SANDY, Utah – Real Salt Lake’s defensive width has been tested this season, and that’s not likely to change against FC Dallas on Wednesday (6:30 pm MT, watch on MLS LIVE and CW30).
Of the eight goals RSL have surrendered this season, six of them have come from either a cross into the box or a corner kick, including five off headers.
The problem isn’t necessarily defending the aerial plays within the box – that’s something the squad typically does well – but instead, getting the proper pressure on the ball in wide positions.
So how do FC Dallas figure into this equation?
“Without [injured forward David] Ferreira, they’ve become even more of a counterattacking team, and they’re very good at it,” head coach Jason Kreis told local ESPN700 Sports Radio.
“They have Brek Shea on one side and [Fabián] Castillo on the other side, who are both extremely fast and technical players who love to go one-on-one with wide defenders.”
So when it comes to defending against FCD, there are no secrets about where the focus lies.
“They are going to be the guys that we’re going to have to be paying particular attention to,” Kreis added.
