Real Salt Lake is on a record setting pace and leads Major League Soccer's Western Conference midway through the season. With 17 games down and 17 games to go in the regular season, RSL has 33 points and is on pace for 66 points which would smash the club record of 57 set in 2012. Why is RSL playing so well? There are a lot of reasons, but clearly three players are having a major impact and David James sits down with one of them, Greek left back Alexandros Katranis, in this edition of Talkin' Sports.

Katranis plays the left back position and has provided excellent defensive support, but he has also morphed into a talented attacking winger going forward. The coaching staff altered the formation in the off-season, so the club now defends in a 4-4-2 but attacks in a 3-2-4-1 formation. Although RSL has one less player in the back, they have maintained possession and minimized counter attacks. RSL is 9th in MLS defensively, conceding just 19 goals and second in the league offensively, scoring 36 goals. RSL's +17 goal differential is the best in Major League Soccer and Katranis' ability to get up and down the left sideline is a major piece of the puzzle.

Katranis played professionally in Greece and Poland and confirms the airplane travel and long trips are the biggest adjustment. He also notes Texas was.... different. After training in Utah's mild spring, the heat and humidity were a big adjustment. He also was used to the summer off-season in Europe and finds the MLS schedule to be different. Reminded that Real Salt lake had already played in a blizzard vs LAFC and the traditional winter schedule would probably mean several more blizzards he started giggling.

Watch the entire conversation here and remember although RSL gets the weekend off, the Utah Royals host the Washington Spirit Saturday, June 8th at 5:30pm. The Spirit won the first meeting 2-1 in Washington and currently sit in 3rd place in the NWSL. You can watch the Royals and the Spirit on KMYU Saturday at 5:30pm. RSL returns to action Saturday June 15th at Montreal and after a mid-week game at Sporting Kansas City, RSL returns home to host the LA Galaxy Saturday June 22nd. Watch Talkin' Real every Thursday at 10:35pm on KMYU.