Was Peter Mellor forced out at Real Salt Lake simply because Jason Kreis did not know Major League Soccer rules?

Real Salt Lake has been fined, in excess of $40,000, on four seperate occasions since Jason Kreis was named Head Coach.

1. The Jeff Cassar Incident (more below) - $20,000, Tampering 
2. The white uniforms - $10,000, Failed to get league permission. 
3. Shalrie Joseph - $??,??? Tampering 
4. FC Dallas Reserve Match Cancelation - $10,000, Failed to get league permission 

The Jeff Cassar incident is by far the most bizarre.

According to a source, Jeff Cassar was phoned by Jason Kreis prior to the team’s trip to Dallas recently. Not an unusual event because of the friendship between the two MLS Vets. The telephone call took on a more consequential meaning because of an alleged offer from Jason Kreis to Jeff Cassar for a “future” position as RSL goalkeeper coach.

According to the source there was an apparent misunderstanding between Kreis and Cassar in reference to the position being offered and that the actual “start date was in the future” and not an immediate job offer as was the understanding of Jeff Cassar. The consequences of that phone call led to the dismissal of Peter Mellor.

Cassar notified officials at FC Dallas of the offer and asked to be released from his contract so that he could take the job. Instead of being released he was fired. FC Dallas then notified the league of the infraction by RSL.

I hear you asking; “Why is it a problem for Mellor?”  

Simply put RSL initiated contact with Cassar that was against league tampering rules. Cassar being offered the position, and accepting in good faith, through no fault of his own, was now jobless. Because of that phone call he petitioned the league for a remedy.

The league’s official action was to fine Real Salt Lake $20,000 and has awarded Real Salt Lake’s natural 2009 second round selection to FC Dallas for improper contact with a coach of an opposing team.

The League also fined FC Dallas $5,000 for not adhering to regulations regarding contact with a player of an opposing team.

That is what was made official.

Was part of the remedy to force RSL to honor the alleged job offer and immediately hire Cassar?

RSL tells the league they already have a goalkeeper coach. The league tells RSL tough luck and requires that they hire Cassar and as a result Peter Mellor becomes the odd man out and is let go.

The most frightening part is that RSL has lost more than tens of thousands of dollars which is bad enough...  but they lost a wealth of knowledge. A cache of goalkeeper and coaching experience. They lost Peter Mellor, the veteran goalkeeper coach that has trained the best goalkeepers in the history of United States Soccer. Players like Brad Friedel, Kasey Keller, Tim Howard and Marcus Hahnemann. For what? A simple lack of knowledge of league rules? 

In exchange RSL gets an inexperienced and untried, Jeff Cassar.

Am I the only person that is starting to see a disturbing trend toward mortgaging the future of RSL on baubles and shiny beads?

Where were Kreis' advisors when these decisions were being made? Did he even seek advice? 

Where was RSL's technical director when all of these mistakes were being made?

When contacted for comment Real Salt Lake re-iterated the official MLS statement and offered no further comment.

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