Defensive Posture Unlikely to Change
Don't expect coach Jason Kreis to suddenly start worrying about scoring, now that the defense has been solid for a couple of road games in a row.
“I'm very cautions to say that we should change our thinking right now,” he said. “We've established a good mentality on the road with what needs to happen. I think were creating the right number of chances to have walked out of D.C. — again — with three points, but we're happy for the one point we had. So I don't really you'll see a whole lot change” when the team plays at struggling San Jose on Saturday.
Defender Robbie Russell agreed, saying it has been “huge” for RSL to avoid conceding early goals on the road. That happened in each of its first three road games — all losses — but not in its last two.
“It helps you build confidence as the game goes along,” he said, “you don't feel like you're chasing something. What happens when you start chasing games, all of the sudden you open yourself up to counter-attacks … so it's a big help.
“We just wanted to get back to fundamentals and getting good defending and then not worrying about the goals,” Russell added. “Just making sure we have the good defense in, and if a goal comes, it's an added bonus — especially on the road. We've definitely made huge strides towards that.”
The team played to a scoreless draw at D.C. United last week with regular starting left back Chris Wingert coming off the bench late.
The move marked the first time since he joined the club that Wingert has not started, but Kreis said he needed a break — both mental and physical — after going hard since January, on account of the time he spent training with the national team. At the same time, Kreis said young Tony Beltran “really deserved a chance” back in the startling lineup, after playing well there when central defender Jamison Olave was suspended recently. So it will be interesting to see whether both Beltran and Russell will get the nod again on the outside, or if Wingert will earn his way back into the team and displace one of them.
“I'm very cautions to say that we should change our thinking right now,” he said. “We've established a good mentality on the road with what needs to happen. I think were creating the right number of chances to have walked out of D.C. — again — with three points, but we're happy for the one point we had. So I don't really you'll see a whole lot change” when the team plays at struggling San Jose on Saturday.
Defender Robbie Russell agreed, saying it has been “huge” for RSL to avoid conceding early goals on the road. That happened in each of its first three road games — all losses — but not in its last two.
“It helps you build confidence as the game goes along,” he said, “you don't feel like you're chasing something. What happens when you start chasing games, all of the sudden you open yourself up to counter-attacks … so it's a big help.
“We just wanted to get back to fundamentals and getting good defending and then not worrying about the goals,” Russell added. “Just making sure we have the good defense in, and if a goal comes, it's an added bonus — especially on the road. We've definitely made huge strides towards that.”
The team played to a scoreless draw at D.C. United last week with regular starting left back Chris Wingert coming off the bench late.
The move marked the first time since he joined the club that Wingert has not started, but Kreis said he needed a break — both mental and physical — after going hard since January, on account of the time he spent training with the national team. At the same time, Kreis said young Tony Beltran “really deserved a chance” back in the startling lineup, after playing well there when central defender Jamison Olave was suspended recently. So it will be interesting to see whether both Beltran and Russell will get the nod again on the outside, or if Wingert will earn his way back into the team and displace one of them.
posted by www.sltrib.com @ 3:12 PM |
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