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Sandy • Arrived at the halfway point of the longest road trip in franchise history, Jeff Cassar is trying to remain practical. As much as the Real Salt Lake coach would like to say his team will play spotlessly over the next three matches, he can't.
"There's things to improve on," he said. "We're not going to be playing our best soccer every single game, but one thing we can do is defend great."
RSL (5-3-2) is coming off a disappointing 1-0 loss in Houston Sunday, pitting the club at 0-2-0 before it visits Sporting Kansas City for the third match in this trek around the country while the field at Rio Tinto Stadium undergoes its renovation. RSL's lost three of its last four matches — including back-to-back losses at Colorado and Houston — which raises questions to the club's hot start dropping in temperature.
Cassar's remedy? Defense. Not the back line. Not the defensive midfielders. The entire team.
He said as much after the loss in Houston. Cassar pointed at RSL's front four, explaining that the team wasn't good enough with the ball in the attacking half of the field not to defend.
"I think the secret to our success is 11 people defending and 11 people attacking," he said. "We've done that since our first game at Tigres, and I just thought we started to get away from it a little bit towards the last couple games."
RSL is attempting to "get back to the basics," as Cassar explained.
Defender Chris Wingert said the back-to-back shutout losses could be a byproduct of the elongated MLS season, but the veteran left back is refusing to use that as an excuse.
"Obviously we're not pumped about it," he said. "We feel like we could be getting shutouts, too."
Help off the bench
Through RSL's first 10 regular-season matches, the bench has yet to make the legitimate impact. Only one goal or assist has been registered by a player who subbed on so far this season. Ironically, it was starting lineup regular Javier Morales, who subbed on and scored a late penalty in RSL's 5-2 loss at L.A. on April 23.
Cassar said the necessary next step is production for the substitutes to help change the landscape of a game. In the loss at Houston, forward Olmes Garcia nearly scored a late equalizer off a pinpoint cross from Yura Movsisyan.
"You want to see those things tightened up a little bit," Cassar said. "I think they're giving us meaningful minutes. We created a chance, but you've got to put it away."
Ready to go
Center back Aaron Maund (hamstring strain) and left back Demar Phillips (groin strain) have returned to training in full capacities ahead of this weekend's match at Sporting KC. Maund has missed RSL's last two matches after suffering the injury on April 30 against Houston. Phillips missed last weekend's match against the Dynamo.
Cassar expects both to be available to start Saturday.
Midfielder Sunday Stephen continues to deal with a lingering ankle injury, but it is improving, Cassar said.
Open Cup draw
RSL will host either Wilmington Hammerheads FC (USL) or Miami FC (NASL) in the fourth round of the 2016 U.S. Open Cup tournament on Wednesday, June 15. RSL midfielder Luke Mulholland began his professional career with the Hammerheads in 2011. Former RSL striker Pablo Campos, who was part of the club's MLS Cup title team, currently plays for Miami FC.
Miami FC is coached by Italian soccer legend Alessandro Nesta.
Wilmington plays at Miami FC in the third round of the Open Cup on Wednesday, June 1, at FIU Stadium in Miami.
Twitter: @chriskamrani