RSL reported to training camp on the 18th, last Saturday. The last thing that Kreilach said to end the season was "we need high level talent help to take the next step". Lets recap what we have done. We are officially reporting to training cap having lost depth in bofo, Lennon, Plata, Rimando, Waibel (not a big loss) and having not resigned Beckerman yet. That probably took around $2,000,000 off the books. We picked up Dayonn Harris and a handful of monarchs level players combined may have added $200,000 to the books. We have added no high level talent. We failed to add an expensive left back. I hope we dont expect to compete with this roster but at this point it appears we are going through weeks of training camp without being able to incorporate any meaningful help. Get excited folks.
My guess is we will compete with this roster until the summer transfer window. Then we may sign some firepower.
I failed to mention some other losses including the special ingredient and Kelyn Rowe. And of course we resigned Silva and Everton Luis. And we got a 35 year old homegrown budgetary GM while other teams picked up managers from top flight clubs in Europe. Because GM clearly doesnt make a difference for your club. Lagger- Cough - Cough - Waaay
This was probably the best pickup of the off season. Sadly. Not that it's not a good signing, I believe that it actually is a fine one at that, it's just that in no way signing a veteran goal keeper should be your best signing of any off season. I'm not as disappointed as some with the loss of "depth" in Bofo and Plata. They are two players that should be imminently replaceable. I'm more disappointed in the loss of Lennon, a player with possibly more upside than either Bofo or Plata, but because RSL couldn't find him a place to play consistently he was lost in the system. In Atlanta he will more than likely get that opportunity. Good for him. I have zero hope that this team will be any good. They made the playoffs because the rest of the teams below Seattle and LAFC absolutely sucked down the stretch last season. I also think that Freddy is going to be worse than Petke and Cassar COMBINED. I have long since shed my pollyanna view of this team and will just take them for what they are and not get overly hyped and excited for team that is the deepest in MLS. Again. Right Dunny? EDIT: Here is the list of players on RSL at the moment. It's not that bad of a roster I guess. A good coach could possibly do well with the team. I hope we have a good coach. I don't think we do but hopefully I'm proven wrong and there will be no EMBRATSU needed this season. Real Salt Lake's current roster headed into 2020, listed alphabetically by position, is below: Goalkeepers (3): Zac MacMath, David Ochoa, Andrew Putna Defenders (7): Justen Glad, Aaron Herrera, Erik Holt, Alvin Jones, Nedum Onuoha, Marcelo Silva, Donny Toia Midfielders (8): Luis Arriaga, Kyle Beckerman, Nick Besler, Damir Kreilach, Everton Luiz, Justin Portillo, Pablo Ruiz, Albert Rusnák Forwards (8): Corey Baird, Maikel Chang, Milan Iloski, Sam Johnson, Douglas Martinez, Jefferson Savarino, Tate Schmitt, Julian Vazquez
Here's the link for the announcement of RSL resigning Kyle. https://www.rsl.com/post/2020/01/20...fmx4EcXtJBVGRKWByKp9hL360Dee-u8z5zlFPG57RIhhU SANDY, UTAH (Monday, January 20, 2020) – Real Salt Lake Owner Dell Loy Hansen has announced that midfielder Kyle Beckerman will return to the club for his 14th season in Utah and 21st season in Major League Soccer, re-signing with the club that he has called home since 2007. The nine-time MLS All-Star and four-time club Most Valuable Player is the league’s career leader in MLS regular-season games played (488), games started (456) and minutes played (40,772) among field players. “Over the last 13 seasons, Utah has been home for me and I’m proud of Real Salt Lake’s role on and off the field in building the soccer community here,” Beckerman said. “The fans have welcomed me from day one and I am eager to get back on the field for another season with RSL because there is still so much more to accomplish. I know I have a role to play in reaching those goals for myself and the club.” Beckerman has been instrumental in establishing Real Salt Lake’s identity following his arrival in 2007. Since then, RSL has reached the postseason in 10 of the last 12 seasons, including lifting MLS Cup in 2009 with Beckerman as the Captain. In his 13 seasons with the club, he has 340 appearances, 332 starts, 30 goals and 39 assists in MLS regular-season action. Across all competitions, including CONCACAF Champions League, Leagues Cup and Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and postseason games, the Crofton, Maryland native has 399 appearances, 387 starts, 34 goals and 43 assists for the club. “We’re incredibly excited to have Kyle back in 2020,” said RSL Head Coach Freddy Juarez“He’s so important to us in so many ways as a player, a leader and has been a great representative of our club. Everything that this club has done has happened with him leading the team. He’s always a great leader through both good and bad times and we expect nothing different from him again this year.” In 2019, Beckerman started 25 matches and notched five assists – the most he’s netted since 2013. During his tenure as captain, RSL won MLS Cup in 2009 and reached finals in the 2010-11 CONCACAF Champions League, 2013 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and 2013 MLS Cup. In addition to his success on the club level, he also has 58 caps for the U.S. National Team, including appearances in the 2014 FIFA World Cup, the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2009, 