Justen Glad’s emergence has been a rare bright spot for RSL in the latter half of the 2016 season
To absolutely no one’s surprise, Real Salt Lake was held scoreless again last weekend.
In spite of concluding a long international break in which to address the stagnation plaguing the team this fall, RSL settled into its familiar result of a scoreless draw on Sunday afternoon.
That the 0-0 result came against Sporting Kansas City might be a bit of a surprise, however. The slow-burning rivalry between the two teams typically brings out the competitiveness of both sides, and each team viewed a victory as crucial as they each sought to solidify playoff position in the Western Conference.
Within that narrative, there was plenty of physical play and a few controversial moments, but no goals. Both goalkeepers — Nick Rimando and Tim Melia — had some say in that, with each showing moments of individual brilliance; however, scoreless draws between the two teams have been the exception over the years.
The Kansas City result was the latest in a string of disappointing outcomes for RSL, which has virtually collapsed in the last two months, dropping points against non-playoff sides such as Houston and San Jose in recent weeks.
The strain of the last few weeks has become evident, as Real’s once-certain playoff spot has become increasingly elusive. Even Jeff Cassar, who was almost relentlessly positive in the media during last year’s below-standard season, voiced his frustration after the loss in San Jose, bemoaning the fact that none of his players was “stepping up”.
That frustration is perhaps well-founded, as RSL’s playoff hopes now rest on a single match. Next weekend, Real will travel to Seattle to face another side desperate for a result to secure a playoff spot; a win secures the #4 seed, while a draw would force the team to depend on other results for seeding. A loss could still potentially see RSL through if results went their way, but it’s a precarious position.
Sunday’s match wasn’t all doom and gloom, on the other hand. It was a good example of Real playing “up” to an opponent who comes into the Riot and pushes the pace of play. SKC came out dictating the tempo and closing down quickly on defense, forcing RSL to move the ball more efficiently and purposefully. That speed paid off on several occasions, although the final element was lacking.
In addition, Real managed to shut out a Kansas City side that has plenty of scoring threats. Rimando contributed several quality saves, and Justen Glad and Chris Schuler did fairly well as a central back pair despite having little playing time together.
The fact remains, however, that RSL is in a tough position going into the final regular season match of the season. It’s not just the scoring issues or individual mistakes that are troubling at this point — there seems to be a lack of a killer instinct, an ability to definitively get the team over that playoff line on its own initiative.
Unfortunately for Real, no obvious answers seem to be forthcoming.
The overall feeling of blah seems to be both a team-wide problem and an individual problem. No single individual has been able to drag the team out of its malaise — whether it’s tactical limitations, interpersonal issues, injuries, or whatever weighing players down, it just hasn’t happened. And as a team, the quotes in the media seem to indicate that everyone is flummoxed by the current state of things on the pitch.
If the prospect of a must-win match on the last day of the regular season can’t provoke the players and coaches to rise to the occasion on Sunday, well, then…
Real Salt Lake
MLS
