Kreis, Real one step from 'long-term' plan

Soccer Betting Lines

11/17/2009 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jason Kreis ended his storied MLS career early in the 2007 season, and traded his jersey for a suit at Real Salt Lake, where he immediately made radical changes as part of his "long-term plans."

Kreis retired as the all-time leading scorer in MLS, so his credentials as a player were obvious, but when he became the youngest active coach in MLS, it raised a lot of doubt about whether struggling Real made the right choice.

RSL was winless in its first 11 matches that season, leading to the switch to Kreis four matches into the streak. He immediately he waved the white flag, trading 2006 goal-scoring leader Jeff Cunningham - who led MLS in goals this year with FC Dallas - and four-time All-Star Chris Klein.

Obviously, Real wasn't winning with that veteran duo, so it couldn't get much worse without them. Kreis was focused on the bigger picture, and the dream of winning the MLS Cup final.

Kreis started stockpiling young talent - some that is long gone and some that remains as the nucleus of this season's squad - including Robbie Findley, who led the club with 12 goals this season.

In the time since those initial moves, RSL's roster has continued to evolve under Kreis, and goalkeepers Nick Rimando and Chris Seitz and midfielder Andy Williams are the lone holdovers from the pre-Kreis era.

Kreis continually added more talent through trades - including Kyle Beckerman, Will Johnson, Clint Mathis, Yura Movsisyan and Chris Wingert - and explored in South America to find playmaking midfielder Javier Morales in Argentina.

Real advanced to the playoffs last season, and lost in the Western Conference final, getting a taste of the playoffs that accelerated the learning curve in Kreis' plans.

On Saturday, Kreis - who continued to tinker with the roster this year - took another leap forward toward his long-term goal, although he likely didn't envision the Eastern Conference championship as the path to the team's first MLS Cup final.

Real, which sneaked into the playoffs as the unofficial eighth seed, defeated the defending MLS Cup champion Columbus Crew in the opening round. RSL won at home 1-0 in the first game and finished off the series with a 3-2 win at Crew Stadium, a rarity for a squad that was 2-11-2 on the road during the regular season.

RSL followed up that win by defeating the Chicago Fire on the road last week, breaking a 0-0 draw by winning on penalty kicks, 5-4, when Rimando made three saves to lead his boss to the MLS Cup final for the first time as a player or coach.

"After 11 years playing and three years coaching, it's my first opportunity," said Kreis, who has been a player or coach in MLS since the league started in 1996. "I feel awesome, I feel fantastic.

"It's truly a special night, a special moment for this club and for everyone involved."

Kreis was definitely more "involved" than anyone, and deserves credit for all Real has accomplished since he accepted a daunting challenge to turn around a club that only knew how to lose.

RSL had just 15 wins in two-plus seasons in the league before Kreis took the reins, and has won 27 combined regular-season matches under the new boss and made two straight trips to the playoffs in his two full seasons in charge.

"I feel rewarded for all the hard work that's been put in," Kreis said.

Real's journey continues Sunday night at Qwest Field in Seattle in the final, where the Los Angeles Galaxy seek their first title since 2005, when they won as the unofficial eighth seed. A title for the Galaxy would be their third overall title and first in the David Beckham era.

Meanwhile, Kreis and Real will try to take one last, longest step for Kreis to fulfill their long-term plan.

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Police report: Terrell Owens hospitalized after attempt

Terrell Owens will address the media at a 3:15 p.m. ET news conference outside the Cowboys' practice facility after an internal police report indicated he tried to kill himself by overdosing on prescription pain medication, even putting two more pills into his mouth after a friend intervened.

The Dallas police report said Owens was asked by rescue workers "if he was attempting to harm himself, at which time [he] stated, 'Yes.'"

Owens left the hospital late Wednesday morning, giving reporters a "thumbs up" but making no comment as he was driven away in an SUV.

Michael Irvin said that Owens denied he attempted suicide and said he was rushed to the hospital as a result of an adverse reaction to medication. And a source close to Owens told Michael A. Smith that Owens wasn't attempting suicide.

NFL Network analyst Deion Sanders said he spoke with Owens shortly before his release from the hospital and that Owens was in good spirits.

"The fact that it has been reported a suicide attempt, he's laughed at that notion. It was a case that medication that was taken wasn't accepted well in his system with the other vitamins he's on," Sanders said.

The series of events began a little before 8 p.m. Tuesday.

Owens' publicist, Kim Etheredge, said she was at Owens' home when he took pain medicine for his broken right hand. Concerned by how he began acting, Etheredge said in various interviews Wednesday with Dallas-area media that she called 911. Owens was taken to a hospital, with Etheredge saying it was an allergic reaction to the medicine.

But early Wednesday, several media outlets received a police report -- that had yet to be released by the authorities -- saying Owens had attempted suicide by overdosing on the painkillers, even putting two more pills into his mouth after an unidentified friend intervened.

