2007 Real Salt Lake season
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (January 2014) |
| 2007 season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Owner |  SCP Worldwide | ||
| Head Coach | John Ellinger (Fired May 3rd)
Jason Kreis (Hired May 3rd) | ||
| Major League Soccer | 12th | ||
| Average home league attendance | 15,960 [1] | ||
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The 2007 Real Salt Lake season was the third season of the team's existence. After seeing slight improvement in 2006, the team struggled again under manager John Ellinger, opening the 2007 campaign with a 0-2-2 record. Ownership made a drastic move on May 3, firing Ellinger, and announcing that team captain (Jason Kreis), would retire and become the new head coach. RSL tied its next two matches against New York Red Bulls and the Colorado Rapids, but saw limited success the rest of the season. RSL finished the year with the league's second-worst record, ahead of expansion team Toronto FC.
The 2007 season also saw construction of its new soccer-specific stadium in Sandy, Utah continue. Additionally, under Kreis' management, the team undertook a massive roster overhaul that essentially rebuilt the squad. Among the new players that arrives in 2007, many would go on to comprise the core of the team for several years, including, Kyle Beckerman (soon-to-be captain), Chris Wingert, Robbie Findley, Fabián Espíndola, and Javier Morales. At the center of the remake was Kreis' new team philosophy of "The Team is the Star", and a new primary formation (possession-oriented, diamond midfield).
Also vital to the growth of the club was the hiring of the team's second general manager, Garth Lagerwey, on September 19. Lagerwey, a former MLS goalkeeper, was a teammate of Kreis' at Duke University and Dallas Burn. The two proved to be a great tandem which led to future player acquisitions for the team within the next year including Will Johnson, Robbie Russell, Nat Borchers, and Jámison Olave.
Real Salt Lake finished the season on October 20 with a 1-0 win over Colorado. In an otherwise disappointing year, the win secured RSL's first ever Rocky Mountain Cup victory. The team finished with a record of 6-15-9 and a -14 goal differential, placing last in the Western Conference.
Squad
2007 roster
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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† Promoted to head coach on May 3 †† Saw no First Team minutes in 2007
Mid-Season Transfers
Due to the termination of John Ellinger as head coach and the subsequent promotion of Jason Kreis in early May, there were an abnormal number of mid-season transactions for the club. The players listed in the roster section above include those acquired during this makeover. Below are names of players acquired, traded, transferred, or released by the team after the May 3rd hiring of Kreis in chronological order:
Jeff Cunningham - Traded to Toronto FC for Alecko Eskandarian on May 22nd
Luis Tejada - Released by club in June
Daniel Torres - Transferred to Bryne F.K. in June 
Chris Klein Traded to Los Angeles Galaxy for Robbie Findley and Nathan Sturgis on June 21st- Chris Wingert - Acquired from Colorado Rapids on July 13th
Mehdi Ballouchy - Traded to Colorado Rapids for Kyle Beckerman in July- Freddy Adu - Transferred to Benfica on July 30th
