Real Salt Lake by Michael C. Lewis

Wild Tangle of Playoff Routes for RSL

2009-10-20T09:02:00.006-06:00

So, you want to know just exactly how RSL can still qualify for the playoffs? Well brace yourself. Here are all of the scenarios, straight from the front office.

But be warned -- it is a complex picture.

For starters, RSL must beat Colorado in the regular-season finale at Rio Tinto Stadium on Saturday. Otherwise, nothing matters, RSL is out. But if RSL does win, here's what it needs to reach the postseason again:

-- A Toronto loss or tie at New York on Saturday.
-- A DC United loss or tie at Kansas City on Saturday.
-- An FC Dallas loss or tie at Seattle on Saturday.
-- A New England loss or tie at Columbus on Sunday.

If any two of those teams wins, however, RSL is out, no matter what. But if only one of them wins, then things get even more complex. The team also can qualify if:

-- Toronto wins or loses and D.C. United, FC Dallas and New England all tie.
-- FC Dallas wins, Toronto and D.C. United both tie and New England loses.
-- New England wins, Toronto and D.C. United tie and FC Dallas loses.
-- Toronto wins, FC Dallas loses and D.C. United and New England both tie.
-- FC Dallas wins and Toronto loses and D.C. United and New England tie.
-- Toronto wins and D.C. United and FC Dallas lose and New England ties.
-- D.C. United wins, Toronto and FC Dallas lose and New England ties.
-- FC Dallas wins, Toronto and D.C. United lose and New England ties.
-- Toronto wins, FC Dallas and New England lose and D.C. United ties.
-- FC Dallas wins, Toronto and New England lose and D.C. United ties.
-- New England wins, Toronto and FC Dallas lose and D.C. United ties.

Things could also come down to goal differential. So if RSL beats Colorado by two or more goals on Saturday, it also can get into the playoffs if:

-- New England wins or loses and Toronto, D.C. United and FC Dallas all tie.
-- D.C. United wins or loses and Toronto, FC Dallas and New England all tie.
-- Toronto wins, New England loses and D.C. United and FC Dallas both tie.
-- Toronto wins, D.C. United loses and New England and FC Dallas both tie.
-- New England wins, Toronto loses and D.C. United and FC Dallas both tie.
-- D.C. United wins, Toronto loses and New England and FC Dallas both tie.

Got all that?

Route to Playoffs Hardly an Easy One

2009-10-17T21:02:00.003-06:00

Technically, Real Salt Lake remains alive in the Major League Soccer playoff hunt — even after its 1-0 loss at Toronto FC today.

But man, does it need a lot of help.

Stuck in 12th place overall with 37 points, RSL first must defeat rival Colorado in the regular-season finale at Rio Tinto Stadium next weekend. Anything less, and it's all over.

But even if RSL does earn three points to pull into a tie with the Rapids on 40 points, it will reach the postseason again only by virtue of a long-shot series of other results.

The simplest way, at that point, would be to have Toronto, New England, FC Dallas and DC United — all tied with 39 points — all lose their final games.

That seems like a lot to ask, even though all four will be on the road. Toronto plays at last-place New York, for example, while DC United plays at Kansas City. The other games feature FC Dallas at Seattle — the Sounders clinched a playoff spot tonight — and New England at league-leading defending champion Columbus.

If two or more of those four teams wins, RSL is out.

If three of those teams lose and the other wins, however, that victorious team will secure the seventh playoff spot and force a tiebreaker between RSL and Colorado for the final position. That would come down to overall season goal differential, since the teams would have split their three regular-season games with a win, loss and draw.

In that case, RSL could win only if it beats the Rapids by two goals or more in the finale, since Colorado is plus-7 in goal differential and RSL is only plus-5.

It gets even more complicated if some of those teams tied with 39 points earn draws next weekend, joining RSL and Colorado in a tie with 40 points. In multi-team ties, the tie-breaking procedure begins by comparing the average points per game earned by each team, in only its games against the other tied teams.

And that's just too messy to try to figure out, at the moment.

Suffice it to say, the clearest route for RSL into the playoffs at this point is for it to beat the Rapids and hope everybody else of consequence loses next weekend. A tall order, for sure.

Charity Event to Show Crucial WCQ

2009-10-10T13:01:00.005-06:00

Want to watch the United States try to clinch a berth in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa?

Head downtown.

