RSL 2024 season preview: Here's what you may have missed since last time out
RSL 2024 season preview: Here's what you may have missed since last time out
RSL MatchDay 1 is upon us, as Real Salt Lake travels to Messi Island to face Inter Miami in a standalone league-opening match Wednesday at 6 p.m. MST.
RSL MatchDay 1 is upon us, as Real Salt Lake travels to Messi Island to face Inter Miami CF in a standalone league-opening match Wednesday at 6 p.m. MST on MLS Season Pass.
The first-ever meeting between Salt Lake and Miami is the premier kickoff of the “MLS is Back” return-to-play ahead of the league’s 2024 season.
Salt Lake is unbeaten in 15 consecutive openers, last losing its first match of the season in 2009 — when the club went on to win its first (and only) MLS Cup title. The club’s active 14-match unbeaten run on MLS opening weekend includes seven wins and seven draws, with only two of those matches played at home (3-0 vs. Toronto FC in 2014 and 0-0 vs. Toronto FC in 2017).
In the meantime, here are a few things you may have missed since RSL wrapped up the 2023 season.
New boss(es) in town
Perhaps no bigger change came than across manager Pablo Mastroeni’s coaching staff.
The fourth-year Salt Lake head coach admits that the decision to switch every coach on his roster wasn’t his alone — it rarely is the head coach’s decision to change out his or her entire staff, in any sport, in any league — but the volume of experienced procured by the new additions is tough to pass on, as well.
“When the staff left, it was a hard moment for me. There was probably about a week of grieving, and then I came to the realization that we as coaches have great advice for our players about trying to be uncomfortable,” Mastroeni told CBS Sports Golazo. “Once I got my mindset shift to opportunity and change, then you started to embrace it. It became a blank canvas, where we could change the way we could think about the game and approach the game.”
Former San Diego Loyal head coach Nate Miller joins Mastroeni’s staff as an on-field assistant, after the 37-year-old native of Jerusalem, Israel who grew up in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, led the Loyal to a 16-9-9 record, third place in the Western Conference, and a berth in the USL Championship quarterfinals a year ago.
Former Miami FC head coach Anthony Pulis comes to the Wasatch Front with nearly 200 games of experience as a head coach, as well as a 10-year playing career in his native England representing such clubs as Portsmouth, Stoke City, Torquay United, Plymouth Argyle, Grimsby Town, Bristol Rovers, Southampton, Lincoln City, Stockport County, Barnet and Aldershot Town. He’s the son of U.K. managerial legend Tony Pulis.
RSL’s third field assistant needs no introduction, as Jamison Olave makes the move from reserve side Real Monarchs after two seasons leading the team MLS NEXT Pro and spending the 2015-21 campaigns with the club in USL Championship. Olave was a decorated defender for the Claret-and-Cobalt, where he compiled 159 appearances (157 starts) in central defense, amassing 13,654 minutes with 13 goals and 2010 MLS Defender of the Year honors along with MLS Best XI nominations in 2010 and 2011.
Similarly, new goalkeeper coach Mirza Harambasic has been with the organization since 2019, working with the RSL Academy and Monarchs in mentoring rising goalkeepers Gavin beavers, Fernando Delgado, Blake Kelly, Christian Olivares, Jeff Dewsnup and David Ochoa, among others. He also worked most recently with the U.S. U-17 youth national team in preparation for the U-17 World cup last year.
Key departures
Damir Kreilach, MF/F: After 151 regular-season appearances with 47 goals and 24 assists in six seasons, the beloved RSL captain departed in free agency for the Vancouver Whitecaps.
Danny Musovski, FW: Another free-agency departure, the Las Vegas native signed with the Seattle Sounders FC after a brief impasse between the player and organization.
Jefferson Savarino, FW: The Venezuela international opened up a Designated Player spot with his transfer to Botafogo in the Brazilian top flight. Savarino was RSL’s leading scorer last year with seven goals and six assists.
Key additions
Fidel Barajas, MF: Last year’s USL Championship young player of the year broke out for the Charleston Battery, and the 17-year-old Mexican youth international is ready to follow in Diego Luna’s footsteps with his move up to the U.S. first division.
Matt Crooks, MF: The 6-foot-4 attacker nicknamed “Tree” during his time at Middlesbrough knows goals, scoring 65 goals with 26 assists in 341 career appearances at the England second-division side.
Alexandros Katranis, DF: The former Greek youth international adds depth and competition at left back (alongside Costa Rican international Bryan Oviedo) in his signing from Polish first-division side Piast Gliwice.
New formation
In overhauling the coaching staff and adjusting some key personnel decisions, RSL will introduce a new-look 4-2-3-1 in Wednesday’s season opener that seeks to increase possession, create more central penetration (i.e. be less reliant on wide play), and use overlapping outside backs in the attack along with a double-pivot midfield and two attacking 10s when RSL has the ball.
In possession, then, the club may play more like a 3-4-2-1, with one outside back sliding over to defend with the two center backs as a block and two wing backs pushing forward to supplement the dual-10s underneath a lone striker in Chicho Arango.
Look for Crooks — when he finishes procuring his work visa to play in the United States — to play underneath the striker, with Diego Luna and Andres Gomez on the left and right side of midfield, respectively, and a newly healthy Pablo Ruiz and Braian Ojeda working the double-pivot midfield in front of a back line that will likely include Oviedo/Katranis, Brayan Vera, Justen Glad and Andrew Brody (among others).
How to watch the season opener
Real Salt Lake at Inter Miami CF
Venue: Chase Stadium; Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Kickoff: 6 p.m. MST
TV: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV (ENG: Jake Zivin, Taylor Twellman; SPA: Sammy Sadovnik, Diego Valeri)
Injury report
OUT (injury): DF Kevin Bonilla (left knee)
OUT (work visa procurement): MF Matt Crooks (England), DF Alexandros Katranis (Greece)CALLED UP: MF Noel Caliskan (Real Monarchs; MLS short-term call-up)