Real Salt Lake is halfway through the MLS season and only has four wins. What will it take to right the ship?
It’s been a tough year for Real Salt Lake. Nothing is going their way. They generate leads, but somehow lose them. They also struggle to score, so it seems like they just can’t get anything going their way. RSL has been competitive in games; they haven’t been blown out too often, so they can compete, but they just can’t get it done.
The question a lot of people were asking at the beginning of the season was, “Where are the goals going to come from?” RSL has proven they don’t have a lot of options. Diego Luna has proven to be a goalscorer, but he can’t do it alone. Luna needs help. Homegrown forward Zavier Gozo has shown he can create chances, but the goals still aren’t coming for RSL. The Claret and Cobalt are left looking for answers to questions they keep having.
RSL’s backline is having similar issues to last year. A lack of depth, along with injuries, has given this team a rough time on defense. Tired legs and players in unfamiliar positions have given head coach Pablo Mastereoni a headache. RSL has to pull players from other positions just to have a backline. Players who are used to playing in an outside back role are pulled into center back roles, and the lack of familiarity is hard.
Real Salt Lake isn’t completely at fault for this struggle. Matt Crooks, Anderson Julio, Chicho Arango, and Andres Gomez all wanted to leave the Club. The Club obliged and transferred them out. I have a deep respect for these players, and sometimes soccer is cruel. Diego Luna and Zavier Gozo are now expected to score the goals, and RSL looks good in games, but the finishing touch has evaded them time and time again.
It should be noted that RSL broke a winless streak this year with a 2-1 win in Houston on March 15th. RSL had not won in Houston since 2018, including the MLS Cup Playoffs. Luna was a bright spot and proved he belonged with the US Men’s National Soccer Team with a goal and an assist. RSL showed that they can go into hostile territory and win, but something just isn’t clicking.
Rafael Cabral in goal has been phenomenal. He has a save percentage of 69.1 and is strong both in protecting the net and starting counterattacks. Cabral came to RSL from Cruzeiro and has not disappointed. At 34 years old, Cabral is looking incredible despite his age. He could be the RSL goalkeeper of the future, and has not shown any signs of slowing.
RSL has also struggled in the midfield area. They can’t seem to kickstart attacks, especially under pressure. Luna has been a good spark, but the midfield just seems tired. They can’t seem to get the ball from the backline to the attack fast enough. The midfield is the engine room of the attack, and needs to play quicker and complete more passes.
Overall, it was been a rough 17 matches for RSL. The Claret and Cobalt have only won four games, while tying three and losing ten. This team needs to figure something out and get going fast. It is not to late to get this season back on track and RSL has the talent to do it. It could be an exciting second half of the season and RSL has faith.
