• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Red Bulls-Real Salt Lake Preview

Sep 3, 2010 - 7:56 PM By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO STATS Writer

New York (11-7-4) at Real Salt Lake (11-4-7), 9:00 p.m. EDT

Real Salt Lake just needs a tie to equal an MLS record while setting a franchise mark. A win, however, could give the reigning MLS Cup champion a share of the Western Conference lead.

Salt Lake attempts to match the longest home unbeaten streak in league history when it faces the New York Red Bulls on Saturday night.

RSL (11-4-7) has gone 15-0-6 at Rio Tinto Stadium since a 2-0 loss to Kansas City on May 16, 2009. The club also won the lone playoff game there in that stretch, beating Columbus in October on its way to winning its first league title.

Salt Lake's run, which includes a 2-0 win over New York (11-7-4) on Oct. 14, is one short of the Crew's MLS-record home unbeaten streak that ended last September. Real kept its string intact with a 2-0 win over Columbus on Aug. 14 in its most recent game as host.

After playing Toronto to a scoreless tie last Saturday, RSL is in position to set a team record for points in a season, and it has eight games left to do it. Salt Lake's 40 points tie the mark set last year, and leave it three behind Los Angeles for first place in the West.

"We're in a good spot. We've put ourselves in a good position," midfielder Will Johnson said. "At the same time there's still a lot of room to grow, we're a few plays away from really being out front in this league."

RSL, however, will have to deal with the absences of Johnson and forward Alvaro Saborio due to national team commitments with Canada and Costa Rica, respectively.

Saborio's eight goals are a team high.

"At this time of the year, it's difficult to say to your fans and your ownership, 'By the way, we'll be missing these (two) fantastic players because they have to go represent their country,'" coach Jason Kreis said. "I would like to see MLS fall in line with the rest of the world in that."

New York, second in the East, is also short-handed due to international call-ups with goalkeeper Bouna Coundoul (Senegal), defender/midfielder Rafael Marquez (Mexico), defender Roy Miller (Costa Rica) and midfielder Dan Richards (Jamaica) all out.

"First time I ever find myself in the situation where a lot of our players are away and we still have to play," forward Thierry Henry told the team's official website.

Henry is looking to build on his first goal with the Red Bulls. He ended a five-game goal drought when he found the net in the 63rd minute of a 2-0 win over San Jose last Saturday. Richards also netted his first goal of the season.

Joel Lindpere, who has two goals and four assists, spared New York from missing another player as he declined recalls to Estonia's national team for the remainder of the season.

"I feel that it is important to help the Red Bulls, firstly, qualify for the playoffs and, secondly, compete for the MLS Cup championship," Lindpere said.

New York and Salt Lake will conclude their season series at Red Bull Arena on Oct. 9 - another FIFA match date.