Ahead of Wednedsay's Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup semifinal match at Sporting Park, we caught up with Fox Sports and Real Salt Lake broadcaster Brian Dunseth to Real Salt Lake's recent road form, the rivalry between the two sides, and key players.
Jonathon Feyerherm: What's been Real Salt Lake's road form this season?
Brian Dunseth: This year in particular you look at losses at Montreal, New England, D.C. United, and at Vancouver, that's 18 goals conceded in just four games on the road, which is the polar opposite from the start of the year where they had shutouts in three of their first four matches (at Portland, at San Jose, at Sporting KC). Road form is a huge issue for the team right now. It's pretty evident by the goals they've conceded lately and it's going to be all hands on deck and they'll try to be as fresh as possible for Wednesday night at Sporting Park.
JF: What lineup do you expect to see from Real Salt Lake?
BD: I think it will be as close to a first team choice as possible. I would expect all the big names to be there and to be leading the charge. The fascinating thing about this matchup is that these two teams, while they don't like each other, seem to play really well against each other. The game itself is always high drama and high intensity. They don't like each other, it's pretty evident. From Real Salt Lake's perspective, being able to take seven of nine points (in regular season meetings) from three games against Sporting KC gives them a ton of confidence going into Sporting Park. And even when you go back to earlier this year and the 2013 MLS Cup Final where they pushed it overtime and it went to penalties. Psychologically, they're not necessarily afraid of Sporting KC, whether it's at home or on the road. I think that's one other interesting dynamic that comes into play, the pyschology of results and how potentially that affects one game like a U.S. Open Cup semifinal.
JF: Sporting KC and Real Salt Lake feature two of MLS' best attacking midfielders in Benny Feilhaber and Javier Morales. What do you expect to see from both players?
BD: I'm looking forward to seeing them pick up where they left off and that's jawing at one another at Rio Tinto Stadium a few weeks ago. Benny's an outstanding player in the league and if not the best then one of the top 3 players in MLS this season. I've always loved his self-belief and the style in which he approaches a game, the difference maker that he can be on a continual basis. I think that's why he and Morales jaw at each other. They're very similar players in a lot of ways. I think deep down if you ask them, they both would acknowledge they have the utmost respect for the style of each other but don't necessarily like each other. I expect them to be the usual difference makers.
JF: Are you expecting a more aggressive approach from Real Salt Lake compared to the April 11, 2015 meeting at Sporting Park (0-0 draw)?
BD: I do expect Real Salt Lake to be a little bit more aggressive than they were previously. I think have Joao Plata back changes things. They aren't as much one way traffic with Alavaro Saborio gone. Sebastian Jaime will play high, you'll have Olmes Garcia or Jordan Allen on one side with Plata on the other. Javier Morales has been arguably in the best form we've ever see him and I feel like I say that every single year. It's not a league game and you have to win to go through. I think it's very evident for them that the first half can get a bit choppy and ugly but the second half they're going to have to come out and try to play as much as they can against a very good Sporting Kansas City side.
JF: What are you some things you're going to be looking for from the first 15-20 minutes in this match?
BD: In the midfield, who's going to set the tone and have possession. Which team can force mistakes and look to pin the opponent in their own half. From Real Salt Lake's perspective, they righted the wrongs at Municipal coming off the result against D.C. United but Sporting KC is a not Municipal and a much better team from top to bottom. Even if Real Salt Lake believe, psychologically how do they handle knowing that in four games this season on the road, they've given up 18 goals, which is very unlike Real Salt Lake teams in the past.
