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In 2007, a then-25-year-old Kyle Beckerman came to Real Salt Lake from the club’s rival Colorado Rapids and helped sparked the team to its first trophy in franchise history, the Rocky Mountain Cup.
Since then, Beckerman has become a stalwart for the team at defensive midfield, assuming the captain’s armband, leading the squad to the 2009 MLS Cup title — and helping the team hoist the annual rivalry trophy in seven of the past eight years.
But this year, Beckerman won't be suiting up in the first leg of the annual three-game series; he and goalkeeper Nick Rimando are with the U.S. men’s national team for a pair of European friendlies in Germany and the Netherlands.
Once again, the Rocky Mountain Cup — at least for the first leg, which kicks off Sunday at 3 p.m. MDT at Rio Tinto Stadium — will come down to young players.
Not that it's a bad thing.
“It’s big for us,” said Jeff Attinella, who will stand in for Rimando in Sunday’s game on ESPN2. “I’m one of those guys; I’m not playing every week, and any chance to get an opportunity to play means you have guys who want to make the most of their opportunity.
"You’ll see guys step up; (homegrown defender Justen Glad) did a good job of that on Saturday. As people start getting taken away for international duty, it’s going to come down to us. Getting games in now will help us in the long run.”
John Stertzer and Pecka are two young players in the midfield who are the most likely replacements for Beckerman, who stands as a pivotal cog in the team that wins the rivalry each year. For the former Maryland standout, Stertzer isn’t concerned about the added pressure of replacing his captain.
“I try not to worry about all that. I want to just focus on the things I can control," said Stertzer, who scored his first career MLS goal two weeks ago against New York City FC. “I prepare each week as if I am going to play, and that’s how I go about it.”
Colorado (2-4-7) sits in last place in the Western Conference, but RSL (4-5-5) is right above them in the table. And even missing two key components to the spine of his team, RSL coach Jeff Cassar knows a win at home is vital — especially in a rivalry game.
“They have good players and made some great additions to their team this past year,” Cassar said of Colorado. “It’ll probably take time for them to gel, but Pablo (Mastroeni, head coach) I know will be on top of them.
“But this is a home game. We have to come out with more intensity, more passion and more commitment and a killer mentality in the final third.”
Even coming off back-to-back losses for the first time this year, Cassar is confident in his young team’s ability to bounce back. The players are resilient, he said, and get up for big games — such as last week when former boss Jason Kreis and New York City FC were in town.
The club is learning on the fly after an offseason defined by turnovers. But Cassar isn't ready to chalk up all the team’s losses to youth and inexperience.
“It can be. But we’re big boys," he said. “It really comes down to being fatigued and making the right choice even then. That’s when you give up PKs, red cards or late goals. It’s a recipe for disaster. We need to sharpen up in those areas, and everyone knows it. Some of them are bad choices, and some are just bad luck. But we can’t put ourselves into those situations.”
Sunday represents a chance to get the season back on track — and it can also help make careers for young players, much like the Rocky Mountain Cup has in the past.
“I think I just try to come out and work hard and prepare myself for any opportunity to come my way. You never know; in this team, there are a lot of good players and I think my job is make Jeff’s job difficult in picking 11,” Stertzer said. “If he picks my number, I want to be ready and prepared.”
