Real Salt Lake is regrouping in Vancouver after a 1-0 defeat to the LA Galaxy on Wednesday that saw RSL allow a seventh-minute penalty that proved to be the difference in the game.
Between penalties and set piece goals, Real Salt Lake has had some regrettable moments in recent matches that, in some cases, have kept the team from finding the consistency it has been seeking all season. Cleaning up those things defensively and getting more from their possession in the offensive half, Head Coach Jeff Cassar said, will make a huge difference for the club.
“I think it’s a combination of a lot of things. We have to be more disciplined. We’ve been given up PKs in games. We’ve given up a few set play goals. Those are things that can change a game without them earning them. We have to get better in those areas. We also need to be sharper in the final third – whether that’s the final ball or the shot,” Cassar said in his weekly interview on The Bill & OC Show on ESPN 700.
Part of finding the net with more consistency on the offensive end will likely come with the increased playing time from Javier Morales, Sebastian Jaime and Joao Plata. Morales and Plata both appeared off the bench against the Galaxy and last Saturday in a 2-0 win over New York City FC while Jaime was available off the bench for the first time since the third game of the season.
While it’s easy to get excited about the possibility of putting them all back on the field together, Cassar is being cautious with his expectations.
“It’s a fantastic thing (that they are all available), but it’s a fine line between 100 percent being able to play and being able to play at 100 percent,” he explained. “Just because you’re able to play doesn’t mean you’re at 100 percent of what you should be doing or that you can do it for 90 minutes.”
Real Salt Lake meets Vancouver Whitecaps FC for the second time this season on Saturday at 4 p.m. MT with television coverage beginning at 3:30 on KMYU. To hear the full interview with Cassar, click here.
