Real Salt Lake: Team mixes up road routine

Real Salt Lake's road struggles have been well documented, and general manager Garth Lagerwey has indicated that the club has tried almost everything to fix it.

"We've tried motivational speakers, changing our travel schedule, changing our training schedule, we've tried going two days before, we've tried going one day before. It's not an easy answer," he said. "Road games are about being mentally tough, it's really no more complicated about that."

Whether or not RSL will be tough enough mentally to protect its 1-0 lead Thursday against Columbus remains to be seen, but the coaching staff is ready to try something different yet again to aid that cause.

Real Salt Lake left town several days earlier than normal, departing for Columbus Monday afternoon in hopes of fully acclimating itself to its surroundings ahead of the second game of its playoff series with the Crew.

"It gives us some time to settle down, get acclimated and relax a little bit," said Robbie Findley.

RSL arrived in Columbus late Monday night and will practice at the Crew Training Center on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon.

"We've looked at what we've done this year on the road and tried to do something different, and for Columbus that means going another day early and staying in a different hotel," said RSL coach Jason Kreis.

The team hopes a change in routine helps it improve upon this year's 2-11-2 road record, the worst among the eight playoff teams.

GOING OUT IN STYLE: Yura Movsisyan is leaving Real Salt Lake at the end of the season to join Randers FC in Denmark, but he doesn't want to leave empty handed.

"I want to win something before I leave. My main objective staying here was to make the playoffs and now that we made the playoffs I don't want to leave here just by making the playoffs, I want to win something." said Movsisyan. "I've been playing four years in this league and it's time for me to win something really memorable. Going out with an MLS Cup championship would be the best thing I could ask for."

Assisting on Robbie Findley's goal in last Saturday's 1-0 win over Columbus was a big step toward Movsisyan achieving that goal.

OUT OF THE LOOP: Major League Soccer announced the finalists for its 2009 awards Monday, and not surprisingly nobody from Real Salt Lake was on the list.

Even though the club made the playoffs, the team largely underachieved this year and no individual necessarily had a fantastic season compared to others around the league.

The three MVP finalists did feature a former RSL player though as FC Dallas' Jeff Cunningham was nominated along with Landon Donovan of the L.A. Galaxy and Shalrie Joseph of New England.