Montreal Impact vs Real Salt Lake Preview: 3 Questions with RSL SoapBox

I've reached out to Randal Serr of RSL SoapBox to know more about the team hailing from Utah and yes, there is a question about Kyle Beckerman.

1- How would you rate and describe Real Salt Lake's season so far ? What are the fans in 2015 ?

I would describe the season as a slow start. RSL fans are used to a high-octane offense with plenty of possession. This has not been the case thus far with a formation change and quite a bit of personnel change. RSL has only lost a couple of games but is tying more than usual. The defense, except for one game, has been pretty stingy but the scoring opportunities have been lacking to say the least.

They seem to have turned a corner in the past game with better play and better chances but RSL fans have come to expect a team that typically wins at home and makes a playoff push every year. Anything less is unacceptable at this point. You could say that Salt Lake fans have been spoiled.

2-Kyle Beckerman is one of my favorite player to watch in MLS. But you guys also have Plata, Jaime, Saborio, Morales and maybe the best GK in the league in Nick Rimando. Who is the Key player in the club ? And who is the odd man out ?

For me, the key player is Kyle Beckerman. He is the heart, soul, and face of the franchise. When he came to Salt Lake, the franchise turned around very quickly. He demands the best of himself and his teammates and is a ferocious leader. You could make a solid argument that Javier Morales has just as big of an impact, but in my opinion Beckerman is irreplaceable as evidenced by RSL's dip in form when he leaves for national team duty.

The player that is overlooked has to be Nick Rimando. Many would say that he is the best goalkeeper ever in MLS as you alluded to, yet he has never won Goalkeeper of the Year. You could make a solid argument that it was because of Nick Rimando that RSL has a championship. His play in the 2009 MLS Playoffs was incredible and he made multiple PK saves to carry Real Salt Lake through to the end.

3-RSL is currently just out of a playoff spot but the season is still young. After losing the MLS Cup final lost in 2013 against Sporting Kansas City and losing to eventual 2014 MLS Champions ,the LA Galaxy,  what needs to happen for RSL to lift the 2015 MLS Cup?

What areas need improvement to be a Cup winner this year ?

Every fan will tell you something different as far as which players are to blame or which formation works and which one doesn't. Head coach Jeff Cassar and the management of the team apparently feel that RSL needs to be much more difficult to prepare for. I actually sympathize with their argument since many teams figured out that the way to kill the diamond formation is to sit back and defend for the majority of the game.

The best teams in the league had more intricate approaches that seemed to work as well. For me, RSL simply needs to stay healthy and have a little bit better finishing touch in the biggest games. RSL was extremely close to winning a few more trophies over the years but could not score the goals in the biggest games when they mattered most. Close is not good enough in those moments.