RSL win over Monterrey could be soccer’s “Lake Placid moment”

Real Salt Lake general manager Garth Lagerwey knows that Wednesday’s second leg of the CONCACAF Champions League final could be a watershed moment for U.S. Soccer and MLS.

Every time U.S. soccer has shown promise, there has been disappointment. In 2002, a handball on the goal line that wasn’t detected by the referee helped Germany knock the Americans out of the World Cup at the quarter-final stage. After winning its group in South Africa, the Americans fell to Ghana at the 2010 World Cup. At the 2009 Confederations Cup, after holding a 2-0 lead over Brazil at halftime of the final, the Americans lost the match.

“We weren’t able to finish. We haven’t had the Lake Placid moment,” Lagerwey said in a conference call Monday ahead of the second leg.

RSL hosts Monterrey Wednesday after drawing 2-2 in Mexico.

All of MLS, including the Canadian clubs, have rallied around Real Salt Lake as it tries to become the first MLS club since the Los Angeles Galaxy of 11 years ago to win the regional competition. If RSL wins, it will become the first MLS side to go to the Club World Cup.

Why has RSL succeeded? Because, from day one of the CCL, it has treated the competition differently than any other MLS side, past or present. Instead of resting regulars for the trips down to Central America, the club’s ownership, management and coach Jason Kreis have emphasized the need for RSL to have its best players out there.

“The increased emphasis we put on this competition has proven worthwhile for us,” said Lagerwey.

But, will this influence the 2011-2012 CCL entrants, the Canadian champion, Colorado, Seattle, FC Dallas and the Los Angeles Galaxy, to follow suit? Has RSL now raised the profile of the tournament enough?

“I sincerely hope that the other teams will take this competition seriously,” he said. Why? Because, according to Lagerwey, to attract the hardcore soccer fans who get up at 5:30 a.m. on weekends to watch the EPL, Bundesliga, La Liga and Serie A, but consider North American soccer below their haughty standards, MLS needs international success. It needs to beat Mexican sides. It needs to go to the Club World Cup and gun for a possible date with the European champion.

But, will RSL close the deal. The team hasn’t lost in 37 home matches, as its mix of talent and the Rocky Mountain altitude proves too much for the opposition. Rio Tinto is the toughest place for a road team to get a result in all of North American pro sport. Card accumulation will keep RSL captain Kyle Beckerman out of the second leg, but , as Lagerwey pointed out, in the 37-game streak, RSL has won seven and draw three in games without Beckerman in the lineup.

Monterrey doesn’t play at altitude, but plenty of its road games in Mexico are in the rarified air. But temperature could be RSL’s advantage.

“It was 95 degrees (F) in Monterrey,” said Lagerwey. “It going to snow here tomorrow.”

Temperatures are expected to be up slightly on Wednesday, but expect to see the mercury at around 6 C at game time. That’s still frigid to most Mexican club teams.

But, Real Salt Lake was by no means happy with its game last week in Monterrey. Javier Morales’ late equalizer came against the run of play, and RSL knows it needs more possession, and has to take away the swift play from the Monterrey midfield, which will try to activate Chilean national-team striker Humberto Suazo, the clubs greatest threat.

“If he (Suazo) get the ball in midfield, that’s not the worst place for him to get the ball,” said defender Nat Borchers, who did yeoman’s work last week, and headed home RSL’s opening goal.

“They (Monterrey) will have to deal with our altitude. They will have to deal with our energy. They will have to deal with our fans.”

Borchers said RSL’s backline will have to be aware of Suazo’s positioning. He likes to cheat on the last defender, reminiscent of the No. 2 all-time goal-scorer in MLS history.

“Suazo is a very dangerous striker,” said Borchers. “He likes to tiptoe the line, not unlike Jeff Cunningham.”

Morales did nothing but add to the hype.

“This is the most important match of my life,” he said about Wednesday’s game.

And, if Real Salt Lake wins, finally, the CCL will have arrived as a competition. Years of all-Mexico finals did nothing to create any regional rivalries. But, now, the CCL matters. And, for all the fans and other MLS clubs watching RSL succeed, they will learn a lesson when its their turn to represent the league in CCL.