The G.O.A.L.S. for Greatness charity program's casino night fund-raiser at the Radisson Downtown hotel is the only place in Utah that will be showing the USA's game at Honduras tonight, because of the way Honduras sold the television rights in this country.

The "Margaritaville"-themed event begins at 6 p.m. -- the game kicks off at 8 -- and fans can join RSL players and coaches for dinner, dancing and casino games in addition to the game, for a $50 donation. For more information, visit www.GoalsForGreatness.com. The hotel is located at 215 W. South Temple.

The Americans, incidentally, can book their ticket to South Africa tonight three ways -- by beating Honduras, by having Costa Rica lose at home to Trinidad & Tobago, or by tying Honduras while the Costa Ricans lose or draw against Trinidad & Tobago.

Injuries Not as Severe as Feared

2009-10-09T10:10:00.002-06:00

Good news from the RSL medical tent ...

Trainers report that midfielder Ned Grabavoy does not have a broken bone in his left foot, as they had feared after he was hurt during the exhibition against Chivas de Guadalajara the other night, but rather a severe bruise. That means he stands a chance of being available when RSL takes on New York at Rio Tinto Stadium on Wednesday night, in the first of three games the team believes it must win in order to reach the Major League Soccer playoffs again.

“Our playoffs start now,” coach Jason Kreis said.

Same goes for midfielder Javier Morales, who suffered a sprained right ankle and a bruised right calf in the game. Though he limped off the field just before halftime, the focal point of the RSL attack is expected to be listed as “probable” to play against the Red Bulls, by the time the game rolls around.

Mixed Feelings About Exhibition

2009-10-08T08:46:00.001-06:00

Coach Jason Kreis was reasonably pleased with the way RSL played in its nasty 1-1 draw with Chivas de Guadalajara at Rio Tinto Stadium last night, except that the red card shown to defender Jamison Olave just before halftime “ruined some things” he hoped his team could accomplish.

“Our guys didn't have a whole lot of letdown,” Kreis said. “I think they wanted to make a statement in front of everyone ... that we're hard workers, that we don't have much quit in us. We showed a lot of what we can expect from the final few matches.”

Not everybody was so enthused.

Midfielder Will Johnson seemed particularly downcast about what the performance portends for the rest of the season.

While forward Fabian Espindola expressed confidence that RSL can win its last three regular-season Major League Soccer games and reach the playoffs — he scored RSL's only goal, in the 16th minute — Johnson worried about blowing the lead and the injuries suffered by midfielders Javier Morales and Ned Grabavoy.

“We've played good stretches of games all year long, and we've failed to put it together for 90 minutes,” he said. “And that's the case again tonight. Obviously, there's a lot of positives you can take out, but at the end of the day, we had a lead and we gave it up. If we do that one more time this season, our season is 100 percent over.”

Exhibition to Set Stage for Big Finish

2009-10-07T08:29:00.001-06:00

Coach Jason Kreis wouldn't venture to guess how drastically the RSL lineup might change when it finally resumes Major League Soccer play against lowly New York next week.

But he did make clear that tonight's exhibition against Chivas de Guadalajara will play a big role in deciding who takes the field after two dispiriting losses on the road have left RSL with no margin for error.

The players “will provide us the answers,” he said.

In other words, play hard tonight, or forget about getting a chance in the games RSL absolutely must win in order to reach the MLS playoffs again. Team officials believe they must win their last three regular-season games in a row — RSL has won three straight only once in its history — to make that happen.

Many players will play 45 minutes, the coach said, as he seeks to find which players and combinations will work best for the rest of the season. Clearly, there has been something missing recently, with the team giving away easy goals early in each of its last two losses.

“Defensively, the intensity needs to be higher,” goalkeeper Nick Rimando said.

The coaches are not worried so much about winning as playing well, and Kreis has credited his players with responding well during some hard training sessions over the last week or so. Then again, he always says that in situations like these, and it doesn't always translate into good results.

“To be honest, I'd prefer not to be in this situation,” he said. “I feel like we've got to test some guys and we've got to push the fitness and basically start from square one. We've treated this break as a mini-preseason. I would love to not be in that position. I would love to have come off a win and said, 'OK, everything's good,' and have an enjoyable time. But desperate times call for desperate measures.”

Can't Make Exhibition? Flip on TV

2009-10-06T18:48:00.006-06:00

Just learned that RSL's exhibition game against Chivas de Guadalajara will be televised, after all.

