MLS Real Salt Lake

Real Salt Lake Kick off Two-Game Road Run with MLS Matchday 19 at D.C. United

Published on June 16, 2023 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Real Salt Lake News Release


HERRIMAN, Utah - Real Salt Lake (5-7-5, 20 pts., 11th West) kicks off yet another three-game week - its seventh in the last eight - Saturday at Audi Field in the Nation's Capital against D.C. United (6-7-5, 23 pts. 8th East), with Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni's side unbeaten in 12 of its last 14 (seven wins, five draws) since April 22, a run which includes seven consecutive road results across both MLS and U.S. Open Cup play. RSL has not played at D.C. since March, 2019, losing in its lone previous visit to Audi Field in a game that saw current Head Coach Wayne Rooney score a hat trick against RSL in a 5-0 DCU win. All-time, across all competitions, RSL owns just one win - in 2018 - against eight losses and three draws in Washington, D.C.

Kickoff between RSL and D.C. United begins at 5:30p MT on the Apple MLS Season Pass w/ Tyler Terens and Devon Kerr (ENG) & Jose Hernandez and Pablo Marino (SPN); for local coverage, tune in at 4:30p MT for KSL Radio pre-game w/ David James & Jay Nolly via www.KSLSports.com / 1280 AM / 97.5 FM and www.KSLNewsRadio.com / 1160 AM).

RSL will make this trip - as well as Wednesday's jaunt to St. Louis CITY SC - without a quartet of internationals, as FW Jefferson Savarino (Venezuela), FW Rubio Rubin (Guatemala), FW Anderson Julio (Ecuador) and MF Braian Ojeda (Paraguay). RSL returns home next Saturday, June 24 against Minnesota United; tickets can be found at www.RSL.com/tickets.

Real Salt Lake @ D.C. United - MLS Matchday 19

Audi Field - Washington, D.C.

Saturday, June 17, 2023 - 5:30p MT

2023 Records: Real Salt Lake (5-7-5, 20 pts, 11th West); D.C. United (6-7-5, 23 pts, 8th East)

RSL @ D.C. UNITED PREVIEW

Real Salt Lake (5-7-5, 20 pts., 11th West) travels to D.C. and St. Louis in the next week seeking its first-ever wins at Audi Field and CITYPark, buoyed by the Club's recent road form, which has seen RSL amass 10 road points in its last four away contests, with League wins in Austin (June 3, 2-1) and Colorado (May 20, 3-2), along with a draw at Minnesota (May 27, 1-1) and an Open Cup win at Colorado (May 24, 1-0).

Since April 8, RSL has recorded eight wins, three losses and five draws in its last 16 games across multiple competitions, as last Saturday's 0-0 home draw with NYCFC concluded a slate of schedule congestion with 14 games in 48 days across MLS and Open Cup action, during which Mastroeni and the RSL staff used 25 different players.

MASTROENI MENTALITY = ROAD WARRIOR SUCCESS

Since Pablo Mastroeni arrived at RSL for the 2021 season, first as an assistant coach and later as interim and then permanent head coach, the historically bad road performances that dogged the Club during its first 16 years have seemed to dissipate ... While there have been the periodic flameouts - an 0-5 at Portland in 2021, the 0-6 Easter massacre at Yankee Stadium last year, and the 0-4 at Columbus earlier in 2023 - RSL has simply never been more competitive or expected road points more frequently than it has in the last 27 months under Pablo's culture-building and leadership, evident with this year's Open Cup road run, featuring its first three away USOC wins in Club history, as well as its first two against MLS opponents ...

Since Pablo's arrival, RSL is now 11W-21L-10T (40 points) in MLS reg. season matches away following the June 3 win in Austin, along with a 1W-1L-2T (5 points) in MLS Cup Playoff matches on the road ... And now in 2023, RSL is 3W-0L-0L in U.S. Open Cup (9 points), giving RSL a total of 57 road points (1.17 points per game) earned in the 2021-2023 trio of campaigns ... You'd have to go back to the 2012-14 seasons (62 total road points) to find a period with similar road results (1.22 points per game) ... RSL will play nine more MLS reg. season away matches this year, starting next Saturday at D.C. United ...

