Defining exactly what goes into a rivalry is a difficult task.
Factor in the teams' history against each other, consider their relative places in the standings and fold in their geographic locations. There are many things to consider, but Real Salt Lake's Jason Kreis just goes with his gut.
"You sort of know," Kreis said after training Monday in preparation for the July 4 game against Chivas USA at Rice-Eccles Stadium. "Watching them play, you get this feeling in your stomach that you know it's a rivalry. We were just in there watching them (on tape) and I got that feeling in my stomach that it's a rivalry."
With that question settled, Kreis and the rest of the RSL squad are ready to face their fellow 2005 expansion team. The game is an opportunity for RSL to put things right after going 0-3-1 in its last four games and after seeing disappointing results in the last two games.
Real have put themselves back on track once already this season. The team started with an 0-5-1 record before beating the Los Angeles Galaxy 3-0 and going on a four-game point streak. But it will have a difficult time putting things right against Chivas, a team that has gone 2-0-3 since its last loss.
"The opening game is important to remember because it's important to remember how we felt," midfielder Kenny Cutler said. "We had a great preseason and we came into Chivas feeling confident, and that went away pretty quick."
The season opener was RSL's worst loss of the season, a 3-0 decision. It was the only game this year that saw RSL lose by more than one goal.
"Now, we need to get some pride back," Cutler said. "We need to get a win; we need to get some points."
The game should be the first time both Douglas Sequeira and Eddie Pope are back on the field for the kickoff since the pair departed for World Cup play. The last time both players started was on May 7, a 1-0 home loss to the Columbus Crew. In the next game, RSL started off its most successful streak of the season without the international standouts.
But having Pope and Sequeira back on the field can only help.
"They bring the level up; they bring the intensity up, and they are great leaders," Cutler said. "They lead by example. We have a lot of great leaders on the team, but just to get these guys back with their experience helps, because we have a lot of young players as well."
Chivas enters the game having earned a 3-0 victory against the Western Conference-leading club FC Dallas. The Goats are in third place in the conference with 22 points, 10 more than RSL, which is tied for last place with the Galaxy.
"They have a team that fits [coach] Bob Bradley's personality," RSL midfielder Chris Klein said. "They work very hard, and they work very hard together. And they all seem to be on the same page."
But Klein believes RSL is up to the task.
"We feel that we have the necessary things in our locker room to be one of the better teams in this league," Klein said.
Having done it once, coach John Ellinger knows what it takes to get Real back on track again.
"We've got to get past the whole feeling sorry for yourself thing and start again," Ellinger said.
Peter Richins is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
