Jordan Allen was in an unfamiliar position last. A rising star defined by perpetual motion on the field, he was confined to the sidelines after a knee injury required surgery in May.
Now back in the mix with Real Salt Lake in preseason, he has shown throughout the team’s ventures to Arizona and California that he isn’t starting over, but taking over where he left off when he played his way onto the field in his rookie campaign last year.
“For me, it’s just cementing my spot in the 18. I want to start from there and then from there I want to be a regular starter and contribute,” Allen said. “But if I can start the way I did last year where I’m getting in the 18, that would be huge.”
Allen came to Real Salt Lake with a lofty resume after captaining the U.S. U-18 National Team at one point. The 18-year-old played just one season at Virginia, finishing with three goals and five assists while starting all 24 matches. The 2011-2012 USSDA Player of the Year was signed as the clubs sixth Homegrown Player and instantly earned a spot on the bench for a deep RSL squad that had high expectations.
He played in the club’s first two matches, but was injured on a tackle from behind in the second match against the San Jose Earthquakes and wasn’t able to capitalize on the early faith put in him by first-year head coach Jeff Cassar.
“Preseason went really well for me. I found my stride pretty quickly and was getting integrated pretty early on. I had a good relationship with Jeff from when he was working with the reserves. I knew what I offered the team. So it was a little surprising to be involved in the first games of the season, but I’m confident in myself and that’s what I aim for,” he said. “It was frustrating with the injury, but it gave me the opportunity to work on other things. I got physically stronger and I got to watch a lot and just learn through that. So hopefully I can integrate that this year, moving forward."
Allen is capable of playing in several different roles, including as an outside back, and knows that will create opportunities for him at different stages. However, he also knows that once he can get into one set role his stock has the opportunity to make another dramatic rise.
Although he doesn’t yet have a defined position, he has been included among the forwards in most of the team’s training sessions to this point, working at time with the first 11 as RSL gears up for the 2015 season.
Being close to goal is where he is most comfortable and he has benefitted from that comfort early in preseason.
“As long as I’m in a position that allows me to get forward and attack, I’m not too upset. I think that’s what I offer the team best – the ability to get forward and go at people,” he said. “Although outside back isn’t my favorite position, I don’t have a problem playing it because in our system it still allows me to play the game the way I want to.”
Now the 19-year-old is poised to break out in his second season. He’s bigger and stronger than the kid that took the field against the LA Galaxy in the waning moments of a 1-0 RSL win in the season-opener last year.
And if his play during preseason matches has been any indication, he is back in form, too.
“He’s a very dynamic player. A lot of things happen with the ball when it’s at his foot,” Cassar said after he played 60 minutes in RSL’s 1-0 win over the New England Revolution in the Desert Diamond Cup on Wednesday. “We can shore up his decision making, but I thought he did a great job.”
RSL continues in the Desert Diamond Cup on Saturday against FC Tucson. The match is scheduled to kickoff at 6 p.m. MT with a live stream on RealSaltLake.com.
