Just a day after it was made known that RSL midfielder Kyle Beckerman would be on the U.S. National Team roster for upcoming World Cup qualifiers, RSL forward Robbie Findley was named to the team on Thursday.

Findley and Beckerman are part of the 24-man roster that will play against El Salvador on Sept. 5 at Rio Tinto Stadium and then travel to play at Trinidad & Tobago three days later. Findley came on as a second-half sub and scored twice in RSL’s 4-0 win over Chivas USA on Wednesday. This is the first appearance for Findley and Beckerman on a World Cup qualifier roster.

SANDY — With its coach calling for better effort, Real Salt Lake answered.

RSL earned three very important points on Wednesday night by beating Chivas USA 4-0, keeping its playoff hopes alive.

( Continued… )

Real Salt Lake midfielder Kyle Beckerman has been named to the U.S. National Team roster that will take on El Salvador on Sept. 5 at Rio Tinto Stadium in a World Cup qualifier. Three days later the U.S. will play at Trinidad & Tobago. Beckerman will not miss any games with RSL since the team will be on its bye week then.

Beckerman appeared in all six Gold Cup games this summer for the U.S., starting five games and scoring the equalizer in the critical come-from-behind win over Panama.

The entire roster will be announced on Thursday.

Real Salt Lake isn’t out of the playoff picture yet, but a loss or tie tonight would be a big blow to its postseason hopes.

RSL (7-9-6) takes on Chivas USA in Real’s second game in four days and is in desperate need of points prior to Saturday’s game at Kansas City.

( Continued… )

Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Nick Rimando made a heads-up play and found forward Robbie Findley with a blast of a goal kick to set up the lone goal in RSL’s 1-0 win over Seattle Sounders FC on Saturday. Rimando quickly took a goal kick in the 62nd minute and sailed it over an unsuspecting Seattle defense. Findley ran to meet the ball and shot it past Seattle goalkeeper Kasey Keller.

Following the game when I asked RSL head coach Jason Kreis if that was something the team has worked on in training, he just tried to keep a straight face while being a bit sarcastic.

( Continued… )

Real Salt Lake’s newest addition Richard El Khalifi, who signed with the team earlier this week, will not accompany the team to Chicago for Saturday’s game against the Fire. Coming in during the middle of his offseason, the Dutch forward is not match fit.

“We’re kind of handling him as if he’s in a mini-preseason and he’s been asked to do quite a bit more than the rest of the group,” RSL head coach Jason Kreis said following Friday’s training session. “He’s had some double-days and that will continue over the weekend. It’s important to get him altitude-adjusted as well and in order to accomplish all these things we thought it best to leave him here.”

If ever there was a soccer game that non-soccer fans should have witnessed to see how exciting the “Beautiful Game” can be, this was it.

Real Salt Lake scored four goals in the second half after trailing by two goals at halftime to beat FC Dallas 4-2 on Friday night.

( Continued… )

No Becks at the All-Star Game?

Houston Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear, who will coach the MLS All-Star team on July 29 against Everton FC at Rio Tinto Stadium, named the final six players to the All-Star team and Los Angeles’ David Beckham was not one of them.

( Continued… )