Team officials hadn't expected any local television for the game, but Fox Soccer Channel has decided to pick it up -- giving fans a chance to see how coach Jason Kreis tinkers with his lineup in search of a winning combination for the rest of the Major League Soccer season.

Kreis said he expects to use a lot of players in what is essentially an audition for starting positions, in preparation for the last three games of the regular season starting next week. The team figures it must win all three in a row -- a feat it has achieved only once in its history -- to reach the MLS playoffs again.

Owner Adds Big Name in Rams Hunt

2009-10-06T10:08:00.003-06:00

It might be a reason to either really cheer for owner Dave Checketts to succeed in his effort to buy the NFL's St. Louis Rams, or one to root hard against it:

Conservative radio talk-show host Rush Limbaugh is among his investors.

Limbaugh said today that he's among the group that is bidding to buy the football team, and that -- although he wouldn't name any of the other investors in the group -- he and Checketts would run it, if they succeed. The team has been valued at $929 million by Forbes magazine (and falling fast, if their performance on the field is any indication), and would add to the teams in the Checketts portfolio, along with the NHL's St. Louis Blues hockey team.

No word on a timeline for the sale; the family of former Rams owner Georgia Frontiere has hired the Goldman Sachs investment firm to review assets of her estate. Checketts has been pursuing the team since earlier this year.

On Loan News & Ticket Sales

2009-10-05T16:33:00.003-06:00

While ticket sales to RSL's exhibition against Chivas de Guadalara at Rio Tinto Stadium on Wednesday have been encouraging to team officials, midfielder Jean Alexandre will be playing a different Mexican team this week.

Alexandre was sent out on loan again to the Austin Aztex today -- makes sense, since he doesn't figure to get any playing time with RSL for now -- and will play for them not only against Monterrey on Wednesday, but also against three English teams on a trip to London.

The Aztex will play Stoke City of the Premier League on Oct. 14 — the same day RSL plays its next MLS game, against New York — then Accrington Stanley of League Two on Oct. 15 and Sheffield Wednesday of the League Championship on Oct. 20. Team officials expect Alexandre back in time for their regular-season finale against the Colorado Rapids on Oct. 24.

Meanwhile, the team said it has sold about 13,000 tickets already to the Chivas game, which means they expect to reach perhaps 17,000 or more by gametime.

Nobody From RSL Called for WCQs

2009-10-01T15:38:00.005-06:00

Hopefully, RSL's Kyle Beckerman and Robbie Findley enjoyed their time playing for the United States in a World Cup qualifying game earlier this summer, because they won't get another chance anytime soon.

Neither Beckerman nor Findley were among the 22 players called into camp by coach Bob Bradley, in advance of the Americans' last two qualifying games for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

The Americans will play at Honduras on Oct. 10 — a victory would ensure qualification — and then against Costa Rica at RFK Stadium in Washington on Oct. 14. They're all but certain to make it through, too, sitting in first place in the qualifying group with just those two games remaining.

Long Layoff Resembles 'Mini-Camp'

2009-09-28T12:33:00.004-06:00

General manager Garth Lagerwey said the 18-day lay-off that RSL is facing was just a "quirk in the schedule" that occurred for a combination of reasons — including the odd number of teams in Major League Soccer this season and the fact that the season schedule had more things than ever to work around.

Figures it might be good for the team, too.

With that much time off, "it's almost like a mini-training camp," he said. "You have the opportunity to try some stuff." That looks to be especially important after the dismal showing a 3-0 loss at FC Dallas over the weekend that all but knocked RSL out of the playoff hunt. It's only way in, the team believes, is to win its final three games in a row — it has won three straight only once in its five-year history — over a 10-day span starting Oct. 14.

"It's all there for us," Lagerwey said.

RSL Will Open Next Season on Road

2009-09-24T11:45:00.001-06:00

Sure, this season isn't even over yet.

But RSL has learned that it will open the 2010 Major League Soccer season on the road against the San Jose Earthquakes on March 27, before playing its home opener against the Seattle Sounders at Rio Tinto Stadium on April 10.

The Sounders will play the first game of the season against the expansion Philadelphia Union on March 25, before visiting Utah. This is the earliest the league has been able to announce the start of a following season, mostly because 10 of the 16 teams that will play next season enjoy home games in their own soccer-specific stadiums.

The rest of the league schedule will be announced by February.

Meanwhile, the league also recently announced that for the first time, it will not play league games during the group phase of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. That means the league will go dark between June 11 and June 25, and also will not hold games on the days of the semifinals or final, July 6, 7 and 11.

