Real Salt Lake to use different tactic on road

The statistical sampling is too small to be relevant, but nonetheless Real Salt Lake is on pace for a 15-0 home record and a 0-15 road record with one-sixth of the 2009 season in the books. The trend will never last, but if it did RSL's mediocrity would be worth 45 points in the standings and a likely spot in the MLS playoffs.

Knowing it eventually needs some points on the road realistically, the coaching staff is prepared to tweak RSL's tactics slightly this weekend at Colorado to help facilitate that result.

It's by no means a drastic overhaul, but when you have a plus-10 goal differential at home and a minus-four on the road, that gap obviously needs to be bridged.

"We're mixing it up a little bit, when you're not winning maybe you try something different," RSL defender Chris Wingert said. "We just want to make sure we're going to be compact and tough to play against, but I don't think it's going to change our mentality going forward."

For obvious reasons RSL coach Jason Kreis wouldn't disclose his game plan against his Rocky Mountain Cup rivals in Colorado this Saturday, but he made it clear there will be adjustments.

Midfielder Kyle Beckerman insisted the change won't be conservative, just different.

"We just need to get our offense going and be stingy on defense," Beckerman said.

RSL is winless on the road so far this year losing at Seattle 2-0 and at New York 2-0. In each of those games the visiting team tried coming out with the same aggressive mentality it would at home, but to no avail.

Kreis believes the approach might've been too aggressive, and against the Rapids his team seeks the happy medium. The timing seems appropriate as RSL heads into a critical stretch of the season with six of its next nine games on the road.

If RSL can remain within striking distance of Western Conference leaders Chivas USA and Seattle during the next two months the schedule is favorable in the summer months with numerous games at Rio Tinto Stadium.

"I certainly feel that our guys have a lot of confidence and feel good about the way we play at home and what's our mentality at home," Kreis said. "There's still some questions about how we play on the road."

The club should get a boost playing on the grass at Dick's Sporting Goods Park instead of the turf of Qwest Field and Giants Stadium, but the tactics will ultimately determine if the club's pseudo conservative approach is successful.

It's unlikely Real Salt Lake will come out with a high-pressure approach like it did at Seattle and New York, instead, choosing to build the attack the same patient way that was so successful in the 6-0 victory at home over New England last Saturday.

"We need to do something, it's been two games now and we didn't get what we wanted on the road. We're just trying something a little different," Beckerman said.

E-mail: jedward@desnews.com