HERRIMAN, Utah (Thursday, March 31, 2022) – Real Salt Lake (3-1-1, 10 pts, 2nd West) added two Real Monarchs (MLS NEXT Pro) players to its roster via Major League Soccer’s “extreme hardship” mechanism. Due to a preponderance of injuries striking Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni’s group, both DF Bobby Pierre and MF Pierre Reedy have been activated on short-term arrangements for this weekend’s Rocky Mountain Cup match at Colorado.
Each player has spent time with the RSL First Team at various junctures throughout the 2022 preseason. Pierre is a 19-year old defender and former RSL Academy player, returning to the Club this year after two years at RC Strasbourg (France). The dual USA / Haitian youth international made his professional debut with the Monarchs in Sept., 2019.
Reedy, a 24-year old midfielder, was signed to the Monarchs in February after a five-year college career at Penn State. Reedy appeared in all three of RSL’s preseason matches in Portland in February, starting against Minnesota and seeing time in the matches against the host Timbers as well as Viking FK (Norway).
With nine players listed as OUT for Saturday’s match in Colorado (two more are QUESTIONABLE, with five others assigned to Real Monarchs), RSL applied for and was granted the temporary roster exception. MLS “Extreme Hardship” rules dictate that once a team has fewer than 16 outfield players available, temporary solutions can be found.
The latest RSL injury report heading into the weekend, with training sessions still to come:
QUESTIONABLE: D/M Jasper Löffelsend (hamstring), MF Nick Besler (nose)
OUT: GK David Ochoa (right quad), DF Aaron Herrera (left calf), DF Zack Farnsworth (right ankle), MF Bret Halsey (ankle), DF Justen Glad (hamstring), DF Erik Holt (left foot), DF Johan Kappelhof (left calf), FW Jonathan Menendez (adductor), FW Bobby Wood (hamstring)
MONARCHS Assignment (Sat., 4/2 v VAN): GK Jeff Dewsnup, GK Gavin Beavers, MF Julio Benitez, MF Jude Wellings, FW Axel Kei
Real Salt Lake continues a two-game rivalry road swing this Saturday, April 2 against Colorado, the first leg of the 2022 Rocky Mountain Cup giving the Claret-and-Cobalt a chance to get back into the win column after last week’s 0-1 loss at Kansas City.
Real Salt Lake and Colorado resume the fan-created Rocky Mountain Cup for the 18th year, the Rapids winning in 2005 and 2006 prior to RSL capturing honors 12 times in the next 15 years, including 2021. All-time, RSL boasts a 25-15-11 (W-L-T) mark against that team from the other side of the Rockies, while the Claret-and-Cobalt’s eight wins as part of an 8-11-5 road mark in suburban Denver is the Club’s most away from home.
Since RSL (2009) and Colorado (2010) each won MLS Cups, RSL is 6-6-2 (W-L-T) at Colorado, failing to win there only twice (2016, 2021) since 2013. In that same span, RSL owns a 15-5-2 (W-L-T) mark against these rivals.
This year’s Rocky Mountain Cup series is only two games (the teams meet again at Rio Tinto Stadium on July 9), adding importance to Saturday’s tilt.
RSL returns home on Saturday, April 9 for the Club’s first-ever “Utah Jazz Night” at the RioT, with a 6:00 p.m. MT kickoff against the Canadian power. Celebrate #OneUtah by selecting ticket deals available at www.RSL.com/tickets for RSL’s lone home match prior to the end of April, as the Claret-and-Cobalt travel to face defending MLS Cup Champions New York City FC on Sun., April 17 and 2021 Western Conference Champions Portland Timbers on Sat., April 23.
