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SANDY — Real Salt Lake is unbeaten in the 2015-16 CONCACAF Champions League, its first foray into the regional tournament and FIFA Club World Cup qualifier since 2012.
But any thoughts that the third match, Thursday night's home tilt against El Salvador's Santa Tecla FC, will be an easy one were thrown out pretty quickly by coach Jeff Cassar after Wednesday's training session at Rio Tinto Stadium.
"It was a difficult game down there, but being at home in front of our fans on this beautiful pitch, we need to get it down, move the ball around them, and I think we can have a lot of joy," Cassar said.
He would know.
RSL is coming off a 0-0 draw in El Salvador last week that featured a primarily reserve lineup and a rested group of starters in the middle of back-to-back league wins at Houston on Sept. 12 and against Los Angeles on Sept. 19.
Goalkeeper Nick Rimando did not start that game, but Jeff Attinella made five saves to preserve the draw and extend the Salt Lake side's 526-minute clean sheet in CCL play dating back to a match against Costa Rica's Herediano in its previous CCL attempt.
RSL will look to get more of the same out of its defense Thursday at 8 p.m. MDT.
"I think we've been seeing a total team effort offensively and defensively," Attinella said. "A big win will put us on top of the group, gives us an easier path to the next round, so obviously we are going for three points."
Santa Tecla is still looking for its first win in its first Champions League in club history, having accumulated two points through a pair of home draws in three games. The pressure, then, will be on the El Salvadorian club to attack.
"They will obviously bring fight," RSL defender Aaron Maund said. "It was a hotly contested game. Their backs are against the wall, so they are going to bring everything they have We've got to be ready."
A win and a draw against Santa Tecla and Guatemala's Municipal on Oct. 20 will see RSL go through atop Group G, so a win Thursday night takes most of the pressure off a team that is also scrapping to make up a three-point gap on Portland for the final playoff spot in Major League Soccer's Western Conference.
"It's very important. We want the three points," Maund said. "We've had a good string of results, and we are focused on keeping that win streak going."
RSL is eager to jump back into MLS action Sunday at San Jose in a nationally televised match on Fox Sports 1 at 5 p.m. MDT. But for now, all focus is on picking up the points in the Champions League.
"Right now we have good momentum and everybody is contributing," Cassar said. "We want to be able to keep that momentum going through Champions League and the regular season."