RSL Plans Annual Exhibition at BYU

2009-09-21T13:53:00.000-06:00

RSL will play its annual exhibition against the BYU Cougars at South Stadium in Provo on Oct. 2, the team announced today, giving it another competitive workout during its upcoming 18-day lay-off from Major League Soccer action.

The so-called “Futbol Before Football” game will start at 5 p.m., two hours before the Cougars kick off their college football game against Utah State at Edwards Stadium at 7 p.m. Tickets are $6 and available at www.byutickets.com — and cost $5 for BYU students with school identification.

Campos Named MLS Player of Week

2009-08-31T15:58:00.004-06:00

Striker Pablo Campos has been named the Major League Soccer player of the week, after delivering RSL its crucial victory at Kansas City over the weekend with his second goal in two weeks.

Campos struck in the 18th minute to give RSL a 1-0 victory that could prove to be the result that gets them into the playoffs. The team has 33 points and believes it needs 10 more from its final six games to get in, though it will have this weekend off while the U.S. national team plays El Salvador in a World Cup qualifier at Rio Tinto Stadium on Saturday.

Findley Named to WCQ Roster, Too

2009-08-27T16:00:00.001-06:00

Did Robbie Findley just play the most important five minutes of his life?

The Real Salt Lake forward was unexpectedly called up to the U.S. men's national team today for its upcoming World Cup qualifying games, the day after blazing to back-to-back goals in the final five minutes of a 4-0 victory over Chivas USA at Rio Tinto Stadium.

Even RSL officials were caught by surprise.

Nevertheless, it means that both Findley and teammate Kyle Beckerman will be on the roster for the Americans when they play El Salvador at Rio Tinto on Sept. 5, and then travel to meet Trinidad & Tobago in Port of Spain on Sept. 9.

“It’s been awhile since I’ve suited up with the national team," Findley said, "so it will be an incredible feeling to represent my country again. I’ve just been trying to focus on our team’s success here with Real Salt Lake, so it’s great that this opportunity has presented itself through my efforts and contributions to my club. Our fans have always been supportive and behind us no matter what, so I can’t even explain what a great feeling it would be to be able to wear that U.S. jersey in front of them.”

Neither Findley nor Beckerman has played in a World Cup qualifying game, though Beckerman has played nine games with the national team, and Findley one — a stoppage-time appearance against Switzerland in a friendly in 2007.

Findley leads RSL with 10 goals this season, and 22 in his career.

New Target Striker Makes Impression

2009-08-27T07:47:00.003-06:00

So at this rate, maybe RSL won't even need Yura Movsisyan.

Striker Pablo Campos made his first start for the club last night, and made an immediate impact by heading home his first goal — the winning goal, as it turned out — just before halftime of a 4-0 whitewash of Chivas USA at Rio Tinto Stadium.

“He earned it,” coach Jason Kreis said. “He deserved his opportunity ... and he took it.

Kreis said the coaching staff was impressed with what Campos showed, coming on as a substitute in the otherwise miserable loss at New England last weekend, after needed “a long time” to get accustomed to the altitude in Utah after his trade from San Jose last month.

“That's what I said at the beginning,” Campos said. “It's going to take a little while until I get in a rhythm and get to know the players and they get to know me. So now I think we're getting there.”

Kreis praised the 6-foot-3 Campos for not only his ability to hold the ball up top in the 4-3-3 formation, but because "he can be dynamic and get at players and run around guys and dribble past players, as well. I think he has the complete package."

The coach could scarcely talk about Campos, either, without discussing forward Fabian Espindola, whose perfect cross set up Campos for his 43rd minute strike. Espindola later fired home an insurance goal with his left foot, and seemed to leave no doubt that he'll stay in the starting 11, too, when RSL visits Kansas City for a crucial game on Saturday.

“It was another night that he was fantastic, and I don't think the right back had much of an answer for him,” Kreis said. “I was really, really pleased with his service on the first goal. Excellent, excellent choice by him. ... And then obviously the goal he scored was very, very pleased, because I know he's extremely frustrated to not score more than he has this year.”

That seemed pretty obvious, judging by the passion with which Espindola celebrated — screaming while leaping over a sideline barricade to go hug fans in the stands. It was his first goal since scoring in a 1-1 draw at Houston on June 20, even though he has been among the most dangerous players on the field lately.

