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The Rocky Mountain CupColorado Rapids
vs Real Salt Lake |
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The Rocky Mountain CupColorado Rapids
vs Real Salt Lake |
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A 90th-minute goal by Yura Movsisyan provided Real Salt Lake the 1-1 draw they needed to retain the Rocky Mountain Cup for the second straight year. The result also clinched the first-ever MLS playoff for Real, while simultaneously denying the rival Colorado Rapids a postseason berth.
Recaps: MLSnet.com and ColoradoRapids.com
Scott McAllister, MLSnet.com: Traveling fans give Real boost
Owen Perkins, MLSnet.com: Rapids' heroic effort falls short against RSL
Scott McAllister, MLSnet.com: Late score finally goes in RSL's favor
Michael C. Lewis, Salt Lake Tribune: Just when RSL appears doomed, it pulls out a grand finish
Michael C. Lewis, Salt Lake Tribune: Win not a guilty pleasure
Michael C. Lewis, Salt Lake Tribune: Williams' role gets Kreis emotional
Kurt Kragthorpe, Salt Lake Tribue: RSL's tie sure feels like a win
James Edward, Deseret News: Substitutions give Real Salt Lake a spark
James Edward, Deseret News: Tie sends Real Salt Lake to the playoffs
Pat Rooney, Rocky Mountain News: Rapids miss playoffs on heartbreaking goal in 90th minute
George Tanner, Rocky Mountain News: How Saturday's 90-minute loss looked in my head
Brian Forbes, Denver Post: Playoff hopes snubbed late
Keepin' It Real: Postgame thoughts and celebration
Facing an injury-depleted Colorado club, Real Salt Lake drew on an injury-plagued player of its own to undo the Rapids and even the series at one win apiece. Fabian Espindola scored a pair of goals to lead RSL to a much-needed 2-0 home victory at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
Recaps: MLSnet.com, RealSaltLake.com and ColoradoRapids.com
With a first-place berth and first blood in the Rocky Mountain Cup both on the line, the Colorado Rapids hit for two goals in the final half-hour of the match to claim a 2-0 victory against Real Salt Lake at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. Omar Cummings finally broke the tense deadlock with a goal in the 65th minute, then Christian Gomez converted a penalty kick with seven minutes to go to put the game away as the unceasing offensive attack by the Rapids finally broke through.
Recaps: MLSnet.com, ColoradoRapids.com and RealSaltLake.com
MLSnet.com: Post-Game Quotes
Owen Perkins, MLSnet.com: Rapids exact revenge on rival RSL
Geoffrey Urland, MLSnet.com: RSL lets shot at first place slip away
Brian Forbes, Denver Post: Offense finally gets rolling
Pat Rooney, Rocky Mtn News: Striker keys win as new formation pays dividends
Michael C. Lewis, Salt Lake Tribune: RSL misses chance to take over 1st place
James Edward. Deseret News: Real Salt Lake blows chance to climb to top of conference
James Edward. Deseret News: By choice, Kreis sits in press box
Black Panther Soccer Blog: Rapids Win
View From the Couch: And That, Gentlemen, Is How We Do That
The Rocky Mountain Cup rivalry is renewed on Thursday with another glittering bauble on offer for the winner -- first place, for the time being -- in the Western Conference. The Colorado Rapids are still atop the West, tied with FC Dallas, despite losing for the third time in four games in heartbreaking circumstances last weekend. Real Salt Lake put an end to their three-game winless run by defeating FC Dallas last Saturday, moving to within a point of the top spot in the division.
Previews: MLSnet.com, ColoradoRapids.com and RealSaltLake.com
With the release of the 2008 MLS Schedule comes the news that there will only be three matches between Real and the Rapids (compared to four in each of the three previous seasons); two in Devner, one in Salt Lake. As a result, the Committee has agreed that the "away goals" rule will no longer be used to break a tie; aggregate goals will be first, followed by the most recent head-to-head victory. Should the two teams still remain tied at this point, Salt Lake will retain possession as the current holders.
Complete RMC Rules and Standings
[MLSnet.com] COMMERCE CITY, Colo. -- Real Salt Lake put a positive spin on the end of their season, beating regional rivals Colorado Rapids 1-0 in what ended up being the final game of the season. Robbie Findley's goal in the 87th minute put the game away and earned Real the Rocky Mountain Cup for the first time as winner of the season series between the two teams -- but more importantly, eliminated the Rapids from playoff consideration.
Read the complete game recap at MLSnet.com
[MLSnet.com] COMMERCE CITY, Colo. -- Real Salt Lake put a positive spin on the end of their season, beating regional rivals Colorado Rapids 1-0 in what ended up being the final game of the season. Robbie Findley's goal in the 87th minute put the game away and earned Real the Rocky Mountain Cup for the first time as winner of the season series between the two teams -- but more importantly, eliminated the Rapids from playoff consideration.
Read the complete game recap at MLSnet.com
[MLSnet.com] SALT LAKE CITY - There were more than just a couple of Real Salt Lake players that had a point to prove to the Colorado Rapids on Saturday. Not only did Kyle Beckerman and Chris Wingert have reason to show up the Rapids, for trading them away to RSL earlier this season, but the rest of the team meant to show Colorado that the Rocky Mountain Cup was not safe in Commerce City yet this year.
RSL got a rebound goal from Kyle Brown at the 30-minute mark, then made it stand up for the remainder of the game as they claimed a 1-0 victory in a driving rainstorm at Rice-Eccles Stadium and evened the competition between the two regional rivals. Each club has now won once this season, with a third meeting a draw; they conclude their season series in Colorado in the regular season finale for both teams.
Read the complete game recap at MLSnet.com
The Rapids and Salt Lake are making waves in MLS! Yep, lots of “firsts” coming from the Rocky Mountain Cup in 2007. Not all of them good, mind you, but lots of firsts.
First? Well, the first 2007 RMC match was the League’s first Monday Night Football game. Next? The first Rocky Mountain Cup rivalry game to be played at The Dick in Commerce City. Possibly? It was the first RMC game without a yellow or red card. Finally? Well, it’s the first time an MLS game has tied exclusively on own goals. Own goals? Own goals. OG. We’re so proud.
