By Todd Hayes
Real Salt Lake wants a little redemption this week as they look to avenge their 3-1 loss against the Los Angeles Galaxy.
The Galaxy enter the match leading the Western Conference by a point over FC Dallas, and are on a four-game winning streak. They are lead by MLS poster boy Landon Donovan who returns to MLS this year after spending last year with the German powerhouse Bayer Leverkusen. Donovan will be looking to have a repeat performance of the first time these two teams met where he scored two goals and had one assist.
Eddie Pope and the rest of the Real defense will have their hands full trying to stop Donovan and the high-powered offense of the Galaxy.
?We have to play more collectively as a team,? said Pope of trying to contain the Galaxy. ?I think if you focus on him (Donovan) too much, some of the other guys will hurt you. So if we focus on our selves and playing defensibly well as a team then we should be ok.?
A lingering question for Saturday is who will be behind them protecting the net. D.J. Countess is questionable with a left shoulder injury that he suffered in last Saturday?s game.
?He was able to practice a little today and we will have to tell them (MLS) by 3 p.m. if he will be playing or not,? Coach John Ellinger said.
If Countess is not able to go, the job will rests in the hands of rookie keeper Jay Nolly, who has yet to see action this season.
Nolly led the University of Indiana to back-to-back NCAA soccer titles in 2003 and 2004. He has a lot of big-game experience helping UI win the title in 2004 by blocking two penalty kicks in a shootout for the title.
Coach Ellinger will continue to look for more out of his midfield. The lack of ?workrate? that he saw in the last game is what forced him to make a change at the half against CD Chivas USA, when they almost came back and tied the game. Real is hoping to have Clint Mathis back for this game after suffering a lower back contusion on Saturday. Ellinger said after practice that Mathis was able to practice Thursday and that he should be able to go for the game.
This is also the first of four homes games out of five coming up for RLS and they preparing for a good showing at home to help them move up in the standings.
?Any time you are at home you want to do well,? defender Rusty Pierce said. ?With four home games out of five you are looking to pick up numerous points. A tie is not near good enough when you are at home, you are looking for a win.?