This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Is this a blip or the start of a slide?
Real Salt Lake certainly hopes it's the former.
Following the six-game unbeaten kick-off to 2016, RSL has now lost three of its last four matches. The 1-0 loss to Houston, which entered Sunday with just eight points in its first 10 matches, was RSL's third straight loss on the road.
The already daunting stretch of five road games becomes a little more so now. RSL has been shut out in its back-to-back losses against the Colorado Rapids last weekend and against the Dynamo on Sunday. The halfway point of this trip takes RSL (5-3-2, 17 points) back to face a heated rival in Sporting Kansas City, which snapped a seven-game winless streak Sunday in its 2-1 win over Orlando City.
Six weeks ago, an RSL side wrought with injuries and suspensions shocked KC 2-1 at Children's Mercy Park. Out to rediscover its footing after the lackluster road loss in Texas, RSL will need to mirror that effort.
After the loss to the Dynamo, goalkeeper Jeff Attinella said the club must find a way to grind out results during this long road trip.
"We've done it before in the past," said Attinella. "[We need to] get back to that formula, and we'll be all right."
A significant piece of that formula is getting the RSL attack back on track. Through its first eight matches of the year, RSL put a number on the board. In six of those first eight, RSL scored multiple goals. Last weekend in Colorado, RSL couldn't break through the hunkered-down Rapids. But in Houston, RSL's attack didn't amount to anything.
In 90 minutes, RSL offered zero shots on goal. Dynamo goalkeeper Joe Willis didn't have to make a single save. His long goal kick led to the game-winner by Giles Barnes. Willis was awarded an assist.
"I don't think we played well enough going forward not to defend," RSL coach Jeff Cassar said.
Despite its struggles the last three weeks, RSL remains tied for sixth in the Western Conference and has as many as three games in hand on some of the teams sitting higher up in the standings.
Yet three more testing road games remain.
Sporting KC just exorcised its seven-game hex, the Columbus Crew are the defending Eastern Conference champions, and New York City FC just moved atop the East table after beating the defending MLS Cup champion Portland Timbers 2-1 Sunday in downtown Portland.
As is the case in MLS, teams that can protect home turf (RSL is 4-0-0 at Rio Tinto Stadium this year) and play at or near .500 on the road will be in the postseason mix come late summer. After coughing up two late road leads earlier this year and now stuck in a three-game road skid, RSL is in serious need of some points in Kansas City.
Twitter: @chriskamrani —
Real Salt Lake at Sporting KC
O Saturday, 6:30 p.m.
TV ยป KMYU