“La OG” when written in Spanglish, it’s like a real Goal spelled backwards.
The first own goal of the evening… Was it another Jack Stewart Moment? Oooh, oooh, I know the answer! Yes. Assisted by Hercules and our favorite netminder, Nick Rimando.
The last own goal of the evening… Was it another JS moment? Uhhh, no, it was a Pablo moment. Turns out Mastroeni knew that no cards would be handed out, so he needed to do something outrageous. This qualifies. Totally ruined a beautiful clean sheet in the making. Bouna Time be damned, apparently.
GO-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-A-L! Huh. Sounds weird when we yell like that for an OG.
There actually was a real goal, the normal kind you score against the other guys. It was onsides, it was a goal, it was legitimate… but for the second week in a row, RSL escapes with a great referee call in their favor, allowing them to set up another tie against the better team.
Yes, yes, yes, it was onsides. If you don’t realize that? You’re an RSL fan who’s new to “soccer.”
Halftime couldn’t come soon enough for those of us fans sitting in front of the famed Freddy Adu, who was given 30 yards of freedom to run the wing by our junior senator from Georgetown. The break also gave us supporters more time to enjoy a beautiful Thursday weekday night matchup with more than 13,000 of our fellow fans.
The 2nd half started and ended better than the first, except for the scoring. While the Rapids possession stat dipped below 200% that of Salt Lake’s, it was better possession at times with more scoring opportunities from a hustling Hercules and high-flying but ineffectual Nico (get those shots down, friend).
And the Rapids terminated the “don’t cover Adu” experiment, which gave the ESPN announcers time to talk about something other than the 17-year-old phenom. And with Adu switching wings, we fans could rest our voices from the “Europe doesn’t want you” catcalls we enjoyed so much, not to mention the occasional “Forko, Spoono” and “Marco, Forko” shouts. Now we could focus on the bloody refs, continuing the refereeing train wreck of last week.
So. That was pretty much it.
Oh, sure, there was another questionable offside call (so much for giving the advantage to the striker) and then there was a poor non-call as Heroic Hercules was taken down with a charlie horse to the thigh which actually gave RSL a couple of dangerous free kicks.
Time and again, Bouna Coundoul showed why he’ll be a great goalie some day. The “Hand of God” defense he employed against Freddy’s cracker shot was stunning. And probably painful. To put it another way, the number of fantastic saves was equivalent to the number of Rapids goals called back by the Refs. Yeah, no kidding, that many!
Anyway… our boys struggled to complete some relatively simple passes (triangles boys, triangles), and while Hercules continued to hammer away at the goal, there just wasn’t anyone else willing to assist.
On the plus side, Jeff Cunningham was on the field (I verified this, saying hello when I was down at the player tunnel) but fortunately absent from the 18-yard box. Another benefit of this tie was to elevate the Rapids into sole ownership of 1st place in the West. Woo-hoo! Even better? With just four points “earned” out of a possible 18, this tie helped our Utah brethren sink to the bottom of Salt Lake.
So… the Rocky Mountain Cup competition rolled on with less piss and vinegar and more too-polite-for-words own goals. After two matches, the Rapids gain the advantage while keeping RSL from entering any positive numbers in the win column for the season.
The RMC reconvenes this September, but we can all enjoy a grudge match the evening of May 23rd at The Dick as Salt Lake comes back for another helping of Rapids hospitality in the US Open Cup. Tickets are $7 for season ticket holders, $10 for everyone else.
RMC points update: Rapids 4, RSL 1. With two games left at the end of the season, it’s still anyone’s game. As long as you’re a Rapids fan.
A 1-1 score line with both goals being own goals does not really tell the story of this match. The RSL own goal came when Rimando tried to tip out a cross into the box that bounced off Jack Stewart and into the goal. The Colorado own goal came in a similar situation where a Freddy Adu cross to Jeff Cunningham deflected off the foot of Pablo Mastroeni and in.
Some bullet points I take away from this match:
The offside calls on Gomez mostly could have gone either way. They were called as offside and as a ref, especially at the speed that MLS plays at, that call is extremely hard to make. Sometimes I hate to see the referees determine the outcome of a game, but had they gone the other way, we would be screaming about it. If the refs are going to err, it’s best to make that fall in favor of the defense and calling it too close. Otherwise, the game was a lot cleaner than normal for RSL and the cRapids which was great.
It was a great pleasure to finally sit down and realize the DVR had actually recorded a Colorado Rapids game successfully for a change. The first 30 seconds proved especially delightful as viewers saw a beautiful close-up of the Rocky Mountain Cup (RMC) and were reminded of the passion in which the teams have already met in competition to win it.
Colorado fans, current RMC stewards, had brought the trophy to Salt Lake to once again throw down the gauntlet, in the hopes that Salt Lake would step up in competition to create beautiful, solid, passion-filled soccer.
Tell me the RMC means nothing and I'll understand that you have no passion, no drama, no soul. The instinctive desire to challenge for the tall, gleaming trophy has made grown men fight, rich owners explode in embarrassing red-faced PR rage, and pro players put that extra oomph into a good yellow card tackle.
All in the name of owning the right to be the winner of the Rocky Mountain Cup competition and that was just the first two years! Mastroeni looked ready to repeat his shirt-off celebration and security was already lining up to keep RSL owner Checketts from draining his self-confidence any further.
"Every time you come to this venue, you wake up in the morning and my blood's already going," Mastroeni told the Deseret Morning News. "Who would've thought Salt Lake & Colorado would have such a great rivalry?"
Ahem. The fans knew. And we're loving every minute of it!
And so, for the 2007 season, it is finally: GAME ON.
Eventually. Even with fast forward, Monday night's game was never going to be considered instant gratification. The Rapids spent the first 20 minutes making RSL look almost as good as Ellinger thinks they are.
Of course, it's one thing to wish you can fly. It's another thing to succeed.
Then, in the 33rd minute, it was Bouna Time! As an homage to the displaced RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando's embarrassing wandering last week against Chivas, Rapids netminder Bouna Coundoul charged out of his box towards the sideline to create a one-on-one defensive challenge with the talented Jeff Cunningham.
Turns out Cunni was the goat this week, and Bouna recovered.
