The headline (or subject line, if you’re reading this in your email — if so, thank you for subscribing!) I wrote for this article is slightly tongue in cheek, and the subtitle doubly so. I don’t actually think Pablo Mastroeni drew up a game plan that had RSL losing 2-0, and I certainly don’t think he wanted RSL looking like they’d just stepped off a 12-hour plane ride along the way.
Pablo Mastroeni did talk about RSL needing to suffer during this match:
There are going to be moments in the game where we're going to have to suffer. Seattle's a great team, they have a great coach, they play really well at home, on turf, all the different variables. There's no denying the fact there's going to be suffering, but it's really taking advantage of the moments where we can get on top of the game. It's us that have to have the courage and bravery on the ball.
I get what he’s saying here. There was very little chance RSL would look as good as Seattle, if just because Seattle had to kickstart their season significantly earlier in an effort to compete in the Club World Cup following the CONCACAF Champions League trophy they won.
RSL’s been there — remember 2011? (Wait — that was 12 years ago? Oh no.) Having made the Champions League knockout stage, the team went on a four-game winning streak to start the season, and they might have continued but for the most devastating injury to an RSL player I’ve witnessed, when Javier Morales was scythed down by Chivas USA midfielder Marcos Mondaini, his ankle broken. Preparing for early-season knockout competition requires a different mindset, and I wouldn’t be shocked to see Seattle sputter a bit closer to the end.
But back to the game itself. Heber, having joined Seattle from New York City FC in the offseason and very much looking like he’s getting a needed fresh start, put five shots on target. Five. Five shots is one thing, but on target — that’s another thing altogether. It speaks to the time and space he was given repeatedly. Of course, the fact that he scored only one of those speaks to RSL goalkeeper Zac MacMath’s impact on the match, and we shouldn’t ignore that.
MacMath, for me, provided both some of RSL’s best moments and some of the most frustrating. His distribution out of the back remains hopeful at best, and I think that is in part down to the way RSL is instructed to play out of the back — go long, aim to knock down a header with Damir Kreilach, and if that fails, try to win the second ball. (If that’s not how the team is instructed but is how they’re playing, then perhaps there are other things that should be addressed.)
For every moment of bad distribution, MacMath provided steady hands in goal, and his saves never looked spectacular. That’s not a bad thing, as I think his positioning was generally sound, and he saved the things he should be saving.
How did RSL manage to concede twice and still look like they got away with one out there? The answer, for me, is all about a lack of defensive awareness across the team, and I think it’s best illustrated by the sequence of play that leads to the first goal.
This sequence of play is going to give me nightmares, I suspect. The ball bounces out from an RSL clearance to Alex Roldan, and he is given a good five seconds to send in a cross. Most players in MLS will have time to deliver an excellent cross during that time, and Roldan is no exception here. I find myself wondering how he’s sending in an unprotected cross with every outfield RSL player in frame, with the furthest forward Damir Kreilach in the defensive end of the middle third. There are literally nine players in the defensive third, and Roldan is still able to send in an undefended cross.
The positioning here is just all over the place, and I think we see that continue when Jordan Morris leaps over Andrew Brody to head the cross in. It’s a very good finish from Morris, heading the ball into the ground and catching MacMath out, but what is Brody doing as the player defending that cross? What is Glad doing standing in the middle? It’s an error, certainly, but that lack of organization is something with which I struggle.
Real Salt Lake faces Austin FC on Saturday in the home opener, and it’s sure to be an exciting occasion. Home openers almost always are, regardless of the outcome. Going on the road twice to start the campaign isn’t ideal (but three points from those two isn’t bad!), but, you know, I get it. I wouldn’t want to be playing soccer in Salt Lake in February and the first week of March, either.
That said, if you’re attending, bring a rain jacket and several warm layers with you. It’s looking like a cold one, and I wouldn’t be surprised even a little if this becomes one of those vaunted snow games. Austin’s won the last two meetings, but the real story here is that the home team has won each game the two have played against one another. Should be a fun one.
Hope you all have a good week out there, Real Salt Lake-supporting friends. And if you don’t support Salt Lake, I still hope you have a good week. Even if you support Seattle. We’re just that kind of operation here at Wasatch Soccer Sentinel.
A few notes to close, because I think column-writing is more interesting when there’s always a little extra:
Look out for our podcast later in the week — I’m sure we’ll all have plenty of thoughts on the match.
Speaking of podcasts, if you’re into science fiction, I record a podcast in which I read public domain science fiction stories, and a new episode in my fifth season dropped last night.
Speaking of science fiction, I’ve started a newsletter about short speculative fiction stories, both on the page and on the screen. New issues drop on Tuesdays and are totally free.
And speaking of totally free, this newsletter, as always, comes to you totally free. If you’d like to pledge to support us if we decide to go down that path, we’d be honored, but it’s absolutely no requirement to keep reading these thoughts on the first weekday after the match. (That’s me planning ahead for midweek games.) Anyway, thank you to everyone who’s subscribed so far, and a double thank you to everyone who’s pledged! (If we do accept your pledges, just know it’s largely because web hosting — while more affordable than it’s ever been, honestly — isn’t free. I can only use so many free-tier services to run this thing.) (Also, if you want to talk shop, drop me a line.)
Finally, thanks to everyone who read this far. You’re the best.
I truly appreciate your writing, Matt.