Real newcomers meshing

Real Salt Lake coach Jason Kreis must've had high expectations when he engineered separate transactions to bring midfielders Kyle Beckerman and Nathan Sturgis to Salt Lake, from Colorado and Los Angeles respectively.

But perhaps even he didn't expect this much this fast.

Beckerman and Sturgis both debuted against Everton FC last month, playing alongside Carey Talley in a three-man midfield.

The trio looked very comfortable with one another that evening, and they haven't looked back.

It's still early on — relatively speaking — but in four games with one another, they seem to have formed a very solid three-man partnership.

"We've all been on the same page," said Sturgis.

All three were definitely on the same page when RSL upset defending MLS champion Houston, 1-0, Saturday evening inside Rice-Eccles Stadium.

Just the way Kreis planned it, right?

"I think it's been talked about in the press for a while," said Kreis, "but it's really amazing to us as a staff as well, how quickly those guys just clicked, just hit it off."

"I would say," he added, "it's because all three of them are very similar players. All three of them are intelligent players that get themselves in the right spots a lot of the time and make good decisions on the field, whether it's with the ball or without the ball."

The thing that's made Talley, Beckerman and Sturgis so special — so far — as a unit has been their chemistry.

When they line up at kick-off, Talley has been in the middle with Beckerman and Sturgis slotted outside. However, over the course of the game, as was seen against Houston, all three can seamlessly switch positions with one another. And then switch back on the fly.

Such chemistry usually takes a long time to develop, but those three guys have had it from Day 1.

"I think we form a nice kind of combination," said Sturgis. "We all feel comfortable switchin' with each other, and creating a lot of movement, which creates space for one another."

Both Beckerman and Sturgis said they aren't really surprised that they've been able to hit it off on the field so well. But it has been a surprise for others.

"It does a little bit," veteran Eddie Pope said when asked whether he was surprised by how quickly the three midfielders have meshed. "That's something you hope for. You cross your fingers when they come in. You hope it's going to be a good chemistry, and I think we've gotten that out of them.

"Talley's been unbelievable there in the middle. Nathan, at such a young age, it's amazing how composed and calm he is in the middle...And we have the bite of Kyle in there. It's gone really well."

Going forward, the three midfielders will undoubtedly look to continue what they've started.

"It's great," said Beckerman, "and I hope it continues."

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E-mail: drasmussen@desnews.com