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Postcards From Camp: Tony Beltran

Mar 15

Posted by kirsoccer in Preseason, Tony Beltran | 6 Comments

We are resurrecting the Postcards from Camp series with a post coming from Mr. Tony Beltran in Charleston.  Sounds like the team is working on their crosses, lifting weights, and passing the hours upon hours of downtime on the Wii.  Thanks to Tony for giving us some insight into what’s going on in preseason, and letting us know who has the real gamer skills in the group.  Enjoy!


We are now in the second half of our preseason camp here in South Carolina and the final stages of preparation before the 2010 season kicks off.  So far camp has been a productive and enjoyable one.  Arriving here late on the 5th of March, the coaching staff wasted no time in challenging us with an opponent. The next day we played the College of Charleston and notched our first win of preseason in a 2-1 victory. Although there were positives to take from the game, overall our play did not meet expectations.  Too many passes went astray and the team seemed to lack the technical sharpness that concluded our camp in Arizona.

Read the rest of this entry »

Updates for Tonight’s Match

Apr 2

Posted by kirsoccer in Robbie Russell, Tony Beltran | No Comments

A few personnel updates for tonight’s match:

Duncan Oughton and Alejandro Moreno are expected to be available for tonight’s match after having national team duty earlier this week. Neither are expected to start.

Frankie Hejduk is not expected to be available for the Crew after playing the full 90 last night for the US.

Both Robbie Russell and Luis Escalada are both available for selection to the 18 for RSL. My suspicion is that both will be in the 18, but that neither will start. However, if Beltran struggles again early on, look for the early hook and Russell to enter the match.

Keepin’ It Real with Tony Beltran

Mar 30

Posted by kirsoccer in Tony Beltran | 3 Comments

I was able to catch up with Tony Beltran on Monday, following his struggles in the first half against Seattle on Saturday. I was struck (reminded actually) by two things: first, this is a young kid; second, despite the age – he has a remarkable head on his shoulders. This is the first of several Keepin’ It Real segments that you’ll see over the next couple of days – look for Borchers, Rimando, Movsisyan and Morales.

Beltran

KIR: Thoughts on the match Saturday?

Beltran: Looking back – I watched the game again last night – we didn’t come out and play our best soccer right off the bat. But it’s tough going into that atmosphere, with Seattle being comfortable there. It being their second game, and our opener for the season, but Coach made a point after the game to say “you’re not going to win or lose the league in the first game of the year.” And especially in the second half there were more positives to take out of that game.

KIR: A lot’s been made on that environment up there (Seattle), does that make it hard on you as a visitor, or does it mainly give them a lift?

Beltran: It gives them a boost and it’s a little harder for teams because the crowds going to be the 12th man of course. I mean the crowd’s great, but when you are a footballer you’re just more excited to come and play in front of a big atmosphere like that. It just makes it more fun.

KIR: So in the first half with that goal tell us what happened from your perspective?

Beltran: You know its tough. I watched the game. They played a switching ball out wide and I was isolated on Zakuani. Yeah, I probably should have done better. He made a good move and turned me a little bit. I was trying to keep him to the line because I didn’t want him to cut inside and have a better angle at the goal. In the ideal situation I should have done a better job of standing him up. It’s tough. but those things happen and you learn from it.

KIR: You hadn’t played alot since early in the year last season, did you have nerves going into that match or did you feel pretty calm about it?

Beltran: Um, just the normal pregame nerves. I didn’t really think about that to be honest. I had played games in the offseason with the Gen Ad team so I’d gotten 90 minutes in. Just the normal pregame nerves and excitement.

KIR: It looked like you were able to get forward quite a bit. Is that something you want to focus on in your role?

Beltran: Absolutely, that’s my favorite part of playing outside back…obviously defending comes first and foremost, but you get alot of space as the game opens up on the outside. And you get to contribute to the attack and alot of times start the attack. Especially in the second half, I got to get forward and whip in a couple of balls but not as much as I would have liked.

