RSL Storylines: Rebounding and Reuniting: Make AFF The Fortress Again, Pablo’s Birthday Game, and Marczuk’s Debut

Welcome back to Storylines.

In the wake of various tests over the recent few weeks, your beloved Claret-and-Cobalt currently sit third in the Western Conference standings, boasting 12 wins, eight draws, and only six losses, including an impressive 51 goals scored in the team’s 26 MLS games played hitherto this season.

After a full week of rest, reflection, and recovery, Pablo Mastroeni’s charges return to footballing action on Saturday at home at America First Field, for a second consecutive game week, to play host to the New England Revolution, with kickoff set at 7:30 pm MT.

The game also represents the first meeting on the Wasatch Front between RSL and the Revs in nearly six full years. The last time both teams met at America First Field in an MLS contest was back in October 2018, where goals from Nick Besler, Sebastian Saucedo, Corey Baird, and former captain Damir Kreilach set the Claret-and-Cobalt en route to a comprehensive 4-1 victory. Similarly, the last time both teams faced off in any competition came two seasons ago on March 12, 2022, where goals from Sergio Cordova, Justen Glad, and Tate Schmitt led RSL to a hard-fought 3-2 comeback road win from two goals down against New England at snowy Gillette Stadium - a potential source of inspiration coming into a crucial tie.

RSL come into this fixture on the back of a frustrating 0-2 defeat to the San Jose Earthquakes in the team’s MLS regular-season resumption last Saturday, a result which also followed an 0-3 road defeat to Houston Dynamo in the Leagues Cup group stage nearly three weeks earlier.

The Claret-and-Cobalt go out again in search of absolution and a chance to deliver Pablo the perfect, most ideal 48th birthday present. Simply put, a response is needed, and no one understands the sheer gospel of this and the importance of a good result on Saturday more than our head coach.

As the summer skies slowly darken and yield to twilight, and the leaves descend from the trees in eager embrace of autumn, the season concurrently inches forward toward its inevitable, compelling climax and the stakes continue to be increasingly precarious.

Every little thing counts from this point onwards, and as is customary in storylines we preview some of the most compelling narratives and information that would swing the pendulum, be it ever so gently, in our favor.

Storylines

1. RSL’s loss to San Jose last Saturday represented the team’s third defeat at home in all competitions this year. A home-heavy schedule in its final eight remaining regular-season games thus necessitates the importance of making America First Field the fortress once again, beginning with Pablo’s birthday match, and regaining defensive solidity will be crucial to this task.
2. Similar to its defense, the team’s attack has also experienced a lean goal spell in recent weeks. The return of Captain Chicho Arango and play-making starlet Diego Luna should help repair this, while also helping to properly and quickly integrate the Club’s slew of new attacking signings into the team and system.
3. Another debut? Polish attacker Dominik Marczuk represents yet another new signing who could potentially make his debut this weekend. The 20-year-old operates primarily as a right winger and promises to perhaps represent a like-for-like replacement, and in time, potential improvement on Andres Gómez.

Where to Watch

You can catch RSL vs New England on Apple TV’s MLS Season Pass right here https://tv.apple.com/

Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. MT on Saturday, Aug. 31

The Deep Dive

• RSL’s loss to San Jose last Saturday represented the team’s third defeat at home in all competitions this year. A home-heavy schedule in its final remaining regular-season games thus necessitates the importance of making America First Field the fortress once again, beginning with Pablo’s birthday match, and regaining defensive solidity will be crucial to this task.

RSL have endured a trying past few weeks as of late, winning only once while twice suffering defeats in its last three games thus far throughout August. A winning start to the month in the team’s Leagues Cup opener against Liga MX side Atlas FC subsequently paved way to a difficult, anticlimactic 3-0 away defeat to the Houston Dynamo four days later, eliminating RSL from the World Cup style-tournament, before the events of last Saturday’s 0-2 home loss to the San Jose Earthquakes in the team’s return to MLS regular season action.

