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Sandy • The soccer community has gone round and round the past few months about whether Real Salt Lake should retire the No. 9 jersey once worn by Jason Kreis, both because that's unorthodox within the sport and because the former striker has accomplished far more as the team's coach than as a player at the end of his career.
But it's time to get over it.
This is happening, people.
Team officials will hold a special ceremony after RSL plays the New England Revolution at Rio Tinto Stadium on Monday night to honor the man who rebuilt the team into one of the model franchises in Major League Soccer and delivered the first pro sports championship to Utah in nearly 40 years.
"Obviously, it's a huge honor and something I'm incredibly grateful for," Kreis said, "but we have a big game. My focus and attention is going to be completely on the game. Hopefully get a positive result and then afterward get some fun."
RSL has beaten the Revs by a combined 11-0 at home the past two seasons and would love to use another dominating victory to set the stage for the big ceremony and the Independence Day fireworks to follow.
Owners Dave Checketts and Dell Loy Hansen announced in March that they would defy soccer convention by retiring the No. 9 jersey, because Kreis has meant so much to the organization. He was its first player, retired as the all-time MLS scoring leader — his career total of 108 has since been eclipsed — and led the team to the 2009 MLS Cup championship.
"In my mind, no one at RSL should ever wear No. 9 again," Checketts said.
Known for his calm and precise — some might say persnickety — demeanor, as well as his stylish wardrobe and mottoes such as "fortune favors the bold" and "the team is the star," Kreis has often said he felt like a coach from the moment he retired as a player to replace original coach John Ellinger, despite the difficult circumstances.
It happened early in the 2007 season, and Kreis had no previous coaching experience and no general manager from whom to seek advice. It wasn't until later that the team hired Garth Lagerwey, a former teammate of Kreis.
"I was thrown into it in such a fashion, I don't think I really had time to transition from one to the next," Kreis said. "When you're making a decision about someone's life two days after you take the job, you realize pretty quickly this is for real.
"A lot of that comes from the empowerment that Dave [Checketts] gave me, the responsibility that was thrust upon me right away, not having a GM at the same time, and also the way the players treated me," he added. "Those very first players that were there when I took over treated me with a tremendous amount of respect and never treated me as anything other than their head coach."
Immediately, Kreis began turning around what had been a miserable team.
He remade the roster, led the team into the playoffs for the first time in 2008 before its title run the following season, and nearly won the Supporters Shield regular-season championship last year with a 15-4-11 record — best in team history.
The club also reached the finals of the prestigious CONCACAF Champions League this year, before losing to Monterrey of Mexico.
"Not only is he one of the best young coaches in MLS, he's one of the best — period," Checketts said. "We are thrilled not just for what he has done to revive, solidify and inspire the RSL family, but to have him continue to blaze new trails for the sport in our community for a very long time."
Jason Kreis file
• Became the first player in Real Salt Lake history, arriving in a November 2004 trade with FC Dallas as a former league MVP.
• Scored 17 of his 108 career goals for RSL, and was the first MLS player to reach 100 goals in his career.
• Led RSL to 2009 MLS Cup title and has 62-53-40 career coaching record in all competitions. —
Real Salt Lake vs. New England
P At Rio Tinto Stadium, Sandy
Kickoff • 6:30 p.m.
TV • ESPN2
Radio • 700 AM, 1600 AM, 106.1 FM
Records • RSL 7-3-5, New England 3-8-6
All-Time Series • RSL leads, 6-4-3
Last Meeting • RSL 2, New England 0 (April 9)
About RSL • Back on a four-game unbeaten streak, it's 2-1-3 since a rare home loss to Seattle on May 28. … Forward Fabian Espindola leads the team with four goals, but he is questionable with a hamstring injury. ... Forward Alvaro Saborio is coming off a two-goal performance in a 3-1 win over Toronto last weekend. … It still leads the league by having allowed just nine goals — a pace that would nearly equal its league record of just 20 conceded last season.
About the Revs • Riding a seven-game winless streak, they have taken only two points since May 14 and scored only four goals while going 0-5-2. … Midfielder Shalrie Joseph leads the team with four goals, but they have scored a league-low 13 altogether. … They're 0-6-2 on the road. … Midfielder Benny Feilhaber has returned to the lineup after missing a month — and in the process, the Gold Cup — with a sprained ankle. … Goalkeeper Matt Reis has a 1.07 goals-against average.