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Show —*™E SUMMER UTAH CHRONICLE SPORTS www.dailyulahchronicle.com Monday, June 13, 2005 Trapped Momentary lapse costs RSL in 1-0 loss at LA. Brian Shaw Chronicle Writer Real Salt Lake's offensive drought continued Saturday night, as the Los Angeles Galaxy avenged an earlier loss and sent RSL to its fourth-straight shutout, a i-o squeaker. Without defender Eddie Pope, the Real Salt Lake defense held firm to the halftime whistle, successfully using the offsides trap to its advantage versus the powerful Galaxy (7-2-2) at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. The Galaxy was not wanting for shots in the first 45 minutes—they had 10 alone in the first half—but none went in the RSL net. "We knew we were in the game. We've beaten them before. We beat them once, and when you beat somebody, it gets in their head a little bit," RSL head coach John Ellinger said. "They had great chances. They had one or two chances at the beginning." Were it not for a momentary lapse, the Scoreboard may well have read 0-0; that's how well the Real Salt Lake (3-72) defense played Saturday night. But in a game that measures results, often the score line may not indicate how well a team actually performed. What happened after the halftime whistle, however, was a brief but painful breakdown in communication between RSL defenders. In the 51st minute, U.S. national team hero Donovan, with his three goals in two recent matches, collected a through pass at the top of the penalty box from midfielder Cobi Jones, bursting into open space past RSL defender Brian RSL teammates hug Eddie Pope after a goal against the Galaxy on May 14. Pope was out with an Injury In Real's 1-0 loss to Dunseth and slotting home the winner to the left post. A sprawling D.J. CountLos Angeles on Saturday night. Don't get it twisted—Cubs and Sox are NOT the same ; 1 - -It was ironic that Fox broadcast two games of the first-ever &iiVs-Red Sox matchup at Wrigley. Field, since Fox announcer Joe Buck deemed both teams "five outs away" from meeting in the World Series two years ago. - -Of course, Buck and the crew did their predictable best to point ., out the similarities between two of * baseball's oldest and most unfortu' nate franchises. As a Cubs fan with a number of Sox fans for friends, I think they missed the boat with this tired storyline. Granted, saying Fox took things a little too far is like saying Stalin was a little paranoid, but it seems to be a commonly held belief that the Cubs and Sox are karmic siblings of sorts. I fail to see the resemblance. For starters, the Cubs haven't won a World Series in 97 years. The Red Sox haven't won a World Series in eight months. Before 2003, the Cubs hadn't even sniffed a World Series title since the Detroit Tigers beat them in 1945's title series. Before 2003, the Red Sox had blown two 3-0 leads in game seven of the Series in the last 30 years alone, fueling curse theories. The Cubs are supposedly cursed by some goat story that most of us diehards hadn't even heard of until 2003. It's not really a curse, but an absurd media invention—like ^Valentine's Day. ^~ The Red Sox were supposedly Matthew J*iper cursed because they let the best player ever skip town. It's not really a curse, but a mistake of immense dimensions—like the St. Valentine's Day Massacre. Cubs fans go to Wrigley Field to down a few brews while bathing in the sunlight and rooting for the home team to score enough. Sox fans go to Fenway Park to drink a few brews while bathing opposing players in Bud Light and rooting for them to tear their rotator cuffs. Wrigley has classy green ivy. Fenway has tacky green plastic. Contention-starved Cubs fans celebrate GM Jim Hendry's ability to milk the stingy Tribune Co. for enough money to finally compete with baseball's wealthiest. Contention-spoiled Sox fans blast celebrated GM Theo Epstein every time he fails to supplant George Steinbrenner and the Yankees as baseball's wealthiest. Cubs fans bemoaned their fate when one of history's great pitch- ers—Greg Maddux—left town seeking more money than the tight-stringed Tribune would pay. Sox fans bemoaned their fate when one of history's great pitchers—Roger Clemens—had a couple of substandard seasons, driving him out of town despite his willingness to stay. Cubs fans welcomed Maddux back. Sox fans send Clemens death threats to this day. Local celebrities don Cubs hats and sing during the seventh-inning stretch at Wrigley, honoring the legendary Harry Caray. National celebrities don Sox hats as they yawn and stretch in their painful Fenway seats, honoring their new TV show (or John Kerry). Cubs fans exist outside of Chicago because WGN broadcasts their many day games across the country on basic cable. Sox fans exist outside of Boston because they wanted new hats and the Sox were last year's hot label. There is, however, still one common thread between the two teams: Red Sox fans are glad they finally won the title and rid themselves of one of history's greatest curses. Cubs fans are glad the Sox finally won the title and rid us of an equally great curse: constantly being compared to miserable, whiny Sox fans. mpiper@chronicle.utah.edu Utahns wants Real soccer stadium "*" SALT LAKE CITY—A new poll shows a majority of Utahns favor building a stadium for Major League Soccer club Real Salt Lake in Salt Lake City proper, but don't want tax dollars to pay for construction. ~ Commissioned by The Salt Lake Tribune, the poll showed 31.5 percent of respondents from Davis, Salt Lake, Summit and Utah counties think the Utah State fairgrounds is the best location for the stadium. Another 17 percent agreed a stadium should be located downtown, the; newspaper said in a copyright story. As for the other cities bidding to be the soccer team's home base: Sandy had the support of 17.8 percent of respondents, trailed by Murray with 13.8 percent support. Some 20 percent of those questioned said they didn't know where the 25,000-seat venue should go. The team is considering the suitability and economic-development 'impacts of both the Fairpark, near downtown, and a Sandy site near the South Towne Expo Center, team CEO Dean Howes said. The team has already looked at Murray's potential, he said. RSL has said it prefers a downtown location, although the cost of land there is expensive. "We need to put it in the right place for both our fan base and for the success of the team," Howes said. Regardless of its location, RSL expects public funds to pay for the land and half of construction costs. The team will pay the balance of about $30 million. Pollsters found that nearly 69 percent of respondents opposed building a stadium with taxpayer dollars. Those most opposed to public funding of.