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Jamie Watson can't forget playing on the punishing turf inside Rice-Eccles Stadium. His rookie campaign with the 2005 Real Salt Lake expansion franchise turned out to be as unsympathetic as the artificial field RSL once called home.

RSL lost 22 matches in its inaugural season, providing Watson a true glimpse into just how taxing life is as part of an expansion Major League Soccer club. Twelve years later, the former RSL first-round draft pick is now the sideline reporter for Minnesota United broadcasts.

"I'm seeing it again," he said.

The first month in MLS for the Loons has been anything but welcoming. Minnesota is 0-3-1 and has given up 18 goals in its first four weeks in the league. In three losses, Minnesota has conceded 16 goals. Watson has had a front-row seat to the rough start and can't help but think back to his first year as a pro with RSL.

"The first year we went 5-22-5, and while hopefully we don't do that this year, I understand the growing pains of an expansion team and how difficult it is," he said.

The growing pains are real.

RSL, mired in its own early-season woes with new coach Mike Petke joining the fold this week, will look to pile it on the newbies this weekend. RSL's first regular season match against the Loons kicks off Saturday evening at TFC Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, home of the Minnesota Golden Gophers football team.

Brian Dunseth, another RSL original from 2005, said, "the world's a different place now with regards to MLS" and new teams entering the league. There are now two styles of expansion teams, according to Dunseth. The big-spending, free-wheeling newcomers like New York City FC in 2015 and Atlanta United this year. The alternative is Orlando City, who also came into the league in 2015, and Minnesota United, both of which failed to splash as much cash around as their expansion siblings — although Orlando did snag Brazilian megastar Kaká.

"When that happens," Dunseth said, "you inevitably have put yourself a little bit behind the 8-ball and we're seeing that with two very different stylistic approaches with Atlanta United, who are building the roster from nothing, and Minnesota, who are relying on a good amount of guys that played for them previously."

Minnesota held onto a core of its players from the USL days to help the transition into MLS. The Loons hired former Orlando City coach Adrian Heath to guide them through the turbulent times that every expansion franchise goes through. To date, no MLS expansion club has ever qualified for the MLS Cup postseason. Earlier this week, Heath told reporters in Minnesota that he views the home match against RSL as "probably the most important game in the club's history."

"If we get that result, that first win, everything seems that much better again, and then we go from there," Heath said. "But it's getting to the stage where we can't keep saying this. It's a case of actions speak louder than words a little bit."

Watson leans on his experience at RSL when holding discussions with Minnesota's fan base that is ready to see a porous back line tighten up and stop allowing goals at a historically-bad rate. Patience, Watson explained, must be preached. MLS is far more competitive now than it ever has been, so a first-year club already has so much going against it.

"2017 is not going to define the club's history," Watson said. "It will be a part of it, a chapter of it and it's a significant one because it's the first season, but it's not going to make-or-break the club."

During those early years at RSL, the club was "losing games left, right and center, one right after the other," Watson said, but the fan base chose to ride it out. The former midfielder recalls his first three years of MLS in Salt Lake and says the struggles that eventually morphed into an established contender can also happen in Minnesota.

"I'm hoping and predicting that it stays the same here," he said.

Meanwhile, Dunseth warned of the parity in MLS and that the Loons, in their second game ever in front of a raucous home crowd, will be amped to change the woeful early-season tune.

"They're due," he said, "and inevitably they will win."

Twitter: @chriskamrani —

Real Salt Lake at Minnesota United

At TFC Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minn.

Kickoff » 6 p.m. MDT

TV » KMYU

Radio » 700 AM

Records » RSL 0-2-2, Minnesota 0-3-1

About RSL » Goalkeeper Nick Rimando is back from U.S. national team duty and is expected to be available Saturday. … Midfielder Albert Rusnák also returned from national team duty with Slovakia and is likely to start. … Defenders Tony Beltran (back), Chris Schuler (hamstring) are day-to-day. … Defenders David Horst (knee), Justen Glad (knee) and forward Chad Barrett (leg) are out. … Joao Plata (hip) and Jordan Allen (quad) are questionable. … RSL assistant coach Daryl Shore will continue to serve as interim head coach. … New coach Mike Petke will assume full responsibilities on Monday.

About Minnesota » The Loons have conceded 18 goals in their first four games, a new MLS record for goals allowed to start a season by one franchise. … Minnesota has yet to be shutout in 2017, scoring six goals in its first four outings. … Kevin Molino, Francisco Calvo and Rasmus Schuller returned from international duty and are expected to be available vs. RSL. … Defender Thomas de Villardi suffered a season-ending Achilles injury recently. … RSL's Luke Mulholland and Matt VanOekel are former Minnesota United players from the NASL era of the franchise.