Sandy
Considering how Real Salt Lake's primary colors are red and blue, the yellow shirts worn by the Rio Tinto Stadium personnel ordinarily work nicely in distinguishing them from the patrons.
Not so much Saturday night, when Mexico City's Club de Futbol America came to town.
Yellow jerseys with Club America's sponsoring Bimbo (Bakeries) on the front and Corona on the back occupied most of the stadium's red seats, illustrating the Salt Lake Valley's diversity and making RSL's players feel like visitors when they entered to the sound of pregame boos and whistles.
So besides RSL's earning a 1-0 victory over a high-payroll team described as the New York Yankees --or maybe that should be the Utah Jazz -- of Mexico, this international exhibition provided good conditioning for the second half of the Major League Soccer season, with RSL owning its traditionally discouraging road record (1-5-2) and needing to make a playoff push.
"Obviously, a hostile situation for us at home, but it gave us more energy," summarized RSL captain Nat Borchers. "I mean, nobody wants to play away from home, at home, and I think that brought our energy up."
The top instructional reminder on the whiteboard in RSL's locker room was "Our home," which was both motivational and a case of wishful thinking. Bringing in Club America was sound marketing strategy, enabling Real to draw a better-than-average crowd of 17,212 -- even if that meant absorbing some boos and taunts, hearing cheers whenever the so-called visitors mounted an attack and having chants of "Aguilas" (Eagles) reverberate through the stadium during the first half.
RSL defender Robbie Findley contended he could not distinguish the target of the cheering, saying only, "It was loud out there. I know we've got our fans out there; we saw them out there. They were behind us the whole time."
RSL's backers did respond enthusiastically when Javier Morales floated a high, hooking shot into an upper corner of the net early in the second half. Generally, though, RSL was playing in a road environment, and coach Jason Kreis liked the way his players responded.
And regardless of who was cheering for whom, it was a fun, revved-up atmosphere at Rio Tinto, far beyond the usual MLS feel. Such interruptions to the schedule are standard practice in soccer, regardless of how odd it would seem for the Jazz to suddenly play CSKA Moscow or somebody in February. This was the franchise's 12th international match in five seasons and, as the buzz around the stadium confirmed, Club America was the most attractive opponent since Real Madrid in 2006.
"For all the young guys who haven't experienced it before, it was great for them to see it, to hear it, to feel it," Borchers said. "We gave their crowd something to chew on, that MLS is here, and it's quality, and we outclassed them on the pitch."
The support impressed Club America coach Jesus Ramirez, who expects the "very loyal" following for the Aguilas to continue as they criss-cross the country for four more games during this preseason tour. Ramirez described his team as "happy to be here and hoping to return."
Speaking through a translator, he also labeled the officiating "very biased."
Apparently, then, both sides felt like the visiting team.
