Jason Kreis and RSL: The Roads Diverge.

It's the end of an era at Rio Tinto Stadium

Late this summer a frightening specter emerged for RSL fans to think about.  Rumors began to circulate that head coach Jason Kreis, the face of the franchise, was considering a move to expansion franchise New York City FC as their first head coach.  It caused a considerable ruckus to say the least, leading into the US Open Cup Final and a big regular season clash with the Seattle Sounders, both of which RSL lost.  Gradually things calmed down though, and RSL rebounded with a tremendous run through the MLS playoffs falling just short to Sporting Kansas City in the MLS Cup final last weekend.

However, once that match was over, the eyes of everyone affiliated with RSL and many affiliated with MLS turned to Kreis to see what choice he would make regarding his future.  Last night, coach Kreis had the team up to his house and broke the news: he's taking the job at NYCFC.

Now one can't fault RSL fans for feeling like they've been kicked in the teeth while they were down.  The jubilation of beating Portland in the Western Conference final gave way to huge disappointment with the cup loss, and to deal with this three days later is kind of hard to swallow.  My own immediate reaction last night was severe disappointment, as I had hoped Kreis would stay.  To me, there was a sense of unfinished business this year after 2 Cup final losses.  However, after sleeping it on it, I've come to a different perspective.

First off, Jason Kreis owes this club and it's fans absolutely NOTHING.  I'm not sure that anyone in MLS could have built RSL from what it was into what it is in as short an amount of time as Coach Kreis.  We've gone to from doormat to champions and perennial contenders.  This last year, after jettisoning several key players, Coach Kreis lead this team to an MLS Cup final in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year.  Kreis has more than earned his wage and our respect in Salt Lake City.

Second, this is a HUGE chance for Jason Kreis.  Not only will Jason be moving into a huge role with a ton of cash to play with to face his latest challenge, but he's going to be a first hand witness to big time European Club football.  According to the NYCFC website, Coach Kreis will travel to England to work directly with Manchester City staff including manager Manuel Pellegrini.  He'll also get to work with Director of Football Txiki Bergiristain, who won the Champions League with Barcelona.  For a man who wants to continue to progress as a head coach in football, whether in the USA or abroad, this is a chance that cannot be passed up.

Finally, this was obviously not easy for Coach Kreis.  I encourage everyone, RSL fan or not, to listen to his interview with ESPN 700's Bill Riley. It's heartbreaking in spots, and gut-wrenching for RSL fans.  In the interview, Kreis speaks of the agony of making the choice, knowing he would have to make up his mind soon as the playoffs wore on.  He also said that telling the team was the hardest message he's ever had to deliver.   Listen to the interview for more perspective on this.  It's fantastic.

Are there potentially pitfalls here for both Kreis and RSL?  Absolutely.  The club has stated their intention to hire someone who will continue with Kreis's system, or as he put it: the RSL ethos.  However, if next season does not go well, one can quickly see the questions and finger-pointing beginning immediately.  If it goes south quickly, we'll have one unhappy fanbase.  For Kreis, he'll go right into the pressure cooker.  NY is an entirely different sports culture than Salt Lake.  Granted, it's not the Yankees or the Giants, so the spotlight won't be quite as white hot, but MLS, Man City, and the Yankees have invested a lot of time and cash into this enterprise, and results will be expected quickly.  Also, when you think of both New York and Manchester City, "The team is the star" is hardly the first thing to come to mind.

The path ahead for both RSL and Kreis is risky, but nothing worth having is usually easy.  For now, I hope other RSL fans will join me in expressing their gratitude for Coach Kreis and pondering the legacy he has left here.  Soon enough, a new frontier awaits the club and the man, and when that time arrives, fortune will indeed favor the bold.