Real Salt Lake has just one goal in the last three matches and hasn’t scored in 226 minutes.
However, Technical Director Craig Waibel says it’s far from time to start panicking about RSL’s offensive woes this month.
“I’m in no way at this point concerned about where we’re going. I think everything is starting to take shape,” Waibel said on The Bill & OC Show on Monday. “We need our wingers to get a little more dangerous to goal. But that’s part of the process of really digging into this formation, making them more comfortable and them recognizing the moment.”
A big reason Waibel isn’t more alarmed is because RSL is creating scoring chances. Against San Jose, one chance was cleared off the line by Victor Bernardez. Then against Vancouver, the opportunities were plentiful as Alvaro Saborio missed a breakaway chance and a header from close range, then several more chances either narrowly missed or were saved by David Ousted.
Because of that, it becomes more a question of sharpening up the final third than rethinking the approach altogether.
“It’s one thing if you’re not creating chances, it’s another thing if you’re not finishing them. If we picked up two of the five chances we created the other night, we’re sitting on eight goals and maybe we’re not as concerned,” Waibel said. “It’s always concerning to me when you’re not finishing. Every team goes through it. At some point in the season, this conversation happens in every locker room. Unfortunately for us, in the run of play, we’re having the conversation early in the year. I think we’re dangerous and it’s a different type of dangerous then has been known out of the diamond. The chances were there, we just didn’t take them. The focus becomes finishing those chances rather than worrying about not creating them. I’d rather be in the camp we’re in than the one that’s not creating chances.”
The task won’t get any easier on Saturday against the New England Revolution. The defending Eastern Conference champions haven’t allowed a goal from the run of play since March 15 – a span of 456 minutes.
To hear Waibel’s full interview, click here.