“Finally!” he said.

Beckerman Getting Call for Qualifiers

2009-08-26T15:26:00.001-06:00

Real Salt Lake's Kyle Beckerman will be named to the U.S. men's national team for its upcoming World Cup qualifying game against El Salvador at Rio Tinto Stadium on Sept. 5, team officials said.

The midfield captain will earn his 10th cap with the national team, if he plays against El Salvador or Trinidad & Tobago in Port of Spain on Sept. 9.

The 27-year-old Beckerman was not called up for the Americans' last qualifying game in Mexico earlier this month, but clearly impressed national team coach Bob Bradley with his strong performance at the Gold Cup earlier this summer. He has never played in a World Cup qualifying game.

The rest of the U.S. roster is expected to be announced Thursday.

Since RSL does not play next week, Beckerman will not miss any games for the club while he plays for the national team.

Questions Linger in Movsisyan Saga

2009-08-25T14:28:00.003-06:00

The strange saga of Yura Movsisyan took another turn today, when the forward missed RSL's workout at Rio Tinto Stadium.

Team officials said the striker has been ill, in addition to telling them that he is still being bothered by his shoulder injury, for which he is expected to see another doctor. What's odd about that is just yesterday, his agent said Movsisyan's shoulder had been healthy enough that he could have played at New England over the weekend, if the team had taken him on the trip, and RSL hadn't practiced since then until today.

So it's hard to tell just where things stand at the moment, and whether either side is exaggerating its position in the lingering dispute over Movsisyan's pending move to Randers FC in Denmark. But it seems reasonably safe to assume that Movsisyan won't be available for RSL when it plays Chivas USA in a crucial home game on Wednesday night.

Probably wouldn't expect to see midfielder Javier Morales, either, though the team officially is listing him only as “doubtful” with a groin injury and said it will make a game-time decision about whether he plays. Morales did not take part in the light workout this morning, instead mostly watching from the edge of the field in socks and shower sandals.

Movsisyan Won't Play Against Revs

2009-08-23T13:02:00.003-06:00

Coach Jason Kreis will have one less attacking option when RSL takes on the New England Revolution today near Boston.

That's because striker Yura Movsisyan did not make the trip, after not practicing the past couple of days due to his lingering shoulder injury. That will mark the second game in the last three in which the team's second-leading scorer has not played -- he played only the final 25 minutes in the scoreless draw against Houston last weekend -- since hurting the shoulder in the first half of the 1-0 loss at Chicago on August 1.

Makes you wonder whether team officials are regretting not accepting a buyout for Movsisyan to go to Randers FC in Denmark, when they had the chance.

RSL Finalizes Exhibition vs. Chivas

2009-08-20T10:14:00.002-06:00

RSL will still have back-to-back weekends off from Major League Soccer play down the stretch of the regular season in October, but that doesn't mean it won't be playing a game.

The team has announced that it will meet Chivas de Guadalajara — the parent of Chivas USA and probably the most popular team in Mexico — in an exhibition at Rio Tinto Stadium on Oct. 7. Kick-off is set for 7 p.m., and tickets will go on sale tomorrow.

The game falls between the weekends that RSL is off from league play, Oct. 3 and Oct. 10. It will have only three games remaining, at that point, with two of them — against New York on Oct. 14 and the season-finale against Colorado on Oct. 24 — at home.

Mathis Red Card? 'Stupid on My Part'

2009-08-19T13:48:00.004-06:00

We finally had a chance to ask midfielder Clint Mathis about his red card against Houston the other night, and he didn't try to duck the blame.

Mathis said he “just lost my temper” when he slammed the ball to the ground to earn a red-card ejection that denied RSL the chance to play the whole second half with a man-advantage in what turned out to be a scoreless home draw against Houston last weekend, potentially costing the team crucial points in the Major League Soccer playoff race.

“Obviously, I deserved it,” he said after practice at Xango Field. “I don't know if I deserved really the first yellow, the first foul. But it was stupid on my part, letting my team down to lose my head getting the second yellow card.”

Mathis had not commented on his league-record ninth career red card, having left Rio Tinto Stadium before the game was over and then getting a day off from practice to rest a sore knee. His ejection triggered an automatic one-game suspension that will keep him out of RSL's game at New England on Sunday.

Defender Jamison Olave will be suspended, too, for yellow-card accumulation.

