We’re up on the hill and the game vs. Saprissa is underway, so we’ll just get straight to the lineups.

Real Salt Lake: GK - Kyle Reynish; DF - Ian Joy, Matias Mantilla, Jamison Olave, Dustin Kirby; MF - Kyle Beckerman, Kenny Cutler, Alex Nimo, Dema Kovalenko; FW - Kenny Deuchar, Robbie Findley

Bench: Nick Rimando, Nat Borchers, Fabian Espindola, Javier Morales, Yura Movsisyan, Chris Wingert, Tino Nunez, Kevin Reiman, Adam Acosta

Deportivo Saprissa: GK - Keylor Navas; DF - Victor Cordero, Gabriel Badilla, Alexander Robinson, Andres Nunez, Bryan Oviedo; MF - Walter Centeno, Manfred Russell, Armando Alonso; FW - Alejandro Alpizar, Ronald Gomez

Bench: Jose Francisco Porras, Yader Balladarez, Ariel Santana, Alonso Solis, Ever Alfaro, Jose Luis Cordero, Jervis Drummond, Jairo Arrieta, Celso Borges, Carlos Chacon, Randall Porras, Michael Barrantes

Much like the Santos game a couple weeks ago, we’ll see a unusual combination of players taking the pitch for RSL tonight. We’ll also surely see a slew of substitutions, so stay tuned for those (they’re always exciting to blog about!)

10th minute: Each team’s had their share of possession in the early going. RSL nearly took the early lead, however, as a free kick off the foot of Dema found Deuchar in the center of the area. The big Scotsman fired on frame, only to see his effort parried away by the Saprissa keeper.

25th minute: It’s been all RSL for the last few minutes, as the boys in red have really put the visitors on their heels for the last 15 minutes. We’ve already seen our first pair of bookings as well, with both Dema and Saprissa’s Bryan Oviedo being booked for similar tackles on one another.

36th minute: Real continues to push hard but has, of yet, been unable to put that final ball in the net. To his credit, the Saprissa keeper has been up to every challenge so far, making several good stops to keep the scoreline level.

Halftime: We’ve reached the break and it’s still knotted up 0-0. The last 10 minutes were fairly exciting as RSL held form and pushed for a tally. Robbie had a great chance off a Dustin Kirby cross from the right flank, but the speedy striker’s header couldn’t quite squeeze in as it ricocheted hard off the right post. Stay tuned for the second half, RSL’s bound to put one in at this rate.

51st minute: They’re off in the second half and we’ve got a handful of substitutions for you. Coming in we’ve got Chris Wingert, Fabian Espindola, Yura Movsisyan, Tino Nunez, Javier Morales, and Nat Borchers, while coming off were Ian Joy, Dema Kovalenko, Kenny Deuchar, Robbie Findley, Alex Nimo, and Jamison Olave. This marks the first time since the May 31st match against San Jose for forward Fabian Espindola and it’s great to see him back on the pitch.

56th minute: Saprissa came out firing to start the second stanza, earning a couple dangerous chances in the first couple minutes. But it’s been all RSL since. Just moments ago a scrum in front of the visitors’ goal saw another Real shot find the post. They just can’t catch a break right now.

58th minute: As soon as we start trumpeting the home side’s dominance, it’s Saprissa that finds net first. Striker Ronald Gomez slots home a nifty ball from midfielder Walter Centeno to give the Costa Rican champs the 1-0 lead.

62nd minute: And against the run of play, we’ve got another Saprissa goal, as midfielder Armando Alonso pounces on a mistake from the RSL backline and slots home to earn a 2-0 lead.

We’ve got another RSL sub as Adam Acosta replaces captain Kyle Beckerman in the midfield.

69th minute: One more RSL substitution as midfielder Kevin Reiman replaces Espindola on the left flank. Don’t worry folks, it’s not an injury concern, he was only slated to play limited minutes as he’s just returning from the long injury layoff.

79th minute: We’ve got to check out for the remainder of the match. We’ll be back as soon as we can to give a rundown of the final minutes (where hopefully RSL can put a few in the net to make this one a result more indicative of the flow of this game!)

Real Salt Lake today announced the acquisition of American midfielder/defender Robbie Russell. Russell joins the team after spending the past eight seasons playing in the top flight leagues in both Norway and Denmark. Not only does Robbie bring great experience (highlighted by a pair of starts for Rosenborg in the 2004 UEFA Champion’s League) but he adds incredible versatility. Capable of playing any spot on the backline and nearly anywhere in the midfield, he should be able to step in and contribute almost immediately.

Russell is a guy that both Jason and Garth have had their eyes on for some time now. He is one of the several “secret” trialists that was with the squad several weeks ago. Much in the mold of new RSL teammates Nat Borchers and Ian Joy, Robbie is an American player who has spent a good portion of his professional career in Europe and returns stateside a seasoned veteran ready to step in from the get-go.

Robbie will arrive in the Salt Lake area tomorrow and should be available for selection in RSL’s next league match, on Monday vs. Toronto FC.

Folks, make sure to tune your radio dial to 700 AM at 4:20 this afternoon as RSL GM Garth Lagerwey will be announcing a major player acquisition when he makes his appearance on the Bill Riley Show. If you’re not near a radio, do not fret, you can also head on over to www.KALL700sports.com and listen live there. We’ll be back shortly after the announcement to give the full recap and provide more details…

We’ve got another great offer from our crack merchandise team. This week’s “Item of the Week” is RSL/adidas Clima Polo (pictured at left) for just $30. The polo will be available for the rest of the week at the RSL main offices (515 south 700 east, suite 2R) or at the Real Sports kiosk in the Valley Fair Mall.