The halftime breather gave pause to all fans watching, a chance to remember that watching professional soccer on uber-fast fake turf is almost always nearly unwatchable.
And the next twenty minutes of the second half neatly proved it.
Luckily, there's always a "Jack Stewart Moment" lurking around the corner. In this case, it was actually RSL's Torres, but the mental mistake on the defender's part was so big you could drive a Panamanian tank through it.
A tank known as Roberto Brown. And for those who haven't watched the Panamanian Army do drills? Apparently it's a lot like slapping the slow-mo button on your VCR. Brown went past Torres two or three times in his teasing run into the box, keeping possession as the hapless defender slid around on Central American banana peels.
Veteran Eddie Pope struggled to get free of Rapids Rookie signing and Generation Adidas hopeful Nico Colaluca but couldn't get back in time to stop the slightly off-balance rocket by Brown's One Man Army into the upper ninety.
RSL goalkeeper Chris Seitz said something that sounded a bit like his last name as RSL realized that playing for a 0-0 draw never worked for the Rapids and wasn't about to work now.
Colaluca continued showing some impressive footwork and flashes of interest as the youngster started running at a back line stretched by the sudden need to score. He was integral in forcing the next Jack Stewart moment by RSL. This time, it actually *was* Jack Stewart who initiated an odd-looking pass back to Seitz, who took the bait and picked the ball up in the penalty area. Deliberate back pass.
Doh!
Indirect free kick for the Rapids in the 74th minute. Goal! No goal. Hercules Gomez slammed it home, but apparently you have to wait for a "whistle" as it is known in the industry.
Doh!
Try again. Indirect free kick in the 75th minute. Goal! No kidding! Yep, same plan, Hercules fires it in. This time RSL falls over themselves to put bodies in front of his cannon, and a heroic defender pays the price and blocks the shot. It leaks out to Colorado's own Becks Beckerman, who whips his dreds around artfully before slamming home the insurance goal through the train wreck of 10 RSL defenders and a stunned rookie goalie.
What followed Beckerman's hammer blow was the "Class Act of MLS Fandom" showing their true colors. To quote the RSL television announcer, "And here's the exact thing we don't need. Fan are throwing debris on the field."
On a positive note, RSL finally showed some moxie after going down by two quality strikes and made for some great TV moments in the final 15 minutes of the game.
Rapids win 2-0 in the first RMC match-up of the season, gaining 3 points and an important +2 goal differential on the road.
Welcome to MLS. Every Penn needs his Teller. Every Laurel needs his Hardy. Every Roadrunner needs his Wile E. Coyote.
More
than a score of Rapids fans made the road trip to Salt Lake City for the deciding
match of the Rocky Mountain Cup. After establishing our presence in
W8 the fans made ourselves heard throughout the stadium, getting a lone Rapids
fan from the other side of RES to join us at halftime. The Rapids fans
could be heard on the broadcast overwhelming the home support with chants
of “We love Joe!” and Let’s Go Rapids!” much like
the team overwhelmed the home side.
The Rapids came out with a desire to win that had been missing in recent matches. Early on the Rapids had control of the match in the attacking third, as RSL seemed content to play for the 0-0 draw or to get a goal on a lucky counter attack to steal the win. Thiago Martins had the best chance early on, as his first attempt was blocked by RSL keeper Scott Garlick, but the rebound came right back to him and the shot was headed for the back of the net until RSL’s Jack Stewart managed to clear it off the line. The Rapids kept the pressure up and were unlucky to not leave the field at the half with the lead, having put five shots on target compared to RSL’s single chance.
The second half got off to a quick start, with RSL’s Cunningham coming close to the net but it would be the Rapids who would put one away first. After a collision between Colin Clark and RSL’s Ballouchy left them both on the turf and the referee signaling advantage Dan Gargan ended up with the ball outside the right side of the box. He picked out Hernandez with the cross and Niko headed it into the back of the net giving the Rapids a 1-0 lead.
A scuffle broke out after the goal, starting with RSL keeper Scott Garlick throwing the ball at Hunter Freeman and then charging out of his box to continue the argument. The referees separated the players, but this set the tone for the rest of the second half as the teams were clearly interested in sending messages to each other through their play. Garlick was awarded the first of seven yellow cards in the second half.
The Rapids kept their shape and were able to continue to deny RSL good looks at goal. On the few times RSL did get through, Joe Cannon was there to cover. Cannon made the biggest save of the game in the 74th minute as Atiba Harris got through the Rapids defense and was bearing down on goal. Cannon went to ground and managed to kick the shot away from the goal, denying RSL’s best chance of the game.
Late in the second half RSL thought it had gotten the equalizer as Eddie Pope slotted in the cross from Chris Klein, but the AR correctly ruled that the ball had gone over the end line before Klein’s cross. The referee then added a MLS record 7 minutes of stoppage time but the Rapids came closer to scoring during it than RSL did. With 30 seconds left in the added time Nkong attempted to chip Scott Garlick from 45 yards and only missed by a foot or two. That was the last real chance of the game and as the referee blew the final whistle the Rapids started celebrating their successful defense of the Rocky Mountain Cup.
The Cup was brought onto the field and taken by Joe Cannon over to W8 so the team could show their appreciation to the traveling Rapids fans. The Rapids also took the opportunity to show off in front of the RSL faithful, prompting a chorus of boos and some items to come flying out of the stands, and eventually leading to a face to face confrontation between Pablo Mastroeni and RSL owner Dave Checketts.
Eventually things settled down and the Rapids headed home with the Rocky Mountain Cup for another year.
The
lights went out at Rice-Eccles stadium on Saturday night, literally and figuratively.
It could have been the most stunningly significant match in the history of fledgling Real Salt Lake. The Rocky Mountain Cup was on the line—RSL’s first real chance to claim a trophy for the fans—and RSL could have strengthened its hold on a playoff position, which two months ago seemed like chasing at wind mills.
But after the final whistle was called, it was Colorado celebrating the Rocky Mountain Cup and back into playoff position, as RSL moved back to the bottom of the charts. It seemed appropriate when, minutes after the game ended, the entire stadium’s electricity went out, leaving the fans in the dark.
