RSL: Temper flares at practice

[T.K.]

<SPAN id=siteCss><SPAN id=Article><TABLE width="100%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><SPAN class=articleTitle>RSL: Temper flares at practice</SPAN>
<SPAN class=articleSubTitle>Cunningham's tirade: Apparently set off by a comment at a team meeting, he storms off the field early</SPAN>
<SPAN class=articleByline><TABLE width="100%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=articleByline><SPAN class=articleByline>By Chhun Sun
The Salt Lake Tribune</SPAN></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
</SPAN></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=articleBody width="100%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle colSpan=3></TD></TR><TR><TD class=articleBody align=left colSpan=3><TABLE class=articleImageBox cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 rules=none width=120 align=right border=0 hspace="3" vspace="3"><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3></TD></TR><TR><TD> </TD><TD> </TD><TD> </TD></TR><TR><TD> </TD><TD class=articleImageCaption>Jeff Cunningham </TD><TD> </TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=3></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

OREM - It appears a playoff spot isn't the only thing Real Salt Lake is losing its grip on this week.


Jeff Cunningham, arguably the team's best player and Major League Soccer's leading scorer, left Monday's practice at Lakeside Park early, looking upset and uttering expletives on his way to his car.


The episode comes two days after a 1-0 loss to Colorado - Cunningham's former team - resulted in a postgame confrontation between RSL owner Dave Checketts and Rapids captain Pablo Mastroeni. The World Cup star taunted RSL fans with obscene gestures and the Rocky Mountain Cup - given to the winner of the season series. Colorado leads RSL by three points in the race for the Western Conference's final playoff spot.


Tuesday's incident started when assistant coach Peter Mellor called a team meeting about 15 minutes before practice ended and was overheard talking about RSL's current playoff push.


The huddle grew quiet, though clearly someone said something that upset Cunningham, who took off his orange practice jersey and threw it to the ground. Teammates urged him to stay, but Cunningham continued to walk away, saying, "I [expletive] don't pass the ball."


A married couple watching the practice with their 2-year-old daughter confirmed the tirade, but the team dismissed Cunningham's actions, saying he left to go back to the team locker room at Rice-Eccles Stadium for treatment.


"There's nothing to talk about," Mellor said when asked about the incident.


"It was a team meeting and that happens" forward Chris Klein said before reiterating that Cunningham left early to see team trainers.


It's the latest in a series of run-ins for Cunningham, who has scored 15 goals and has nine assists in 26 <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 ali

[Karl]

RE: RSL: Temper flares at practice

I wonder if that had anything with others thinking as i thought that Jeff played well within himself in the last match.

I though Jeff was coasting. Turning "it" on now and againthrough-out the game. I thought he was not giving a sustained full effort.

Aside:

I tuned into the match hoping to see Andy's team - my clear bias - move further along towards the play-offs.

[T.K.]

RE: RSL: Temper flares at practice

Karl inall honesty Jeff Cunningham has single handedly carried that team all season. In this case the assistant coach needs to **** off. Jeff has 15 goals and 9 assists. What more do you want one forward to do? Instead of talking bs the coaches should be doing their best campaign job in trying to get Jeff MVP of the league. As great a season as he has had he is up against some stellar competition in Gomez and De Rosario as well as Razov who is having a great year.

On the other side Jeff is a grown man and should not be acting like a spoilt child. If the assistant coach gives some criticsm just take it with a grain of salt and move on. No need to start with all the histrionics and nonsense. Act like you have some damn sense. - T.K.

[Karl]

RE: RSL: Temper flares at practice

T.K. (9/6/2006)Karl inall honesty Jeff Cunningham has single handedly carried that team all season. In this case the assistant coach needs to **** off. Jeff has 15 goals and 9 assists. What more do you want one forward to do? Instead of talking bs the coaches should be doing their best campaign job in trying to get Jeff MVP of the league. As great a season as he has had he is up against some stellar competition in Gomez and De Rosario as well as Razov who is having a great year.

On the other side Jeff is a grown man and should not be acting like a spoilt child. If the assistant coach gives some criticsm just take it with a grain of salt and move on. No need to start with all the histrionics and nonsense. Act like you have some damn sense. - T.K.

Football is a man's game and judgement on input is game to game. Jeff could have scored a million goals in previous games...and, it all means nothing if in the decisive game he fails.

Fortunately, as in life and the business world - Football is a business! Right? - it is, "what have you done for me lately"! Tough? Maybe! ...but, that is the way it is!