Real Salt Lake, which hosts the Rapids on Monday night on the artificial turf of Rice-Eccles Stadium, is coming off a 4-0 thrashing at Chivas USA last week, and it could have been worse. Chivas missed some good counter-attacking chances in the second half.
Chivas scored 30 seconds into the game thanks to a horrible gaffe by embattled Real goalkeeper Nick Rimando, who charged out of his goal and let Maykel Galindo past him. Galindo scored again in the eighth minute.
Real is winless in three games and has a raging goalkeeper controversy. Rimando could be replaced by promising rookie Chris Seitz.
“Those are the teams I really don’t like playing, that are on losing streaks or haven’t scored a goal,” Rapids defender Mike Petke said. “You know they’re going to break out at some point.”
Red Bulls get wings
The New York Red Bulls filled a desperate need by acquiring Colombian striker Juan Pablo Angel from Aston Villa of the English Premier League. Villa paid what was a club- record transfer fee of nearly $19 million to get Angel from Argentina’s River Plate in 2001, and some think he will become one of the top MLS scorers this season.
Like high-priced imports David Beckham (Los Angeles) and Cuauhtemoc Blanco (Chicago), Angel was signed under the league’s new designated player rule, which allows teams to go above their $2.1 million salary cap.
Fire could be hot
If the U.S. and Mexico reach the final of the CONCACAF Gold Cup on June 24, Blanco will play for Mexico in front of a huge crowd at Soldier Field and will probably make his Fire debut a week later – against the Rapids.
Around the league
When New York traded Marvell Wynne to Toronto last week to make roster room for Angel, former Rapids defender Hunter Freeman took his spot in the Red Bulls lineup. … Chicago midfielder Chris Armas, one of 10 original MLS players still in the league, says he will retire after this season. … Defending champion Houston has scored one goal and allowed one in three games. … Former Rapids midfielder Clint Mathis missed a penalty kick and got sent off in New York’s 1-0 win over Houston on Saturday.
