RSL eager to forget pains of its expansion season

Nearly six months have passed since Real Salt Lake put the finishing touches on an expansion campaign it would just assume forget. It was a season that featured just five wins, a lengthy scoring drought, a minus-35 goal differential and zero road victories.

Beginning this week, RSL's players and coaches can finally take steps to improve upon 2005 — on the field.

Despite a busy offseason in which RSL management rid itself of half of last year's team, it's impossible to know just how successful the transactions will be until it starts playing games.

Now, it's game week, and no team is as excited as Real Salt Lake.

"You've got to imagine how we feel," said Real coach John Ellinger. "The day the season ended we were looking forward to the new season."

RSL's sophomore season begins Sunday at CD Chivas USA, another MLS team hoping to forget its expansion season in 2005. Kickoff for the game is 5 p.m. (MDT).

Salt Lake's home opener is April 15 against the New York Red Bulls — formerly the MetroStars.

If the preseason has been any indicator, 2006 should be vastly different than 2005. During 15 preseason matches, RSL compiled an 8-5-2 record. Against MLS teams, that record was a very respectable 4-3-1.

"It's been a pleasant surprise with how it's looked in the preseason," said Ellinger. "The goals we've given up in the preseason have been good goals. Knock on wood, we haven't given up easy goals. I hope that continues for a long time."

Salt Lake has been in Southern California since mid-March preparing for its season opener. If it's fortunate enough to walk away with a victory, it would be the franchise's first road victory and first win on grass — a fact that further reiterates how bad 2005 really was.

With the quality of players RSL has acquired this offseason, improving upon last year's 5-22-5 record seems like a forgone conclusion.

The busy offseason began when it released inconsistent goalkeeper D.J. Countess last November. A few days later, the team traded defender Brian Dunseth to Chivas USA for Douglas Sequeira and Christian Jimenez.

Ellinger, along with general manager Steve Pastorino, probably had no idea about the flurry of activity that would follow.