Real Salt Lake: Team preparing as usual despite threat to season

SANDY — In the two months since Real Salt Lake claimed its first championship, the biggest news surrounding Major League Soccer has actually been the lack of news.

With the collective bargaining agreement between MLS and the MLS Players Union set to expire on Jan. 31, reports seem to indicate that the two sides are still far apart in their negotiations for a new contract. If a deal isn't reached soon, the threat of a lockout or a strike is a possibility as MLS enters its 15th season.

Despite such uncertainty hanging over the league, Real Salt Lake general manager Garth Lagerwey insists it's business as usual at Rio Tinto Stadium.

"That stuff all gets decided at levels way over our head," he said. "We have no control and no input, and we've got to do our job, and our job is to prepare our team for the season and that's going to proceed as normal."

Lagerwey said that until his boss, owner Dave Checketts, informs him otherwise, he and RSL's coaching staff are proceeding with their plans to begin the preseason on Feb. 10.

As for a contingency plan if negotiations don't proceed smoothly?

"I honestly don't know," said Lagerwey. "I've got enough to do to worry about executing a successful preseason, if something happens, something happens."

Tentatively, RSL's shortened training camp is set to begin on Feb. 10 in preparation for its season-opener at San Jose on March 27.

The bulk of RSL's preseason will be spent at warmer destinations. It will set up camp in Phoenix, Ariz. from Feb. 13-27, and then in Charleston, S.C. from March 5-21. In the week in between the players will train in Utah.

Even though MLS teams can officially kick off their respective preseasons today, Lagerwey said he and coach Jason Kreis just don't see the need for two additional weeks of training camp this year. First, most of the last year's team is returning so there's already familiarity among the players. Secondly, RSL will play a minimum of seven additional games this season between the U.S. Open Cup and CONCACAF Champions League, and the coaching staff doesn't want to overwork the team in February.

"By bringing a lot of the same guys back we wanted to have a bit tighter and shorter preseason," said Lagerwey.

Even though the veterans definitely won't report for training camp until Feb. 10, Lagerwey said the coaching staff is considering bringing in the RSL's rookies and second-year players on Feb. 1 for an extra week of work.

Real Salt Lake's slate of preseason games hasn't officially been finalized, but it has already committed to participate in the Carolina Challenge Cup in March along with Toronto FC, D.C. United and the Charleston Battery.

e-mail: jedward@desnews.com