ALWAYS RESILIENT IN BOUNCEBACK GAMES

Last Saturday's unexpected 2-1 win at Austin represented yet another opportunity for RSL to improve upon its record in "bounceback" games under Mastroeni, as the Claret-and-Cobalt have earned a result in 20 of 25 matches following a loss in the "Pablo era" ... Since August 2021, RSL has posted a 13W-5L-7T mark in these matches, suffering back-to-back losses just five times in the former USMNT star's 75 games at the RSL helm ...

Conversely, the disappointing 0-0 draw with NYC represented another failed opportunity to win back-to-back MLS contests, something RSL has not accomplished since a three-game win streak in May, 2022 ... RSL does have three back-to-back win instances this year, however each of those involve a U.S. Open Cup victory.

SCORE FIRST, SCORE OFTEN

Prior to the 0-0 on June 10, each of the previous three Saturdays in MLS action, as well as in three of the four Open Cup victories, RSL did something it usually has not during 2023 - score first ... Only on April 22 v SJ (3-1 W), May 20 @ COL (3-2 W), May 27 @ MIN (1-1 T) and June 3 @ ATX (2-1 W) has RSL struck first, against 11 other MLS matches that were not scoreless draws ...

In recent weeks, RSL has posted eight wins, three losses and five draws in 15 games across multiple competitions ... Seven of the eight wins have seen RSL score two or more goals, with only the 1-0 Open Cup win at Colorado bucking that trend ... The lone shutout loss was an 0-3 home setback on May 13 against LAFC, while four of the five draws dating back to mid-April were of the 0-0 scoreless variety ...

RUBIN TURNING THE CORNER

RSL FW Rubio Rubin has scored or created the Club's last five goals in two matches against Austin / LA Galaxy prior to last week's 0-0 draw with NYCF ... His brace at ATX on June 3 snapped a personal 830-minute scoring drought dating back to his "Decision Day 2022" goal against the Portland Timbers, which marked his first goal in 32 games / 27 starts / nearly 365 days, dating back to his stellar 2021 campaign with RSL.

That the Austin brace came at the site of last year's playoff disappointment - a 53' red card in just his fourth start since last July 1, 2022 - marked redemption on numerous levels ... In the June 7 Open Cup 3-2 win against the Galaxy just a few days later, Rubin assisted on Captain Damir Kreilach's opener and FW Jefferson Savarino's game-winner while being taken down in the box for a penalty converted for Kreilach's brace.

In 2021, Rubin had 8 goals and 5 assists in 25 starts / 34 appearances, including 4 goals and 2 assists in his first five games with RSL.

FINALLY FINDING THE BACK OF THE NET

While RSL has suffered just three losses in its last 15 matches across all competitions - posting that 7W-3L-5T mark - and has posted defensive clean sheets in four of its last nine MLS contests (and five of its last 11 overall), the first-half outburst on May 20 at Colorado snapped a 382-minute goal drought in MLS, which was the Club's 3rd-longest in 19 years ... That drought was just 5 minutes shy of a 2015 streak and 188 minutes shy of the record set during RSL's 2005 expansion year ... The trio of first-half goals that Saturday at Colorado marked the first time since Oct. 2018 that RSL scored three in the first 45 minutes, and marked just the fifth time in the last 92 games all competitions that RSL scored twice in the first 23 minutes.

The May 24 clean sheet by 18-year-old GK Gavin Beavers at Colorado was RSL's first Open Cup shutout since 2015, while the zero pitched by GK Zac MacMath and the RSL rearguard on May 6 at Houston was the Club's first road shutout since last April in Portland ... Much-needed defensive staunchness was needed for RSL, which has allowed the third-most goals in MLS this season (27, tied with five others and fewer than Charlotte & Atlanta), mostly due to a pair of 0-4 losses to St. Louis and at Columbus, along with the 0-3 home loss to LAFC on May 13.