Last Saturday’s result also extended the number of consecutive defeats suffered during the Mastroeni era to just 10 in 129 all-time games under the 48-year-old’s stewardship and represented the Claret-and-Cobalt’s third loss at America First Field in all competitions this season. Admittedly it has been a frustrating recent slew of results judging by the Club’s lofty ambitions.

The importance of a response this weekend, therefore, cannot be overstated. More than necessary, in fact, a win on Saturday is imperative, critical even, and no one understands the gravity of this more than Pablo himself. Indeed the now-turned 48-year-old’s career has been consistently defined by distinctive periods and moments of resilience and revival. Situations characterized by withstanding adversity and overcoming setbacks. The sort of situations, one may say, he thrives in, relishes - in fact.

And he couldn’t have asked for better conditions. Being at home at America First Field with the full weight and support of the Riot behind the team certainly provides a unique advantage, and with five of RSL’s final eight regular-season games all scheduled to be hosted here in Sandy, it is imperative that the team establish its home base as an impregnable fortress once again.

Saturday also presents an opportunity for RSL to not only deliver the gift of a win to its adoring supporters but also a perfect birthday present for the Club’s beloved legendary head coach, who turned 48 years old on Thursday, August 29, a perfect birthday game indeed. Key to achieving this task, however, will be solidifying things at the rear and improving the team’s defensive record.

Much of the Claret-and-Cobalt’s early season success was built on the back of a strong, indomitable defense. Aided by Pablo’s new, innovative tactical changes at the start of the 2024 campaign, the team’s defensive efficiency was unmistakable during the inaugural weeks of the season during which it recorded five clean sheets in its opening 14 games.

However, in the wake of the Club’s record-breaking start, recent weeks have seen Pablo’s boys struggle a bit for form as of late, and the team’s initially solid defensive foundation and record have borne the full weight of the consequences and proven to be perhaps the most indicative marker of that struggle. The two goals conceded against San Jose represented the team’s fifth and sixth goal concessions this month, in its third game, and another game without a clean sheet, something accomplished just once in the Club’s last 15 matches.

More worryingly perhaps is the fact that RSL’s last clean sheet in all competitions came back on June 15 in a goalless draw away against Montreal, and its last clean sheet at home arrived over three months ago in a 2-0 win over Seattle on May 15.

Whilst the team has continued to record some exciting, positive results since then, including five wins in seven games at home at America First Field, its defensive showings have continued to leave a bit more to be desired. As the popular saying goes - attack wins you games, but defense wins you titles, and if RSL stlll harbor any goals of possible Supporters Shield glory come the end of the season, as our lofty ambitions would indicate, then addressing these defensive concerns timely and definitively will surely be one of the first orders of business this week for Pablo and the rest of his training staff ahead of Saturday’s blockbuster.

• Similar to its defense, the team’s attack has also experienced a lean goal spell in recent weeks. The return of Captain Chicho Arango and play making starlet Diego Luna should help repair this, as well as help properly and quickly integrate the Club’s slew of new attacking signings into the team and system.

In RSL’s three games thus far throughout the month of August, the team has found the back of the net twice whilst also conceding a total of six goals during that same time period. More tellingly, perhaps, is that since the 5-2 win against Atlanta United at America First Field on July 6, RSL have scored only four more times in its six proceeding games since then, and last Saturday’s defeat represented the first time the Claret-and-Cobalt had failed to score in consecutive games this season (including its 3-0 Leagues Cup loss away to Houston).

Part of this is owed to the absence of the team’s star striker and leading player, Chicho Arango, who was handed a four-game suspension on July 13, during the 3-0 away loss to Portland, for a violation of league policy.

RSL’s Captain currently ranks as the joint top goalscorer in the division and remains only one goal away from breaking the Club’s all-time single-season goal record. The 29-year-old has, by all accounts, enjoyed a stellar individual campaign this season in which he has been personally responsible with direct goal contributions for 28 of the team’s 51 goals scored in domestic competition, with 17 goals and 11 assists, and represents an important piece in Pablo’s overall offensive structure.

Such structure and chemistry were also altered significantly last weekend against San Jose, a game which saw two new attackers and three different new signings in total each all making their debuts, following the confirmed departure of Colombian winger Andres Gómez - one of the teams previously most consistent attackers this season - to French side Rennes.

