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Sandy • Ricardo Ferretti's press conference was short Wednesday. Two-questions short. The reticent Tigres UANL head coach seemed eager to leave Rio Tinto Stadium as soon as possible.
Despite bringing a top-flight team and starting his best available players in the return leg of the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal series against Real Salt Lake, he might've felt a little lucky to be leaving in such relaxing circumstances.
"We knew what difficulties we were going to encounter here," Ferretti said. "Nothing about tonight surprised me."
What Tigres encountered was a proficient RSL front four that displayed what so many fans hoped to see translated onto the field. With Javier Morales pitted behind Burrito Martinez, Yura Movsisyan and Joao Plata, RSL's attacking approach looked more dangerous and in rhythm than it did for most of 2015.
It's what general manager Craig Waibel and coach Jeff Cassar envisioned when they made the late-summer splash by acquiring Martinez, the former Boca Juniors star. Plata's momentum from his breakout 2014 season hit a wall in 2015 when he suffered a foot fracture in the first training session of the year. The move this January for center forward Movsisyan looks to have been the final piece to the attacking puzzle.
Each member of the RSL trio showed its capabilities in the second leg against Tigres. Martinez wowed viewers with his on-the-ball trickery and dribbling skills that eventually earned RSL a late penalty kick. Plata made timely runs to test the back line, while Movsisyan played a perfect cross to Plata for RSL's first goal.
In the past, RSL has been forced to lean upon the abilities of Morales to orchestrate and break down the opposition. This wealth of creativity should develop into one of the strengths of this team during this upcoming MLS season as the RSL forward corps continues to gel and diversify the attack.
"I think as these guys get fitter and more comfortable, we're going to be able to attack like that and press like that," Cassar said. "Guys are going to be sharper and be able to pull off more things because they have some really wonderful ideas in and around the box."
Goalkeeper Nick Rimando started the quick counter-attack that led to RSL's first goal. Once he snags the ball in the box, Martinez has made it a point to wiggle free of defenders and raise his hand in hopes of being found and taking it to a defense.
"Burrito did his magic tonight," Rimando said. "Not just on that play, but also in numerous plays in the second half, and gave [Tigres] trouble. So if we can keep [Martinez and Movsisyan] healthy and the effort that we had tonight, it's going to be an exciting year."
Coming off the disappointment of missing the playoffs in 2015, questions of how RSL would bounce back have been posed by followers of the league and pundits alike. Some of those may have been answered with the way RSL's front three played against Tigres.
There is, however, no time for rest. RSL hops on a plane Friday morning to Florida to try and replicate Wednesday's performance in the MLS season opener at Orlando City on Sunday.
"I think if we play like this every game," Martinez said, "we are able to win this league."
Twitter: @chriskamrani —
MLS 2016 season opener
P Real Salt Lake at Orlando City SC
At the Citrus Bowl, Orlando, Fla.
Kickoff • Sunday, noon
TV • KMYU
Radio • 700 AM