The police document, first reported by WFAA-TV, said Owens was asked by rescue workers "if he was attempting to harm himself, at which time [he] stated, 'Yes.'"

When officially released by police, about half the document was blacked out, including the phrases "attempting suicide by prescription pain medication" and "a drug overdose," as well as the details of Owens having two pills pried from his mouth and Owens saying "Yes" when asked if he intended to harm himself.

Etheredge, who said she was the friend cited in the police document, told Dallas-area media Wednesday that the police got the story wrong.

The tape of the 911 call could help clear things up. The Associated Press filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act to get its contents, but fire department officials said it would not be available before late Wednesday.

The police report said the 32-year-old Owens told his friend "that he was depressed." Details of the police report were first reported by WFAA-TV.

The friend, who is not identified in the report, "noticed that [his] prescription pain medication was empty and observed [Owens] putting two pills in his mouth," the police report said.

Using her fingers, the friend attempted to pry them out of Owens' mouth. Owens told police he had taken only five of the 40 pain pills in the bottle he'd emptied before the incident.

Etheredge told the Star-Telegram that Owens was "fine."

Etheredge said she called 911 because Owens was groggy and lethargic. After taking some supplements "it kicked in a reaction" with the painkillers, she told the Star-Telegram.

"Here's a person whose body is so clean, it really had a negative reaction to the medication and supplements he was taking," Etheridge told The Morning News. "Thank goodness someone was there to call an ambulance."

Police Lt. Rick Watson said he could only confirm that paramedics called police to say they were taking Owens to the hospital. He said no more details would come from the police because no laws were broken.

It is not a crime in Texas for a person to attempt suicide.

"This is a high-profile person. We looked into it and we determined it is not a criminal offense," Watson said. "This a medical type of situation that occurred."

Watson and fire department spokesman Joel Lavender cited privacy laws for the lack of information they could provide. Lavender said more details could come from the 911 call. The Associated Press filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act to get the contents of the call.

"Let's just look at the tape, review the tape," Lavender said. "I'll give you an honest answer once I know something."

At the police news conference, Watson released a version of the police narrative with certain sections blacked out. The full report was obtained by several news outlets and reported first by WFAA. The AP received the full version from WFAA.

According to the police report, Dallas Fire and Rescue was called regarding someone "attempting suicide by prescription pain medication." Officers arrived to find Owens being stabilized by ambulance workers, who then took him to Baylor University Medical Center.

Owens was hospitalized late Tuesday because of what his publicist said was an allergic reaction to pain medicine he was taking for a broken hand. Doctors reportedly tried to induce vomiting.

Owens, one of the league's top receivers during his 11-year NFL career, is best known for wild stunts on the field and other publicity-seeking antics off it.

When the Cowboys signed him to a $25 million, three-year deal in March, they said their background checks indicated no red flags. In fact, team consultant Calvin Hill -- who mostly deals with troubled players -- said during training camp that his department was not involved with Owens because he didn't have a history of those kinds of problems.

He missed most of training camp, and three of four preseason games, because of a hamstring injury. He was late for work during his recovery and was fined for it, but Owens laughed it off, saying he overslept. He said it had happened before, though not with Dallas, and would probably happen again.

Owens broke the bone leading to his right ring finger during a game a week ago Sunday. The next day, doctors screwed in a plate so the bone could heal without fear of further damage. Cowboys coach Bill Parcells said last week that the pain medicine made Owens ill.

Owens had not practiced since the injury, but because Dallas had a bye this past weekend he did not miss a game. He was expected to practice Wednesday, and Parcells had said there was a chance Owens could play Sunday against Tennessee.

Owens had been especially looking forward to the Cowboys' game after that -- Oct. 8, in Philadelphia, against the team that dumped him midway through last season only months after he helped them nearly win the Super Bowl.

Owens was seen laughing and joking on the practice field Tuesday morning. He chatted briefly with reporters in the locker room in the afternoon and seemed fine. A 2-inch scar on the top of his hand was puffy but not wrapped, and he said the swelling was doing down.

While in the locker room, he took a pill from a white paper bag and looked at another medicine bottle that was in the bag. He also called a business partner about a towel-wrap venture they're starting and joked to TV cameras that he wasn't talking until Wednesday and it was only Tuesday.

"My little boy knows better than that," he said, laughing, as he plopped onto a sofa in the middle of the locker room.

Also Tuesday, Owens was involved in launching a national campaign for the National Alliance to End Abuse, an organization aimed at helping at-risk youngsters. He appeared at a high school Tuesday morning and was scheduled to visit others but had to cancel because of changes in the team's practice schedule.

Owens has played two games for the Cowboys, catching nine passes for 99 yards and a touchdown. For updated football betting lines and Dallas Cowboy Superbowl odds visit online sportsbook MySportsbook.com

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