6 things to expect from Real Salt Lake

In the 11 days between the county mayor's "no" vote and the governor's "yes" vote, there were varying emotions among Real Salt Lake's players and coaches.

While teen phenom Freddy Adu admitted he had no clue what was going on, RSL coach John Ellinger had to console one of his tearful daughters who'd become distraught about the prospects of moving away from her many friends.

As Jeff Cunningham was busy saying the stadium saga wasn't much of a distraction because "I'm a footballer, not a politician," Real captain Jason Kreis could sense the retirement curtain closing in because he said he'd rather retire than relocate his wife and two young boys to another MLS city.

No matter the burden, big or small, it vanished almost instantly last Thursday when the Utah State Legislature passed a bill to help fund the Sandy stadium.

Now, instead of being political interpreters for family and friends, the players and coaches can go back to focusing on what they do best — playing soccer.

With its April 7 opening day still a long way off, Real Salt Lake left for Orlando on Sunday for the next leg of its eight-week training camp. Here's a look at some intriguing stories to focus on in the coming weeks.

1. The Freddy factor

Freddy Adu's offseason acquisition was met with criticism and excitement, but both sides agreed that if the 17-year-old Adu was genuinely happy about his reunion with Ellinger, 2007 could be a breakthrough year for RSL and Adu.

So, when will Ellinger know if Freddy's happiness translates into his performance on the field?

"I think we'll know soon, by the start of the season for sure," said Ellinger. "That's just the type of player he is."

The first glimpses could come this Tuesday in a pair of exhibition games at the University of Central Florida. Or it could be this weekend, with games on tap against Chicago and New York at Disney's Wide World of Sports soccer complex.

One week into training camp, you can already see Adu's positive impact on the team, both tactically and emotionally. Chris Klein recently commented how the teenager's youthful exuberance was transferring over to his teammates.

Technically, Ellinger has already noticed the quality of the combination play between Adu and his new teammates, not to mention his work ethic.