There was a lot of excitement in the Real Salt Lake locker room after a 1-0 win over the San Jose Earthquakes last week and now the club is seeking to carry that momentum into another tough road contest on Saturday against Sporting Kansas City.
The team was flying around the field defensively and even while it only resulted in one goal, the possibilities for more are there, leaving RSL hungry for more as it faces one of its most competitive foes in Kansas City.
"We saw what we're capable of and where we can still get better. That kind of gave us a breath of fresh air,” RSL Head Coach Jeff Cassar said. “What I really enjoyed most out of that was that the guys, afterwards, were saying that they had fun. And if they're having fun and working that hard for each other, we're going to have a good year."
RSL’s 2-0-2 start has registered a lift in the team’s confidence, but with the knowledge that there are still improvements to be made on the offensive side - where RSL has six goals through four matches – and a focus on defensive consistency, the team knows it’s not infallible.
"I think overall, collectively, the group is happy that we've gotten these results, but we know it needs to get better if the trend is going to continue,” said defender Tony Beltran.
Added goalkeeper Nick Rimando, "There's confidence. We're a group that's been together for a while and we know we're not there yet, but we're also getting results. Going into this weekend, the training was excellent, the mentality was great and the focus is where it needs to be."
Now against a Kansas City team that is 2-1-2 through five matches and coming off of a dramatic comeback victory over the Philadelphia Union that saw SKC score twice in stoppage time to escape with a 3-2 win on Sunday, RSL is ready for yet another fierce battle at Sporting Park. But with the high-energy crowds at Portland and San Jose, where RSL earned shutouts in the club’s only road matches of the season, the confidence in the team’s defensive effort persists.
"San Jose was intense and heated. It's going to be the same. I really like that we've had two shutouts on the road. We're going to have to continue that mentality. And I think in the San Jose game we showed what we're capable of when we do play great defense, it can lead to a lot of offensive chances,” Cassar said. "We have to make sure, just like we did in San Jose, that we don't just match their intensity, but try to beat that. Then take control of the game with possession."
Kickoff in Saturday’s match is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. MT with television coverage on KMYU.
