Real Salt Lake to play tune-up match vs. Puntarenas

SANDY — Even though Major League Soccer is taking a two-week hiatus because of the World Cup, Real Salt Lake is forging ahead with an exhibition game tonight. The reasoning is two-fold.

In the midst of a seven-game unbeaten streak (6-0-1) heading into the break, RSL hopes a friendly against Puntarenas F.C. will help it maintain momentum coming out of the MLS break against San Jose next Friday.

Secondly, by facing a quality Latin American team, Real Salt Lake gains valuable experience playing against the type of competition it will face in the 2010-2011 CONCACAF Champions League, which gets under way in August.

"I can't say I have the most intimate knowledge of how different (the style is)," said RSL coach Jason Kreis. "I've been there twice on scouting trips and seen a total of eight games at most. So it's necessary for me, it's necessary for most of the staff and all the players to see a different style of play."

Going up against what should be a technically gifted team in tonight's friendly at 7 at Rio Tinto Stadium will better prepare Real Salt Lake for when the games matter.

RSL qualified for the CCL by winning last year's MLS Cup and received a bye into the group stages of the regional club competition. It was placed in Group A along with Arabe Unido (Panama) and two more preliminary-round winners. Those two matchups are Cruz Azul (Mexico) vs. San Francisco (Panama) and Motagua (Honduras) vs. Toronto FC (Canada).

With at least two of its group opponents hailing from Central America, Kreis is anxious to expose his players to the differences. And, with only 17 healthy field players at his disposal, virtually everyone will get an opportunity to play tonight.

Chris Wingert, who said the hamstring strain that was bothering him before the break is fine, knows RSL will benefit from the tuneup match against Puntarenas.

"It's definitely different, but it forces us to focus on a few things that sometimes we struggle with. Stay compact," he said. "They're so good with the ball, and they love to spray the ball around and get a lot of touches. We can't go chasing and tire ourselves out. We need to make sure we stay compact both vertically and horizontally, make sure they can't play through us."

RSL is 6-4-3 all time against international opponents, including a 1-0-1 mark last year against a pair of Mexican clubs. Kreis credits a 1-1 draw with CD Guadalajara last October as kick-starting the run that ended with an MLS Cup championship.

Regardless of the opponent or the friendly nature of the match, Real Salt Lake is in it to win it.

"Whoever plays, we want to win the game," said Ned Grabavoy. "At this club, especially since I got here last year, that's been a big thing that they've harped on. Every game matters, and we want to win every game. It doesn't matter if it's a friendly against BYU or the MLS Cup final."

e-mail: jedward@desnews.com