2013 and 2015 and the Copa America tournament in 2007 and 2016, winning the Gold Cup title in 2013. “Kyle Beckerman is a club legend and an iconic player in the history of this organization and league,” RSL General Manager Elliot Fall said. “We’re thrilled to have him back for 2020. He’s a leader on the field and in the locker room and a special person for this club.” The 37-year-old midfielder came to Real Salt Lake in a midseason trade with the Colorado Rapids in 2007. He started his MLS career with the Miami Fusion in 2000, playing two seasons in Florida before the team was contracted. Beckerman subsequently played with the Rapids from 2002-2007 before landing with RSL, immediately changing the club’s competitive culture for the better. TRANSACTION: Signed midfielder Kyle Beckerman on January 17, 2020. Real Salt Lake's current roster headed into 2020, listed alphabetically by position, is below: Goalkeepers (3): Zac MacMath, David Ochoa, Andrew Putna Defenders (7): Justen Glad, Aaron Herrera, Erik Holt, Alvin Jones, Nedum Onuoha, Marcelo Silva, Donny Toia Midfielders (8): Luis Arriaga, Kyle Beckerman, Nick Besler, Damir Kreilach, Everton Luiz, Justin Portillo, Pablo Ruiz, Albert Rusnák Forwards (8): Corey Baird, Maikel Chang, Milan Iloski, Sam Johnson, Douglas Martinez, Jefferson Savarino, Tate Schmitt, Julian Vazquez
Watching the video of Beckerman reminded me how lucky we were to have a player like him and more lucky to have a player like Saborio. Is Alvaro Saborio is the best player to ever play for RSL? He's certainly the best attacker/striker/forward/9 whatever you want to call it, right? It would take 5 or 6 Plata's just to add up to one Sabo. Glad Kyles back. Thought he out played my expectations for him for most of the season and if used efficiently could be a difference maker this season. They'll probably just run him into the ground but we shall see.
Player/Coach is the role I hope he'll take, with an understanding of reduced minutes (along with reduced pay).
If he's replacing minutes played with coaching responsibilities, I don't see why he would need a paycut.
Yes. I'm probably in the minority on this but I just don't see Bofo or Plata doing anything more than what they have done in the past. Especially Bofo. Bofo has one move that once defenders figure out he becomes pretty much a ghost for games on end. In my opinion Bofo plays more selfishly than his talents should ever warrant and I think that he's a quality dime a dozen player that every team has and every team can find time and time again. Honestly, he's the same player he's always been for RSL. Good not great, nice depth, absolutely replaceable and near the peak of his talent and ability. If he was more than that, or if RSL thought he was more than that, he would still be here. PERIOD. Plata, same only already headed down hill. I think he's better than Bofo, a little better, but much the same in attitude and selfish play. He's also easily pushed off the ball and his size is a detriment. He, like Bofo, is a depth player and I really don't think he'll have better seasons any where he goes than he had at RSL. Brooks on the other hand has a higher ceiling than either player and I would log that up to attitude alone. He's a team player. He has a higher work rate than either Bofo and Plata and if given a role to commit to I think he has a greater chance of excelling then either Bofo and Plata. Time will tell and at the end of the day a good GM should be able to replace all 3 with similar or better players. That's what I think anyway.
Ashtone Morgan signed from TFC to compete with Toia at left back. This is better competition that we had at the spot last year. Good depth signing IMO.
Due to weird MLS rules, apparently Morgan will count as an international player. Unless Alvin Jones has a green card we don't know about, it looks like we spent 2 international slots on backup fullbacks. Hopefully we got a whole rash of green cards for our players this offseason, cause we still need a few signings. We had 1 spare last year, and I think it's likely that Kreilach and Silva might have gotten cards, which would give us 3 for this upcoming season. So if we used 2 of those 3 on backup fullbacks... Hopefully the FO has this figured out.
Interesting article on Soapbox comparing Rusnak and Morales. The stats he used show Rusnak outperforms Javi in all categories except assists (when using the data for Javi from 2008 - 2010). I wonder if Javi's stats improved during seasons after 2010, but the article does a good job at pointing out how nostalgia impacts the way we view players. https://www.rslsoapbox.com/2020/1/16/21067894/albert-rusnak-javier-morales-comparison
I think it's unfair to compare them with statistics alone. IMO, Javi had a much bigger role in our offense and was so much more valuable than Rusnak.
I was under the assumption that that Canadian and US players didn't count towards international slots, so unless I'm wrong, I don't see the problem with Morgan. As for Alvin Jones, I would assume that since he only played last year in the USL that he wouldn't have qualfied for a green card yet, so I think we still have 2 slots open for this season.
It was actually confirmed in RSL's press release that Morgan will take an international slot. Also the reason we had a spare slot last year is because we loaned Pablo Ruiz. If he's back, he might be taking that slot. I'm really hoping the FO has this under control.
Of course they have this totally under control. An FO that’s interviewed 15 plus coaching candidates for their NWSL team and 13 fewer for their MLS team definitely has this all nailed down.