On Oct. 20, 2007, the Colorado Rapids hosted rival Real Salt Lake with plenty of rewards, both tangible and otherwise, on the line.
The Rapids were in the midst of a late-season surge toward the final berth in the MLS Cup Playoffs, and needed a win against RSL to keep their postseason dreams alive.
Also hanging in the balance that autumn night was the Rocky Mountain Cup, the trophy awarded annually to the winner of the series between Colorado and RSL.
For a pair of teams that have experienced more downs than ups in their respective histories, it was a game that held a special feel of extra importance and league-wide relevance.
But while Colorado might have had a potential playoff spot to gain, it was Real Salt Lake who rose to the occasion and came away with a season-redeeming 1-0 win to capture the Rocky Mountain Cup for the first time and a boost of confidence to take forward for the club's fourth season.
Real's win against the Rapids was their biggest of the season and capped what was a solid finish to an otherwise disappointing 2007.
After struggling to a 4-13-6 record through Sept. 12, Real finished 2-2-3 over their final seven matches, their only losses in that stretch coming by one goal apiece to Western Conference powers Houston Dynamo and Chivas USA.
"There were three parts to our improvement really," said RSL head coach Jason Kreis. "First, we acquired some younger, talented pieces midway through the season. Second, we were able to make our training sessions much more competitive. We tried to provide a professional atmosphere everyday. And third, it just takes time for new pieces to gel and our players were able to do that."
As Kreis alluded, the oats of the strong finish were sown on June 21, when Real made a trade with the club's future in mind, sending veteran midfielder Chris Klein to LA Galaxy in exchange for two promising youngsters, forward Robbie Findley and defender Nathan Sturgis.
Findley wasted no time in establishing himself as one of the league's most exciting young strikers, as he scored two goals in his RSL debut on June 23 vs. D.C. United, leading the team to its first win of the year at nearly the halfway point of the season. Findley finished his RSL season with six goals in 16 games.
"Robbie Findley didn't start every game for us last year but still managed to be our leading scorer," said RSL head coach Jason Kreis. "We all feel very good about him. His ceiling is very high."
With a strong finish to 2007 fresh in their minds and a strong nucleus of young talent to build around, Real Salt Lake head into the new year with a lot of positive momentum.
"I think we did a nice job assembling young talent to help in the rebuilding of our organization," said Real Salt Lake general manager Garth Lagerwey, who was hired in August. "We also did a good job in changing the mentality of our team from one that didn't experience much success to one that was competitive in every match. We're looking forward to a successful 2008."
An improved mentality alone will not be enough to spark an upward turn in the standings for RSL, however.
The Western Conference is home to the two-time MLS champion Houston Dynamo, regular season conference champion Chivas USA, offensive juggernaut FC Dallas, and an LA Galaxy squad that will surely be improved with a full season from David Beckham.
For RSL to take the next step as a club and qualify for the MLS Cup Playoffs for the first time ever, the team's talent level must be improved to match that of the West's best teams.
To acquire the pieces necessary to make a playoff run, Lagerwey will exhaust every option at his disposal, including looking overseas to fill RSL's international player allotment.
"We need to continue to add talent. We're always looking abroad and within the league to make acquisitions that will add talent to our roster," said Lagerwey. "We have three of the first 17 picks in the (MLS SuperDraft), and we have four international spots open. We've been to a handful of countries looking for talent and we've identified players we like.
"So, that's seven players who we'll bring in to compete for jobs with our team," the GM continued. "That should make for a very competitive preseason and ultimately a better team."
While Real are anxious to see immediate improvements that will lead to a better record in 2008, the team's long-term vision of building from within remains intact and at the forefront of all club planning.
When asked about his team's young talent, Lagerwey doesn't try to contain his excitement.
"Any talk of our young foundation has to start with our three prospective Olympians: Nathan Sturgis, Robbie Findley and Chris Seitz," said Lagerwey proudly. "We think very highly of each player and think they each have a chance to represent the United States in Beijing next summer."
The three have been invited to take part in the U.S. under-23 national team training camp in California to prepare for a two-match tour of China, in advance of the CONCACAF qualifying competition in March where the USA will try to reach the Beijing Games.
Seitz will team with incumbent starter Nick Rimando in 2008 to form a very dependable duo in net for Real.
"Having both Chris (Seitz) and Nick (Rimando) is a very good situation for us," said Kreis. "There aren't a lot of teams in MLS that have two quality 'keepers like us. We're extremely happy with both players and won't hesitate to start either one. We want to be able to bring Chris along, and we know young goalkeepers need to play games. Our third 'keeper, Kyle Reynish is also very solid, and there's a good chance he will see time with the first team as well."
The beginning stage of rebuilding RSL is over, and now the club heads into the next stage of its development with an eye toward making the playoffs. The team will hang its hat on a competitive nature honed in a high-energy, professional practice setting, and even if it takes more than one offseason to close the talent gap in the West, Real look to be on the right track.
"We just need to continue to gel, get better, and maintain the competitive level of our training sessions," said Kreis. "We need to become more tactically aware on the field. And we also need to add some more talented pieces. If we can add those things together, that should translate into a playoff season."
Dante Carnevale is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
