This whole Soccer Sunday thing seems to be working out pretty well for Real Salt Lake so far.
Playing its second consecutive nationally-televised Sunday match last weekend, RSL also earned its second victory in as many weeks. This time, it was a much less dramatic affair, with the team scoring only one goal, but the 1-0 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes was Real’s best performance so far this season.
RSL’s coaches and players largely agreed, even deeming it the most “fun” they’ve had this season. Case in point:
Jeff Cassar:
“I thought it was probably our best performance all year. The commitment from the guys on the defensive end was off the charts.”
Javier Morales:
“Today, in my opinion, was the best game that the group played together.”
Kyle Beckerman:
“Today, I think we had the most fun we’ve had in a game since the start of the season. It was great to see.”
What seemed to work particularly well for RSL? Here are a few high points:
- Pace and tempo: Real is starting to look more comfortable in the 4-3-3, and movement is coming more naturally. We’re seeing less of the passing-around-just-for-passing’s-sake, and more intentional and directed movement both on and off the ball. If RSL can sustain it, fitness at altitude could become a decisive factor this season.
- Ability to get the ball forward quickly: This goes along with the tempo, and Taylor Twellman did a nice job of breaking it down on the ESPN2 broadcast. If Real can get the ball in dangerous spots within two or three passes, players are finding space where there was none under the old system. Defenses simply don’t have time to pull eight or nine players behind the ball when RSL moves quickly with a decisive diagonal ball.
- Team defensive effort: This was a consistent theme in the post-match interviews as well — everyone was committed to tracking the ball and making tackles, from the strikers to the back four. It worked pretty well, apparently, since Chris Wondolowski wasn’t much of a factor.
- THAT GOAL THOUGH. Javier Morales has been having somewhat of a renaissance so far in 2015, and his game-winning volley was a testament to that.
In case you missed it / Photo: John Hefti
