RSL improvement, thanks to running

Earlier this week, Real Salt Lake coach John Ellinger joked with reporters about why his team was in the midst of such a dismal streak.

"Last time I checked you're actually supposed to run," said Ellinger, regarding the message he had for his players.

It may sound too simple, but the advice "to run" helped RSL snap the longest scoreless drought in MLS history Wednesday at Rice-Eccles Stadium, in addition to picking up some much needed positive points against the Galaxy.

It all came down to running, and in many ways running for each other.

One of Salt Lake's weaknesses this year has been allowing opposing players time and space on the field. Instead of pressuring the ball with confidence, players often retreated.

With time on the field, virtually every professional soccer player is going to make a quality pass.

"The teams who take away playing space from their opponents are usually the ones who come out on top," said Ellinger.

Salt Lake did that brilliantly Wednesday, and it was happening all over the field. Up top, Jamie Watson and Chris Brown didn't allow the Galaxy defenders time to knock the ball around the back and forced them into many giveaways.

The midfield was even more impressive. Just four days after a porous, five-man midfield was readily embarrassed in a 3-0 loss at San Jose, the four-man midfield Wednesday was easily the bright spot of the night for RSL.

Centrally, Jason Kreis and Kenny Cutler pressured the ball at every opportunity, and in the event a Galaxy player beat one of them, the other was often right there to clean it up.

"You might beat one guy, but you're not going to beat the next guy," said Ellinger earlier this week about the approach his team needed. "And it's not making excuses having to run into space and cover somebody. And it's not about things you find in youth soccer, where it's, 'well I have my man.' That's not what you need, you need everyone working on the same page."

For Kreis and Cutler, it was their third game starting in the midfield together, and the improving chemistry was obvious.

The hardworking midfield wasn't just reserved for the interior guys either. Wing midfielders Seth Trembly and Andy Williams ran up and down the field all game. While Trembly's relentless work rate wasn't surprising, Williams' was.