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Positives and negatives as RSL plays to a scoreless draw
Salt Lake still trying to settle in to life without star midfielder Javier Morales.
May 15, 2011 1:13:00 AM
By Jeremy Horton
George Frey
SANDY, Utah -- It may have been just another average Saturday night soccer game at Rio Tinto Stadium, but in some ways this match against the Houston Dynamo was very much a new chapter in the saga of Real Salt Lake's 2011 MLS campaign. Specifically, this was everyone's first chance to see how the team would fare without Javier Morales. As expected, the potent attack wasn't quite as potent as usual, but there were some positives as well.
"Everyone feels good. We're fine," said goalkeeper Nick Rimando. "We got a point at home - obviously we want to get three."
"I still think we need to answer some questions about who's going to create chances," said head coach Jason Kreis. "Can other guys get involved and be more precise in the attacking third?"
Mind you, it's not like Salt Lake was lighting up the scoreboard even prior to Morales' injury. But not having him certainly didn't solve the problem. Real only managed a single shot on goal, despite spending most of the night in Houston's end.
"We were a little off in the final third," said midfielder Collen Warner, the man handed the unenviable task of trying to replace Morales. "A lot of our passes went astray when we got to the crucial moment when we needed a good pass."
It seemed like RSL's night turned into a horrible rerun of episodes of promising attacks, but where the last touch, or the last run, was off by inches.
"It's frustrating because a couple of those were so close," said defender Nat Borchers. "We're chomping at the bit to get goals and we've just got to keep fighting."
But Real fans would be wise to remain patient as the team seeks to find its legs again. Kreis admitted that rediscovering the offense would be a process. But in the meantime, fans can rest assured that the league's best defense is still intact, and will continue to win points even while the offense struggles. Tonight's clean sheet was Salt Lake's fifth in seven MLS matches, and the club has allowed only two goals all season. That works out to a ridiculously low 0.29 goals allowed per 90 minutes played.
"I think it's very important that we hold it down," said Borchers.
"It's always good when we get a clean sheet," said Rimando. "It's the effort that the guys are putting in. We're battling and doing the right things defensively. But it's that last pass or that last shot that's killing us."
RSL will have its next chance to right the offensive ship next Sunday when it heads to Frisco to take on an FC Dallas team that is in a similar situation to Real in terms of injuries.
"We have to do better in the final third [in Dallas]," said Warner. "Just being on the same page and getting everybody together with our movements. I don't think we created enough chances."
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"Everyone feels good. We're fine," said goalkeeper Nick Rimando. "We got a point at home - obviously we want to get three."
"I still think we need to answer some questions about who's going to create chances," said head coach Jason Kreis. "Can other guys get involved and be more precise in the attacking third?"
Mind you, it's not like Salt Lake was lighting up the scoreboard even prior to Morales' injury. But not having him certainly didn't solve the problem. Real only managed a single shot on goal, despite spending most of the night in Houston's end.
"We were a little off in the final third," said midfielder Collen Warner, the man handed the unenviable task of trying to replace Morales. "A lot of our passes went astray when we got to the crucial moment when we needed a good pass."
It seemed like RSL's night turned into a horrible rerun of episodes of promising attacks, but where the last touch, or the last run, was off by inches.
"It's frustrating because a couple of those were so close," said defender Nat Borchers. "We're chomping at the bit to get goals and we've just got to keep fighting."
But Real fans would be wise to remain patient as the team seeks to find its legs again. Kreis admitted that rediscovering the offense would be a process. But in the meantime, fans can rest assured that the league's best defense is still intact, and will continue to win points even while the offense struggles. Tonight's clean sheet was Salt Lake's fifth in seven MLS matches, and the club has allowed only two goals all season. That works out to a ridiculously low 0.29 goals allowed per 90 minutes played.
"I think it's very important that we hold it down," said Borchers.
"It's always good when we get a clean sheet," said Rimando. "It's the effort that the guys are putting in. We're battling and doing the right things defensively. But it's that last pass or that last shot that's killing us."
RSL will have its next chance to right the offensive ship next Sunday when it heads to Frisco to take on an FC Dallas team that is in a similar situation to Real in terms of injuries.
"We have to do better in the final third [in Dallas]," said Warner. "Just being on the same page and getting everybody together with our movements. I don't think we created enough chances."
Keep updated with Major League Soccer by visiting Goal.com's MLS page and joining Goal.com's
page.
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