SANDY -- While Real Salt Lake's massive unbeaten streak melted away in the sweltering Texas heat last weekend, the team is looking to make that just a small bump in the road.
Returning to its fortress-like home pitch at Rio Tinto Stadium, RSL kicks off a four-match stretch against arguably the four worst teams in Major League Soccer this season.
The sequence begins tonight against 2005 expansion rival Chivas USA. The Goats are 4-9-2 and have a Western Conference-worst 14 points at the mid-point of the MLS season.
Kickoff between Real and Chivas is set for 8 p.m., with a post-game fireworks show sponsored by Salt Lake Regional Medical Center. Real is unbeaten at home in 18 straight league matches and 22 consecutive matches overall. The Utah side is 6-0-2 at Rio Tinto this season, with a 20-5 goal differential.
RSL might still be on its unbeaten streak if not for a formation switch against FC Dallas last week that even Real coach Jason Kreis questioned.
"First and foremost, I'm looking in the mirror about the decision to change the formation. Ultimately I think we have to consider all things when we put the players in different positions," Kreis said. "We're frustrated because we're not possessing the ball; there's reasons for that, we're going to have to analyze that decision to see if we should make that decision moving forward, and we've got to continue to learn as coaches."
After playing the entire season in the 4-4-2 diamond midfield, Kreis moved his squad to a 4-5-1 with Robbie Findley in the lone striker role. Kreis tried to turn the tide when the match was still tied, returning to RSL's usual system, but Dallas converted twice in a short span of time to capture the victory.
It was Real's first loss since April 24 (a 1-0 defeat at Columbus) and was the first goal allowed by the Utah side since May 29, snapping a 567-minute shutout steak that ranked as the third-longest in league history.
"We move forward," Kreis said. "We need to forget that game as quickly as possible. The biggest concern is how the players will view it, and whether or not they can move on quickly. We haven't lost a game in a long time, so it feels brand new."
Real defeated Chivas 2-1 with an 89th minute strike by Fabian Espindola on May 22, but trails the all-time series 5-9-3 and has been outscored 28-19 in those 17 matches.
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