Real Salt Lake faces a nightmare matchup in Concacaf Champions Cup opener | OneFootball

Wednesday night is set to be intense at Estadio Nacional in San José, Costa Rica. Real Salt Lake returns to the Concacaf Champions Cup after nearly a decade away, facing a familiar opponent that has already caused them trouble in the past: CS Herediano.

Their history against each other is short but unnerving for the Americans. Herediano has never defeated RSL in this competition and enters the match believing that the run of domination can be maintained. In the meantime, the MLS side is anxious to stop an alarming pattern of failure against Costa Rican rivals and recapture the shape which led them all the way to the tournament's conclusion.

Can Real Salt Lake rewrite its Champions Cup story, or will it become just another victim of Herediano’s home dominance?

Real Salt Lake’s nightmare against Costa Rican teams

If there's one ghost haunting Real Salt Lake in the Concacaf Champions Cup, it wears red and yellow. CS Herediano has met RSL twice before and has never lost to them. Their first encounter resulted in a 1-0 win, and in their last, they tied the MLS club goalless.

And the struggles don’t stop there. RSL has only ever beaten a Costa Rican team once in its tournament history — and that was more than 13 years ago, back in 2011, when they defeated Deportivo Saprissa 2-0. Since then, they’ve managed just two draws and two losses against Costa Rican clubs.

If Real Salt Lake is going to make it past the playoffs, much less have a shot at the championship, they'll have to put the past behind them and show they are a different club than the one that failed all those years ago.

Herediano at home is a challenge for any visitor

While Real Salt Lake is plagued with the memories of past failures, Herediano lives on them. The Costa Rican giant has proven itself to be a constant nuisance for MLS clubs, and their home ground makes them that much more deadly.

The stats say it all: Herediano has scored in 14 of its last 15 home matches in the Champions Cup. That’s proof of a team that knows how to impose its rhythm and make the most of playing on its own turf.

Adding to this is the fact that, during the last edition of the tournament, 7 out of Herediano's 8 goals came in the second half. That, therefore, is a clear sign this is a team that grows stronger as the match progresses.

However, there’s one key detail Real Salt Lake can exploit: Herediano has consistently conceded early goals, giving up first-half goals in the opening 20 minutes of every match last year. That means RSL has a real shot at taking an early lead and trying to control the game.

The problem? If they fail to finish off the match, Herediano has already proven they know how to turn games around.

Does Real Salt Lake still have something to prove in the Concacaf Champions Cup?

Even with their memorable 2010/11 run, when they reached the Concacaf Champions Cup final, Real Salt Lake still feels like they have unfinished business in this competition.

Since that runner-up finish, RSL has failed to make a deep run. Their last two appearances ended in the quarterfinals, and since 2016, they haven’t even qualified for the tournament.

Now, the MLS club has a chance to prove they can still be a powerhouse in Concacaf, but they must do something they haven’t done in years: win away from home.

The last time Real Salt Lake won a Concacaf Champions Cup road match was back in 2015 against Municipal in Guatemala. Since then, they’ve gone three straight away games without a win.

If RSL wants to make a serious run in this year’s tournament, they have to put this history behind them and prove they can compete anywhere.