Every pass, every shot, every tackle, every save, every game, each and every step counts exponentially more at this point in the season, but the players can't dwell on that. Every touch of the ball is essential, but as players, they can't be consumed by that. The time has come for RSL to make every pressure-filled moment on the field count, but if that becomes their sole thought, their obsession, the desired outcome will never happen.
I've been a part of seasons like this one that RSL is experiencing. I've seen the story go well, as it did in 2004 in Columbus, and I've seen it end as awfully as it did, also in Columbus, in 2005. Injuries certainly play a part, but personnel and attitudes are what really makes the difference. Ahhhh, and let's not forget a little thing called luck.
If you think this season is difficult to watch as a fan, with its short-lived highs and enduring lows, try being a player in that situation. You have no idea how difficult it is to be the players on RSL right now. The players that care are practically getting ulcers on a daily basis. Those players find it hard to have normal days outside of training and games.
It is most of what you think about. Your family life can be affected, as you are consumed with what needs to be done better, to make the results better. When you are a competitive person, and what you do for a living is compete, your life becomes miserable when the competition is not going well. Needless to say, the competition is going poorly right now for RSL.
I read Carey Talley's comments after the last game, and I completely empathize. It is frustrating when your team lets down, even for one critical moment, in the effort department, and you watch a game slip right out from under you. Players have good days and bad days. Days where everything you try works. And days where nothing you attempt goes in your favor.
Whatever type of day you are having, you can always try, run hard, and work defensively to help your team. If you are having a stinker with the ball, you can at least make sure that you are not a liability to your team. That is the kind of effort that Carey is talking about needing to see over the course of the next 17 games.
There are several very good professionals on RSL, and men who have a lot of character. While it may be hard to watch them self-destruct sometimes, fans should know that there are a great number of players on the team who care a great deal about the way the season is unfolding. They definitely still have time to turn things around, but the task is growing taller and taller with each unsuccessful result.
I remember always thinking that if we could have a few good results going into the All-Star break, then we could begin the second half of the season on a new and better foot.
That is not unreasonable at all, for RSL. There is no magic formula however, and it is not just going to happen. The players really have to examine their own games, and see what more they can do to help accomplish the overall goals. If each player addresses his own issues, and improved just a bit, the overall gain would be immeasurable. Each player is going to have to take a REAL look, and see what needs to be improved upon. Players don't generally like to work on things that they are not comfortable doing, but the players at RSL don't have a choice now. They have to find ways to get more out of themselves and ultimately the team improves.
The other thing they need is the continued crowd support at their home games. It can make such a difference to a team, when they are at home, and the fans really cheer them on. RSL has enjoyed tremendous crowd support from the beginning, and the fans shouldn't abandon them now. The home team gets a lift from the positive energy they can hear or sense. It would be a shame if the crowds started to diminish, and RSL lost that advantage that they now enjoy.
Effort, hard work, and making a little of their own luck, is how RSL can get out of the rut. The rut is deep and has been growing deeper, but the players are steadfastly committed, and with your support, anything is possible.
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 last October, and now begins his first season with RSL as the team's color television analyst. 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.
Comments? E-mail Robin and the entire RSL broadcast crew at fun@realsaltlake.com, and your e-mail could be featured in the Computech "Fan Feedback" feature on all RSL on KSL and FSN Utah broadcasts, as well as on KALL 700 AM.
