Real Salt Lake notebook: Team approaching home unbeaten record

SANDY — Real Salt Lake has been shattering its own record book all season. At this rate, Major League Soccer records might be falling soon.

RSL's 5-0 victory over New England on Friday night extended the club's unbeaten streak at Rio Tinto Stadium to 18 straight in MLS regular-season matches. It is now just four home results away from tying Columbus' 22-game home unbeaten streak set between June 2008 and September 2009.

RSL's record during the 18 home matches is 12-0-6.

If RSL hopes to equal the record, it would have to beat Columbus along the way. Its next four home matches are against Chivas USA, D.C. United, Columbus and New York.

Friday's win also extended the club's overall unbeaten streak to nine straight (7-0-2). Columbus owns that record too with a 19-game unbeaten streak from July 2004 to April 2005.

If RSL remains hot, which would be very tough with six of its next 10 matches on the road, it could equal that record on Sept. 9 in Seattle.

Like most coaches, RSL coach Jason Kreis insists on taking things one game at a time, so don't expect him or his players to get excited about breaking any records for another month or two.

NEGOTIATIONS ONGOING: Real Salt Lake's efforts to secure another loan deal for 21-year-old midfielder Nelson Gonzalez are basically a done deal, according to general manager Garth Lagerwey.

Gonzalez's loan from his Argentina club, Quilmos, expired on July 1, and Lagerwey has been working feverishly in the last week to secure a new loan.

A new 18-month loan has been agreed upon between the parities, but RSL is still waiting on signed documents to make it official

Gonzalez showed promise earlier this year, but he's been hampered by a nagging hamstring strain this year and hasn't played in a match since May 22.

RARE FAMILIARITY: Unlike most MLS teams, Real Salt Lake has had the luxury of consistency in its starting lineup from week to week this season.

Friday night against New England, however, was the first time it used the same starting lineup in back-to-back matches.

By no means, though, has RSL suffered from a lot of turnover, with no more than two different changes to the starting lineup from game to game this season.

CURTAIN CALL: Robbie Findley wasn't in the starting lineup on Friday, but he got a standing ovation nonetheless.

RSL paid tribute to its member of the U.S. National Team by passing out flyers at the gate with Findley's No. 10 on them. In the 10th minute, the club encouraged fans to hold the flyers up in honor of Findley. He thanked them with a curtain call from the bench.

Findley eventually entered the game at halftime in place of Fabian Espindola, to an even bigger standing ovation.

e-mail: jedward@desnews.com