Columbus blanks RSL at soccer fest

TAMPA, Fla. — Despite an overall solid defensive effort at the Tom Fitzgerald Memorial Soccer Festival, Real Salt Lake dropped its first game of the preseason Sunday night against the Columbus Crew, 1-0.

(Fitzgerald, the Crew head coach from 1996-2001, died Dec. 4, 2004, from injuries suffered in a motorcycle accident.)

Salt Lake (2-1) returns to action on Wednesday against Kansas City at the IMG Academies in Bradenton, Fla.

After a scoreless first half on a chilly Florida night, Columbus' Chad Marshall tallied the game's only goal in the 55th minute on an assist from Jose Retiz. In last year's Soccer Festival game, RSL defeated Columbus 2-0.

Like he's done in Salt Lake's previous preseason games, coach John Ellinger used the game as an opportunity to evaluate as many players as possible. Aside from keeper Jay Nolly, who played about two-thirds of the game before being replaced by Noah Palmer, Ellinger utilized a different line-up each half.

The game also marked the debut of Costa Rican defender Daniel Torres, who finally joined the team late last week after obtaining his work visa.

Salt Lake was without the services of defensive midfielder Douglas Sequeira, who was in Oakland, Calif., for Costa Rica's international friendly with South Korea on Saturday. Sequeira did not play, however, in Costa Rica's 1-0 win.

RSL is also still without Eddie Pope and Chris Klein, who will remain with the U.S. National Team until after next Sunday's friendly with Guatemala.

ENDLINES: Salt Lake's line-up consisted of the following, with halftime substitutes in parenthesis: Jay Nolly, Gustavo Cabrera (Robert Scarlett), Nelson Akwari (Daniel Torres), Carey Talley (Nik Besagno), Chris Brown (Adolfo Gregorio), Kenny Cutler (Tiger Fitzpatrick), Seth Trembly (Christian Jiminez), Kevin Novak (Luke Kreamalmeyer), Andy Williams (Mehdi Ballouchy), Diego Walsh (Melvin Tarley), Jeff Cunningham (Jamie Watson).