Fabián Espíndola - Acquired in August- Javier Morales - Acquired in August
- Matias Mantilla - Acquired in August
Yura Movsisyan - Acquired from Kansas City Wizards in September
Competitions
Major League Soccer
League table
Western Conference
| Western Conference | |||||||||
| Pos | Club | Pts | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chivas USA | 53 | 30 | 15 | 7 | 8 | 46 | 28 | 18 |
| 2 | Houston Dynamo | 52 | 30 | 15 | 8 | 7 | 43 | 23 | 20 |
| 3 | FC Dallas | 44 | 30 | 13 | 12 | 5 | 37 | 44 | -7 |
| 4 | Colorado Rapids | 35 | 30 | 9 | 13 | 8 | 29 | 34 | -5 |
| 5 | Los Angeles Galaxy | 34 | 30 | 9 | 14 | 7 | 38 | 48 | -10 |
| 6 | Real Salt Lake | 27 | 30 | 6 | 15 | 9 | 31 | 45 | -14 |
| 2007 MLS Cup Playoffs, 2008 U.S. Open Cup | |
| 2007 MLS Cup Playoffs (Wild Card), 2008 U.S. Open Cup |
Overall
| Pos | Club | Pts | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | D.C. United (E1) | 55 | 30 | 16 | 7 | 7 | 56 | 34 | 22 |
| 2 | Chivas USA (W1) | 53 | 30 | 15 | 7 | 8 | 46 | 28 | 18 |
| 3 | Houston Dynamo (W2) | 52 | 30 | 15 | 8 | 7 | 43 | 23 | 20 |
| 4 | New England Revolution (E2) | 50 | 30 | 14 | 8 | 8 | 51 | 43 | 8 |
| 5 | FC Dallas | 44 | 30 | 13 | 12 | 5 | 37 | 44 | -7 |
| 6 | New York Red Bulls | 43 | 30 | 12 | 11 | 7 | 47 | 45 | 2 |
| 7 | Chicago Fire | 40 | 30 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 31 | 36 | -5 |
| 8 | Kansas City Wizards | 40 | 30 | 11 | 12 | 7 | 45 | 45 | 0 |
| 9 | Columbus Crew | 37 | 30 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 39 | 44 | -5 |
| 10 | Colorado Rapids | 35 | 30 | 9 | 13 | 8 | 29 | 34 | -5 |
| 11 | Los Angeles Galaxy | 34 | 30 | 9 | 14 | 7 | 38 | 48 | -10 |
| 12 | Real Salt Lake | 27 | 30 | 6 | 15 | 9 | 31 | 45 | -14 |
| 13 | Toronto FC | 25 | 30 | 6 | 17 | 7 | 25 | 49 | -24 |
Results summary
| Overall | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pld | Pts | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD |
| 30 | 27 | 6 | 15 | 9 | 31 | 45 | −14 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 18 | 22 | −4 | 2 | 8 | 5 | 13 | 23 | −10 |
Last updated: December 27, 2013
Source: [1]
Pld = Matches played; Pts = Points; W = Matches won; T = Matches tied; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; GD = Goal difference
Regular season
[2] Win Tie Loss
| April 7, 2007 1 | Real Salt Lake | 2 - 2 | FC Dallas | Salt Lake City, Utah, USA |
| 6:00PM ET | Stadium: Rice-Eccles Stadium |
| April 14, 2007 2 | Real Salt Lake | 0 - 0 | Columbus Crew | Salt Lake City, Utah, USA |
| 6:00PM ET | Stadium: Rice-Eccles Stadium |
| April 21, 2007 3 | Chivas USA | 4 - 0 | Real Salt Lake | Carson, California, USA |
| 10:30PM ET | Stadium: The Home Depot Center |
| April 30, 2007 4 | Real Salt Lake | 0 - 2 | Colorado Rapids | Salt Lake City, Utah, USA |
| 9:00PM ET | Stadium: Rice-Eccles Stadium |
| May 5, 2007 5 | Real Salt Lake | 3 - 3 | New York Red Bulls | Salt Lake City, Utah, USA |
| 9:00PM ET | Stadium: Rice-Eccles Stadium |
| May 10, 2007 6 | Colorado Rapids | 1 - 1 | Real Salt Lake | Commerce City, Colorado, USA |
| 9:00PM ET | Stadium: Dick's Sporting Goods Park |
| May 20, 2007 7 | FC Dallas | 2 - 1 | Real Salt Lake | Frisco, Texas, USA |
| 7:00PM ET | Stadium: Pizza Hut Park |
| May 27, 2007 8 | Chicago Fire | 0 - 0 | Real Salt Lake | Bridgeview, Illinois, USA |
| 5:00PM ET | Stadium: Toyota Park |