The early LAFC goal on May 13 terminated RSL's active MLS shutout streak at 230 minutes, following scoreless draws at home against Seattle and at Houston in the prior two weeks ... Those defensive zeroes marked RSL's first two of only three clean sheets in the first 13 matches of 2023, as with the back-to-back clean sheets RSL's first since last June 18/25 ... Another 90 minutes without conceding came in the Club's last home game againt NYCFC for clean sheet No. 4 on the MLS campaign.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN CUP HISTORY

RSL's all-time road mark at Colorado is now 10W-11L-6T, outscoring the Rapids 37-33 ... The 10 RSL wins in Commerce City is the highest victory road total in RSL's 19-year history, three more than RSL has at LA Galaxy and four more than the Utah side has enjoyed at San Jose and Chivas USA ... RSL's 17 MLS wins over Colorado since 2014 leads the League in wins over a single opponent during that time (credit to Opta).

The late May back-to-back RSL @ Colorado wins could rekindle the fan-created Rocky Mountain Cup rivalry, with RSL winning 11 of the last 14 RMC titles dating back to the Claret-and-Cobalt's first-ever piece of hardware back in 2007 ... RSL can clinch a 12th RMC in 15 years with a home win over the Rapids on Sept. 2, with RSL returning to Denver on 2023's "Decision Day" in late October ... The 2020 #RockyMtnCup is disputed due to the Covid-affected campaign, which saw some games count towards the teams' regular-season records and the third scheduled match not played due to a late-season Covid-19 outbreak running roughshod through the Rapids' locker room.

RSL's 1-0 win on May 24 returned a long overdue favor to Colorado ... The sides have competed in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup twice before, the Rapids winning in both 2006 and 2007 contests at RSL's former Rice-Eccles Stadium home to eliminate the Utah side ... RSL returned the elimination favor at DSG Park in the 2023 edition of the 109-year-old tourney, advancing on to this week's Quarterfinal home win over LA Galaxy.

DENVER DOMINANCE DECONSTRUCTED

Back on May 20 in MLS action at the Rapids' Commerce City home, RSL won 3-2, riding first-half goals from Pablo Ruiz, Danny Musovski and Damir Kreilach to command control of this season's three-game Rocky Mountain Cup series ... Thanks to the Ruiz burner in the games' 12th minute, RSL took the early lead at Colorado on a goal that snapped a 382-minute scoring drought in MLS action, the third-longest scoreless streak in the Club's 19 seasons ... Ten minutes later, second-year RSL man Danny Musovski poked home a loose ball for his first-ever MLS goal for the Utah side, although the former LAFC player does have three goals in his last eight games (two in Open Cup action this year) ... Shortly before halftime, RSL Captain Damir Kreilach notched what proved to be the eventual game-winner, the 13th of his career, and the second of the season for the sixth-year Croatian, who now ranks fourth all-time in the RSL Career Golden Boot chase with 45 MLS goals, one shy of Joao Plata (46 goals in 40 more games played) and four shy of second-place Javier Morales (49 goals in 106 more games) ...

2023 MILESTONES TO WATCH

Who will be No. 197? - the next RSL player to make his MLS debut - FW Chicho Arango (July 8 v Orlando), HomeGrown DF Delentz Pierre, emergency backup GK Tomas Gomez, or perhaps, maybe, possibly, another Summer window acquisition besides Arango - will be the 197th player to appear in MLS action for the Club, after rookie FW Bertin Jacquesson entered six weeks ago to become No. 196 against Seattle, just 72 hours of making his overall debut in the Open Cup match at Vegas ... The Generation adidas signing and first-round pick (16th overall) out of Pitt can play both out on the wing or as a central forward, got his first-ever MLS start at Houston on May 6, just two weeks before his second on May 20 at Colorado - and has appeared and impressed in each of his eight MLS/Open Cup games over the last month.

(Now 18-year-old) RSL Academy GK Gavin Beavers on April 1 became No. 195, appearing at Columbus as the 2nd youngest starting goalkeeper in MLS history at 17 years, 337 days (behind former Chicago Fire GK Gabriel Slonina, at 17 years, 81 days) ... The RSL trio of DF Brayan Vera, DF Emeka Eneli and FW Ilijah Paul became Nos. 192/193/194 back on March 25 against STL, after FW Andrés Gómez became 191 on matchday one in Vancouver.

