Real Salt Lake: RSL taking Cup game seriously

Real Salt Lake will be sporting a new look in more ways than one in tonight's U.S. Open Cup qualifying match at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

Not only are four players expected to make their 2008 starting debut, but the team will also be wearing green uniforms as part of "Green Awareness" in celebration of Earth Day, which was April 22.

Even though tonight's match against the San Jose Earthquakes doesn't count in the league standings, RSL coach Jason Kreis is taking the U.S. Open Cup seriously as evidenced by the fact that regulars Kyle Beckerman and Chris Wingert are both expected to get the starting nod for the 7 p.m. kickoff.

"First and foremost, we go in with the mentality to win," Kreis said. "It doesn't matter which guys are on the field, they're all part of the same club, and that's the mentality we've instilled here — that everybody is as important as everybody else."

Players expected to make their starting debut are Matias Cordoba, Kenny Cutler, Tony Beltran and Chris Seitz.

"It's always important, a game's a game," Seitz said. "We're out here to perform, and it's our job to take every game exactly the same."

With success, tonight's match could be the first of three U.S. Open Cup qualifying matches for Real Salt Lake. The winner advances to the next leg of qualifying on May 27 at the Columbus Crew. That winner moves on to face Chicago in the final phase of qualifying.

For a team that's 0-3 on the road, even if Salt Lake prevails tonight, following it up with two straight away wins to qualify as one of eight MLS teams in the 40-team U.S. Open Cup seems like a long shot.

"It doesn't matter if I put on my weakest 11 or my strongest 11 they're going to be expected to win," Kreis said.

The U.S. Open Cup has been around since 1914, and is open to teams from various leagues throughout the United States. This year's single-elimination field features eight amateur teams, eight PDL teams, eight USL-2 teams, eight USL-1 teams and eight MLS teams.

Real Salt Lake has had mixed results in its three years of U.S. Open Cup play. In 2005 and 2006, every MLS team automatically qualified for the tournament, entering the competition in the third round. In 2005, RSL lost 6-4 at Minnesota (USL-1) in the third round, and the following year it beat Virginia Beach (USL-1) in the third round before losing to the Colorado Rapids in the fourth round.

Last season, the first year some MLS teams were required to qualify for the tournament, RSL beat Kansas City in a play-in game at Rice-Eccles Stadium in April but lost at Colorado in the fourth round the following month.

Andy Williams, who's projected in tonight's starting 11, has a history of U.S. Open Cup dramatics. He scored a scintillating game-winning overtime goal against Virginia Beach in 2006, and followed it up last year with another overtime win against Kansas City.

With the loser eliminated from the 2008 competition, Williams expects a defensive game, with both teams taking it very seriously.

"It's very important, especially for the guys who are on the fringe of the (starting) 11 and the fringe of the 18, it's their chance to make a statement to the coaching staff and the fans that they're committed," Williams said.

A win could also do wonders for RSL heading into this Saturday's home match against the L.A. Galaxy.

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E-mail: jedward@desnews.com