RSL shut out again? RSL didn't win yet another game? RSL still looking for their first three-point outing? These are some of the things that undoubtedly have been said in the last couple of days. This may seem like the same old RSL, but new head coach Jason Kreis is on the right track.
His comments leading into the game, and following the game, show that Kreis does understand what it takes to be successful as a coach. Your team must be organized above all else. It doesn't matter how talented your team is, if you aren't an organized group, then you'll never be truly successful.
Look back at some of the past Champions of MLS. Houston, Los Angeles, San Jose (see Houston), D.C. United - all teams that were very well-organized defensively. The first Galaxy team to win in 2002 survived completely on "The Fish" scoring one to two goals - sometimes on penalty kicks - each game. The rest of that team worked hard to get behind the ball, and someone would provide Ruiz with a decent service, often late in a game when the opponents were tired ... end of story. That Galaxy edition rode the formula all the way to a championship.
D.C. United in 2004 were so good at keeping the ball, possessing the ball, that they always had numbers around for high pressure in the unlikely event they turned it over. When they lost it, they were in good spots to defend and win it back. Their use of three defenders rarely got exposed because their midfield not only was great at keeping the ball, but they were great at applying pressure once they had lost it.
San Jose/Houston has been the best MLS team for most of this decade. They have composed their roster with a group of players who were extremely unselfish. They just know their roles, everyone working hard to get behind the ball every time they lose it. That team has done a very good job of choosing personalities that are extremely selfless. They have been the best and truest "team" because of it. No one can argue the point that team play - understanding and contribution from players 1 through 28 - has been the key to their collective success.
Conversely, the Galaxy team of 1998 was the most exciting team that this league has ever seen. We (I'm proud to have been a member of that squad) scored 85 goals in our regular season. We were beating teams by scores of 8-1, 7-4, etc. In the minds of our attackers, it was never if they would score, but when and how many. That team was worth watching, and exciting to be a part of. But the conscientious players on that team were always worried. We knew that while we were very talented going forward, there wasn't enough structure in place to defend consistently against the best teams. We, unfortunately, were proven right. As we stumbled out of the playoffs to the eventual champions, the Chicago Fire, it felt like that was inevitable. From the top down, there simply wasn't enough structure to the way we defended. That ultimately cost us a championship.
Jason Kreis was an intelligent soccer player. He obviously didn't just sit up front and poach goals. He understands that team play, and more directly, team defending is the platform on which successful teams are built. Every comment he made after the game reflected some satisfaction with the fact that his team was more aware defensively, and as a result, were less vulnerable.
Getting defensive organization doesn't, I'm sure, sound like the sexy, exciting progress that the average fan wants to hear about. But Mr. and Mrs. Average Fan, trust me on this: When the organization is in place and RSL are winning games, and playoff games because of it, it will all have been worth it. Jason Kreis and RSL have a long way to go, but the right starting point has clearly been identified.
Robin Fraser, a five-time MLS Best XI selection and two-time MLS Defender of the Year, ended his 10-year MLS career and 16-year professional career after the 2005 season as a member of the Columbus Crew, and now continues his second season with RSL as the team's color television analyst on KSL and FSN Utah. Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Fraser amassed 27 caps for the U.S. National Team and was drafted fourth overall by the Los Angeles Galaxy in the inaugural MLS draft.
