Real Salt Lake could make history with a win tonight in Mexico

"It's just about guys winning their individual battles, and if we can win more than them then we should have a good chance of winning," said RSL captain Kyle Beckerman.

Monterrey is 8-0-2 in its 10 Champions League matches dating back to last year, including a 5-0 record at home with a plus-six goal differential.

RSL's overall record is 6-2-2, with a similar 5-0 record at home and an impressive plus-11 goal differential.

As much as Real Salt Lake wants to win, the key to lifting the Champions League trophy on April 27 might be simply minimizing the damage in Mexico and then capitalizing on their Rio Tinto Stadium magic at home.

"Everybody would be devastated back home if we came here and got crushed," said Beckerman.

He believes the key lies in the subtle nuances of the midfield.

"The big thing is if we can win the second balls and fight harder than them. When we seem to win the second balls in the midfield and then get going from there, we can slice teams apart," he said. "It's when we're not winning the second balls when we're struggling as a team and it takes us a while to get into a rhythm playing."

ENDLINES: RSL striker Paulo Jr. (hamstring) has officially been ruled out of tonight's match. ... Alvaro Saborio spent a year with Monterrey in his youth playing days, but he never played at Estadio Tecnologico, just trained there.

Email: jedward@desnews.com

RSL on the air

CONCACAF Champions League Final

First leg

RSL at Monterrey

Tonight, 8 p.m.

Estadio Tecnologico, Monterrey, Mexico

TV: FOX Soccer Channel

Radio: 700 AM, 1600 AM