Although Mother Nature has slapped Salt Lake City with a cruel combination of snow and bitter cold after the mildest winter on record, March still means the beginning of soccer and the completion of the new MLS collective bargaining agreement means that Utah will indeed get to see Real Salt Lake start their season on time.
Before RSL takes the field Saturday night in Portland for their season opener against the Timbers, let’s take a look at this year’s squad and see how they might fare come MLS playoff time in October.
Head Coach Jeff Cassar will man the helm of the club for the second year and is looking to improve on his rookie coaching campaign by pushing his team past the western conference semi’s while adding to the club’s streak of seven straight playoff appearances as well as five straight seasons with 15+ wins and 50+ points at the end of the season. Cassar’s assistant coaching staff remains unchanged with former RSL midfielder Andy Williams and former MLS player Ted Eck handling assistant coaching duties with accomplished former MLS goalkeeper Daryl Shore coaching up the keepers.
For an astonishing ninth year in a row RSL will have perennial goalkeeper of the year candidate Nick Rimando in goal. Last year the “Wall of the Wasatch” locked his place in the MLS history books when he became the league’s all-time clean sheet leader with his 113th shutout against his former club DC United. Rimando currently stands at 115 shutouts and also leads the league with 23 penalty saves, four of which came on five of his PK save attempts in 2014.
As RSL’s most veteran player, Rimando proved that he is also one of the league’s most valuable players while recording a 13-4-7 league record in 24 MLS games played in 2014 while also spending much of the rest of his year with the US Men’s National Team as the third string goalkeeper. The 35 year old proved that he still has the quickness and athleticism to best some of the great young strikers in the league and usually misses more time on international duty than with injuries. When Rimando’s inevitable departure for the national team comes this summer, the pipes will be manned by Jeff “Agua Gato” Attinella who has proven to be a very capable backup behind the legendary Rimando.
This year’s back four is where the most change will be noticed, but with change comes at least one familiar face. After RSL traded veteran center-back Nat Borchers to Portland, the club reacquired former RSL defender Jamison Olave from the New York RedBulls to replace him alongside defensive stalwart Chris Schuler. Olave and Schuler could prove to be one of the league’s most physical and intimidating center-back duos, but there is a drop off in experience behind them with Aaron Maund being the lone veteran central defender with the departure of Mexican international Carlos Salcedo. Youngsters Boyd Okwuonu (22), Phanuel Kavita (21) and academy product Justen Glad (18) will look to push each other for bench minutes and a spot in the final 18.
The left wing will continue to be manned by Tony Beltran while the right side will be filled by Abdoulie “Kenny” Mansally with the departure of Chris Wingert to NYCFC via the MLS expansion draft. What Mansally lacks in starting experience, he makes up for in speed and attacking quality. Look to see both Beltran and Mansally be more involved in the attack this year with a plethora of talented forwards to distribute the ball to in the attacking third. Backup defenders that could be put in at the wings include Jamaican international Demar Phillips, Guatemalan Elias Vasquez and young American Jordan Allen.
While the midfield won’t see as much change in personnel from 2014 to 2015, the formation change from the 4-4-2 diamond to the 4-3-3 will surely cause a lot of change to the RSL attack that fans have grown accustomed to seeing during the club’s renaissance. The only player departure from the midfield is veteran Ned Grabavoy who is also joining former RSL head coach Jason Kreis at NYCFC.
The back of the midfield will once again be anchored by 32-year-old Kyle Beckerman who is coming off of a 2014 campaign that included being voted to his eighth consecutive MLS All-Star selection in addition to receiving valuable playing time with the US Men’s National Team in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Beckerman finished the 2014 season with three goals and three assists in 28 league games (all starts) but has become more of a possession based midfielder then in past years when he averaged more goals and assists per season. With the transition to the 4-3-3 he might have even less opportunities to get forward and test keepers with his rocket right boot, but the wily captain will surely make his presence known in the box when the team needs it most.
In front of Beckerman will be the new attacking midfield tandem of Javier Morales and Luis Gil.
Morales will be entering his ninth season in MLS (all with RSL) and, like fine wine, has become better with age. “El Maestro” finished the 2014 season with a career high nine goals and a team high 12 assists in 30 league games. The highlight of Morales’ season came at BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston where he finished with day with three goals and an assist in a 5-2 blowout of the Houston Dynamo. Expect Morales to put up similar season statistics and perhaps even more assists thanks to the club’s new three-forward formation.
Gil will be entering his fifth season with RSL, but 2015 will be the first season that the 21-year-old will be expected to put up big numbers in a major starting role. Recently Gil announced that he would be switching his jersey number from 21 to 10 in order to symbolize that he was ready to take on the challenge that comes with the traditional 10 position. It shouldn’t be too difficult to improve on the two goal, two assist season he had in 2014 with the projected minutes that he’ll be receiving and the playmakers he’ll have in front and alongside him in the 4-3-3.
If anything should happen to either Morales or Gil, the midfield will be in good hands with Englishman Luke Mulholland coming off of the bench after having a breakout rookie season in MLS last year. In 31 league games (24 starts) Mulholland racked up six goals and seven assists in the diamond formation and could continue be a dynamic playmaker if called upon in case of injury or tired legs. Another option in the attacking midfield could be newly acquired Brazilian international Wellington Paeckart.
This year’s group of forwards could be the deepest and most talented in the club’s history. It all starts with sixth year veteran Alvaro Saborio who will play the central attacking role in the new 4-3-3. Although Saborio was limited to only 16 games in 2014 because of a foot injury sustained in training with the Costa Rican National Team, he still managed to score eight goals including the game winning header against FC Dallas just seconds after taking the field for the first time since the injury.
The biggest hit RSL took this preseason was the foot injury of last year’s leading goal scorer Joao Plata on the first day of team drills. Plata sustained a broken fifth metatarsal in his left foot and will be out for at least another month and a half (and that’s just wishful thinking). With Plata out, last year’s new DP signing Sebastian Jaime will step in and attempt to make a splash after a nearly unnoticeable debut with the club in 2014.
Completing the forward trident will be 22-year-old Columbian Olmes Garcia. While a dangerous attacker in and around the 18-yard box, Garcia has lacked the clinical finishing of the elite MLS forwards and will need to make a big jump in production if he wants to keep his starting spot in front of fellow youngster Devon Sandoval (who had a very nice preseason in Tucson). With Plata out with injury and Jaime still looking to get his footing with RSL, I would expect Garcia to match his 2014 scoring mark (3) before the return of Plata to the starting lineup. If he does, then he will continue to be leaned upon later in the season when Saborio or either of the other forwards start to get tired legs.
So much rides on this season for RSL – there are a lot of questions being asked, and there should be plenty of answers come October.
Can Jeff Cassar survive changes to personnel and playing style?
Can the aging core of RSL still produce like in years past?
Can RSL survive the summer stretch with players gone for international duty?
Can RSL make the playoffs once again in a brutal Western Conference?
Can RSL get to one more MLS Cup?
RSL fans will have to wait and see, but it all starts Saturday night at 8:30 pm MST when RSL opens the season against their western conference rivals the Portland Timbers at Providence Park.
Thank you for reading. Please take a moment and follow me on Twitter – @TalonChappell Support LWOS by following us on Twitter – @LastWordOnSport and @LWOSworld – and “liking” our Facebook page.
Have you tuned into Last Word On Sports Radio? LWOS is pleased to bring you 24/7 sports radio to your PC, laptop, tablet or smartphone. What are you waiting for?
