Going all the way back to the day he took over as Real Salt Lake head coach, Jason Kreis has always been a coach who believes in laying a defensive foundation first and foremost.

He hammers that point home to his players throughout training camp and reiterates it throughout the lengthy season. Deep down though, Kreis wants to attack.

He made a living in Major League Soccer as a striker, scoring more than 100 goals and winning the league MVP in 1999. He sees the game from a different perspective, therefore it's no coincidence RSL led the league in shots by a wide margin last year and is again on pace to do so this year.

As with any coach, however, the pressure on Kreis to win is very real and never goes away. A seven-game winless streak has only made it worse, and he's admitted to doubting himself. Perhaps worst of all, he's dabbled with a conservative style that just last year he dubbed "negative soccer" following his team's loss to New York in the Western Conference final.

Desperate times have called for desperate measures in the past month, but thankfully for Kreis and his belief in playing attractive soccer, his boss has stepped in with some advice.

Following a conservative game plan at D.C. United a few weeks back that produced a 0-0 draw, RSL owner Dave Checketts sensed his coach was losing his way under the pressure of the moment. He called Kreis afterward to restore some confidence and told him not to waver with the way he wants to play — no more negative soccer. Checketts reiterated that stance publicly last weekend.

"I want a team that attacks all the time, a team that tries to score every time they get the ball," he said. "If we're going to build the game and sell this game in this country you've got to have attacking, exciting soccer."

Talk about the ultimate endorsement for a goal scorer turned coach. Checketts is telling Kreis to scrap the conservatism and go after it every match. Real Salt Lake did that against Colorado over the weekend with an aggressive formation that put three strikers in attacking positions when in possession.

Realistically, it wasn't much of a gamble at Rio Tinto Stadium, where the home team usually excels. But what about the next two weeks with back-to-back road games at Los Angeles and Houston? Those teams are on a combined 18-game unbeaten streak, and on paper it would appear RSL's only hope for a result is to play conservative.

That's not what Checketts wants, though, which ironically might add to the pressure on Kreis. It's not enough to just put together a game plan to be successful, it needs to be entertaining as well.

At this point, though, nothing would be more exciting for Kreis, his players and Real Salt Lake's fans than a victory — especially if it came on the road where RSL has scored just one goal this season.

E-mail: jedward@desnews.com