Projected Starting Lineup

Mar 24

Posted by kirsoccer in Andy Williams, Ned Grabavoy, Robbie Findley, Robbie Russell, Tony Beltran | 5 Comments

Based on the starting lineup used against the Austin Aztex, I think the beginning of the season Starting XI is pretty clear.  It looks essentially like this…

FW: Movsisyan Findley
ACM: Morales
MF: Johnson Mathis
DM: Beckerman
DF: Wingert Borchers Olave Beltran
GK: Rimando

Ian Joy appears to be out 4-6 weeks due to a hamstring injury that has been bothering him all preseason and was re-aggravated during the match against the Aztex.

Borchers has also been suffering from an injury to his ankle from the bone spur surgery that he underwent in December.  However, he played in the Aztex match and appeared to be moving fine.

Robbie Russell appears back to full health and could be in the mix as well.

I’m okay with this lineup, but I could also see a couple of alterations as the season moves along.

First, although Findley and Movsisyan appear to be clearly the best two forwards at this point, I wouldn’t mind seeing Findley come off the bench in certain matches.  Not only do I like the concept of Findley bringing his pace in against the legs of tired defenders, but I think Escalada provides something that Findley and Movsisyan don’t.  He is a more technical player and can get into the mix of the tight passing game that RSL employs through the midfield.  From my brief observations in Charleston and at practice, Escalada shows signs of being a precise finisher (although we didn’t see that against the Aztex).  Like most people I’m not sold that he can do it in this league, but I’m ready to see him in some real action.

Second, I am torn between Ian Joy at left back or Tony Beltran at right back, with Wingert sliding over to the left.  I like Ian’s grit and experience, and he’s a great professional to have out on the pitch.  However, Ian doesn’t have a lot of pace and seems a little hesitant at times to push forward.  Beltran on the other hand is inclined to push forward at every chance.  This can be good, or bad.  He can get caught out of position, but his pace and recovery ability can make up for his occasional defensive lapses.  We’ll see how Beltran does during the first few matches of the season.

There are some other players that I am also interested to see how they fit into the mix:

  • Ned Grabavoy – it didn’t seem like he was really fitting in yet with the group in Charleston.  I’m curious about what contribution we’ll see out of him this season.
  • Andy Williams – I assume that we will see a similar reserve role out of Andy where he comes in late in matches to either help close out a game with his ability to help the team hold the ball, or in pressing for a goal.
  • Robbie Russell – a talented player, with a lot of good experience.  I think he’ll play a lot this season in fill-in roles, but he doesn’t have a designated position which may keep him from being a regular starter anytime soon.

What are your thoughts?

Training Camp Updates

Feb 26

Posted by kirsoccer in Javier Morales, Nat Borchers, Rachid El Khalifi, Robbie Russell, Tino Nunez, Tony Beltran | 2 Comments

Here is an update from training camp. I wanted to especially focus on how the roster looks to be sitting with the impending contract/budget compliance date coming up for the league on Monday. I will also post something later on that analyzes how I think the roster will look come March 28th.

GENERAL

The team is looking good. It appears that at this point the focus has been on the same diamond 4-4-2 formation that we saw last season. The returning players appear to be very comfortable in these roles. There is more of a focus on wing-backs with Beltran, Joy and Wingert filling in out wide. Speaking of Beltran – one observation is that he is vastly improved. Look for him to be a contributor this season.

ROOKIES

Cox – I heard some comparisons to Tony Beltran from a season ago. A quick player that can play left-back or left-wing. Has a good soccer knowledge, and a high confidence level. Seems to be adjusting well to the pro level, although there is definitely still a learning curve. He’s more of an attacking player than Beltran, but look for him to make the roster.

Alexandre – No updates on him, but since he is already signed by the league, he’s a lock to make the roster.


TRIALISTS

Escalada - As reported earlier, his fitness is improving. The team reportedly likes his finishing ability (despite the missed PK). Look for him to move on in the game of Real Salt Lake Survivor and stick with the team through the Charleston Tournament.

St. Preux – Again a marginal, developmental player. I’m guessing it’s a long-shot that he’ll make the team, especially if the team is high on Escalada. If he makes the Charleston roster it will be a minor surprise.

