On a brisk Saturday morning, Utah’s steadfast supporters got an insider's viewing of a contemporary and revitalized Real Salt Lake squad. Since the early days of preseason Head Coach Freddy Juarez has preached a fresh start and a blank slate to his group of players, both returning and fresh to the roster. The 2021 season is theirs for the taking and everyone, from top to bottom, has a hand in making it happen.
The day put on a series of several abbreviated matches, ensuring everyone got minutes and a chance to display their hard work and impress the coaching staff.
Newness took center stage, and with six guys out on international duty, “next man up” became a theme of the match, laying a clear path for players like Andrew Brody and Erik Holt to step up and take ownership of their roles. Brody and Holt filled shoes commonly worn by Justen Glad and Aaron Herrera, but in the absence of the two stalwarts, they stepped in seamlessly, commanding the right side of the defense with ease against Sacramento Republic FC. Coupled with long-time starters, Marcelo Silva and Donny Toia, the backline kept the pressure, in turn leading to large spurts of offensive possession.
“We have a team with so much depth, anyone can replace anyone, but this is how we grow as a team,” midfielder Damir Kreilach said after a 2-0 win in the 80-minute scrimmage.
Brody and Holt have the unfortunate pleasure of competing with their national-team caliber teammates – and longtime friends from the RSL Academy - for a spot on the pitch. But in a traditionally long and taxing season it will be imperative that they continue be ready at any moment.
One the other side of the ball, Anderson Julio and Rubio Rubin got their first minutes with Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto Stadium, all while giving fans a taste of what they can expect in the coming months.
“They showed their quality today,” Kreilach said. “We got two goals and each of them scored one, that’s what it is all about.”
Rubin jumped in head-first during his initial moments wearing the RSL crest. The team’s new forward brought fans to their feet just eight minutes in when he capitalized off a poor pass from Sacramento’s goalkeeper to earn his first goal. Rubin proved that there is new life in the RSL attack and plenty to be electrified by.
“As a striker it’s always good to open up your account, even if it’s just a preseason game, to give you that confidence,” Rubin said. “As a new player coming in and getting on the board it gives you confidence, and to do it at home in front of a crowd as people get to know you is even more important.”
Julio too showed off Juarez’s propensity for reinvention within the walls of Real Salt Lake. The 24-year-old Ecuadorian pulled those on the stadium to the edge of their seats in the early moments of the match with his sliding effort, revealing his nose for goal. After several more opportunities he finally broke through in the second half, making it look effortless with a 360-degree turn to simply slip the ball in towards the opposite post.
The second match saw an interchange of on-field personnel with an entirely new lineup taking the pitch. Among them was second-year forward, Chris Garcia. After his rookie season was stunted before it even began due to injury, the 18-year-old has been eager to work his way back into the group. In addition to being an active contributor on the field, the forward tapped in a goal.
And while it was gratifying to get the win and a sign of things to come, the scoreline was secondary, as the match was about taking another step towards the team’s impending opener on Saturday, April 24 at Minnesota United when the chase to start anew truly begins.