Lighting disruptions aside, this match seemed to light a real fire under a rivalry that has just begun heating up. The cards alone tell part of the story. Seven cards were handed down in this match, bringing the Rocky Mountain Cup total to 24 cards over just four games played.
RSL Coach John Ellinger talked about the rivalry after the game. "During the game, emotions were high, tempers were flaring, and I think there were two or three incidents on the field,” he said. “It's definitely a rivalry, but for us we have allowed them to come in three times to our stadium and walk away with wins. That's just unacceptable.”
Salt Lake looked somewhat lackluster from the beginning, with only one shot on goal for the entire first half. Colorado’s offense seemed slow to warm up, sending several slow balls to the feet of Scott Garlick.
Things got interesting in the second half, however, as Colorado’s Niko Hernandez hit the back of the net when RSL had a man down on the field. An argument broke out on the field as Scott Garlick confronted Hunter Freeman. After the teams were separated, Garlick was shown the game’s first yellow card.
The cards kept flowing during the second half, but the scoring was over. The Salt Lake crowd went crazy after Eddie Pope seemed to score a goal in the 85th minute, but the linesman ruled that the ball had gone out of play prior to the goal.
The crowd of 17,323 screamed in unison for a red card in the 88th minute as Dan Gargan fouled Jeff Cunningham. Mehdi Ballouchy challenged Gargan after the play and more fighting broke out on the field.
After an unheard of seven minutes of stoppage time, the game ended but the drama continued. As the Rocky Mountain Cup was being led onto the field to be presented to the Rapids, Pablo Mastroeni took the chance to taunt the home fans for an extended period of time. Things turned ugly, however, and RSL owner Dave Checketts burst onto the scene to confront Mastroeni.
Checketts later stated, “I am both outraged and embarrassed that players in this league - especially a World Cup star like Pablo Mastroeni - would engage in obscene behavior towards our fans, and am dismayed that no one from the Colorado organization was present tonight to discourage such boorish behavior.”
The arguments continued off the field as several groups of angered RSL fans vented their resentment on the visiting Colorado fans. The Rapids supporters were drenched in soda and hit in the head with flying objects before leaving the stadium, where they found another group ready to fling insults at them. Feeling wary of another round of projectiles, the Rapids fans asked stadium security to escort them out of the area.
When all was said and done, Salt Lake fans still held onto one thing that Colorado will likely never compete with: amazing crowds and fans that give RSL games a true home field advantage. Colorado coach Fernando Clavijo summed it best when he told RSL supporters, “You guys really do have the best fans. Congratulations.”
Two
players showed up for the Rapids 4-1 blistering loss to the team from Utah
in their 3rd meeting of the Rocky Mountain Cup. One was the estimable Joe Cannon,
just back from his incredible stonewalling of fabled Chelsea at the All-Star
game.
The other, unfortunately, was a former Rapids player. Jeff Cunningham. Running freely all night against a back line gone AWOL, Cunningham gave a glittering display of why he’s a pure goal scorer and so many coaches are willing to let him do his thing.
Two goals and an assist by the streaking striker barely tell the tale.
Without Cannon’s world-class ability to stop laser-accurate shots time and again, Cunningham would have found himself the recipient of a hat trick or more.
Maybe the pressure of the Cup itself was too much. Coach Ellinger stated in the Salt Lake Tribune, “Don’t think them parading the Rocky Mountain Cup in our faces every time we come here doesn’t have something to do with it either. You can only do it so many times before it’s going to come back and bite you in the butt.”
It bit. Hard.
In fact, to give away the ending… the only positive for Colorado supporters is that, without TV coverage, no Salt Lake fans were able to witness their team’s best moment in franchise history.
Despite the introduction of the outrageously fast Fabrice Noel and rookie Jacob Peterson in the second half, nothing could slow the onslaught brought on by Cunningham’s runs up top.
Eric Denton was beat down so badly he had to take a red card fouling Cunningham
in the box, which only slowed the changing of the scoreboard by 30 seconds… and
got Denton kicked out of the game.
The “attacking” face of Colorado fared no better. Despite half
a dozen chances in or near the six-yard box, nobody could head home critical
goals despite a gapingly open goal mouth. Wasson? Nope. Kirovski? Nope. Martins?
Nope. Noel? Nope.
One of the few field players who bothered was Kyle Beckerman. And just what did he think about the Rapids performance?
“The worst ever to a team like that,” Beckerman told the Denver Post. “We have lost 4-1 before, but to a better team. We had chances to get back in the game, but it’s all about scoring at the right time.”
It wouldn’t be the “right time” until Denton’s red
card exit was joined by Terry Cooke leaving with an injury late in the game
(count ‘em, two men down!). The Rapids’ Thiago Martins finally
put away his first of the season, pulling the game back to 3-1.
Fittingly, Cannon decided to play the field and help rally the troops.
All he got for his efforts was another score from Salt Lake and a battered
and bruised image of the Rapids on display in front of the “free ticket
promotion” crowd of more than 10,000 on a Wednesday evening.
Ouch.
Garnering
their first four-goal win in franchise history, Real Salt Lake thrilled fans
with a decisive triumph at the expense of the Rapids. The Rapids, who paraded
the Rocky Mountain Cup before the game, expected to clinch the contest in front
of the home crowd.
During the heated match, the ref handed down 10 cards to the teams, ejecting Eric Denton from the Rapids side and RSL’s Douglas Sequiera. Between the numerous fouls from each side, there was also a good bit of scoring as well.
Former Rapids man Jeff Cunningham first put RSL on the board in the 25th minute, receiving a long ball from Carey Talley and running past Rapids defenders to a one-on-one confrontation with Joe Cannon. Cunningham sent a fast, hard shot past his former teammate to put Real Salt Lake up 1-0.
After the first goal, former RSL man Clint Mathis began toying with his former teammates, including getting rather physical with rookie Mehdi Ballouchy. Mathis and Ballouchy were both given the night's first yellow cards in the 31st minute when Mathis apparently elbowed Ballouchy in the face.
RSL continued to dominate in the remainder of the first half, seeing several good chances that were denied by Colorado. Radio commentator Wayne Scholes joked around the 40th minute that RSL was “just toying with [Colorado].”
