Robbie Findley is slowly learning that the name of the game in MLS is consistency, and the latest lesson for the Real Salt Lake rookie came on the sidelines.

In the midst of RSL's breakout performance of 2007, Findley was a nonfactor watching from the bench as an unused substitute, the first match he didn't start since joining the team eight games ago.

With three factors working against him, Findley could kind of see the writing on the wall after his disappointing performance at Chivas USA four days earlier.

First of all, the coaching staff thinks very highly of newcomer Fabian Espindola, and is likely to start him every game he's healthy the rest of the way. On top of that, fellow forward Alecko Eskandarian was rested after serving a one-game suspension. More than anything, however, Findley was probably unused to rest for this Saturday's game at the Los Angeles Galaxy, the team that traded him away two months ago.

"I've been waiting for that day since I got traded," said Findley, who insists he doesn't need to remind coach Jason Kreis of that fact. "I think he knows."

As for Findley, if given the chance, he knows it's got to be better.

In his first return visit to the Home Depot Center last weekend against Chivas USA, Findley never seemed to recover mentally from his wasted chance in the sixth minute. In what could've been a simple finish with better body positioning, Findley sprayed Atiba Harris' powerful cross and never quite recovered mentally.

"After that, it was definitely stuck in the back of my head," said Findley. "I tried to forget about it and keep playing, but I was thinking about it."

He insists the miss didn't affect him much, but rather his touch on the ball, like most of his teammates, was just terrible.

It's that type of inconsistency that generally relegates rookies to reserve games and substitute roles in their first year or two in MLS. Findley probably would've been utilized in a similar capacity by RSL had the club not been handcuffed so much by roster deficiencies, injuries and suspensions the past two months.

His eight starts in a Real uniform thus far have been a case study in inconsistency.

Findley made a splash in his RSL debut back on June 23, scoring twice in a 2-1 victory over D.C. United. He followed it up with four straight mediocre performances, which included the match against Toronto, in which he banged a sixth-minute shot off the post.

After the month of disappointment, Findley was the hero again on Aug. 4, scoring in the 84th minute of a 1-0 triumph over then-league-leading Houston.