SANDY, Utah — Of all the second-guessing that will come in the wake of Real Salt Lake’s loss to Monterrey, 1-0, in the second leg of the CONCACAF Champions League final, none will resonate more than the “what ifs” about Kyle Beckerman.
The RSL central midfielder and captain was suspended for the match at Rio Tinto Stadium due to yellow card accumulation, and his absence was dearly felt by the home side.
“Kyle’s an extremely important player, not only with how many defensive plays he makes for us but how active he is in our possession,” head coach Jason Kreis said after the match. “I felt like we were missing that little bit of energy probably when we had the ball.”
Entering the match, Kreis spoke often about the need to keep possession. Ned Grabavoy, who started at right midfield in the first leg, replaced Beckerman at holding midfield on Wednesday night, but he struggled to provide the steady central presence that makes Beckerman one of the best at his position in MLS.
“[Grabavoy] did a very admirable job,” Kreis said. “He hasn’t played in that position since last year, so it was a difficult task.”
For Beckerman’s part, he remained optimistic until the final whistle, but watching from the stands was a kind of hell.
“It was no fun, for sure,” Beckerman said. “I definitely wanted to be out there, but there was nothing I could do. And I thought the guys did a great job but just ran out of time.”
