The end is in sight for Real Salt Lake’s rigorous road trip of five matches in 15 days, spanning three countries and three competitions. Having already ventured to Washington, D.C., Guatemala City and Vancouver, the last road match of the stretch comes Wednesday in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup semifinal against Sporting Kansas City at Sporting Park.
RSL captain Kyle Beckerman was in the fold for the first two matches of the trip and while he was not active for the club’s 4-0 loss to Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Saturday, he took advantage of the time off over the weekend to get his body right for two tough upcoming matches against Kansas City on Wednesday and at home against the Portland Timbers on Saturday.
In an interview on The Bill & OC Show on ESPN 700, Beckerman talked about the big opportunity ahead on Wednesday and what it would mean to RSL to get that victory.
“It’d be a great way to end this little trip. It’s been a tough one. Even the guys who aren’t playing very much, it takes it out of you flying all over the place,” Beckerman said. “We’re looking forward to the game on Wednesday. To get a chance to get into a final for another trophy would be huge. It would be great if we can do it.”
The stretch of matches put on display RSL’s three different competitions in MLS regular season play, the CONCACAF Champions League and the U.S. Open Cup. With a starting lineup that included some of the top players on the roster, RSL was able to outlast Municipal 1-0 in the Champions League last Tuesday and now has another opportunity at success in an outside competition against Kansas City in the Open Cup.
While some look to compartmentalize each separate competition, Beckerman approaches each match with the mentality to win the game.
“We’re looking to win every game. Results haven’t gone our way in league play, but we’re trying to win everywhere. We’re continually trying to improve,” Beckerman said. “For me, it’s just one long season. We had a tough result on Saturday. It’s the semifinals and that’s some extra incentive, but let’s have a good reaction and make up for the loss on Saturday and get back to our winning ways. That’s the thought that’s coming in my mind. And that also comes with a place in the final which is great.”
The semifinal match kicks off at 6:30 p.m. MT on Wednesday and will be broadcast on radio on ESPN 700. A live web stream of the match can also be seen on RealSaltLake.com.
To hear the full interview with Beckerman, click here.