The joke was over in the 41st minute when RSL’s Carey Talley went down and was then punched in the head by Kyle Beckerman. Pushing and shoving broke out as both sides got into the argument and eventually a yellow was handed to Beckerman for his part in the clash. As the teams headed into the locker room a few minutes later, the commentator added, “These two teams need to be separated!”
Colorado mixed things up to start the second half by subbing in Jacob Peterson and Fabrice Noel for Clint Mathis and Jovan Kirovski. The substitutions added a little fire to the Colorado side, who became much more dangerous offensively, putting Scott Garlick to work.
However, it was RSL to score again next in the 63rd minute. Cunningham made his way through several Colorado defenders and then sent a well-timed pass to Chris Klein, who put the shot away, putting RSL up 2-0.
In the 76th minute, Cunningham charged toward the goal again, but was brought down by Eric Denton in the box. Denton was ejected from the game and Cunningham converted a PK, putting RSL up 3-0. The goal also put Cunningham on the top of the league charts for goal scoring, with 13 for the season.
Colorado redeemed themselves slightly in the 84th minute, heading one past Scott Garlick and putting themselves on the scoreboard. In the aftermath, Garlick got into a heated argument with several Rapids players. Douglas Sequiera entered the fray and was ejected from the game for violent conduct. Mike Petke and Scott Garlick were both shown yellow cards.
In the last minute of stoppage time, Cannon pushed forward to add some offensive power to the Rapids side, leaving his net wide open. But it was Chris Brown who was there to clean up, putting the ball in the back of the net for his first goal of the season.
After the victory, John Ellinger commented on the rivalry’s impact on the game: "Don't think them parading the Rocky Mountain Cup in our faces every time we come here doesn't have something to do with it either," he said. "You can only do it so many times before it's going to come back and bite you in the butt."
RSL fans were ecstatic about the first four-goal win for the team. “I'm
completely speechless,” said Robb Enger. “For the first time in
history, RSL scores four goals. Like most of us out here, I didn't see the
game (just caught it on the radio) but it appears as though we played with
lots of heart, and it doesn't hurt that we had the ball bounce our way on a
couple of occasions. We may have a shot at winning the cup this year.”
The decisive victory changed the outlook for the Rocky Mountain Cup.
It gave RSL the advantage in terms of aggregate goals and away goals, meaning
that Colorado will have to win the final game of the season outright to claim
the Rocky Mountain Cup for a second year. Either a win or draw from RSL will
send the Cup to Salt Lake.
Disappointment
from a 2-2 tie in Salt Lake in May still rankled as the Colorado Rapids took
the field against Real Salt Lake (RSL) in their 2nd meeting of the Rocky
Mountain Cup for 2006.
Emphasizing the importance of this match, C10 members holding the gleaming Cup trophy led both teams out of the tunnel and down onto the pitch. Fans cheered as the Jumbotron screens reflected the Rocky Mountains engraved on the trophy.
Rapids netminder Joe Cannon proved the difference maker this time as game two of the four game regular-season competition ended with a clear victory for Colorado’s nearly 13,000 rowdy fans in attendance Friday evening.
The return to action of a freshly-healed Cannon was a breath of fresh air for a club gulping down the rookie eccentricity of Bouna Coundoul between the pipes.
"To be honest that's the best I've felt all year long,” Cannon said after the game.
“The first couple of games I was [still] nursing a couple of offseason injuries,” he said. “I had been frustrated, I just wanted to play, it's my identity."
The 1-0 result reflected an aggressive--yet careful—series of buildups that have seen the Rapids come out on top in the competition yet again in Cannon’s first clean sheet of the season.
Former Rapids striker Jeff Cunningham looked to continue his difficult-to-manage running style early in the game. However, a defensive line still smarting from poor structure against Chivas a week ago was anything but overawed with Salt Lake’s recent string of good performances.
Excellent defensive shape soon sent the RSL forward into the background for the remainder of the match.
“Their back four played real well and they were familiar with me,” said Cunningham. “They know what my tendencies are and I got caught offside too many times tonight.”
Mounting a number of initial counter-attacks, Nicolas “Niko” Hernandez capitalized on a fortuitous rebound from his own deflected pass and slammed home the game winner in the 16th minute, forcing the ball past Scott Garlick who was unable to slow the punishing shot as it rocketed above him.
Neither side could finish the few remaining chances each side generated, the Rapids ending Salt Lake’s hopes of continuing the Utah club’s recent hot streak.
After the game, keeper Joe Cannon ran over to the Centennial Firm supporters group, raised the Cup trophy, and celebrated with Rapids fans before jumping back onto the field.
After an initial loss to RSL in their first-ever home game in 2005, Colorado has strung together five straight against their Rocky Mountain Cup foe without a loss.
The Rocky Mountain Cup, a competition by the fans, for the fans, now stands at four points for the Rapids and one point for RSL with two games yet to play. The Rapids have an opportunity to secure victory of the Cup for another year when the two teams meet again in Denver on August 9th.
RSL’s
streak of good luck skidded to a halt on June 9th in the second leg of the
2006 Rocky Mountain Cup. The return of Joe Cannon between the pipes and the
early injury of RSL players signaled problems for the away team that they
couldn’t quite overcome.
A group of about 20 RSL fans made the trek across the Rockies to join their team, including a group of three raucous drummers who harassed the Colorado keeper during both halves from the end zones.
Former RSLer Clint Mathis acknowledged the loyal visitors by directing a ball straight at them during warm ups. “Or maybe his aim is getting worse,” says Glenn Webb, who made the long trip to loyally cheer his team on.
Before the match started, both teams followed behind the glistening Rocky Mountain Cup trophy, which received a warm welcome from the fans. Then the battle to claim the trophy began.
RSL started out with good rhythm and work rate, with Carey Talley launching a shot on goal in the second minute. Just a few minutes later, though, Terry Cooke sent a fast shot directly at Daniel Torres’ head.
Torres blacked out for a few minutes but bravely tried to carry on until RSL staff pulled him from the game in the 10th minute. After the game, he said that he couldn’t remember anything about the game and had suffered a mild concussion.
After Torres’ early exit, RSL played a man down for several minutes while Nikolas Besagno warmed up. Clearly thrown off track by being a man down, RSL seemed to lose the focus they had early in the game.
