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For RSL the Bumpy Road Lays Ahead
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RSL will need Nick Rimando to come up big in the
second leg against Columbus (AP Photo/George Frey)
The Columbus Crew finished the 2009 regular season as the top team in MLS easily cruising into the playoffs while Real Salt Lake was the last team to make it into the playoffs thanks in part to a series of unlikely results. Despite the disparity between the regular season for each team it was not all that surprising to see Real come away from their first leg matchup with Columbus with a 1-0 lead at Rio Tinto on Saturday.
Real Salt Lake was arguably the best team in MLS when playing at home. RSL finished with nine wins, 5 draws, and only one loss at home with a league best +23 goal differential. In fact over the past two years, RSL has only lost three times at home compared with 19 wins after the latest victory over Columbus. Based on these statistics the win over the Crew in the first leg can hardly be seen as shocking.
The problem for RSL remains their inability to get results on the road. Real’s performance on the road is a polar opposite to their performance at home, finishing with just two wins, two draws, and eleven losses in the 2009 season with a -15 goal differential. Over the last two years RSL has only managed four wins on the road compared with 20 losses.
The real shock in this playoff series will come if RSL can overcome their road woes and get a result in the away leg against Columbus. Compounding Real Salt Lake’s road troubles is the fact that the Crew has been a very good team at home compiling nine wins on the season with only two losses and four draws. Even with the Crew down by one goal heading into the second leg many pundits still see Columbus advancing easily due to the perception that RSL will not be able to hold on to the lead on the road.
Working in RSL’s favor is the fact that they have been in this position before. In 2008 Real held a one goal advantage over Chivas USA heading into the second leg of a playoff series on the road after having only won two game on the road all season. Despite a season worth of problems on the road, Real came out and scored the first goal and held on to earn a 2-2 draw which allowed RSL to advance to the next round.
The old adage in sports is that you are only as good as your last game and despite what the season long trends may predict, RSL is now in a position to redefine their season. A win or draw against Columbus on Thursday in the second leg and a season worth of futility on the road becomes just another statistic.
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