Dearest gentle readers, welcome back to storylines.
Football is back! And the Claret-and-Cobalt go marching in.
After a two-week FIFA international break to plan, reset, and recover, RSL return to action on Saturday to welcome the visit of its legendary former captain Damir Kreilach and the Vancouver Whitecaps to America First Field in the team’s conclusive regular-season fixture ahead of the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs.
Pablo Mastroeni’s charges arrive at this weekend’s contest off the back of a hard-fought 1-0 victory away at the San Jose Earthquakes in its previous outing on Oct 5, where a solitary strike in the 78th minute from midfielder Diego Luna earned the team a much-needed positive result, snapping a disappointing run of three consecutive draws, yet extending the overall unbeaten run to five. The result thus cemented RSL’s position in the West top four standings as well as a highly coveted home-field advantage in the first round of this year’s postseason.
As the curtain comes down on yet another memorable campaign, a successful one thus far with the promise of yet more to come, we offer our most heartfelt gratitude to you for your unwavering, dedicated support all through the year. Indeed it has been a season of great triumphs, though not without its bumps and blemishes along the way, and through it all, as constituents of the Claret-and-Cobalt faithful, you have been there pushing us forward every step of the way.
The end is nigh. And as always in storylines, we preview some of the most interesting and compelling narratives ahead of Saturday's “Decision Day” domestic season finale.
Storylines
- History Beckons: In what has certainly been an eventful year up until this point, RSL’s regular-season finale offers the opportunity for more collective and individual success, in the culmination of a ground-breaking campaign.
- A Legend’s Return: Saturday’s fixture at America First Field is primely set up for the emotional return of RSL great Damir Kreilach in a “Decision Day” blockbuster.
Where to Watch
You can catch RSL vs Vancouver on Apple TV’s MLS Season Pass right here or take in the euphoric America First Field experience by getting your tickets today here
Kickoff is at 7:00 p.m. MT on Saturday, Oct. 19.
The Deep Dive
- History Beckons: In what has certainly been an eventful year up until this point, RSL’s regular-season finale offers the opportunity for more collective and individual success, in the culmination of a ground-breaking campaign.
At the end of the team’s goalless stalemate at home against Minnesota United in early October, a game where captain Chicho Arango once again struggled to find the back of the net, RSL Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni addressed his star striker’s recent goalscoring slump, and efforts, to the assembled media.
“The only way to get out of a scoring slump is to keep shooting and one of them is going to go in [eventually],” Pablo explained in the ensuing press conference.
“I think he’s doing a really good job of working defensively for the group, but also putting himself in positions to score a goal and I think [the Minnesota goalkeeper] St. Clair’s save against him in the second half was a top stop and could have easily been a goal. So again, there’s only one way to do it [break his duck], and it’s to just keep working through it.”
It was a well-worth positive reinforcement and show of faith in the RSL captain and the player mostly responsible for much of the team’s early season success. Three days later Chicho started on the bench, coming on as a second-half substitute in San Jose as the team chased a winner, which eventually came courtesy of a late Diego Luna strike 12 minutes from full time for a controlled yet narrow 1-nil victory.
Despite a few clear glimpses at goal, 29-year-old Chicho was ultimately unable to add to his impressive 2024 season tally. And positive as the general full-time result was for RSL, it extended the Colombian striker’s goal drought to seven MLS games now since he last found the net in the 5-2 win over Atlanta United FC at America First Field on July 6.
RSL’s generally successful and historic campaign owes more than a substantial part of its origins and existence to Chicho’s spectacular form all through the beginning and middle of the season which saw him amass an astonishing 17 goals and 11 assists during its earlier periods, earning him early shouts for a Landon Donovan MVP nomination and catapulting him to the top of the MLS Golden Boot standings.
Recent weeks, however, have seen a marked downturn in form and, some might might even argue, expected regression to the mean. Although this author likely contends with the latter part.
Nevertheless, the Colombian striker’s early-to-midseason exploits duly set the stage for what could yet promise to be a groundbreaking individual season, with him needing just one more goal to break the club’s longstanding single-season goal record. Previous chances, for reasons perhaps yet not fully known, have all unfortunately gone abegging, and Saturday against Vancouver will present the ultimate and final opportunity for Chicho to break the decade-long record held by Álvaro Saborío’s 2012 campaign, and in somewhat poetic fashion against the player from whom he inherited the RSL captain’s armband in the line of succession.
On a more collective scale, RSL’s highly successful 2024 season could yet get even better. As aforementioned, the team’s 3-3 stalemate with Portland near the end of September guaranteed it a postseason berth for a fourth successive year under Pablo, and its victory over San Jose last time out cemented its position in the West top four as well as home-field advantage going into the first round of playoffs.
