RSL looking for road breakthrough

You just never know what you're going to get with the ebb and flow that is Major League Soccer.

Seven days ago, Real Salt Lake was the lowest-scoring team in MLS, and the tunnel was pitch black. Now, RSL is riding sky high, perhaps even a favorite going into tonight's away game at the Columbus Crew at 5:30 p.m (MDT). The game will be televised by FSN.

The Crew opened the season with a convincing 3-0 victory over Los Angeles, but they are 1-5 since and now own the distinction of being the lowest-scoring team in the league with five goals.

"This league's weird, it really is," said RSL midfielder Brian Kamler.

As awkward as the trends may seem, Real Salt Lake has followed a pretty regimented path so far.

With an unbeaten record at home (3-0-1) and a winless record on the road (0-3-1), RSL sits smack dab in the middle of the Western Conference standings with 11 points. Unlike last week, however, the expansion team is closer to the top of the standings than the bottom.

Winner's of two straight games, both on the turf at Rice-Eccles Stadium, RSL hopes to build on that momentum and erase what have been predominantly horrible showings on the road.

"If you look at all of MLS, you'll see that all teams have trouble on the road, (except) maybe New England," said Kamler. "It's one thing if you lose and you put forth a great effort, but I really don't think we've put forth that great of an effort on the road."

For Salt Lake, the key is to play 90 minutes.

Throwing aside its first road game of the season, which was played in a monsoon at New York, RSL hasn't even come close to playing a complete game on the road.

On April 9 at Los Angeles, Real looked lost the entire game.

On April 23, it let in two first-half goals at FC Dallas but settled down after halftime.

On May 7, Salt Lake was terrible in the first half, better in the second half, but still lost at Chivas USA 1-0.

"It's got to be about coming out and playing with the effort and fight that we've played in the last two games," said Real coach John Ellinger. "If you look at New England, they play every game the same."

That's the challenge for Salt Lake. Block out that Crew Stadium isn't Rice-Eccles Stadium and play with some passion.