Ten days from now, Real Salt Lake will begin its preseason training, perhaps a bit earlier than most Major League Soccer clubs. 

While most MLS clubs are either focusing on rebuilding from last year (ahem, D.C.), or thinking about long-term plans to nab the MLS Cup title, Salt Lake is putting its focus on one thing right now: its quarterfinal fixture in the CONCACAF Champions League. 

Dormant for nearly three months, the Champions League will resume play at the tail end of February, and Salt Lake opens up the knockout stage, when the Royals will take on fellow domestic club, Columbus Crew, the Group B runners-up. 

Given, the fact that Columbus has completely gutted out its roster, and seems to be starting from scratch, while RSL has practically the same squad assembled (minus Robbie Findley), it seems to be a no-brainer that RSL will have a huge advantage over the Crew. 

Still, with MLS having a parity-ridden track record, and Los Angeles' embarrassing loss against Puerto Rico, one cannot presume that Salt Lake will have a cakewalk to the finals, even if RSL has most realistic chance of a non-Mexican club to win the Champions League.

Even with such a humble outlook, Salt Lake will be racing out to Columbus and kicking off 2011 with one goal in mind: to win the CONCACAF Champions League. And, if Real Salt Lake hasn't shown it already in Group Stage, the team may put a scare to the Mexican finalist should it have to play Salt Lake in the Champions League finals. 

The perfect example has to come from Cruz Azul, the Mexican powerhouse that found itself trailing RSL 3-1...70 minutes into the match...in its home arena. Ultimately, RSL would lose 5-4, but the club's efforts on the road, and its undefeated record at Rio Tinto made it a scary squad to go up against. Perhaps its resilience can explain why Real won its Group. 

This attitude has also made Real go into each match vying for a win, and not think that each win is an easy victory, because, in all honesty, things could have gone south for Salt Lake, and the team members could have been scratching their heads at the end of the Cruz Azul match last October...wondering what had happened.

But that attitude, that mentality, the players believing that if they go out and put forth effort and play collectively as a team they would accomplish great things has been very beneficial. Thus far in its Champions League campaign, Salt Lake has scored a staggering 17 goals in six matches. Nine different players have contributed to those 17 goals, making it extremely difficult for the opposition to solely watch one person, with numerous different attacking weapons on an off the bench.

That scoring ability should play to Salt Lake's advantage in its quarterfinal leg against Columbus, and if it pays off, there's no reason why it shouldn't in the semifinals against either Olimpia or Saprissa. From there, anything can happen.

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