With so many new signings, ample duration is perhaps needed for them all to properly integrate and fall in sync with the rest of the squad, as well as the system of football the team employs. However, in the pursuit of glory and success this season, time is of the essence, and Pablo will no doubt understand this and will want to ensure he can begin getting the best out of his new faces as soon as possible.

RSL’s strong defense during much of the first half of the season also provided a solid foundation and freedom for the team’s free-flowing attackers to go on and dominate games, wreaking havoc on the opposition. It’s a harmony, like a well-oiled machine where each part informs the other and all work together for the success of the collective, and just like his defense, Pablo will be aiming to coax his attack back into form heading into this final stretch of games.

The return of Diego Luna should also prove crucial. RSL’s diminutive creator-in-chief was unavailable for the game against San Jose last weekend due to a yellow card accumulated suspension. The 20-year-old currently leads the team’s assists charts with 12, tied for fourth in the league, in addition to his five goals scored this season for a total of 17 direct goal contributions - the fourth-most for a player in MLS history under the age of 21, which Luna turns in Sept. 7 - and alongside Chicho constitutes a fundamental tenet of RSL’s offensive structure. His return alongside his captain will be surely welcomed by Pablo and will be effective in building partnerships and chemistry with the rest of the Club’s offensive new faces.

• Another debut? Polish attacker Dominik Marczuk represents yet another new signing who could potentially make his debut this weekend. The 20-year-old operates primarily as a right winger and promises to perhaps represent a like-for-like replacement, and in time, potential improvement on Andres Gómez.

Last Saturday night saw three different players each make their debut in front of a sold-out capacity Riot in Sandy. Similarly, this weekend could also see another new signing make his opening bow when the Claret-and-Cobalt take the field against New England at America First Field.

Polish winger Dominik Marczuk (pronounced mar - CHOOK) represents the final RSL new face waiting to make his first appearance for the club and is expected to be handed the opportunity to do so this weekend, or at least in the next of upcoming games.

The 20-year-old arrived on the Wasatch Front this summer from Jagiellonia Bialystok, in the Polish top division, where he was the reigning Polish Ekstraklasa Young Player of the Season. Although a versatile attacker, Marczuk primarily operates from the right flank and is recognized best for his pace and acceleration, dribbling, agility, crossing, and dynamism. During his time in Poland, the young winger registered a total of seven goals and a further 15 assists across 39 games throughout his previous 12 months for Jagiellonia Bialystok which helped guide them to the Polish Ekstraklasa championship title during the 2023/24 season for the first time in the Club’s 100-year history, a most impressive feat indeed.

RSL’s new number 11 was unavailable for last week’s defeat to San Jose due to ongoing visa issues at the time, but will surely be expected to be in line for his appearance in front of an adoring fanbase, an opportunity the attacker relishes. In a statement made upon confirmation of the deal, the Polish native explained,

“I am very happy to arrive in the United States at Real Salt Lake and move ahead in my career. Major League Soccer’s growth in North America is excellent and I hope to arrive quickly to meet my teammates, work hard and help the Club, and obviously bring trophies home to the RSL fans.”

In an analysis and preview of what he could offer, the 20-year-old ranks as one of Poland’s most talented young players, and his preference and experience playing on the right wing, combined with his specific attributes and strengths make him a possibly fine replacement for Andres Gómez. Indeed, as most fans and pundits who have watched him have remarked, Marczuk represents a player who, under the right guidance and mentorship, could potentially eclipse the legacy set by his much-beloved shirt predecessor. He most certainly doesn’t lack for talent, and the outlook of him lining up alongside names like Chicho, Luna, Diogo Gonçalves, Lachlan Brook, and many more of the team’s offensive stars in attack certainly makes for an exciting prospect.

But as usual, you’ll have to tune in to find. It's the start of a new age on the Wasatch Front and the Claret-and-Cobalt go marching in again on Saturday. Get behind us one more time, and as always, may the odds be ever in our favor.