Real Salt Lake doesn't keep foes guessing

SANDY— Formations and game plans can seem confusing for a soccer novice.

It may seem like a bunch of numbers thrown together, 4-4-2, 4-5-1, 3-5-2. It can be confusing wondering what someone means about sitting back, counterattacking or pushing forward and being the aggressor. Many Real Salt Lake fans have heard it all over the past four seasons and are moving up to the next level of soccer understanding. They want to know exactly what the tactics will be for RSL and the New York Red Bulls when they meet in the Western Conference Finals at Rio Tinto Stadium on Saturday evening at 7:30 with a shot to advance to MLS Cup.

"We've made it a point all season to just go out and play our style," said midfielder Kyle Beckerman. "We are a much better team when we are playing attacking soccer. When we are connecting and passing the ball around, really working together, we are one of the best teams in the league. When we fall back and try to defend too much, we just are not as effective."

Real's basic principal, besides being the aggressors, is that its four midfielders play in more of a diamond formation with each part being interchangeable. It isn't uncommon to see Will Johnson, who officially starts at the left midfield position, making a run up the right side, or collecting a ball in the middle and distributing it out wide.

When he first took over as coach Jason Kreis changed how he wanted the midfield to play, and that involved the off-side, or the midfielder without the ball, to pinch to the middle. In essence, Real plays with three center midfielders. That tactic is something that New York has noticed and knows it needs to adjust.

"The way they arrange the middle of the field, very creative players and they have the ability to counterattack quickly," said Red Bulls coach Juan Carlos Osorio during a conference call of what can present problems when facing RSL. "They start the attack in a creative method, so we need to be very proactive in how we defend them and be very cautious in making sure we don't get caught up too much."

New York shocked the MLS world with its upset win over Houston last weekend as Dane Richards, Juan Pablo Angel and John Wlyniec all netted a goal. But that doesn't necessarily mean those are the players RSL needs to look out for on Saturday.

"We try to look at our opponents and see what they do and then adjust accordingly," Osorio said.

It is the complete opposite approach of Real.

"We are going to try to play our style and make them adjust," said defender Nat Borchers. "We play our best soccer when we are dictating and not reacting."