Should fans be worried about Real Salt Lake? That’s a complicated question.
RSL went undefeated until April 23 — with some notable hiccups along the way — and surprised many around the league. However, Real’s long road trip has started off in less-than-stellar fashion, with RSL losing its last two matches and dropping points against Western Conference competitors.
Sunday’s loss to Houston certainly gave cause for concern, not so much over the result as the way it happened. Real only lost by a single goal, but were held scoreless again and could easily have conceded several more goals to the Dynamo.
Of course, there were some less-than-ideal circumstances surrounding the match, from injuries to key players like Sunny Obayan to the weather conditions that pushed the match back from Saturday night to Sunday afternoon. But both teams had to cope with those issues — the Dynamo were even administering late fitness tests just prior to Sunday’s kickoff.
Ultimately, for as just generally “off” as RSL looked against Colorado last weekend, Real looked sluggish and flat in Houston. The Dynamo came out looking to control the tempo and push the speed of play, a game plan which worked very well against a Real side that likes to maintain possession and move the ball around to work its way into matches.
Houston looked particularly dangerous on the transition. RSL was at its most vulnerable in those moments when possession was lost and the Dynamo moved the ball quickly and decisively — Real’s midfield shape got pulled apart and there was plenty of space for Houston’s attackers to operate.
That’s not to say that RSL was bereft of its own scoring opportunities, though. Real was able to find several chances, but continued to struggle with the final ball or final decision, particularly at the top of the 18. Overall, RSL needed to be quicker at recognizing and anticipating play, making decisions, and executing those decisions as the speed of the match required.
Most worryingly, Real lost a lot of the one-on-one physical battles, being muscled off the ball frequently. Individual players spent an inordinate amount of time on the ground with their legs up in the air, looking around as a Dynamo player ran past with the ball.
RSL was fortunate to escape the first half without having conceded a goal, and with Jeff Cassar’s team typically being better in the second half this season, one would have expected things to improve for Real. However, the pressure kept piling on after halftime, with Houston repeatedly assaulting Jeff Attinella’s goal and RSL seeming to merely react to the Dynamo’s assertiveness rather than anticipating play.
The critical moment of the match — the Dynamo goal — brought RSL’s struggles into sharp focus. Yura Movsisyan had gotten through the Houston defense, but a poor touch forced him into an off-balance shot, which sailed harmlessly over the open net. Houston made RSL pay immediately through its quick transition play, with Giles Barnes running onto a through ball and muscling Tony Beltran off to score the game’s only goal within mere seconds of Movsisyan’s miss.
Obviously, there’s nothing that Real can do about the schedule or lightning storms or any of the context that surrounds each match. However, if the players turn up looking sluggish and unprepared either mentally or tactically, RSL will deservedly struggle to get results. There is no retreating to the Riot to regroup, just the team’s own toughness and ability to adapt, and Real simply needs to do better in that regard.
The other way to look at this road swing — and any subsequent results, good or bad — is that it could be invaluable experience for later in the season. The Western Conference is very tight again this season, and competition will be fierce for playoff positions. Learning how to deal with — and overcome — adversity now should benefit the team when it matters most.
RSL has already answered some difficult questions earlier in the season, when disciplinary issues and red cards led to late-match collapses. Tempers and tackles are better controlled, and Real has tightened up defensively, even as a young Justen Glad becomes a regular starter at center back.
We’ll see how they do with this one.
Real Salt Lake
