RSL 2024 In-Season Thread

* Upgraded at outside back (Brown joins a top four with Hidalgo, Katranis, and Brody)

* "Upgraded" at CB with the return of Silva and Holt (I know we tease the FO for this, but in this case, it's accurate)

* Upgraded at attacking mid (Diogo)

* Upgraded at backup wing player (Chang presumably goes to fourth with Lochy Brook third)

* Quality in for the main departing guy (Gomez out, Marczuk in)

Not sure where to put Benji Michel in all of this, but it's a hell of a midseason window.

 

I'm curious if Brown will be similar to Katranis, that could really add something to this squad.

It will be nice to not have Hidalgo as #3 CB.

I don't think Diogo gets most of his minutes at AM, to start. I hope this means we can be more dynamic and have both wings be able to tuck in when it's advantageous.

Supposedly they view Brook as a more central player and Marczuk more like Gomez. I don't expect much from either player with 9 games remaining and I don't think either are even in the country yet. I don't think Chang is back after this year.

I thought Michel was a winger, but maybe he pushes Julio. Kreis seems to think he's nowhere near what he's capable of.

 

I find myself actually looking forward to a Bleeding Claret & Cobalt podcast reviewing all of these movements.

 

While I appreciate some of the insight, the level of healthy criticism is lacking there. I expect nothing but glowing reviews from those two.
Even the guys at RSL show think that the club is going to to quickly integrate these 5 and not miss much. I don't think that's very likely.

 

I am very curious to see how this all plays out. I love the diversity in finding players. It looks like RSL was Spanning the Globe for a constant variety of players, to bring us the thrill of victory and not the agony of defeat. These players should add to the human drama of athletic competition for RSL as they play in the wide world of sport, I mean soccer.

Anyway, I really think that the Gomez move is addition by subtraction. I'm absolutely fine with it the money it brings back to the club. It also shows that RSL is a team/club willing to deal and make moves with players. Even those that seem to be integral in their success. That has to be a good thing. You can talk all you want about being a club that wants to develop and sell players as part of your mission and then not sell players. So yea, Gomez was a great move in my mind.

We shall see how the moves pan out through the end of the season and into the next.

 

These moves also feel like RSL is taking a step up, a jump up, or leap into being a real club in regards to bringing in players.

It could all go horribly wrong but I would rather follow a team that is willing to make moves to improve and take a chance than follow one that plays things too conservative and close to the chest.

It seems that soccer clubs across the world tend to have more roster turnover than in MLS. Could be wrong but that's kind of the feel for me. Maybe not as dramatic as say Crawley Town FC that lost 8 of their starting 11 that won at Wembley in May to get promoted to League 1. That's pretty dramatic. If you're curious, they newly revamped side won their League 1 opener and Caraboa Cup matches, so...we shall see.

It can go all off the rails and San Jose but I trust that this RSL FO is on the right track. Time will tell.

 

Even Del Loy seemed to be outdoing San Jose.

 

Also, so sad to see Oviedo get waived. Loved that guy.

 

It will probably be forgotten but I think oviedo had a huge impact on the season as an emergancy CB. Crappy situation and he put in an admirable performance.

 

Oviedo had nothing but a positive impact on RSL. The guy was/is quality. He had some seriously nice passes and is an absolute professional. Such a shame we didn't get him when he was a bit younger. He is the kind of player you can't have enough of on a team.

 

Looks like RSL is going with the U22 model
https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/mls-clubs-declare-roster-construction-models-for-2024-season

 

Nailed it. One of 10 teams to do so.

 

Sacha Kljestan has Diogo in his top five midseason signings here.

 

Reus didn’t make it.

 

I’m with you. For the first time ever I feel like RSL resembles a “playah” in the business of world soccer sales & acquisitions. At least in the MLS context.

 

They delivered! It’s fairly good. Not overly optimistic about the impact of the newcomers immediately. Trey has got to like being able to publicly say things that aren’t ridiculous.

 

The fact that Atlanta United (Garth Lagerwey) did so too is sort of comforting.

 

I think it's temporary. They have a much bigger budget to work with. They want to win. Moving players on is nice, but I think they'll do it on a bigger scale. The problem with U22 slots is you are limited to the max salary (~$670k this year). So even if you can pay ~$10m for those guys, they probably command a higher salary.

I'd like to know if Diogo can be bought down in the next secondary window.

 

Good question, I don't know if I've seen that answered. I could see the ability to do it for "half" the season and switch from window to window, getting only $1m in extra GAM for that window. I think I'd be ok with that.

 

Matt Doyle gave us an A for the midseason window - Columbus and Houston earned A + scores as did Chicago, though the Fire really only jettisoned Shaqiri (but what an albatross he has been!). LAFC and Miami also are at an A.

"I wavered between giving RSL an A and an A+, eventually settling on the former because it’s just not clear yet how effectively they’re going to replace Gómez, who spent the first two-thirds of the season producing at a Best XI-caliber clip.

If none of the guys on the roster can give, say, 75% of what Gómez has, then this team actually comes out of the window a little bit further from title contention, rather than closer to it. That's unless Gonçalves is an MVP-caliber No. 10, in which case this is an A+ window. Period.

Longer term, there’s no denying this was a landmark window for RSL. They’re part of the global transfer market for real now, which was a necessary step for the club."

 

https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/goncalves-gomez-more-inside-real-salt-lake-s-summer-transfer-window

Deep dive on the moves.

 

That's an excellent piece.

 

An interesting quote from that: “Then we go back to South America this winter and recruit for the next young player”. They will peddle Gomez’s success in this effort. He also said they would really like to keep Luna through the Winter.

 

https://www.rsl.com/news/real-salt-...nsferred-to-french-ligue-1-side-stade-rennais

It's official. Gomez is gone.