If that wasn’t already compelling enough, the proceeding statements should prove more so. RSL’s current season record of 63 goals in 33 games presently ranks it as the third top-scoring team in the west, and fifth in the entire division, and also now newly represents the club’s highest-scoring campaign in history eclipsing its previous most prolific season back in 2013, during which its team at the time scored 57 goals across a span of 34 games.
However, in the spirit of fairness and transparency, this author duly recognizes that it would be remiss to ignore the team’s less-than-ideal recent form. The team’s current run of five undefeated games and two successive clean sheets in recent results make mightily for impressive readings, and rightly so. But a closer look will reveal the minor frustrations and shortcomings within that run which consists of three draws, two of which developed saw 2-0 leads dropped from initially promising positions and the final scoreless draw coming at home, and seven goals conceded over the five.
Nonetheless, a general consensus of RSL’s current season will doubtlessly evidence significant improvements and upward movement in fortunes from years past - one of its most prosperous in recent memory. Of that, there can be no doubt. Indeed since the start of the year, the team has seemingly conspired to make a habit of breaking and setting new records, for what even seemed like almost every matchday around the middle of the season, and the weekend presents yet another opportunity to sign off the campaign on an exceptional note and yet more record-breaking narrative.
RSL’s highest-ever point total in a season is 57, set over a decade ago in 2012. With the team’s current tally of 56, victory against Vancouver on Saturday would mean the club ends the year on 59 points, setting a new Club record of points accrued across an entire campaign.
Furthermore, a win at the weekend could also cement the Claret-and-Cobalt’s place in the 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup, the equivalent of Europe’s UEFA Champions League, securing it a place in North America's flagship continental club competition for only the fourth time in its history since last making an appearance nearly a decade ago during the 2015/16 season.
Glory beckons, and this time, history awaits. The reality of a positive result on Saturday would also undoubtedly help put the team in a good run of form and positive momentum ahead of the commencement of what is expected to be an arduous postseason bracket. Just one more victory for a plethora of positively thrilling, compelling possibilities. The time is now.
- A Legend’s Return: Saturday’s fixture at America First Field is primely set up for the emotional return of RSL great Damir Kreilach in a “Decision Day’ blockbuster.
In what certainly promises to be an exciting, ceremonious order of events, the weekend’s contest also brings with it a particular further twist, albeit a welcome one. At the end of 2023, RSL’s legendary former captain and club great DamirKreilach departed the club after six memorable years on the Wasatch Front in a development that sent shockwaves all around the club’s fanbase.
On Saturday, the man affectionately given the famous epithet, The King, the Cap, the Kid, returns to America First Field for the first time since his departure nearly a year prior, to the land of his footballing ascent in opposition to the supporters who chanted his name, and the faithful who to this day call him ‘king,’ but the love and adoration will continue to live on.
“I think these are always strange experiences for the team he left behind as well as himself, coming back to a place where he experienced a lot of success and great memories,” RSL Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni shared.
“... But the one thing I will say is that Damir will always be received with open arms by the players, the staff, and our fans especially because I think they, in particular, realized how impactful he was [during his time here] to make this Club what it is today.”
A legend and leader on and off the pitch, RSL’s former captain Kreilach made a name for himself on the Wasatch Front as one of the club’s greatest and most acclaimed ever players throughout his six-year career at the club.
During that time, the Croatian midfielder became known for often coming up with crucial goals and important moments as well as his trademark karate kick finish, first appearing against LAFC in 2018, which earned him the nickname of the “karate kid,” and for the finish - the Kreilach Kid.
Through his time at America First Field, Kreilach netted an astounding 47 goals, as well as 18 assists, in 151 games across all competitions and across various midfield and forward positions on the field, ending his time at RSL as the club’s third-highest goalscorer behind only Álvaro Saborío and Javier Morales.
“ Demir was the ultimate professional,” goalkeeper Zac MacMath explained. “He was very soft-spoken, so didn’t always say too much, but what he did best was lead by example on and off the field. He was someone who I really looked forward to getting to know when I first got here and helped me in the last few years before he left to grow both as a professional and as a leader.”
“He already scored against me this year too, so I got that one out the way [laughs]. But I’m excited for him to walk back through that tunnel. I hope he gets the huge ovation he deserves, but definitely, we still win [laughs], but I hope the fans recognize him for all he did for this great club.”
Will Chicho finally get his record-breaking 18th goal, can RSL get a much-needed win, and how might Damir fair on his return to America First Field?
An exciting collection of narratives that promise to provide an even more thrilling procession of events on Saturday. And you’ll have to tune in to find out.
The end is nigh in the season, but the true challenges yet lie in wait. Get behind us for this final lap, and may the odds, as always, be most ever in our favor.