Salazar – Appears to be an average player, but he is a left-sided guy. As of now, Will is likely the starter at this position, and the team would ideally like to see him playing on the right. The team would also like to add a true wide player to go along with Will’s tremendous enjoy and Javi’s technical ability. If Salazar makes the team, it’s likely just to add depth and it may be a temporary move which brings us to…

El Khalifi – As reported yesterday, the team is still active in negotiations with him. I assumed that there was a big rush to get him in for the last few weeks of pre-season. I’m sure they’d like to do this, but also don’t write-off the possibility of him joining at a later stage (either prior to the April 15th window close or even during the summer window). I think the bringing in of a left-sided midfielder in Salazar is an indication that the team is looking for an insurance policy at this position.

Clark - No update on this player (as keepers tend to be off in their own little world during practice), but I think we’ll know all we need to know by next Wednesday. I would be surprised to see the team take 4 keepers to Charleston.

INJURIES

Morales- has a minor injury, and is being held out largely for precautionary measures. Unknown at this point if he will play in the exhibition tomorrow.

Nunez - recovering from surgery.

Borchers/Russell – Both appear to be back at around 90%, and are participating fully in practice.

Music Video Premier: Chris Seitz and Tony Beltran

Feb 23

Posted by kirsoccer in Tony Beltran | 2 Comments

Ever wonder what MLS soccer players do in their spare time? Here you go…

Reportedly filmed in London during some downtime with the Generation Adidas team.

Practice Update: Aug 26, 2008

Aug 26

Posted by kirsoccer in Tony Beltran, Will Johnson | 2 Comments


A few thoughts on Will Johnson:

  • He is pretty intense and competitive in practice
  • I saw a couple of great strikes from him
  • He seems to have very good foot skills and is comfortable with the ball on his feet
  • I can really see him playing out wide and doing well
  • He is a little bit slight of build, but I understand he is quite strong on the ball
  • Will not be a great aerial threat.

A couple of other notes:

  • Practice was light on conditioning/fitness and heavy on working on certain aspects of the game
  • Dema/Beltran/Ian all competed in the initial segment of short passing in a team format
  • Dema spent most of rest of practice icing down his shin
  • Ian spent most of the rest of practice jogging
  • Tony played in one more segment before coming out of the regular practice session

A Real World Review: Monday June 30, 2008

Jun 30

Posted by kirsoccer in Andy Williams, Chris Wingert, Fabian Espindola, Houston Dynamo, Jamison Olave, Jason Kreis, Javier Morales, Kyle Beckerman, Nat Borchers, Nick Rimando, Real Salt Lake, Robbie Findley, Tino Nunez, Tony Beltran | 1 Comment

A Real World Review
A Review of Week 15 for RSL
By Paul Bernhardt (aka, BalanceUT)
Key Developments: RSL continues to struggle on the road with the loss in KC. Fortunately, the performance of other Western Conference teams allowed RSL to maintain their 2nd place position in the conference. Now at the halfway point of the season, the team at 19 points means they are just shy of the points typically needed to make the playoffs.

What’s Right in the Real World: Defense. Even though giving up a goal due to an error in judgment Saturday night in KC, the 2008 edition of RSL has the overall best defense in franchise history. The center tandem of Olave and Borchers may be the best pair in the league. Wingert has shaken off some early season jitters to play solidly. Beltran is clearly a rookie, but has high skills and sufficient speed for recovery such that he does not cause the high level of worry of previous outside backs. Compared to previous seasons, this past couple of months is the first time that we could count on seeing the same four consistently in the back and know that they will serve the needs of the upcoming match.

The midfield is also right in the Real World. While it was not terribly obvious in KC, Morales, Williams, Kovalenko and Beckerman fundamentally do what is asked. What makes RSL’s midfield not look to be high quality, particularly at home and at KC is narrow pitches. A narrow pitch crowds players such that the space for passing is restricted, leading to less of an apparent flow. The proof for me, however, is in the fact that KC looked essentially as restricted. That means our crew was doing as much to them as they were to us. Play that is essentially a draw when on the road is what you need for your team and the midfield provided that.

