Real Salt Lake made a calculated risk against the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday night – and it backfired in a big way. With next Wednesday's upcoming US Open Cup semifinal against Sporting Kansas City looming, RSL fielded a lineup that had an average age of 22.7 years.
RSL left almost all of their regular starters back in Salt Lake City in an attempt to get them rested and ready for their midweek clash against Sporting Kansas City. It was a strategic decision with the bigger picture in mind.
"I have confidence in every player on our team. So this is what we chose," Real Salt Lake head coach Jeff Cassar said after the match. "We have to live with it and move on from it fast and go after a win in Kansas City.”
Despite Cassar’s confidence in his entire roster, things turned sour pretty quickly for the visitors when referee Chris Penso pointed to the spot in just the seventh minute, awarding the Whitecaps an early penalty. Whitecaps forward Octavio Rivero calmly slotted the ball home and gave the home side the early lead.
Then, in the 29th minute, Penso penalized Cassar, sending the manager off for what looked to be dissent. The RSL boss said it played out a bit differently.
“I was just trying to protect my players who had been getting kicked,” Cassar said. “He gave a super soft PK that I disagreed with, but that wasn’t it. He came up to me and said, ‘The next thing you say, you’re getting kicked out.’ I said, ‘Three fouls.’ That’s it. Totally uncalled for.”
Cassar left the match and things proceeded to get worse.
The Whitecaps scored three more goals over the final 61 minutes, burying RSL deep underground. The Utah club was unable to mount any serious threats on goal and Vancouver ran away with the victory. It was an unabashed beatdown, but it was a strategic decision by Cassar and company with heavy travel and the upcoming USOC semifinal on their minds.
“We had a very tough game in DC, a tough [CONCACAF Champions League] game in Guatemala, and then to have a third one in quick succession was not going to be easy, no matter what,” Cassar said. “But if we can turn around and get a result against Kansas City in the Open Cup semis, we have the opportunity to be hosting a final in our building. That’s where we put our focus.”
RSL backup goalkeeper Jeff Attinella summed up the evening in his post-game comments.
“There’s not much rest,” Attinella said. “I’m more excited about the chance to go to Kansas City. After a game like that, all you want to do is get back on the field. We’re playing for a cup championship. If we can get a win in Kansas City, we’re well on our way, so it’s a really big opportunity. I think everyone is just ready to get back out there, get on the field and show that what happened tonight, isn’t the team that we are.”
Tyler Gray covers Real Salt Lake for MLSsoccer.com.