Since the close of the primary transfer window in May, 2022, RSL has seen 14 new players make their Club debuts ... Surely Arango, announced last Saturday, makes 15 on July 8.

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS

RSL did see three players make their RSL / MLS debuts in March, along with the return of a lockdown starter from the last two years ... Perennial 2021/22 starter MF Pablo Ruiz, who started 28 games a year ago, was finally awarded his U.S. green card and returned from his Argentina home in time to get two weeks of training in for his 2023 debut March 25 against St. Louis.

Also, 24-year-old Colombian DF Brayan Vera, signed in early February from América de Calí as a TAM acquisition, who provides cover at both left back and center back rotations, started in place of Silva against STL for his Club/League debut ... Vera received high marks for his play despite the scoreline, seemed to mesh well with a makeshift back line and nearly put RSL up 1-0 at the first-half death, were it not for an outstanding save from Burkii.

RSL signed 1st-Rd pick Emeka Eneli from Cornell 24 hours before his debut start against St. Louis ... Eneli was pegged early on for a Monarchs / MLS NEXT Pro deal, but impressed the first-team staff by demonstrating great versatility on both the left and right sides, along the back line in a back four and on either wing in a back three ... Eneli was an attacker in college, but impressed enough for a second consecutive right back start last week in Columbus ... With his 90-minute performance Wednesday against Portland, Eneli now leads the 2023 MLS SuperDraft class for the most minutes played this season, with 366 minutes, surpassing Orlando City forward Duncan McGuire, who has played 308 minutes ... Eneli has made four starts this season, his first two at a relatively foreign right back position prior to last Wednesday's stint in the midfield pivot against Portland, returning to right back in Wednesday's 1-0 win at Colroado.

Finally, RSL saw another rookie draft pick make his RSL / MLS debut back on March 25, as Generation adidas signing FW Ilijah Paul joined Vera & Eneli as the 193rd player in RSL history to see MLS minutes as the former RSL Academy player and Univ. of Washington striker played the final 18 minutes of the 0-4 loss ... Paul also started April 1 at Columbus.

OTHER MILESTONES:

Glad 200 - with RSL HomeGrown DF Justen Glad starting and playing all but 143 minutes this MLS season, Glad made his 200th combined MLS reg. season / playoff appearance six weeks ago at home against Seattle ... On April 1 in Columbus, Glad became the first-ever RSL HG to wear the Captain's armband in MLS action, a feat repeated May 6 at Houston and May 13 v LAFC in Marcelo Silva's absences, with Damir Kreilach coming off the bench ... Glad's 200th MLS reg. season appearance should come Saturday at DCU, with the NYCFC contest marking No. 199.

RSL MF Pablo Ruiz could see his 100th MLS reg. appearance arrive at DCU as well.

Re-arrived FW Jefferson Savarino - the author of 21 RSL goals from 2017-19, 7 last season and now 4 this year thanks to last the sublime five-hole finish at Minnesota on May 27 - added an assist on April 22 against San Jose to become the 5th player in RSL history to assume "30/30" status in his career ... With 32g / 30a in 113 MLS games for RSL, only Joao Plata achieved 30/30 threshold faster (104 games) ... The Venezuelan international needs 1 more goal to move into sole possession of 8th in RSL's all-time scoring ledger, past FW Yura Movsisyan (31 goals) and MF Kyle Beckerman (30).

Savarino also now ranks sixth in RSL's career assist annals, with 30 - surpassing Kreilach and Andy Williams, but sitting well shy of such luminaries as Morales (81), Joao Plata (43), Albert Rusnák & Beckerman (39).

Last Oct. 1 against the Galaxy, RSL fans saw Savarino become the 23rd player in Club history to notch 100 reg. season MLS appearances in the Claret-and-Cobalt; in the 60th minute of his full-game performance at LAFC on Sept. 10, Savarino became the 18th all-time RSL player to have played 8000+ minutes for the Utah side in MLS action.