What’s Wrong in the Real World? Still, finishing. While not the horror of missed opportunities that we saw hosting San Jose last week, RSL blew some clear chances, any one of which could have made KC work for a draw or even resulted in stealing 3 points. Notably, Dr. “Goals” did not produce again. This has been blamed on lack of service from the midfield. But, I think that is misplaced blame. I believe that Deuchar is not getting open in positions where the midfielders want to give him the ball. He is fighting constantly in the box and often losing that battle. That continued in the KC game. Deuchar would get the ball either too far out from the goal and alone with no options but to try to work the ball with his feet, a disastrous choice. He is called for fouls all the time while fouls against him seem never called. Findley seemed to be still suffering from the effects of his mild concussion from the week before. The lack of production of Deuchar and Findley, appropriately, lead to their being substituted off in favor of Movsisyan and Nunez, who did no better. Part of that is Movsisyan’s inability to keep his head up and pass to others. When, oh when, will Espindola return? And, when he does, will he be the same player he was so many months ago?

A certain amount of the problem for RSL in KC was due to the coin flip. When the coin flip allowed KC to put the sun in Rimando’s eyes, RSL had to play a very defensive first half. Many times all 11 were in RSL’s end of the field. Kreis likes to have RSL come out attacking, but it was clearly not an option in the match. When KC came out the second half very aggressive, RSL did not adjust well and it was a dicey start to the half.

In the end, what scuttled RSL’s road point was a careless foul by Cutler. Sometimes it seems that Cutler’s role is ill-defined. Defensive, yet carries himself to the attack very easily. This sounds like Beckerman, but Cutler does not have Beckerman’s talent level. So, Cutler, in trying to recover going back, fouled and that set up the opportunity for KC.

Leading to the last thing wrong in the Real World: Best seen in the contrast to KC’s scoring opportunity, RSL needs to be much more dangerous on set pieces. Usually Morales is quite good, certainly better than Williams ever was in previous seasons (and I am a pretty big Williams fan). But, against KC, he was off the mark. RSL needed to convert one of its several set pieces (and nearly did, but close does not count).

A Brief Look at the Week Ahead: Back in the friendly confinement of Rice Eccles, RSL will need to take advantage of the home field against a resurgent Houston Dynamo. Houston started the season terribly shaky, particularly compared to expectations. But they have recovered substantially and is a good road team, having the highest number of road draws of any MLS team. RSL and Houston are tied for 2nd in the West. This is the opportunity for RSL to make a statement that they intend to contend for a playoff spot. History says that RSL should be content with a draw against the two-time defending MLS Champions. But, given that RSL’s form at home, a defense that is very good and Houston’s problems with finishing, this game is RSL’s to take. I predict RSL 1-0 Houston.

Final Thoughts: RSL is really in pretty good shape, particularly compared to previous seasons. Kreis has completed what he initiated last season, shoring up the defense. The first step to winning in soccer is to stop losing, to stop giving up easy goals. RSL’s defense is clearly solid, and Olave is spectacular. This allows the rest of the team to go forward. I think RSL has all the pieces to be a playoff team, but Deuchar is the key. If he can ever get a proper feel for the MLS game, he will become quite dangerous. He still seems to be knocked around in the box with impunity, yet when he returns the favor he is called on the fouls. Unfair or not, he has to figure out what to do to become effective in MLS. When he does, and he shows he can convert the chances, the team will find it easier to get the ball to him, opening up options for other players. RSL can become a team that opponents dread coming to town and fear to visit, because all the rest of the team is sufficient. RSL can be playoff bound with only a little improvement in offense.

A Real World Review: Monday May 19, 2008

May 19

Posted by kirsoccer in Fabian Espindola, Jason Kreis, Javier Morales, Tony Beltran | No Comments

A Real World Review
A Review of Week 8 for RSL
(Courtesy of Realslfan)


This Weeks Results: 2-0 Loss against Colorado
Record: 2-4-2
Points: 8

Key Developments: The midfield looks extremely anemic. Sturgis still out. Talley traded. Morales hurt. Cutler a starter? Where is Cordoba? Announcement that Real Madrid is not coming.

What’s right in the Real World: Unfortunately, it’s getting harder to find positives, but here’s my best shot: First, we’re due for a road win. Second, we have generally been competitive in every match we’ve played. The second half of the Colorado match was hopefully an exception. We have looked extremely good for long stretches but still do not have the consistent quality that we need to be a top tier team in this league. We have still scored enough goals to this point in the season to put us in the middle of the pack for goals scored. We are still not out of contention in what is shaping up to be a weak Western conference.

