Real Salt Lake: Real could be in 1st, believe it or not

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. — Not once in Real Salt Lake's four-year history, not even for an hour in the first week of the season, has the club been able to call itself a first-place team. It's never won a season-opener, which has traditionally led to a sluggish opening month pushing it toward the bottom of the Western Conference heap.

Amazingly, that could all change tonight.

With a win at the Colorado Rapids, ESPN2's Thursday night game of the week, for the first time in franchise history Real Salt Lake can unabashedly call itself a first-place team.

Real has racked eight points in six matches, good enough for a third-place tie in the West with the L.A. Galaxy. That's also just one point behind Colorado and FC Dallas, which are tied for first.

With a win over rival Colorado at Dick's Sporting Goods Park at 7:30 p.m., RSL would vault into sole possession of first place with 11 points. That status may only last two days if FC Dallas wins on Sunday, but for a club that's mostly floundered since its inception, the reality of first place, no matter how brief, is a step in the right direction.

It's worth noting that even with a win tonight, RSL's 11 points would only be good enough for fourth place in the Eastern Conference.

With three-quarters of the season yet to be played, RSL coach Jason Kreis isn't putting too much stock into the possibility of being in first place.

"It's nice, but I don't want to put too much focus on that," said Kreis. "I think the staff has to continue to be focused on what we see on the field, continue to stay on the direction we took at the start of the season which was not absolutely results oriented. It was more about what we're doing on the field."

Tonight's game will be a homecoming for Kyle Beckerman and Chris Wingert, each of whom began last season with the Rapids before being traded to Real Salt Lake. The match is also the first of three games between Colorado and RSL in the quest for the Rocky Mountain Cup.

The Rapids won the Cup in the first two years, but RSL claimed it for the first time in team history last year with a win at Colorado on the final day of the regular season.

"We take the Cup seriously," said Kreis. "I think it's a good thing."

Trying to get a win, or even a draw, in the first leg of the Cup won't be easy. Not only is Colorado playing well, but RSL has lost all three road games this season.

Wingert believes they've learned a lot from those road losses and is very confident going forward, especially after last Saturday's 2-1 win over FC Dallas.