If that’s not enough for you, we’ll have separate offers at both tonight’s match with Saprissa and Monday’s showdown with Toronto FC at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Tonight you’ll be able to pick up a pair of RSL flashing hair bands for $5, while Monday you can grab a new RSL hat for just $20.

It’s time to come on out and show your stuff. RSL and Major League Soccer will partner up to host MLS Futbolito 2008 on Saturday, August 2, at Riverside Park (739 North 1400 West) in Salt Lake City. The event is the League’s official 4-v-4 tournament and is open to players of all ages and abilities.

Registration is available in eight different divisions, Premier Adult, Adult Recreations, and six Youth divisions – U-18, U-16, U-14, U-12, U-10, and U-8. Team rosters can consist of up to seven players (four field players and three substitutes) and each team will play a minimum of three games in round-robin action, with the possibility of advancing to the single-elimination championship playoff. The entrance fee is $150 per team for those competing in the Adult Premier Division and $120 per team for all other participants.

Winners of each division will receive prizes with the first and second place teams in the Premier Division competing for $3,000 in cash prizes. In addition to the games, each registered player will receive a ticket to a Real Salt Lake game, an exclusive adidas MLS Futbolito t-shirt, and the opportunity to win prizes from the event’s presenting sponsors (Panasonic and Sierra Mist) as well as associate sponsors (adidas, Chase, Fox Sports en Español, Glidden, The Home Depot, Volkswagen, and VISA.)

Teams can register online on the MLS Futbolito official website, www.MLSFutbolito.com, or at the Real Salt Lake offices (515 South 700 East, Suite 2R in the Trolley Corners building). The deadline to register teams is July 28. Visit the MLS Futbolito official website or call 1-888-MLS-FUTBOLITO toll-free for more information. The website includes complete lists of all rules and regulations and information regarding the competition dates and locations in both English and Spanish.

After a couple week hiatus, we’ve got The American Soccer Minute back in action. This week Scott Reynolds touches on MLS action and Superliga events in his report on the status of soccer in America. Check it out…

The American Soccer Minute - Week MLS Update

The American Soccer Minute - Superliga Roundup and All-Star Analysis

Stay tuned, we’ve got a handful of posts planned ahead of tonight’s Pioneer Day affair vs. Deportivo Saprissa.

Folks, make sure to tune in tonight for the RSL Coach’s Show on KALL 700 Sports, as Head Coach Jason Kreis will be joining Trey Fitz-Gerald from 6:00-7:00 p.m. MT to give the lowdown on all things RSL. With the team in first place and playing well, now is a perfect time to get Jason’s opinion on his team and its continued ascent up the table. He and Trey will be fielding calls for the majority of the hour and would love to get your input. Pick up your phone and hit them up at 470-0700 (Utah County residents), 570-0700 (Salt Lake County), or 670-0700 (Davis/Weber County), or send a text message to 84706, to get your questions in.

(UPDATE) For those of you unable to call or text the guys while they’re on the air, feel free to send an email to trey@KALL700Sports.com to make yourself heard.

Check it out. We’ve got a trio of great Behind the Shield exclusive deals for you this afternoon. Sorry guys, but this week’s deal is specifically for all of our avid female readers out there. Pictured above are a pair of women’s polos and a white women’s jacket. All three items are %50 off (which makes the jacket $25 and the polos $20 apiece) for anyone who calls our merchandise department at 801.924.8572 and drops a shout out to Behind the Shield. Supplies are limited, so get going…

Got a case of the Mondays already? Well break up your routine by catching RSL defender Tony Beltran on KSL’s Studio 5 program this morning at 11:00 a.m. (rumor has it he’ll be on during one of the first couple of segments). Tony will be stopping by to chat with hosts Darin Adams and Brooke Walker about this week’s big games against Saprissa & Toronto FC, giving tips on soccer drills the family can get into, and undertaking perhaps the biggest challenge of them all - unlocking the mystery of the offside rule! So tune in at 11:00 and get rid of them Monday morning blues with young Mr. Beltran!

After an well played, hard fought 0-0 affair last night in Chicago, the guys are back in the SLC and won’t miss a beat as they get ready for another busy week. The next eight days sees plenty of RSL action, culminating in a little Monday Night Futbol on July 28th when RSL hosts Toronto FC at Rice-Eccles Stadium to defend their spot atop the standings once again. The upcoming schedule is as follows (remember, all practices are open to the public, but we recommend checking in with the RSL Communications hotline at 801.924.8584 to verify details)

Real Salt Lake Schedule: July 21-28, 2008

Monday, July 21: RESERVES ONLY – Training at XanGo Field in Lehi at 10:00 a.m.
Tuesday, July 22: Training at XanGo Field at 10:00 a.m.
Wednesday, July 23: Pioneer Day International Friendly: Real Salt Lake v. Deportivo Saprissa (CRC)

• Rice-Eccles Stadium – 8:00 p.m. MT; followed by post-game fireworks display @ approx. 10:15 p.m.
• TV: None
• Radio: KALL 700 Sports (RSL First Kick at 7:00 p.m.) & Ke Buena 1600-AM

Thursday, July 24: OFF DAY
Friday, July 25: Training at XanGo Field at 10:00 a.m.
Saturday, July 26: Training at XanGo Field at 10:00 a.m.
Sunday, July 27: Training at Rice-Eccles Stadium at 10:00 a.m.
Monday, July 28: Real Salt Lake v. Toronto FC

• Rice-Eccles Stadium – 7:00 p.m. MT
• TV: No local/regional broadcast (available on MLS Direct Kick & MLSLIVE.tv pay-per-view packages)
• Radio: KALL 700 Sports (RSL First Kick at 6:00 p.m.), Ke Buena 1600-AM