What’s wrong in the Real World: Would it surprise you to learn that this is a little easier to talk about? Problem #1: Personnel. To me it’s becoming obvious that we have several weaknesses on this club. It does not appear that these can be addressed by current players. Outside back is proving to be a weakness. Ian Joy has yet to perform up to MLS standards. He has not shown the ability to push forward effectively, has been caught out of position and appears to be quite late on many tackle attempts. Tony Beltran has good pace, and high energy but has been beaten frequently and has made several poor clearance attempts. The midfield has some talent, but as a group they are lacking several important qualities. This group does not possess much speed. There are no true wide midfielders on the roster other than Matias Cordoba who has not seen much action. This makes us look very limited on a wide pitch. Without (and sometimes even with) Javi Morales in the lineup this group looks lost, either unable to possess the ball or unable to convert the possession into danger. The forwards are equally ineffective yielding 5 goals, but missing numerous opportunities. None of the forwards have stepped forward to any great degree although Espindola and Deuchar generally give the most confidence. Problem #2: Tactics. This has been a problem in at least 3 matches this season. Against Toronto, Kreis accepted the blame for having the team pull back and accept Toronto’s attack in the first half of the 1-0 loss. Against Dallas, despite the 2-1 victory Kreis admitted that the 3-5-2 was not a good match against the 3-4-3 that Dallas opened the match in. Surprisingly a change was not made until the 40th minute. Finally, the midfield did not hold it’s ground against Colorado in the 2-0 loss. The 3-5-2 that Colorado played in overwhelmed our lackluster 4 man midfield, and no adjustments were made to meet that mismatch.

A brief look at the week ahead: RSL @ FC Dallas. We beat them 2-1 at RES just a little over a week ago. Since then Dallas seemed to have a meltdown against the Galaxy in a 5-1 loss with Serioux picking up a red card. Word is that there are some serious problems in the lockerroom at Dallas. Might this be a good opportunity to steal a road victory?

Final thoughts: We are reaching a critical stage of the season. Players such as Cordoba, Yura, Deuchar, Findley, Joy and Morales need to step up and show what they are made of or they may find themselves either deep on the bench or on the way out the door. The same may go for the coach. We were told that it would take a while for this team to gel. It should be now that we are coming together, but I’m not sure that is really happening.

RSL -vs- FCD: Postgame Thoughts and Pics

May 10

Posted by kirsoccer in FC Dallas, Jason Kreis, Tony Beltran | No Comments

Here are a few quick thoughts:

Beltran is a rookie: shows good promise, but makes some mistakes and seems to be a half-step slow from a decision making standpoint.

Cutler had a good game, but challenging for a starting spot on Thursday? Really Kreis?

Mantilla played really well.

Andy means alot to this team. We seem to dismiss him for all that he isn’t. Sometimes I think we need to recognize him more for what he is.

First two substitutions were quite surprising, but turned out well.

Cooper’s shot was top-notch.

Where is Cordoba? And what does this game say about his future with the team? I was starting to believe that he was starting to become part of the plan for us. Now I wonder. The season is still young, but this doesn’t look like a good sign.

Post Match Quotes (Courtesy of RSL Communications)

MLS QUOTE SHEET – RSL 2, FCD 1
REAL SALT LAKE HEAD COACH JASON KREIS

On RSL’s performance:

“That’s probably one of the worst games we’ve played this season, in my opinion. And maybe that’s a good thing because maybe we need to learn how to win ugly, and tonight was that case.”

On what he was disappointed in:

“In the first half in particular, possession was just loose all over the place; it didn’t seem like we could connect a 10-yard pass out there. It was an ugly soccer game to watch, for certain, and I think it continued in the second half. We got a little bit sharper and brighter and created a couple of nice opportunities to put the game away. Again, we’re in a spot where if we take one of those good chances inside their box early in the second half then maybe it gets a little prettier and we get to knock the ball around.

