By TYLER GRAY
SANDY, Utah – Real Salt Lake is warming up just in time for summer thanks to consistent contributions from players all over the field.
Six different players have already scored multiple goals this season for RSL, and four of those have notched at least three.
RSL hope the increase in goal scoring and subsequent positive results will continue as the team works its way back to health.
The club has been hit with the injury bug a number of times this season but has still been able to produce positive results. As the injured players come back to fitness and the team chemistry improves, the results have gotten better and better—RSL sit second place in the Western Conference with 24 points, 10 of them coming from their last five matches.
The club will look to continue its recent run of good form Saturday when the Los Angeles Galaxy come to town. The Galaxy recorded a solid 2-0 victory during their April visit to Rio Tinto Stadium.
Defender Nat Borchers explained how that shutout loss to the defending champions might have jump-started the team’s recent run.
“I think after losing to them at home we kind of need a game like that to kick ourselves in the ass and kind of realize that we’re not as good as we think we are and challenge ourselves more in the following games,” Borchers said.
FINDLEY LOOKS TO BUILD OFF OF SAN JOSE WIN
Forward Robbie Findley returned to Real Salt Lake with a lot of promise in the offseason, but his performance was stunted due to a couple of early season injuries. As he gets healthier, Findley has gotten noticeably better every week.
“I’m getting there, I mean I felt good in the game,” Findley said. “Each week it gets better, so I’m doing the right things. I’ve just got to continue doing them. It was a successful night on Saturday, so things are good for now.”
Borchers talked about the importance of a healthy Findley to the entire team.
“We need him,” Borchers said. “We need him to be sharp especially with Saborio leaving with his national team duties. I think that he’s our veteran guy up top right now. He’s been playing more than any of those guys and for him to have good games is very important for us.”
Findley had his best performance of the season Saturday night against San Jose. The forward scored, recorded an assist and was heavily involved in the opening goal. His initial shot was parried right to midfielder Javier Morales, who easily struck it home.
“It was a good performance as a whole,” Findley continued. “We went out there and did what we needed to do, came out with a W and kept them from scoring, which was a goal for us. I think we just got to move forward from here.”
SABORIO AND MANSALLY CALLED UP FOR INTERNATIONAL DUTY
Forward Alvaro Saborio and defender Abdoulie Mansally have been called up to their respective national teams of Costa Rica and Gambia.
The duo will miss the Galaxy game and the U.S. Open Cup match on June 12th against the Charleston Battery.
We need to work on is constancy with our team. Young forwards are doing amazing one game the next no where to be seen. Don’t get me started on Findley and his touch. Midfielders Gil needs to play to his potential or you need to bench him for Velasquez. Morales needs to stop loosing the ball in the middle of the park, I would like to see his passing rating, because I feel he only makes half of his passes. He is amazing when it counts though. I have liked the young guy Salcedo in the back line over Schuler and Kwame, I thought this was going to be Schuler’s break out year too. He needs to work on his mistakes, because they become huge mistakes and again every other game. I like where we are at in this “Rebuilding Year” I have all the confidence in the world that we will be an amazing team at the end of the year.
More Olmes Garcia please. Can we get plata, findley and Garcia on the field at the same time?
You know Kreis is sticking with the diamond and I don’t see any of those three doing the dirty work required to play in the midfield