Up next in each category? ... Pablo Ruiz (99) and Maikel Chang (95) are closing in on 100th Club reg. season appearances, while Ruiz at 7,564 career minutes is closest to becoming the 19th to surpass the 8,000 mark.

SCORESHEET MISCELLANY

May 24 against Colorado, FW Danny Musovski became the 97th player to have found the back of the net for RSL in MLS action, with his first-ever Claret-and-Cobalt goal ... Earlier in the same match, DF Bode Hidalgo became the 107th career RSL player to notch an assist, setting up the long-range Ruiz goal ... Just 30 minutes later, rookie FW Bertin Jacquesson made it No. 108 for the record books, earning the secondary assist to Rubio Rubin on the Damir Kreilach tally to put RSL up 3-1 at half.

Musovski's first two MLS goals in recent weeks - which means the Vegas native has now scored four goals and added an assist in his last 11 games across all competitions - begs the question: Who from Brayan Vera, Bertin Jacquesson, Emeka Eneli, Ilijah Paul, Bryan Oviedo, Diego Luna, Braian Ojeda, Scott Caldwell or even Zac MacMath / Gavin Beavers will be next? ... If any of the above besides Oviedo/Gómez/Vera/Jacquesson and Musovski are joined by Marcelo Silva in notching their first-ever RSL assist, they will become the 109th all-time.

Last year, RSL GK Zac MacMath became the Club's first-ever true "Iron Man" in RSL's 18-year history, his 90 "Decision Day" minutes in a 3-1 W over Portland giving the veteran MLS netminder a complete 3,060 minutes played between the pipes in 2022, a full 34-game season ... With his appearance on that same day, RSL DF Andrew Brody (only 100 minutes shy of every minute of every game, including 33 starts on the season) and also boasted 34 games played last season.

In 2021, former MF Albert Rusnák fell 15 minutes shy (3,045) of a complete "Iron Man" season, while FW Rubio Rubin also appeared in all 34 games of the 2021 MLS campaign.

O CAPTAIN OUR CAPTAIN

Damir Kreilach's 44th minute game-winner at Colorado May 24 was the 13th of his illustrious RSL career, as the 6th-year Croatian leader returned to the XI in MLS action for the first time since April 1 ... The Captain also tallied the game-winner on the road in MLS Matchday One at Vancouver in dramatic fashion, after missing all but just 5 games in 2022 following a torn disc in his back suffered last Easter.

Also one of this year's Open Cup heroes, Kreilach played the entire 120 minutes at Las Vegas on April 26, scoring in the 106+ and the 116th minutes, providing the game-winner and serving as the steward of a group that included five starters with just 3 or fewer career MLS starts ... May 10 at Portland, Kreilach wore the Captain's armband and played the full 90 in the rare 4-3 road win.

The former Union Berlin man - who missed each of the April Charlotte & Dallas matches due to groin tightness, but has returned to full training ahead of the San Jose victory, in which he did not play - scored 16 goals in 2021 to lead RSL, but found the back of the net just once a year ago in a season that saw only 3 starts and 2 other appearances off bench.

The 13 game-winning Kreilach goals over six seasons from 2018-present rank Damir 3rd overall in Club history, trailing legends Javier Morales (22) and Alvaro Saborio (21) ... What will the next 17 games this year bring for Kreilach's clutch tendencies?

MASTROENI BACK FOR THIRD SEASON AT HELM

RSL boss Pablo Mastroeni returns in 2023 for his third season at the RSL helm, with 2023 marking the former USA World Cup star and long-time MLS veteran's second full campaign with the Utah side ... Mastroeni - an icon as a player with RSL's Rocky Mountain Cup rival Colorado Rapids - arrived on the Wasatch Front as an assistant coach prior to the 2021 season, prior to being elevated to the interim head role that August ... Under Mastroeni's guiding hand, RSL advanced into the playoffs each of his previous two seasons with dramatic Decision Day wins - the 2021 "Damiracle" at Kansas City before shocking both Seattle and Kansas City again with road wins en route to a Western Conference Final loss at Portland ... A year ago, RSL clinched its fourth postseason berth in five seasons - and its 12th in the last 15 - with a dominant 3-1 home Decision Day victory over the Timbers.