“It was a dogfight out there. And in some ways I’m glad because it’s the first time this season where our guys have faced adversity by giving up the goal in the second half, and they reacted well. To come away with a win teaches us something about our group.”

On the switch of formation to a 3-5-2 to start the match:

“The last time we played against a 3-5-2 (formation) was at D.C. United, and it felt like we were a little unclear with our matchups. If you play against a 3-5-2, the cleanest and easiest way to match up is to also play a 3-5-2, and I think we have the personnel to do it in that we have three physical center backs and two wide players that can get up and down the park. But against a 3-4-3, it doesn’t look so good to play three backs against the three forwards. Credit to Dallas, I thought they gave us trouble all night.”

On whether he was nervous in the waning moments:

“Yes, absolutely. You know, they had two chances there at the end to ruin my week, for sure.”

On Friday’s trade of MF Carey Talley to Chivas USA:

“I think it was a win-win-win. It was not a decision to make us better right now, but in the long term I think it was a good decision for this club. It was a good thing for Carey Talley because I think it’s going to extend his career a little bit and get him into a fresh place. And it was a good decision for Chivas because they picked up a veteran and leader who I think is a very smart soccer player and a very good one. I think everybody wins in this one.”

REAL SALT LAKE MF KYLE BECKERMANOn coming back after Dallas tied the game:
“It was great. It was our first time to come back to get the win after being tied. It was big for us. We stepped over a hurdle tonight and now we can look forward now that we know we can win games like that.”On the pace of the game:
“There were little bursts here and there. That’s been our thing all season – we keep playing in spurts. I thought in the first half we had some bursts where we had good possession and great stuff, and then we got away from it. Maybe that’s credit to Dallas. They’re a good team as well.

“The second half was kind of similar. We had spurts where we played great possession, and then Dallas came out and brought everything at us. They pushed numbers and were coming for the draw. Sometimes it’s tough to keep possession, but we kept trying to stick at it and at the end it was just a dogfight to get to the whistle.”On his second-half goal:
“It was a decent little spurt of possession and Andy (Williams), that’s what he does. He can make that final pass for anybody and I knew it was coming. I made the run and he put it on a plate for me. Luckily, I put it in.”REAL SALT LAKE FW KENNY DEUCHAR
On the victory:
“Just great to get a win, obviously. It extends our unbeaten run at home, which is great for us because if people know it’s a hard place to come that gives us the upper hand before we even step on the pitch. I think we showed great character, being a goal up and in the lead, back to 1-1, then getting the goal and being tough enough to defend the lead. That’s just a great feeling to know that you were all in it together and you fought for each other and came away with the win.”

FC DALLAS HEAD COACH STEVE MORROW

Overall thoughts on the match:

“We know [Rice-Eccles] is a difficult place for us to come and play. We got ourselves back in the game after not playing too well in the first half and were one-nil down to a very scrappy, unlucky goal that could’ve been prevented. And then we got ourselves back in the game and should have pushed forward from there and didn’t. We still had our chances to tie the game up towards the end and didn’t. It’s a frustrating loss, it’s a disappointing one, but the team will pick themselves up and get ready for the next one.”

FC DALLAS FW KENNY COOPER

On the loss:

“Obviously it’s not the result we wanted, credit to [Real Salt Lake]. They put two past our strong defense, where defensively we’ve been great all year; (Dario Sala) has been excellent and the back three as well. I feel we were maybe a little unlucky on the first goal, but we’ll stay positive because we’ve got a big game coming up next week against the Galaxy.”

On his goal tonight and the set-up man, MF Andre Rocha:

“Well, Andre Rocha put in a great ball through, and that’s the second time he’s done it this year. Against Houston he played me a great through ball; it was no surprise. He’s been giving me great service, and Andre’s obviously been a great addition to this squad. Early in the season he’s made a great impact on our team.”

FC DALLAS DF DUILIO DAVINO

On the game:

“We’re not content, we need to work better. We let too many points get away from us, and we really need to work hard for next weekend’s game.”

On what to take from today’s game:

“Working is how you get the team back after a game like this; working is the only way to do it. We have a long week, and it’s not necessarily that we speak a lot, it’s that work a lot for it.”

Here are some pics:

(click to enlarge)