Now I'm going to get a "kick" out of what Sandy will do with an empty stadium in 5 years, when Checketts moves his team to St. Louis due to Utah's boredom with his sub-par team.

Congratulations to everyone involved in the new stadium. Report Card on my experience follows:
Traffic: C. Over 1 hour commute through rush hour.
Parking: B. Free is a plus and I need the 15 min. walk for exercise.
Stadium staff: A-. They were friendly and everywhere.
Food service: C-. Same old stadium fare plus a wok and bbq choice. Over an hour wait for the counter staff to be "trained" by their bosses and for the registers 2b opened. Beer is a bonus.
Seats: B. I had two sets (don't ask). Sec. 1 row Y was not good. Felt claustrophobic and the P.A. speaker was ear shattering loud. Second set of seats was very cool in Sec. 36 row B. I could not see the players feet due to the boards on the pitch but closer is definately better for me. Plastic chairs were ok too.
The match: B+. Game was exciting. Player intensity and focus was great. For me, I would liked to have seen more build up thru the mid-field rather than frantic attacks over the top. Perhaps the playoffs are still a possibility but it will take 2 wins and a draw to get there. Thanks!

Classic soccer game, lots of build up, huge game in a new stadium, playing for a playoff berth and what happens. . . a tie. At least the stadium looked nice i guess mr. checketts.

Yeah, GeeBee should have just given our taxes away to to some rich CEOs. Much better investment of my tax money. Go Dow!

Whoever was playin the bagpipes please refrain from playin them the entire game! It gave me a headache listening to that all game via the tv! Otherwise it was cool to watch..

RSL Fans: Hope you enjoyed the opening game for your new stadium. It looks beautiful. Too bad FC Dallas is going to steal next week's game and the playoff spot from you :)

if your going to put millions of dollars into a stadium, put it into something that will be benefited from long term. examples: Energy Solutions Arena (15-20 thousand a game), Rice Eccles Stadium(40-45 thousand people a game), LaVell Edwards Stadiu(60-65 thousand people a game). And these stadiums have been filled for decades. This soccer stadium thing will struggle to fill half full for the next couple years, then they leave Salt Lake, and we have a useless stadium sitting there idly. too bad they didnt build it down by orem around UVU, then uvu could have a football stadium in the future when they got a team and RSL was finally out of here.

enough with the negative vibes, Moriarity

It takes time and effort to build a franchise and fan base

We'll see you next week Goats.

Also, for those who had problems with traffic. I parked at the 7200 s trax stop and rode in to the 9400s stop and walked. It was great. You avoid all the traffic. Try it for the next game.

the more you post your weasly comments, the more pub soccer gets. So....keep it up, thanks again.

Why is it such a hateful thing to suggest soccer change the rules to eliminate ties? Of the 74 games these two teams have played in this year's league, 18 ended in a tie. Is anyone a fan of the tie??? That's about 25% of the games end in a tie.

Why the stubborn obsession with keeping this silly remnant of the past? (No shoot outs either. that's just dumb. Play a 6 per side, half pitch 5 minute sudden death. After 5 minutes make it 4 per side for 5. Then 2 per side. Or... come up with something better, but NOT a tie.

Wow--a "Kelly's Heroes" reference. Nice! I love it!

I'd also like to point out that 11% of the 20 bucks I laid down for concessions last night went to the Cancer Wellness House in Salt Lake--something that never could have happened under the lease RSL had with the University of Utah. I'd like to see that happen more in the local sports scene. How's about it, Larry?

It's fun to see the insecurity of the haters--like in the political arena, the truly desperate use the only option available to them: hate.

What a mistake, I will never drive out there.

I watched the game from the comfort of my home in Alabama (we need a team in the South!), and the stadium looked great. The cold weather kept the usually boisterous RSL fan-base quieter than many of the summer games, but the crowd looked good nonetheless. The thing that most impressed me as a television viewer was the field lighting. It was nice and bright and filled shadows fully; great for HD viewing. I also like that somebody finally put designs in their seats (the black and yellow stripes at Columbus Crew Stadium don't count). The yellow/blue RSL logo behind the goal looks awesome. Hopefully it will only ever be seen on TV during the "Welcome to beautiful Sandy, Utah, where Real Salt Lake faces so-and-so" part of the broadcast. Also, I'm sorry my boys from FC Dallas will destroy you next week, because a stadium that pretty doesn't deserve the shame.

RockOn, why the stubborn obsession with not allowing ties? What's fundamentally wrong with a tie? If two teams are more or less equal on a given day, in any sport, why force a victor? It's an injustice to the "losing" team if they are equal to their opponent.

And sorry, the half pitch idea is dumb. How would you mark the field for that?

Open your mind....ties are not evil.

While we are at it....let change the rules in:
Baseball to only 2 strikes and you're out.
Football to 1 touchdown counts for 37 points.
And Basketball to increase the size of the hoop to about 3 feet in diameter.

These suggestions should make the games more exciting right? Should we do it? Um....no, that would be dumb.

Thank you.

It is very ethnocentric of you to suggest, that because North Americans are easily bored, we go and change the rules of the world's game. Soccer does not belong to North America; it's not ours to change.

Congratulations to Dave Checketts and all those others associated with SLC REAL, and the new stadium. I hope this goes well for them. Is it true that soccer is the fastest growing professional sport in the U.S., even exceeding the recent growth rate of NASCAR?

To those who think that REAL will pull out and move away after a few years of losing. Why should they? Utah still loves the Jazz, and they have NEVER made it past Western Conference playoffs.

And what is all this complaining about the tie? Can't the average American comprehend the idea that there does not always have to be a winner and a loser? Come on! Let's expand out mind a little, to ideas that aren't our own.

GeeBee | 4:55 a.m. Oct. 10, 2008
Now I'm going to get a "kick" out of what Sandy will do with an empty stadium in 5 years, when Checketts moves his team to St. Louis due to Utah's boredom with his sub-par team.
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The worst part of this is that when they ARE still here in five years, you won't sack up and admit you were wrong, just like all the people who didn't think they'd last this long don't say it now.

BH have your forgotten (or didn't know) that the Jazz went to the NBA finals TWICE?

Great Match, Great Stadium, Poor result.

For those who do not follow or understand soccer, I know its hard to understand ties and why they exist and why the league does not change this rule. But look at the standings in the league and you can see how important it is to get a point. Especially on the road.
Soccer haters beware, Soccer is growing and growing in the U.S. and you will have years and years to complain. Maybe a more possitive pusuit would be more fulfilling than spending your time obsessed with a sport that you do not have the capacity to understand.