Shortly after Besagno entered the fray, Colorado’s Nicolas Hernandez capitalized on RSL’s disorganization by putting Colorado up 1-0 in the 16th minute. His successful shot on goal was the lone goal and game winner of the night.
By the end of the half, RSL had another injured player. The crowd was surprised to see Colorado native Jay Nolly replace Scott Garlick as goalkeeper when the second half began. Garlick had apparently suffered a back strain, which kept him out of the rest of the game.
Jeff Cunningham, traded over to Salt Lake in the off-season, looked dangerous on several plays, but didn’t get the result he was hoping for. In the 29th minute, Joe Cannon and Cunningham both raced after a stray ball, but Cannon cleared the ball away.
In the 47th minute, Cunningham swung into action again, passing a ball deftly to Jason Kreis. Kreis sent a powerful shot toward the goal, but Cannon cleared the shot away once again.
The remainder of the game seemed to be mostly give and take from both teams, neither of whom seemed terribly interested in what was going on. RSL midfielder Chris Klein later commented on the team’s performance by saying they didn’t “deserve to win.” He commented: “And that's OK. This team has to learn that and we have to battle through that and we have to come back a lot stronger than we were.”
The Rocky Mountain Cup, a competition by the fans, for the fans, now stands at four points for the Rapids and one point for RSL with two games yet to play. To stay in the running for the cup, RSL needs to at least pull out a tie from the next Rocky Mountain Cup matchup, scheduled for August 9th.
Salt Lake City , May 27th, 2006 — The first leg of the Rocky Mountain Cup kicked off with passion despite rain, wind and bitter cold temperatures as Real Salt Lake battled back against the Colorado Rapids, each side earning a point in the 2-2 tie.
The stalwart visiting fans took the poor weather in stride, creating a rousing atmosphere for the Rapids. Standing as a block throughout the frigid game, the fans were frequently entangled with Real Salt Lake’s mascot, Leonardo the Lion, who had acquired a case of silly string and proceeded to make good use of it.
The Rocky Mountain Cup opener was destined for drama as the Adidas game ball and players slid unpredictably on the slick FieldTurf and questionable calls by the rookie referee angered fans on both sides.
Clint Mathis, traded from RSL to the Rapids in the off-season, debuted sporting multi-colored neon shoes, and quickly mixed it up with booing RSL fans.
Colorado dominated much of the first half of the game and were rewarded in the 33rd minute when Jovan Kirovski found the back of the net after a scrum in the 6-yard box.
After the strike, Mathis ran past RSL’s Rogue Cavaliers Brigade, giving them a prolonged grin and thumbs up, inviting an appropriately impassioned response.
The Rapids shivered into the locker room with a 1-0 lead at halftime for a quick warm-up. Regarding the unforgiving weather, Colorado fan Bill Fisher sardonically asked, “We heard you’re really welcoming here in Utah. What kind of a welcome is this?”
Former Rapids forward Jeff Cunningham would mark the turning point in the game as he was welcomed onto the field, immediately entering the fray at the beginning of the second half and pressuring the Rapids defense.
Thus it was fitting that Cunningham scored Real Salt Lake’s first goal of the game and first against his former club in the 73rd minute on a masterfully struck penalty kick.
Unfortunately, the penalty kick award was dubious at best. TV replays clearly showed the handball occurring well outside the box, further marring Colin Tait’s entry to MLS officiating.
After equalizing, RSL played with confidence and were dangerous in the attack until the Rapids struck back, again pulling ahead in the 84th minute after a red card for RSL striker Atiba Harris created confusion for the home squad.
The Rapids only enjoyed their lead for a few minutes due to late-game heroics from Jason Kreis, MLS' all-time goal-scoring leader. Kreis took advantage of sloppy play to punish the Rapids backline, sliding a shot confidently past Bouna Coundoul, who slid dangerously into the star striker.
With the first of the four matches ending in a 2-2 tie, each club walks away with one point, but the Rapids earn two valuable away goals. The Rapids mount their first home defense of the Rocky Mountain Cup trophy on June 9th, followed by matches on August 9th in Denver and September 2nd at Salt Lake City to round out the competition dates.
Rocky Mountains, May 23rd, 2006 — The successful Rocky Mountain Cup competition returns to action May 27th as Major League Soccer’s Colorado Rapids visit Real Salt Lake (RSL) for the competition’s 2006 opening match.
Last year saw the advent of the Rocky Mountain Cup as a rivalry born, named and administered by fans of the two rivals. After each team claimed home victories, Colorado pulled away to win the Cup in the final game of the inaugural season and be the first team name inscribed on the trophy.
As winners, Rapids fans have also enjoyed their first year as custodians of the Cup.
Nothing smarts more than a late-season loss, and Real Salt Lake fans are eager to open the tally sheet for 2006 and hope to hoist the trophy for their first time at the end of this year’s head-to-head competition.
“RSL has great players who are just now starting to put it together,” said Eric Wright, a fan of RSL. “Couple that with the best fans in the League—sorry Colorado—and you've got a dangerous combination.”
In an unexpected off-season trade, the teams surprised fans by trading two of their most prominent players: Clint Mathis coming to Colorado and Jeff Cunningham moving to RSL. Which is likely to make for interesting drama as well as payback-style soccer.
Moments after winning the first Rocky Mountain Cup last season, Cunningham paraded the trophy in front of RSL fans while being booed. “Jeff Cunningham really enjoyed winning the RMC last year,” said RSL fan Scott McAllister, “and now he's going to bring it to Salt Lake where it belongs.”
The special trophy was custom-designed and hand made for the competition, funded by fan auctions of team memorabilia.
“C10 has been very thankful for the support of the fans and both teams in the organization of the Rocky Mountain Cup,” said RMC chairman Jason Maxwell. “We're looking forward to a great second year, starting off with the Rapids’ fans heading over the mountains for the first game in Salt Lake City on Memorial Day weekend.”
The trophy will be awarded to the winning fans of the teams’ four-game, regular-season series. The two teams meet again June 9th in Colorado, followed by matchups on August 9th and September 2nd.