While Mathis was arguably the team's best player for the first half of the season, both he and coach Jason Kreis agreed that he seemed to play the last couple of games with more anger and frustration.

“A little more fire, maybe,” Mathis said. “We've got to get some points.”

The draw against the Dynamo kept RSL three points out of playoff position, and general manager Garth Lagerwey believes it will need 16 points from its last nine games to reach the postseason again.

“I think Clint feels the pressure, as do all of the players,” Kreis said. “We all have different ways of expressing ourselves when we get into pressure situations, and I would agree that the fuse has been a little shorter. It's something that we're talking about and managing, and I think that he's now coming back from that.”

Focused on Winning With Defense

2009-08-19T08:57:00.004-06:00

Most definitely, RSL can use all the points it can muster as it heads down the homestretch toward the Major League Soccer playoffs. But the coaches and players seem to agree that the situation is not yet so dire that they have to head into road games with an ultra-aggressive approach.

“I don't think we're at that point yet,” midfielder Will Johnson said. “I think the games that we've done well — against Houston, D.C. — were games where we were very good defensively. We had chances to win the game, as well. I don't think we need to try to win games 4-3 and things like that, because it's not going to happen.”

Coach Jason Kreis basically agreed, noting that the next three games are all against teams with which RSL is fighting for one of the final playoff spots. So if the team can manage at least a draw against New England on Sunday, for example, it will gain a tie-breaking advantage over the Revs because it also beat them at home earlier this season.

“It's going to be different, every game,” Kreis said.

Ranks Thin as Tough Stretch Looms

2009-08-18T13:50:00.003-06:00

Midfielder Clint Mathis wasn't at practice today, but he wasn't being punished.

Coach Jason Kreis said Mathis was given the day off from the first training session since his red card denied RSL the chance to play the second half against Houston with a man-advantage last weekend, in order to rest a knee problem.

“He's been having some issues with his knee,” Kreis said, “so we felt like it was a good opportunity to give him another day off.”

Mathis is one of only three players who has appeared in every game for RSL, but he will not play at New England on Sunday because of the red card. The trip begins a stretch of three games in seven days that could decide the RSL's playoff fate. Several players said they need at least six points out of the stretch.

Defender Jamison Olave also is out, though, serving a one-game suspension for yellow-card accumulation, and midfielder Andy Williams is unlikely to be available, team officials said, after straining his right hamstring in practice. Williams has scarcely played the last five games, but the rest of it suggests that defender Robbie Russell will move inside to replace Olave — with Chris Wingert and Tony Beltran on the outside — while recently acquired winger Rachid El Khalifi perhaps gets a starting chance in place of Mathis.

“He's certainly in the mix,” Kreis said.

Injured Players Could Return for RSL

2009-08-14T15:46:00.001-06:00

Good news and bad news for RSL, heading into its big home game against league-leading Houston Dynamo at Rio Tinto Stadium on Saturday night.

Defender Robbie Russell appears ready to return to the lineup, after missing most of the last three games with a strained hip flexor, and striker Yura Movsisyan is “50-50” — in the words of coach Jason Kreis — to be available as he recovers from the injured rotator cuff in his shoulder.

However, Russell might be not just available but needed, with defender Chris Wingert questionable after missing practice with an illness. Wingert is one of only three players on the team — including midfielder Clint Mathis and defender Nat Borchers — who has played in every game this season.

RSL is riding a five-game winless streak against the Dynamo stretching back two years, but it also has a five-game unbeaten streak at home and the best home goal differential — plus-14 — in the league.

RSL Radio Home Tightens ESPN Grip

2009-08-14T09:41:00.002-06:00

The radio station that broadcasts RSL games — KALL 700-AM — is about to become the “exclusive home in Utah” for ESPN Radio programming.

Starting August 31, the station will add the “Mike & Mike in the Morning” show and “The Herd With Colin Cowherd” to its morning lineup, and feature around-the-clock ESPN Radio SportsCenter updates along with NBA and Major League Baseball games of the week and coverage of college football.

The station already has “The Dan Patrick Show” in its lineup, as the afternoon lead-in to the locally produced “Bill & Spence Show” featuring the voice of RSL Bill Riley.

“This is an enormous opportunity for KALL 700 to align itself with the world’s foremost sports broadcasting leader,” general manager Dean Howes said in a statement. “We remain committed to our stature as the ‘Home of the Utes’ and Real Salt Lake, and bolster the significant amount of local programming with our nation’s spotlight events via ESPN.”