Red Bulls 0 - 3 Real Salt Lake
Final
  for this game

NY, RSL seek crucial win in playoff push

Aug 5, 2011 - 8:16 PM Sandy, UT (Sports Network) - After consistently playing like an MLS Cup contender for much of the season, Real Salt Lake has hit a snag, losing its last two Major League Soccer regular season matches.

After losing consecutive matches to the Columbus Crew and Sporting Kansas City, both by a score of 2-0, Real Salt Lake head coach Jason Kreis recognizes that his club needs a monumental performance when it hosts Red Bull New York on Saturday.

"My morale is real bad. We need guys right now to feel that pain because I honestly feel that we're at a precipice for our season right now," Kreis said. "We need a huge game on Saturday, a huge effort, we need these guys to pull together and give absolutely everything they have because to have three losses in a row would be monstrously bad."

New York is also in a bit of a recent slump in MLS regular season play, going 0-2-2 in its last four league matches.

But the club found success in the Emirates Cup in England last weekend, where it defeated Paris Saint-Germain and tied Arsenal to claim first place in the four-team tournament.

Red Bulls head coach Hans Backe spoke after the tournament, hoping the experience would improve his team's play in MLS.

"The players must take this momentum boost back with them," Backe said. "I said to them [before the tournament] anything could happen in this Emirates Cup. We could lose 6-0 both games and embarrass ourselves; but to pick up a 1-0 win [against PSG] and tie a game with Arsenal, even after only having 20 percent of possession, it shows that we can defend well and we will take that with us."

In its last outing, New York earned a 2-2 draw at home against Western Conference powerhouse FC Dallas.

Dallas pulled ahead with 12 minutes left in the match, but Thierry Henry got a late equalizer through a brilliant bit of skill and a perfectly-placed shot.

Henry will be looking to take advantage of Real Salt Lake's thin back line, which is missing Jamison Olave after he was injured in the MLS All-Star game last week.

Real Salt Lake has been stellar at home all season, posting a 7-2-3 record at Rio Tinto Stadium, while the Red Bulls have only managed to record a 1-3-8 on the road.






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