Denver, CO October 12th, 2005 — The inaugural presentation of the Rocky Mountain Cup trophy made history on October 12th in a tightly-fought contest between Real Salt Lake and the Colorado Rapids. It was not until the lone tally by Fabrice Noel of the Rapids in the 87th minute that the first holder of the Rocky Mountain Cup was essentially assured.
A few minutes later, with a 1-0 win in hand to bring the overall series for 2005 to 9 points for the Rapids and 3 for RSL, the Committee of 10 made an onfield presentation of the trophy, officially handing it off to the Colorado Rapids players and fans. The trophy will reside in Colorado until its awarding at the end of next season's competition, managed by fans of the team.
The passion has been ignited!
In less than a year, the Rocky Mountain Cup competition went from a simple desire by fans of both clubs to capture the spirit of rivalry to an official trophy presentation in the stadium after the final game of the season for both teams.
Even more defining, the RMC has become established in the minds of fans of soccer across the country and especially in Colorado and Utah. The hard work by C10 members to help create the finest trophy possible also helped in ensuring the viability and interest of supporters and players alike.
The
rivalry will simply continue to grow from here, if the interaction of club fans
at the final meeting and award presentation is any indication. True passion
was on display from both sides, with Rapids players offering RSL fans a final
glimpse of the Cup in a celebration lap, and RSL fans showering Rapids supporters
with good-natured RSL-color mementos.
Thanks to all the hard work by our fellow members of the Committee of 10, the efforts by many people at both clubs to assist and get behind our efforts, and the trust to which the supporters of both teams placed in us to come through in the creation of the Rocky Mountain Cup.
Stay tuned for more information on where and when the Rocky Mountain Cup trophy will be available for fans to view and get pictures with. At this time, the trophy is expected to be on display during the Rapids first playoff game, Saturday October 22nd.
Salt Lake City, UT & Denver, CO September 26, 2005 — The Rocky Mountain Cup (RMC) competition will make history in a pre-game ceremony before the third meeting of the Colorado Rapids and Real Salt Lake.
Hundreds of fans came together and voted last March to bring the Rocky Mountain Cup annual competition into existence. Since then the Committee of 10 (C10) has been hard at work fulfilling the promise in the name: a cup trophy.
A critical element to the competition, the trophy signifies the Rocky Mountain Cup champion for the next year.
A critical element to the competition, the trophy signifies the Rocky Mountain Cup champion for the next year. The Cup itself was custom-designed and hand made in Scotland before being shipped to Colorado, where Custom Hand Engraving of Denver applied the finishing touches.
“We knew the trophy had to stand the test of time,” said Mark Bodmer, C10 member and trophy design coordinator. “It needed to be classic, impressive, and big enough to be seen from the stands. We wanted the players to want this trophy.”
Until its official unveiling during Saturday’s battle between the teams, exact details of the Cup’s configuration are being kept under wraps.
But fear not, even fans in the cheap seats will be able to get a great view as the gleaming trophy measures more than 2 1/2 feet in height, a fitting measure of the future success the Rapids will have in winning and maintaining the trophy!
For those not in attendance, details and the first images of the trophy will be displayed online at RockyMountainCup.com, the official RMC website, Saturday night after the game.
“The Trophy is fantastic,” said William Fisher, a Rapids fan and C10 member, “and absolutely something the teams will be working hard to win and display in their state.”
Since its inception last January, fans of both clubs have embraced the RMC competition, providing support with enthusiasm and hard work as well as their wallets. With support from both teams, successful fundraisers ensured that C10 could have a fully custom trophy designed and created in just a few months.
“C10 wants to thank every fan who participated in naming the competition, developing rules, and finally in helping us raise funds for this magnificent trophy,” said the Committee of 10 chairman Jason Maxwell.
Maxwell continued, “This competition has been developed for the fans, by the fans, and your support has made our jobs easier. Participation is what will make the Cup a great competition for decades to come.”
The Rocky Mountain Cup will be awarded to the winner of the teams’ four-game regular-season series. In the first two meetings, both teams were victorious at home, with the Rapids maintaining the tie-breaking lead on aggregate goals. The fourth and final meeting takes place in Salt Lake City on October 12th.
RockyMountainCup.com is the official competition website run by C10 (the Committee of 10), a fan-based supporters organization dedicated to the intra-league rivalry between Real Salt Lake and the Colorado Rapids Major League Soccer clubs, in partnership with both teams.
Salt Lake City, UT & Denver, CO March 4, 2005 — Over 500 soccer enthusiasts voted during the past 10 days to determine the name of the annual competition between Major League Soccer’s Colorado Rapids and Real Salt Lake.
Voters going to rockymountaincup.com were presented with competition name choices after the fan-based Committee of 10 (C10) sifted through dozens of supporter suggestions for the competition title.
The overwhelming favorite and winner, tallying twice as many votes as the nearest rival, is Rocky Mountain Cup.
First announced in January 2005, the supporters-driven C10 is already garnering great fan interest, as well as being endorsed by both MLS soccer clubs and local politicians as well. Fans of both teams turned out in almost equal numbers to vote on the competition name.
“To have more than 500 votes cast in a one-week period is really amazing,” said Jason Maxwell, chairman of C10. “So many voters during the off-season shows that people are already excited about this competition. A good number of the voters were fans of other teams as well, which shows that this rivalry is generating interest all through Major League Soccer, not just in Denver or Salt Lake.”
“This rivalry is very natural to the fans of Real Salt Lake,” said Juliana Montgomery, RSL supporter and member of C10. “It was discussed from day one and the fans have loved hating each other ever since. We are already very competitive about everything concerning Salt Lake and Denver, from the preseason draft to politics to snow totals.”
“The Rocky Mountain Cup reflects everything we are forced to live with: each other,” said William Fisher, a Rapids supporter. “It doesn't just make sense regionally. As everyone worldwide knows, Colorado reigns supreme among the Rockies, and the Rapids will reign supreme over Real Salt Lake!"
The Rocky Mountain Cup will be awarded to the winner of the teams’ four-game regular-season series. Other elements of the competition will include joint sponsorship and ticket initiatives coordinated by the Rapids and Real Salt Lake. Complete competition rules are available at rockymountaincup.com
C10 has also announced its intention to host a fundraising effort for the competition Trophy. The committee is working out details for an online auction of signed team gear and memorabilia for fans of the clubs.
