy via Germany.

Is RSL going to sustain this pace until the fall?  Let’s hope so. 


{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }

Allen 07.30.08 at 10:41 pm

“Real Salt Lake has given the MLS audience a chance to witness one of the greatest “from bottom dweller to contender“ tales in the history of the MLS.”

Are you trying to comment on RSL’s season or hope that Webster’s is looking for a new example for hyperbole? RSL’s turnaround is nice but it’s just as much a commentary on the mediocrity that crowds the West as it is what RSL’s done.

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