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Sandy • Turning point? Mike Petke isn't sold. Not yet.
Real Salt Lake has been in this similar position in recent months, coming off an impressive result at home with all the momentum desired to continue to build off a home win and translate that on the road. But RSL has followed up some solid wins at Rio Tinto Stadium with some absolute doozies on the road lately.
Which circles back to Petke not quite being sold on a potential turning point of the year following RSL's 1-0 win over Minnesota United last weekend. He had that feeling after the 3-0 win over Vancouver in a blizzard in April and again the following weekend on the road at rival Colorado Rapids.
And again after beating New York City FC.
Ditto for topping the Philadelphia Union.
The good feelings were fleeting, though.
RSL (5-10-2, 17 points) enters this weekend's road match against the San Jose Earthquakes (5-6-5, 20 points) riding a five-game road losing streak in which it has been outscored an astonishing 19-3. Petke is looking at this game against San Jose, currently in the playoff picture and three points ahead of RSL, as a chance for his team to prove it is improving.
"Life's about opportunities," he said this week. "We find ourselves three points out of the playoffs right now. That's amazing. And we're playing a team that's three points ahead of us in playoff position, so it's a six-point game. The opportunities are there looking at us in the face. You have the capitalize on them."
Veteran defender Tony Beltran said the team convened to celebrate the much-needed three points following the win over Minnesota last weekend at Rio Tinto Stadium.
"But one result means nothing," Beltran said. "We need more, we want more, so now we've got to string it together."
Life on the road this year has a been a series of blowout losses. RSL is 1-7-1 on the road. RSL was embarrassed in back-to-back matches in Houston (5-1) and Dallas (6-2) the last time it played away from Utah. Petke said "the road is more mental than it is tactical."
"That's something that I've been preaching to these guys for a long time," he said. 'Tactics are on the coaching, and we stand behind a lot, what we put out as a game plan. The rest of it, I can't make someone be mentally strong. I can't make somebody run faster or work harder. That comes down to them."
How will this trip to the Bay Area be different?
For starters, RSL is considerably less beat up and undermanned than it was during the two-game Texas road trip. The back line has been leaking goals on the road this year, but that could change with the return of Justen Glad. The 20-year-old center back started his first game of the season in last weekend's win after missing the first four months of the year due to a knee injury.
RSL, however, will be without captain Kyle Beckerman, who is set to miss the San Jose match due to a yellow card accumulation suspension. Petke and RSL tried to appeal the yellow card Beckerman was shown against Minnesota. Without Beckerman and likely fellow defensive midfielder Sunday Stephen (calf), Petke and his staff will have to get creative in the defensive half of the midfield.
Twitter: @chriskamrani —
Real Salt Lake at San Jose Earthquakes
At Avaya Stadium, San Jose, Calif.
Kickoff • 8:15 p.m. Saturday
TV • KMYU
Radio • 700 AM
Records • RSL 5-10-2, San Jose 5-6-5
Last meeting • San Jose won 2-1 (Oct. 1, 2016 at Avaya Stadium)
About RSL • Kyle Beckerman (yellow card suspension) will miss the match at San Jose. … Midfielder Sunday Stephen (calf) is doubtful. … Defender Demar Phillips (hamstring) is out and expected back next week. … Yura Movsisyan scored his team-leading fifth goal of the year in the 1-0 win over Minnesota United last weekend. … The club has allowed 19 goals during RSL's five-game road losing streak.
About San Jose • Earthquakes star Chris Wondolowski leads the team in goals (6) and assists (5) this season. … San Jose is 1-3-2 in its last six outings. … Offseason signing Harold Cummings is out four to six months after undergoing leg surgery. … Defender Florian Jungwirth (ankle) also is out. … Midfielder Fatai Alashe (knee) is questionable. … San Jose is 3-1-4 at home this season.