Will emotions run high for RSL, Rapids?

Kyle Beckerman had some pretty harsh yet true words for Real Salt Lake and its fans following Colorado's win in the first of four regular-season installments of the Rocky Mountain Cup rivalry last week.

"If they don't want us to celebrate, win the game," said the Colorado Rapids' midfielder.

The comments came after several RSL players, including new coach Jason Kreis, took offense to the celebratory methods of Colorado's Pablo Mastroeni following the 2-0 victory. The end result was an impromptu ruckus between several players that was eventually broken up by both teams' staff members.

In the rematch tonight 10 days later, Kreis knows the emotions on both sides will be high, but the last thing he wants is his players to become consumed by it.

"We want to try and avoid that, to be honest. I don't think my players need any extra emotion right now. I think that they're all there," said Kreis, who replaced former coach John Ellinger three days after that Colorado loss. "If we start adding on emotions and those sorts of things, then we're going to be taking away from performance."

Kreis believes that outside of one defensive mistake by Daniel Torres, Real played well enough to beat the Rapids in what turned out to be his final match as a player.

Since taking over the head-coaching reins, Kreis has put his players through training-session overtime in hopes of cleaning up those tactical mistakes. He's liked the results in practice, but now it's time to apply them in a game.

He, along with a nationally televised audience on ESPN2, will find out at 7 p.m. if the overtime paid off. The match will be RSL's first in Colorado's newly completed soccer-specific stadium — Dick's Sporting Goods Park.

If history is any indicator, don't expect the Rapids' new home to be all that advantageous. Including last year's U.S. Open Cup match at Rice-Eccles Stadium, the home team has only won once in the past six meetings of this heated rivalry.

"It almost seems like in this rivalry, it's easier to play as the away team," said Carey Talley.

On top of the obvious emotion associated with playing your rival, both teams should be plenty motivated.