Keepin’ it Real
By Jay Hipps · May 31, 2008
It’s match day and, before we get to the various pre-game stories that are appearing in the media, we have a special feature in the blog today. We left the solar-powered blog penthouse on Thursday to attend the Quakes’ practice and took time to discuss some pertinent issues — specifically, the origins of the “Real” portion of “Real Salt Lake” — with Quakes ‘keeper Joe Cannon. We present them here, now, for your listening pleasure.
Although we make fun of their name, the fact is that RSL has been well-supported by their fans since the team’s founding. It’s only been a few years and we don’t know if the denizens of the Beehive State are in it for the long run, but we certainly hope that this is not a puppy love.
Now then, on to the day’s news:
- Elliott Almond of the Mercury News reports that the Quakes are talking to Norwich City defender Gary “Doc” Doherty, whose contract with the English Championship (AKA second division) side expires soon. Doherty is a central defender whose aerial skills also make him a competent target forward, and at least one Canaries fan doesn’t want him to leave Norwich City. The Quakes are undoubtedly talking to a lot of players these days, so we don’t know how serious this is just yet, but we will, as always, keep an eye on the situation.
- Almond also turns in a stellar piece on new Earthquake Jovan Kirovski, even managing to get quotes from NASL Quake Steve Zungul. Impressive!
- There are a ton of pre-game stories available online. Choose from the following:
- our own Jeff Carlisle for MLSnet.com
- John Coon of the RSL media relations staff for MLSnet.com
- James Edward of the Deseret News
- KNBC.com
- Reporter Jeff Mezydlo for the AP
We’ll pass along one observation from these pre-game reports. The quotes from several RSL players, including Chris Wingert and Dema Kovalenko, indicate that they see today’s match as a must win. We can only guess that RSL coach Jason Kreis is placing that emphasis on the match, and it seems like a big gamble on his part. RSL doesn’t exactly have a historical record of excellence, and painting any match as a must win this early in the season is going to put a lot more pressure on their players. The longer the game remains scoreless, the more that pressure will build, and if the Quakes get the first goal, a second may quickly follow. It will be interesting to see how Kreis’ risk-taking plays out.
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Wikipedia says:
“The word real in the team’s name is derived from the Spanish language. It is traditionally used in the names of certain Spanish soccer clubs such as Real Madrid that play in La Liga. It is roughly pronounced ray-al, with the accent on the al. It is translated into English as “royal”.
Dave Checketts and SCP Worldwide partners Dean Howes, Kenneth Munoz, Michael McCarthy and Chris Bevilacqua, chose Real Salt Lake for the team’s name because they desired to associate the team with a successful soccer club, Real Madrid, as well as to develop a brand that was clearly associated with Football.
The team’s name was initially met with derision in the fan community. Many fans thought the name should more accurately reflect the Salt Lake area. In the passing years, the criticism from local fans and the media has waned, and the club has instituted a formal relationship with Real Madrid. The team colors are claret red, cobalt blue, and Real gold”
But Joe handled it well. I liked “Utah must have different standards for ‘royalty’ “.