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Earthquakes-Real Salt Lake Preview

Jul 2, 2009 - 4:58 PM By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO STATS Writer

San Jose (3-8-3) at Real Salt Lake (5-6-4), 10:00 p.m. EDT

Real Salt Lake feels success at home will be a key factor if it's going to return to the playoffs. Its first win at Rio Tinto Stadium in two months has the team moving in the right direction.

Salt Lake will try to extend its overall unbeaten streak to five games and avenge its last loss as it hosts the last-place San Jose Earthquakes on Friday night.

Real (5-6-4) won its first three home games of the season, capped by a club-record 6-0 victory over New England on April 25. The next three home games didn't work out so well, going 0-1-2, but the team ended that slump at Rio Tinto with a 3-0 win over Toronto on Saturday.

Salt Lake parlayed an 8-1-6 home record into its first playoff appearance last season. That run ended in stunning fashion with a 1-0 home loss to New York in the Western Conference final in November.

This season, the club is fifth in the conference, two points behind Colorado for the last playoff position.

"If we continue to make sure we get these points at home and if we continue to play like this and be tough to break down and give up not so many chances I think we're going to be in the driver's seat," said RSL midfielder Clint Mathis, who scored Saturday and got his team-leading sixth assist on Kyle Beckerman's goal.

Salt Lake is unbeaten in its last four games (2-2-0) since falling 2-1 at San Jose (3-8-3) on May 30. It last went five games without a loss to close the 2008 regular season and qualify for the playoffs. RSL's current streak, though, features two ties that came when allowing goals in the final two minutes of play.

"I've been telling the guys the last three or four weeks that most of the goal and scoring chances happen in transition," RSL coach Jason Kreis said. "It happens because there is a misplay in the middle third of the field and it comes down to who reacts quicker."

Salt Lake will be without Beckerman, a defensive midfielder known for his tough play, after he was named to the U.S. roster for the CONCACAF Gold Cup, which runs July 3-26.

Real went 1-0-1 against the Earthquakes at home last season.

San Jose is coming off a 13-day layoff looking to win consecutive games for the first time since Aug. 3-16. The club defeated Los Angeles 2-1 on June 20, as Ryan Johnson's goal in the 54th minute held up as the difference.

Johnson, drafted in the third round by Real in 2006, is enjoying a career year with the Quakes, netting a team-high six goals after getting five all of last season. The Jamaican forward didn't score in 10 games with Salt Lake and Chicago in 2006 before playing in Sweden the following year.

"For me, Ryan is a great example of how to play the game, at least how I want it played," Earthquakes coach Frank Yallop told the team's official Web site. "He never gives up on anything. He's dependable, brave, he always puts in a hard day of work in practice, and it's showing in games."