With Sporting KC returning to Sporting Park to host Real Salt Lake in a MLS Cup rematch, we caught up with Real Salt Lake broadcaster Brian Dunseth to preview the match. The match will kick off at 7:30 p.m. CT on Saturday with live coverage available on KMCI (38 the Spot), SKCTV, and 102.9 FM.
JF: Have you seen any changes in the team's style of play under new manager Jeff Cassar?
BD: There hasn't been any changes that I've seen. It's been a smooth transition. I think the big thing that the guys have been talking about is that familiarity with Jeff was vital. From the first training session down in Arizona to today, it's been across the board kind of the same philosophy with a few different tweaks. Those tweaks come along with a new coaching staff who has different ideas but within the same structure of what the philosophy is. When you have guys like Rimando, Beckerman, Saborio, Morales, and Borchers, you have that spine of the team that is so experienced, the team essentially can coach itself for the better part of games. The big thing for Jeff as an assistant to a head coach was picking his starters, managing his expectations of the players, and then the biggest thing in-game is being able to make the adjustments through on-field adjustments or bringing in substitutes off the bench who can make an impact or solidify the game. So far, he's checked all the boxes for all the question marks.
JF: These two teams last met in December when Sporting KC won the MLS Cup in a penalty kick shootout. Will Saturday's match be one that Real Salt Lake players and coaches will have extra motivation for and have been circling on the calendar?
BD: Yeah, absolutely. Any player will tell you don't give the other team any locker board material. Don't say anything publicly that will get people riled up because there's some teams who will come in and print off what some other team or player said and use that as motivation. I don't think there's any motivation needed between these two clubs. While I think aesthetically they won't be considered rivals, I think that they absolutely are. I've said, and because I've done so many Sporting Kansas City games and I've known Peter Vermes for so long and knowing Real Salt Lake so well, these two teams are so similar yet so opposite. I have the utmost respect for both styles.
When you look at Sporting Kansas City, very technical, very tactical with their shape and 4-3-3, and very aggressive and unapologetic about their style. That's a good thing and you can see that when they press high and look to recover quickly and look to condense the space and the way they commit as a group to winning the ball as quickly as possible. It's a frustrating tactic from teams on the outside looking in but it's a successful group because it's one thing if you say something as a coach but it's another thing for the players themselves to grab hold of it, harness it, and make the most of it. I think that's what Sporting Kansas City's done really well. They've got the leaders. They've got the fitness. They've got everything you would expect to have when you try to execute something like this on a continual basis.
For Real Salt Lake, aesthetically they're one of the prettiest teams because they keep possession of the ball and move around. If you watch the highlights against Toronto FC, it's pretty clear that they force teams to chase the game by chasing the ball. You go back to battles between Beckerman and Espinoza, Saborio against Aurelien Collin. You look up front and the way guys try to muscle their way past each other. Set pieces are always fun to watch between these two teams. I always say that games like this, it's a battle that's won and lost in the midfield. You're probably going to see over five yellow cards handed out because of the crunching tackles that are going to happen. Most importantly, as we saw during the MLS Cup, is set pieces. You give any of these players on the field half an inch and they're very capable of punishing mistakes.
JF: Finally, what are you expecting to see from Saturday's match?
BD: Two teams who are unapologetic for their physical nature. Two teams that can counter quickly and look to get in behind if you make mistakes. Two teams who are capable of punishing mistakes and set pieces being a vital aspect of this game.
