Real Salt Lake may have only been in training camp for a week, but already the team is chomping at the bit to face someone who isn’t wearing Claret-and-Cobalt. On Saturday, that thirst will be quenched when RSL takes on San Diego State University at noon PT at the SoCal Sports Complex in Oceanside, California.
“I think the guys want that,” RSL Head Coach Jeff Cassar said. “We need it too. We need to see where we’re at right now, but it should be exciting.”
RSL is six days into its preseason trip to California, with two-a-days ruling the day in Oceanside. With eight on-field training sessions and two more on the beach under Oceanside Pier, Cassar has led highly-focused sessions to get the club ready to face Tigres on February 24 in the first leg of the aggregate-goal CONCACAF Champions League Quarterfinal series.
The primary objectives have been building fitness and establishing defensive shape as RSL progresses through each session. Those two elements will be put to the test on Saturday with the first match.
“I really want to see what our defensive shape is like. That’s really been the focus for the last five days so far,” Cassar said. “I want to see what we’re doing when we’re winning the ball and where we’re winning the ball. We’ve been trying to do things higher up the field so it’s less passes to get to the goal and so far, so good.”
While RSL has the talent to beat San Diego State handily, the end result isn’t as important in preseason as continuing the development toward the end goal. Playing the right way and executing the game plan should certainly result in victory, but to Cassar, preseason matches are built for analysis of individuals, team fitness and implementing team philosophies than wins and losses.
“At the end of the day, we’re trying to make sure we have a winning culture,” Cassar said. “A result does mean something but really more is about having a clean sheet and playing the way we want to. Winning is contagious, obviously, but it isn’t the end-all, be-all.”
San Diego State is coming off of an 8-8-3 season in 2015, led by senior forward Rene Reyes who notched six goals and three assists. Among the returners include junior forward Jeroen Mefout (4 G, 3 A), freshman defender Kyle Adams (2015 College Soccer News All-Freshman third team), sophomore goalkeeper Adam Almaras (Honorable Mention All-Pac-12) and defender Travis Nicklaw (Honorable Mention All-Pac-12).
Cassar expects to use a mixture of veterans and newcomers in Saturday’s game, with another preseason match upcoming on Tuesday against Tijuana in Mexico.