The Rocky Mountain Cup is an effort by fans to promote the already healthy, competitive spirit among supporters of the two top soccer teams in the region. As part of that effort, C10 will also work with supporters and both teams to coordinate road trips and other events surrounding the competition.
rockymountaincup.com is the organizing website run by C10 (the Committee of 10), is a fan-based supporters organization dedicated to the intra-league rivalry between Real Salt Lake and the Colorado Rapids Major League Soccer clubs, in partnership with both teams.
DENVER, CO & Salt Lake City, UT February 23, 2005 — The Committee of 10 (C10) has joined with Real Salt Lake and the Colorado Rapids to announce a partnership to promote a new yearly Cup Competition between the two teams that will be organized by the respective clubs’ fan organizations.
The Cup Competition (yet to be named) will involve the creation of a trophy that will be presented annually to the fan organizations of the victorious team in the competition’s head-to-head series each year, displaying fan support and demonstrating civic pride for this newest rivalry between Denver and Salt Lake City.
Fans are being encouraged by both teams to vote online for the name of the Competition itself, as well as the trophy design, by visiting the official fan website of the competition, www.rockymountaincup.com
Other elements of the competition and partnership among C10 and the clubs will include joint sponsorship, advertising, and ticket sales initiatives coordinated by the Rapids and Real Salt Lake, as well as a plan for corporate economic initiatives between Colorado and Utah that is expected to be endorsed by the public officials of each state.
“The Colorado Rapids are very excited about this Competition,” said Charlie Wright, Rapids COO and General Manager. “It will be great for the fans of the clubs to participate in the ownership of this competition. The Competition will also give our respective clubs the opportunities to create some innovative business development initiatives off the field that we believe will help make the competition one of the major sporting events in the Rocky Mountain region for decades to come.”
The Committee of 10 was formed as an organizing entity composed of soccer fans of the Real Salt Lake and Colorado Rapids soccer clubs, and is composed of members from the respective clubs’ fans whose election revolves on a volunteer basis. Responding to a desire among fans of the two clubs, C10 hopes to provide a coordinated outlet for the expression of the collective enthusiasm from soccer fans of the Rocky Mountain region.
"We are excited to be working with both clubs to enhance the supporters’ vision of what this competition can be. The competition is about the fans and excitement about soccer in our communities. It's also about supporting our two clubs, Real Salt Lake and the Colorado Rapids. While I can always hope for the Rapids to reign supreme each year, I know that all soccer fans are rooting for the success of both clubs," said Jason Maxwell, Chairmain of C10.
More details regarding the Cup competition will be unveiled in the weeks to come. Fans are encouraged to stay tuned to rockymountaincup.com for details.
The Competition has been created to develop, foster, and maintain a long-standing championship tournament and exuberant atmosphere among the fans of the respective clubs.
For press communications, please contact William Fisher. To access the website for further information for fans and the media, please see http://rockymountaincup.com
rockymountaincup.com is the organizing website run by C10 (the Committee of 10), a fan-based, independent supporters organization dedicated to the intra-league rivalry between ReAL Salt Lake and the Colorado Rapids Major League Soccer clubs, in partnership with both teams.
Denver, CO & Salt Lake City, UT January 11, 2005 — Fans of MLS clubs Colorado Rapids and ReaL Salt Lake have joined together to operate rockymountaincup.com. Known as the Committee of 10, the supporters group is spearheading an effort to celebrate the competitive soccer spirit of the Rocky Mountain region.
rockymountaincup.com is being developed by like-minded supporters and fan groups such as the RSL Loyalists and RapidsFan.com for the benefit of soccer fans, and is the official organizing location for all information regarding the still-to-be-named competition.
From deciding on the competition name to what prize shall be awarded the winning team, fans of both clubs will interact, discuss and develop together a proud commitment to what is fast-becoming an intense rivalry between the Rocky Mountain clubs.
“As fans, we knew from the moment Salt Lake City was announced as the home of a new MLS club who our competitor would be,” said Jason Maxwell, founding C10 member and Rapids supporter.
“rockymountaincup.com is a way for us to get together, share ideas, and plan the competition,” Maxwell continued, “as well as organize road trips, parties, and other celebrations of the success of our clubs.”
For their part, ReaL Salt Lake fans were equally focused on ensuring their club would win out against obvious adversary Colorado Rapids.
“It’s important for fans to have a say in the history and formation of our soccer clubs,” says Glenn Webb, President of the RSL Loyalists. “We have an obvious natural rivalry and this is a great way to share our love of the beautiful game. Awarding a trophy and other tokens of achievement will be just one of a number of ways we celebrate the competition as passionate fans.”
All soccer fans are encouraged to join the site and contribute thoughts and ideas to create the greatest atmosphere for soccer in the U.S. From supporter opinion polls about various issues (such as the item to be awarded the winning club) to organizing fan road trips to cheer our teams both home or away, rockymountaincup.com will finally give fans the opportunity to control our destiny and enjoyment as soccer fans.
“In professional sports, decisions are often made for fans. Now we as supporters finally have a chance to voice our opinions and be a part of the action,” said William Fisher, C10 founding member. “We’re proud to be fans, and know the time has come to give voice to our passion.”
rockymountaincup.com will offer many opportunities for fans to come together, including a mailing list for all interested supporters as well as the chance to help name the competition and vote on options for the intra-league rivalry.
Furthermore, road trips of interested fans along with supporters parties will be organized and various fan merchandise options shall be made available to all passionate fans. Our mission statement and goals for the inclusion of all fans is located on the website.
The Primary Mission of rockymountaincup.com and C10 is to develop, foster, and maintain a long-standing championship tournament and exuberant atmosphere among the fans of the respective clubs.
For press communications, please contact William Fisher. To access the website for further information for fans and the media, please see http://rockymountaincup.com
rockymountaincup.com is the organizing website run by C10 (the Committee of 10), a fan-based supporters organization dedicated to the intra-league rivalry between ReaL Salt Lake and the Colorado Rapids Major League Soccer clubs, and is independent of MLS, LLC.