-the project were Salt Lake County residents, who are most likely to end up paying. "There should be enough money made [at the stadiuml to pay for it," said Kearns resident Dorothy Behunin, who participated in the poll and spoke to the newspaper Saturday. "It's gonna bring in a lot of business to the area of town they're going to bring it in. If you're going to have a community that's going to continue to grow and become a major market, you've got to have those types of things," said Keith Hayes, a West Jordan resident who supports the subsidy. The poll of 400 people was conducted June 8-10 by Valley Research and has a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percent. Gov. Jon Huntsman, as well as the mayors of Murray, Salt Lake, and Sandy all support a taxpayersupported stadium. "If we want Major League Soccer, we need to be prepared to provide some public support for the stadium just as we did with the Delta Center and Franklin Covey [Field]," said Anderson. Most sports teams across the country seek and receive public subsidies. The Associated Press ess dove, but it was too late. "At that point, you start to believe you can pull this off. And then the one breakdown a few minutes into the second half," Ellinger said. "[He] just a lofted ball, Landon got behind and then that's it, it's off to the races." The score held until the final touch of the match. Salt Lake is now on a fourgame losing streak and has not scored a goal in more than 400 minutes of MLS action. The team's last goal was scored against CD Chivas USA at Rke-Eccles Stadium last month. RSL did not go without scoring chances, though. Just 15 minutes after the Galaxy took the lead, a fresh Jamie Watson, the 18-year-old phenom subbing for MLS vet Clint Mathis in midfield, flew a ball into the penalty box, which Dante Washington, a recent acquisition, attempted to head in Though L.A. goalkeeper Kevin Hartman was six yards off his line—in soccer parlance, that's six yards up field, instead of being on his goal line—the ball still careened off the top post. The follies didn't stop there. Hartman actually missed the ball while trying to swat it away and Washington gave it another go with his head. Fortunately for Los Angeles, a Galaxy defender stood Johnny-on-the-spot on the goal line, where Hartman should have been in the first place, and cleared it out of danger. Unfortunately for RSL, it was 91 more minutes of shutout soccer, with just a momentary lapse sending the team reeling to its fourth loss in a row. "Today's a starting point. EffortSee REAL Page 8 Not so fast, Nationals America's darling will fade down the stretch Something strange their division. seems to be happening They made a complete in Washington D.C., and turnaround, and finished this time it doesn't apthe season as World Sepear that President Bush ries Champions, defeathas anything to do with ing the New York Yanit kees in six games. The Washington NaIt seems that every tionals are winning. The year, there are one or two team's success this seateams that make signifison has earned them the cant turnarounds from division lead in a commid-June to September, Matt Patton petitive National League some for the better, othEast division with a 37-26 record. ers for worse. I was surprised to find that, by this Maybe moving from Montreal to the nation's capital has had something to point in the season, most teams don't do with it. Maybe adding Vinny Castil- make dramatic changes from now to la, Jose Guillen, and Esteban Loaiza has the end of September. helped after all. The majority of teams are fairly conOr maybe it's all just a lucky start to sistent, and usually remain where they a season that isn't even halfway com- are in their division now by the time the pleted. playoffs arrive. Nationals fans may even remember There are, however, those few clubs as far back as the 2003 season when that make the necessary changes and the Expos were making the citizens of adjustments to earn a playoff spot, as Montreal consider the idea of watching well as the teams that fall apart and a baseball game. have to figure out where things went They were second in their division, wrong. with the same 37-26 record at this point That's what makes this game excitof the season. Hopes were high, and it ing. Fans hold on to that string of hope, looked like the team with no champion- reminding themselves that there are 162 ships, no pennants and only two divi- games in a season, and that even if their sion titles had a chance. team loses their first 50 games they The season went on and the Expos could still make it to the playoffs. slowly drifted back to their losing ways, Sadly, I feel that for Nationals fans, and when it was all said and done, they the future isn't as bright this season as were in fourth place with an 83-79 re- they're making it appear. cord, once again packing their bags for Although they are first in their divitheir vacation homes rather than the sion, only two-and-a-half games sepapostseason. rate the Nationals from the Braves, The 2004 Reds endured the same Mets, Phillies and Marlins. breakdown, going from an exciting It looks as if it will be a fierce battle 34-24 start _««—^__ ^ _ between all only to finfive teams ish fourth adly, I feel that for Nationals fans, until the in their playoffs arthe future isn't as bright this season rive. division with a When it disappoint- as they're making it appear. comes to ing 76-86 - ^ _ _ _ ________^ making a record at playoff push, the end of the season. pitching is critical, and the Nationals The optimistic fans of the Nationals just don't have enough experienced (if there are any) could point out that, pitchers to propel them to the top. for some teams, it works out the other John Patterson has been surprisingly way. successful, Tony Armas and Esteban Take the 2003 Marlins. In the same Loaiza have been average, and Livan year the Expos made their brief run to- Hernandez has been a steady ace for the wards the playoffs, the Marlins were 2935, only half a game out of last place in See'PATTONPageS S |