"It's a lot of work, not easy, but our guys are capable of it," said Kreis.

The big question is how often will Kreis demand that of his players? Surrounded by the comforts of home, those wide forwards probably didn't mind tracking back defensively. On the road, however, the task will inevitably become more challenging. If Kreis is unsure how those same players will handle the rigors of that responsibility on the road, he has the option of dropping them or different players deeper into the wide midfield to shore up the defense with what becomes a 4-5-1 approach.

Then again, there's always the option of Real Salt Lake using its base 4-4-2 formation — the same formation that led to the club's first playoff appearance last year.

E-mail: jedward@desnews.com