During Mastroeni's 75 games at the RSL helm across all competitions, the Claret-and-Cobalt own a 29W-27L-19T mark, RSL outscored 95-116 in MLS, playoffs, Open Cup and exhibition play over the last 21 months.

After one season as Tab Ramos' assistant in Houston, Mastroeni matriculated to Utah, where he has changed the mindset and culture of the locker room, growing a culture that has seen his side lose back-to-back games just once in each of the 2021 and 2022 seasons, as his team has returned to dominance at home (18W-7L-9T record in MLS reg. season play in 2021/22), raised the Club's competitive bar on the road (32 away points in 2021/22 the most since 2013/14 in RSL annals) and displayed resilience and tenacity admired across North America for its collective "xDAWG" persona.

The RSL job is Mastroeni's second head coaching stint, as the Arizona native amassed a 40W-55L-37T record with the Colorado from 2014-17, a period which includes the Rapids' all-time best reg. season in 2016, which also saw Mastroeni's side go 15W-6L-13T and allow just 32 goals in 34 games, finishing 2nd in the West behind Dallas before falling in the West Final to eventual champion Seattle.

PERENNIAL POSTSEASON PARTICIPATION

Decision Day drama each of the last two seasons has catapulted RSL into the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs at the final juncture, Real Salt Lake advancing into the postseason in four of the last five campaigns (2020 the exception) and in 12 of the last 15 seasons since RSL's first-ever playoff game in 2008 ... Only Seattle has appeared in more Western Conference Finals (10) than RSL's five (tied w/ LA Galaxy since 2008), and only Seattle have advanced to the West Semifinals more often than RSL's seven appearances in the last 14 seasons (tied w/ Portland).

CANADIAN CLASSIC

The Feb. 25 season-opening win was just RSL's fifth-ever victory on Canadian soil (in 29 MLS contests), and the third on the Vancouver turf at BC Place ... Goals from DF Justen Glad - the equalizing assist provided by MF Maikel Chang, the Club's second-leading 2022 playmaker - and Captain Damir Kreilach (assists from FW Jefferson Savarino & DF Bryan Oviedo) - helped RSL improve to 4W-11L-1T away at VAN, with previous wins coming in 2013 and 2019 ... RSL is credited with a "road" win against VWFC at what was Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, UT, in June, 2021, the RSL venue serving as Vancouver's Covid-19 home that season.

RSL's all-time season-opening road record is now 7W-2L-7T dating back to its inaugural 2005 season, with the away opening day losses coming in 2006 and 2009 ... RSL owns one win and four draws in its road openers the last five seasons ... And with the 2-1 victory at Vancouver, RSL is unbeaten in its last 14 season openers, with 13 of those results coming away from home, last losing in 2009 - at Seattle in the Sounders' 2nd-ever MLS home game.

2023 marks the fourth occasion that RSL started its campaign in February, now posting a 1W-0L-3T record during the early calendar's shortest month ... In 2011, RSL opened in February at Columbus for its CONCACAF Champions League Quarterfinal series, en route to falling that April against Monterrey - who visits Utah later this Summer for the first time in 12 years as part of the Leagues Cup West 2 group, along with Seattle.

CORE GROUP

This year's roster boasts the return of 20 players from a year ago, a collective 27,000+ minutes from the team that endured a severe early-season injury crisis, including the loss of its talismanic Captain Damir Kreilach for all but the first five games ... Nine of the team's 11 starters from last year's "Decision Day" dominance and the Austin shootout loss in the playoffs return, with long-time Homegrown Aaron Herrera traded in December to Montreal and striker Sergio Cordova returning to Augsburg following his loan expiration, prior to the mid-Feb. DP announcement at Vancouver.

Another extremely effective starter from early 2022, FW Bobby Wood, saw his option declined in November, eventually signing a free agent deal with New England ... Recent weeks saw veteran leader and fan favorite Justin Meram traded to Charlotte just prior to the close of Major League Soccer's primary window close, the 13-year MLS veteran amassing 94 games for RSL across four seasons from 2020-23.

