Real Salt Lake return to MLS action following a 21-day break when they travel to face the Chicago Fire Saturday (8 pm ET | MLS LIVE on ESPN+ in US, on DAZN in Canada) at SeatGeek Stadium.
The time between games allowed the team to reflect on the season to this point and figure out what’s needed going ahead to book a spot in the 2019 MLS Cup Playoffs.
The internal focus, even on match weeks, is something RSL coach Mike Petke thinks his team need to do more of going forward.
“We do a lot of research into teams we play and I’m starting to think that maybe we do a little too much on how they’re going to play and what to expect from them and how we can adapt to them,” he told reporters after training Wednesday. “We want to try to start making teams adapt to us as much as possible.”
As for what needs to be improved, Petke identified the club’s high press, which has forced teams to switch the point of attack, but hasn’t resulted in the turnovers needed to create scoring chances.
“We’ve done a better job at our movement to deny anything through, but we never really find ourselves in great opportunities to force a mistake or win a ball as teams build out,” Petke said. “We do well with denying a lot of the times, but it’s very much back and forth across the field that we’re shifting.”
Through 15 games, RSL are just above the playoff line in the Western Conference standings, although they are even on points with the San Jose Earthquakes and just one point in front of the Vancouver Whitecaps, who have a game in hand.
As was the case a year ago, there’s a tangible difference in the club’s form at Rio Tinto Stadium and on the road, where RSL has just two wins out of nine.
“I just think it’s very, very difficult when we go away and we don’t have a rhythm or we lose rhythm,” said Bofo Saucedo, who spent part of the break training with the US U-23 team. “I just think if we find that little click as a team, we’re going to be fine. We just need to go into every game and realize we need to either get a point or three points — nothing less than that. We’re at a great spot now. The team is coming back together and everyone is energized to get back into it, so I think this weekend should start with three points.”
Petke said a lot of the mistakes made in the first half of the season have been self-inflicted. That’s especially been the case in recent road losses to the Montreal Impact and New York Red Bulls.
“I think at times earlier in the season it felt like we were a bit harder to beat. But in recent weeks we’ve probably been opened up a bit too easily, not defended well individually and collectively,” center back Nedum Onuoha said. “These are things we can’t have now. Obviously it doesn’t guarantee the fact you’ll get a result, but its the bare minimum you should expect when you go and play away from home.”
For midfielder Damir Kreilach, playing on the road should be less about the beautiful game than doing what’s necessary to get critical points. That starts Saturday against the Fire.
“For sure we have to play [for] results,” Kreilach said. “To be honest, I don’t care how we play because in two weeks no one will remember how we played because everyone wants to get the points. In this part of the season, the most important thing is to keep the playoff spot.”
