Real Salt Lake continued its slide down the Western Conference table on Sunday night, losing 2-1 in Seattle in a match that seemed all-too-familiar to RSL fans.
Much of the pre-match buzz centered around the Sounders new signing, Nicolas Lodeiro, and his impact on Seattle as the Sounders try to move into playoff position. It turned out to be prescient, as Lodeiro scored a goal and assisted on another, while RSL struggled with transition play yet again.
Early on, Real’s midfield did a good job handling Lodeiro, but the same problems that have plagued the team all summer eventually resurfaced. RSL’s struggles with tracking runners from deep positions continued, as the outnumbered midfield had to contain not only Lodeiro but players like Joevin Jones making deep runs.
It might have been much worse for Real, too. After taking a two-goal lead, the Sounders could have added several more goals were it not for some well-timed tackles from Justen Glad and Jamison Olave; in addition, Clint Dempsey missed a penalty kick that should have put the game away safely for Seattle.
Brad Friedel, calling the game for FS1, consistently criticized RSL for not getting numbers forward and not playing with enough pace — both issues that have followed Real all season.
Part of the problem lies with the way RSL plays the 4-3-3. Theoretically, there should be more numbers up high with three forwards, but it usually doesn’t happen that way in reality.
At least one — if not more — of the strikers will drop deeper, leaving the “center forward” (usually Yura Movsisyan or Olmes Garcia, more recently) the only player in an advanced position. That player is often left without many options, and the ball turns over quickly as a result.
Real can play the 4-3-3 well, when the team plays with urgency, makes the critical runs off the ball, and remains disciplined with the ball. Attaining and maintaining that kind of focus seems to be the biggest stumbling block for RSL this season — it seems as though the game is too often lost mentally before the players step onto the pitch.
Unsurprisingly, RSL’s only goal of the match came in controversial fashion, when Movsisyan got a foot on the ball just as Stefan Frei released it. Referee Kevin Stott let play continue, and Joao Plata eventually found the back of the net after a scramble around the Sounders’ penalty box.
There were other chances, but Real continued to struggle with the final ball — passing at the wrong moment, taking too many touches on the ball, and trying to find a perfect shot that would never materialize. It was another consequence of the slower tempo as the Sounders were able to get numbers back, as opponents have been doing readily against RSL.
Moreover, Demar Phillips and Tony Beltran weren’t able to get involved with the attack often enough. Over the last month, Phillips’ forays up the field have been very effective — his ability to push high and provide much-needed width has been the catalyst for several RSL goals in past matches. This time, though, Seattle’s success with pushing its own outside backs forward prevented Phillips and Beltran from supporting the attack frequently.
If the refrain — opponent has a solid game plan to overwhelm Real with numbers on transition and let RSL pass itself into oblivion — sounds familiar, that’s because it is. It’s been executed quite well by opponents all summer.
And with matches against FC Dallas and Colorado — both of whom sit above RSL in the Western Conference standings — on the horizon, things could get conceivably much more difficult if Jeff Cassar and his players can’t find a way to halt the slide.
Real Salt Lake
MLS