PRESEASON BASE CRITICAL

Several of last year's midseason additions now have endured their first-ever preseason periods with the Club as part of the Mastroeni era, including Venezuelan winger Jefferson Savarino, Ecuadoran forward Anderson Julio, U.S. U-20 starlet Diego Luna, Paraguayan box-to-box MF Braian Ojeda, Costa Rican World Cup starter Bryan Oviedo and former LAFC attacker Danny Musovski.

A year ago, rookie MF Jasper Löffelsend emerged from preseason to earn an MLS deal and quickly embed himself in the weekly 20-man roster ... Reserve GK Tomás Gomez - a veteran of nine professional seasons in MLS and USL - worked diligently to become Zac MacMath's primary backup, as MacMath became RSL's first-ever "Iron Man" - playing every minute of the 2022 MLS reg. season - after taking over for injured GK David Ochoa with 18 minutes left in last year's preseason ... Meanwhile, Homegrown academy product Bode Hidalgo progressed from preseason camp body to Monarchs starter to RSL reserve to become the Club's first-ever Utah-born player to score in MLS action, providing the dagger in RSL's playoff-clinching 3-1 home win over Portland on "Decision Day".

RECORD TRANSFER

On June 10, Real Salt Lake announced the acquisition of 28-year-old Designated Player and Colombian striker Cristian 'Chicho' Arango, a NEW Club-record transfer from Liga MX power CF Pachuca ... The Arango move - welcoming the 2021 MLS Newcomer of the Year honoree and 2022 MLS Cup / Supporters Shield champion who scored 32 goals in 58 appearances for LAFC - nearly doubled the fee paid just six months ago as RSL welcomed another Colombian, 20-year-old Colombian Andrés Gómez, from Millonarios FC ... Gómez is added to the RSL roster utilizing the MLS U-22 initiative and plays opposite DP winger Jefferson Savarino in RSL's expected 4-2-3-1 lineup.

Gómez arrived in Utah on Feb. 1 with three weeks to assimilate into the group ahead of the Feb. 25 trip to Vancouver ... Former DF and current Real Monarchs boss Jamison Olave was the Club's first-ever Colombian player signed back in 2008, while FW Olmes Garcia and MF Sebastian Velásquez are the others from the famed soccer-loving nation to call RSL home.

Back on February 13, RSL announced the signing of another Colombian international, as 24-year-old DF Brayan Vera was added via the TAM mechanism from América de Calí ... Vera - who has played in both Italy's Serie A (Lecce) and Serie B (Cosenza) in the past - provides depth and competition at both left back and centerback.

SPANNING A GENERATION

The composition of RSL's roster includes two 15-year-old homegrowns - FW Axel Kei and MF Luis Rivera - signed in the last year or so, along with four players aged 30 or older - MF Damir Kreilach, GK Zac MacMath, DF Marcelo Silva and DF Bryan Oviedo - who are all expected to play key roles in 2023.

HOMEGROWN FACTORY

RSL's roster boasts a League-high 14 homegrowns on its roster, including one young player who did not attend the vaunted RSL Academy during either its Arizona or Utah iterations but do occupy "homegrown" roster status - MF Diego Luna ... Recently-inked 19-year-old loanee MF Moses Nyeman did occupy HG status earlier in his career with D.C. United, but is not included amongst RSL homegrowns.

A pair of presumed RSL starters on the backline - DF Justen Glad and DF Andrew Brody - each own HG status, as do backups DF Erik Holt and DF Bode Hidalgo ... RSL has inked several young Academy standouts in recent years to MLS deals, including DF Jaziel Orozco, DF Zack Farnsworth, GK Gavin Beavers, FW Axel Kei, MF Jude Wellings, MF Julio Benitez, MF Luis Rivera and DF Delentz Pierre.

Another recent signing - FW Ilijah Paul, drafted 7th overall in the most recent MLS SuperDraft on a Generation adidas contract from the Univ. of Washington - spent five months at the RSL Academy in Utah as an Arizona native but was unable to sign an HG contract due to not having spent 12 consecutive months prior to his 18thbirthday as part of the RSL Academy program.

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