After hectic loss at DC, RSL eager to shift focus to CCL


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SANDY — Real Salt Lake coach Jeff Cassar said on the postgame broadcast of RSL's 6-4 loss at D.C. United that most road games where you score four goals, you win.

Instead, he'll try to help his team correct and get ready to open CONCACAF Champions League on Tuesday at Guatemala's Municipal.

"You're always striving to continuously get better," Cassar told the media after the match. "This is a game where there were some bright spots for us and then some dark ones. But we've got to move on really quickly and get ready for Municipal."

After the fuss of giving up six goals to league-leading D.C., RSL (7-8-8, 29 points) sits in exactly the same point of the Western Conference table as a week ago: three points underneath the playoff line (Seattle, 10-11-2) and four points from fifth-place (Portland, 9-8-6).

The 10-goal game is the highest-scoring match in Real Salt Lake history and the third-highest in Major League Soccer history, as well.

A few of the brighter moments from the match included Joao Plata's goal less than two minutes after kickoff, the third goal of the season for the Ecuadorian striker.

RSL team captain Kyle Beckerman also scored in his return to the team following Gold Cup duty with the U.S. men's national team. Quite a few players found their way on to the scoresheet, though.

Insane 10 goals scored between @RealSaltLake and @DCUnited. Great calls by @espn700Billhttps://t.co/4ioNI6LquE — Dave Noriega (@davenoriega) August 3, 2015

Goalkeeper Nick Rimando was in the 18, but did not start. Rimando, who played 45 minutes of the MLS All-Stars' 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday, picked up a knee contusion while away at the Gold Cup.

But his absence was less about the injury than backup Jeff Attinella's recent run of form, Cassar said.

"To be honest with you, it had nothing to do with Nick's knee," Cassar said. "Jeff fully deserved this start. Nick did play a game on Wednesday and traveled, but Jeff truly deserved this start. I thought he had a very good game, to be honest with you. He deserved better than six goals."

Rimando's shift in goal Wednesday was outstanding, including a brilliant save on Spurs standout and English international Harry Kane that you can see below.

The All-Stars got a goal and an assist from Orlando City midfielder Kaka to hold off the English side that begins Premier League play this weekend.

The pace of Saturday's game was hectic, RSL defender Justen Glad admitted after the match.

"We had a lot of chances on both sides," Glad said. "You can tell with all the space, there's a lot of attacking options that normally in a 1-1 game you wouldn't really see. That's when you have to pull the ball back, keep possession and calm things down a bit."

For RSL, the chance to move on and prepare for Municipal quickly is appreciated.

"I think it's a good thing for us that we have a game so quickly after. We've got to put it past us," Beckerman said. "We've got to move on and really respond. It's a great opportunity for us Tuesday. It's a short turnaround. We're really looking forward to it."

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Sean Walker

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