Cameron Brinkerhoff, who earlier wrote a piece on traveling to Colorado as our side won the Rocky Mountain Cup, joins Under the Crossbar with this post on the Western Conference Final.
Sunday, match day. It’s finally here; as RSL and LA prepare to face off tonight I can’t help but be a little bit nervous. With the first round of the playoffs typifying the season, it’s easy to lapse into a state of uncertainty. However, there is something that keeps me from doubting, something that keeps me sure that the Claret and Cobalt are up to the task at hand. We are Real Salt Lake, a team that has risen to meet challenge after challenge, a team that has done exactly what it set out to this season. Coach Kreis has said multiple times that RSL is a team that plays best with its back to the wall and with having to deal with international call ups for Beckerman, Johnson, and others; Javi's ankle being violated by Mondaiani; and most recently, facing Seattle without Borchers and Olave, our backs have gotten to know that wall all too well.
That being said, with all that adversity we should be at our very best. With tonight’s match looming I know that our boys have got what it takes to meet the Galaxy head on and get the job done, and they know it to. On Friday, Tony Beltran said, “I feel like our team is pretty confident going to LA. We’ve had some good results over the years. LA is a very talented team and so are we.” Well-spoken Tony. We are a talented team: a talented team that’s not afraid of big name home-grown players and a few EPL retirees.
So what do we need to do to get it done? Well, not to sound like an AYSO coach, but the simple answer is fundamentals. RSL is going to have to play their game, which means possession. We can’t drop back into a compact defensive position and lob clearances out to our forwards all night. With out knowing for sure if both Olave and Borchers will be fit, whatever back line we field is going to need to be vocal and do a better job of playing the ball back to Nick than we did in Seattle, giving the offense time to spread out and move up field. The midfield needs to be progressive in moving the ball, our passing will need to be accurate and often. Sabo and Fabian will need to be in top form, hopefully Sabo will turn on and lock down those first touches. Of course, the all important and often elusive skill of finishing is key, we’ll have to bury them in the back of the net when the opportunity presents itself. All right, so that’s the pep talk, get it done boys.
Really, I don’t feel like we have a whole lot to worry about, Seattle was the only team that gave me fits. We can handle anything from here on out; it’s just a matter of staying focused and not getting the best of ourselves. I’ve always felt that RSL is a deep enough team that we can handle any team in the league and we have the advantage of being one of the more senior squads out there. We’ve been here before, we know how these boys from LA play, and we know how to get it done. It’s time for the Claret and Cobalt to forget the wall, to play with the dominance we did in the first leg with the Sounders and move on to the Cup final. Come on RSL! Down the Galaxy!
Cameron will be joining Under the Crossbar regularly as a guest columnist. He can found on Twitter at @djcamshaft.
Comments