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Sandy • Mike Petke stared out onto an empty Rio Tinto Stadium on Thursday afternoon and ensured, once again, that the undertaking of putting Real Salt Lake back on track will not happen overnight.
No, not even in his RSL coaching debut against the Vancouver Whitecaps in Sandy.
"The one thing I need to make clear is that whatever happens on Saturday night — if we win 10-0 or lose 10-0 — it doesn't mean anything," he said. "It does not mean a thing. I'm dead serious. When change happens, it's a process."
Petke, hired last week as RSL's coach, is the face of change now. The accompanying expectations are lofty, too. Not only must the 41-year-old find a way to wiggle RSL out of last place in MLS, but arguably his most pressing task is revitalizing the team's attack. Petke said in his introductory news conference that the offensive personnel RSL is "an animal waiting to be released from a cage."
RSL has scored just nine goals during its 13-game winless streak dating back to last August. The two goals scored in last weekend's 4-2 drubbing at Minnesota United was the first multi-goal match RSL has had since Sept. 7, 2016.
Petke isn't a fan of talking tactics. But he's left a trail of bread crumbs in the last week since taking over, repeating that RSL will feature a series of tweaks to what it's looked like. No wholesale changes. It's too early for that, Petke said. And it may not even be necessary if said tweaks start to pan out.
"They have the ability to do it, but they have to be put in the right positions to be successful," he said. "You can't ask a guy who you're planning on being your ultimate threat going forward to play 60, 70 percent of the game in our half of the field."
Yura Movsisyan has noticed the changes implemented in Week 1 under Petke. The RSL forward said players are being asked to up their intensity, defend higher up the field and stay there, to force turnovers in the opposing half and pounce when given the chance.
"We've got switch off and switch on to a new chapter, new ideas, so I think that's what everybody's doing right now," Movsisyan said. "Honestly [we're] just trying to impress the coach."
New playmaker Albert Rusnák said he's already seen "big change" in training sessions this week. The 22-year-old signed as a Designated Player this offseason to replace Javier Morales as the architect of the RSL attack has one assist and two shots on goal in four matches in 2017.
"Adapting to a new coach, I don't think that's an issue because he wants us to play more offensive, higher up the field, which is great for an attacking player like me," Rusnák said.
In multiple interviews since taking over, Petke has chosen not to delve into formation talk. He quips that he never knows who will be watching or reading to gain an edge. Regardless, there have been calls from an outspoken portion of the fan base to move away from the 4-3-3-style formation instilled in 2015.
It clicked the first five months of 2016 when headlined by Movsisyan, Morales, Joao Plata and Burrito Martinez, but the power outage the last two months of last season continue to be a theme even with different players in 2017.
Change under Petke won't be seen until Saturday night in Sandy, and as he's said, the result won't matter. It's whether RSL can take one step forward.
"I'm not throwing 1,000 things at them," he said, "but every one little thing I throw at them is my personality. I'm not going to sugarcoat it and I'm not going to fake it."
Twitter: @chriskamrani —
Vancouver Whitecaps at Real Salt Lake
Rio Tinto Stadium, Sandy
Kickoff • 7:30 p.m. MDT
TV • KMYU
Radio • 700 AM
Records • RSL 0-3-2, Vancouver 1-2-1
Last meeting • Vancouver won 2-0 (June 13, 2016)
About Vancouver • The Whitecaps are coming off a 4-1 aggregate series loss to Tigres in the CONCACAF Champions League semifinals Wednesday night at home. … Vancouver midfielder Brek Shea suffered a knee injury Wednesday and could be out as long as 12 weeks, coach Carl Robinson said. … Vancouver recently traded winger Kekuta Manneh to Columbus in exchange for central midfielder Tony Tchani, who could see time Saturday night against RSL. … Robinson and RSL coach Mike Petke are former teammates with the New York Red Bulls.
About RSL • The injury hits continue as RSL likely will be without Jordan Allen (quad), Aaron Maund (hamstring) and Sunday Stephen (hamstring). … RSL announced successful knee surgeries this week for both Chad Barrett (out 4-to-6 months) and David Horst (out 6-to-8 weeks). … Right back Tony Beltran (back) trained fully this week as did center back Chris Schuler (hamstring). … RSL is riding a 13-game winless streak dating back to August 2016. … RSL is the only Western Conference team not to win a game in 2017.