Steve Pastorino

On Halloween night, a little bit of "juju" could go a long way for Real Salt Lake in their playoff opener at home against the league's regular season champion, the Columbus Crew.

Juju is one of analyst Brian Kamler's favorite terms.

It's less powerful than voodoo, but more complex than moxie -- and it's a combination of momentum, luck and intangibles. With even a little juju, RSL has every reason to think they can upset the Crew on the heels of a last weekend's emphatic win over Colorado. In fact, if RSL takes the field with the same intensity as last week, the Crew will be hard-pressed to escape Rio Tinto Stadium with even a tie.

But it depends which RSL team shows up and if they can please the juju gods. First, they need the hot striker to remain in good form.

Why top scorer Robbie Findley hasn't started 33 percent of the team's matches is a mystery -- but he's too potent to save for the game's waning 30 minutes. Let him and equally high-flying Fabian Espindola stretch the Columbus defense and chase down sublime, superbly placed balls from Andy Williams, who is playing some of the best soccer of his career.

Stick with that trio up top and good things will happen.

But whereas playmaker Javier Morales has vanished for much of the season, the Argentine can define this game with some aggressive play in midfield. RSL will win if he, Kyle Beckerman and Will Johnson stamp the center of the park with physicality from the

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opening whistle. They need to stifle and fluster the Crew. With the Crew's fortunes often tied to cunning Argentine playmaker Guillermo Barros Schelotto, RSL would do well to crunch him with a fierce tackle early on -- and his Argentine countryman Morales is just the man for it.

Then, with the margin in playoff games often slim, RSL needs a big game from its littlest player, goalkeeper Nick Rimando. It's the one spot on the field where RSL has a clear edge. But Rimando's night will likely be measured mostly by how his defense contains the multi-pronged but not prolific attack of the Crew. Jamison Olave and Nat Borchers need to maintain focus for 90-plus minutes. Outside backs Chris Wingert and Tony Beltran need to manage the waves of creativity that will come from Robbie Rogers, Eddie Gaven and Emmanuel Ekpo. If they can keep the ball off the foot of clutch forward Alejandro Moreno in dangerous spots, Rimando's night will be easier.

When all is said and done, RSL needs to come out buzzing all over the field and throwing their bodies at every loose ball. They need to own possession and ride the momentum of what should be a festive, costume-clad crowd. Their improbable season-ending playoff berth gives them new life.

The burden of achieving 43 points is gone.

Each individual's worry of being released at season's end, or condemned to the expansion draft, is momentarily forgotten. The team that blew out Colorado looks like the team that made last year's magical playoff run.

The juju's on their side.

Don't blow it.

STEVE PASTORINO is the former general manager for Real Salt Lake and an occasional contributor to The Salt Lake Tribune on soccer. He welcomes your comments at pasto.ink@comcast.net.