Real Salt Lake: Road brings out worst in RSL

When Real Salt Lake gave up an 11th minute goal at Colorado Saturday, it really should've been no big deal.

"We still needed to go out and play, it's not the first time this season we've been down a goal," joked midfielder Clint Mathis about falling behind early again.

Nick LaBrocca's goal marked the fourth time in six games RSL has allowed the game's opening goal. With 79 minutes remaining, however, and fresh off a performance in which it scored six goals against New England, a one goal deficit really should've been no big deal.

"I thought when we went a goal down, they got one chance and put it away," said Kyle Beckerman. "But I thought we had most of the play. I thought if we keep this up, keep our possession and keep moving it we were going to get a chance to tie it up."

That's the troubling thing for Real Salt Lake, it wasted the handful of scoring chances it did create before and after Jamison Olave's 41st minute red card. At home RSL has capitalized on those chances but away from Rio Tinto Stadium the club is still searching for its first goal of the season.

With a little better focus RSL might've had a pair of first-half goals against the Rapids.

In the 22nd minute an unmarked Yura Movsisyan shanked a cross from the right edge of the penalty area into the bleachers behind the goal. With a 3-on-2 advantage and teammates making dangerous runs into the box, not to mention the ability to take another touch or two before making his decision, Movsisyan rushed the situation rendering it worthless.

Later in the half, and just one minute before Nick Rimando's injury in the 33rd minute, midfielder Will Johnson had a gaffer of his own. Set up beautifully just inside the box, Johnson's heavy first touch sent the ball over the endline when a softer touch would've likely created a one-on-one situation with keeper Matt Pickens.

"It's one of those things at home those chances, those touches, those little missed passes are a little bit more on than they are on the road," said RSL coach Jason Kreis.

Mathis agrees that something is amiss on the road.

"(Otherwise) we wouldn't be in this situation. We've shown when we're on and playing what can happen," said Mathis. "It's just one of those things we've got to get this thing off our back, it's in our head."

The next opportunity for the road breakthrough is this Saturday at league-leading Chivas USA. As bleak as its chances would seem against the 6-1-1 Goats, the visitors should feel confident at the Home Depot Center. One of Real Salt Lake's two road victories last year came at Chivas USA, and it also earned a draw there last November in the conference semifinals to punch its playoff ticket to the next round.

"It's early in the season, we're alright," said Beckerman. "We just need to keep positive and keep doing what we're doing at home and hopefully we can nick one the road one of these days."

E-mail: jedward@desnews.com