| June 2, 2007 9 | New England Revolution | 0 - 0 | Real Salt Lake | Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA |
| 7:30PM ET | Stadium: Gillette Stadium |
| June 14, 2007 10 | Real Salt Lake | 0 - 1 | FC Dallas | Salt Lake City, Utah, USA |
| 9:00PM ET | Stadium: Rice-Eccles Stadium |
| June 17, 2007 11 | Los Angeles Galaxy | 3 - 2 | Real Salt Lake | Carson, California, USA |
| 8:00PM ET | Stadium: The Home Depot Center |
| June 23, 2007 12 | Real Salt Lake | 2 - 1 | D.C. United | Salt Lake City, Utah, USA |
| 9:30PM ET | Stadium: Rice-Eccles Stadium |
| July 4, 2007 13 | Real Salt Lake | 1 - 2 | Toronto FC | Salt Lake City, Utah, USA |
| 10:00PM ET | Stadium: Rice-Eccles Stadium |
| July 7, 2007 14 | Columbus Crew | 2 - 0 | Real Salt Lake | Columbus, Ohio, USA |
| 7:30PM ET | Stadium: Columbus Crew Stadium |
| July 14, 2007 15 | Kansas City Wizards | 1 - 0 | Real Salt Lake | Kansas City, Missouri, USA |
| 8:00PM ET | Stadium: Arrowhead Stadium |
| July 28, 2007 16 | Real Salt Lake | 1 - 2 | New England Revolution | Salt Lake City, Utah, USA |
| 9:30PM ET | Stadium: Rice-Eccles Stadium |
| August 4, 2007 17 | Real Salt Lake | 1 - 0 | Houston Dynamo | Salt Lake City, Utah, USA |
| 9:00PM ET | Stadium: Rice-Eccles Stadium |
| August 18, 2007 18 | Real Salt Lake | 0 - 2 | Chicago Fire | Salt Lake City, Utah, USA |
| 9:00PM ET | Stadium: Rice-Eccles Stadium |
| August 26, 2007 19 | Chivas USA | 1 - 0 | Real Salt Lake | Carson, California, USA |
| 9:00PM ET | Stadium: The Home Depot Center |
| August 29, 2007 20 | Real Salt Lake | 3 - 1 | Kansas City Wizards | Salt Lake City, Utah, USA |
| 9:00PM ET | Stadium: Rice-Eccles Stadium |
| September 1, 2007 21 | Los Angeles Galaxy | 1 - 2 | Real Salt Lake | Carson, California, USA |
| 10:30PM ET | Stadium: The Home Depot Center |
| September 8, 2007 22 | Houston Dynamo | 4 - 3 | Real Salt Lake | Houston, Texas, USA |
| 8:30PM ET | Stadium: Robertson Stadium |
| September 12, 2007 23 | D.C. United | 2 - 1 | Real Salt Lake | Washington, D.C., USA |
| 7:30PM ET | Stadium: RFK Stadium |
| September 15, 2007 24 | Toronto FC | 0 - 0 | Real Salt Lake | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| 3:30PM ET | Stadium: BMO Field |
| September 19, 2007 25 | Real Salt Lake | 2 - 2 | Los Angeles Galaxy | Salt Lake City, Utah, USA |
| 9:00PM ET | Stadium: Rice-Eccles Stadium |
| September 22, 2007 26 | Real Salt Lake | 1 - 0 | Colorado Rapids | Salt Lake City, Utah, USA |
| 9:30PM ET | Stadium: Rice-Eccles Stadium |
| September 29, 2007 27 | New York Red Bulls | 2 - 2 | Real Salt Lake | East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA |
| 7:30PM ET | Stadium: Giants Stadium |
| October 6, 2007 28 | Real Salt Lake | 2 - 3 | Chivas USA | Salt Lake City, Utah, USA |
| 9:00PM ET | Stadium: Rice-Eccles Stadium |
| October 15, 2007 29 | Real Salt Lake | 0 - 1 | Houston Dynamo | Salt Lake City, Utah, USA |
| 9:00PM ET | Stadium: Rice-Eccles Stadium |
| October 20, 2007 30 | Colorado Rapids | 0 - 1 | Real Salt Lake | Commerce City, Colorado, USA |
| 9:00PM ET | Stadium: Dick's Sporting Goods Park |
References
- ^ Renzhofer, Martin (August 29, 2012). "Real Salt Lake's fan base keeps growing". The Salt Lake Tribune. Salt Lake City, Utah. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
- ^ "MLS Regular Season - 2007 Real Salt Lake". www.mlssoccer.com. Retrieved 30 December 2013.