This week marks the start of Real Salt Lake’s 11th season in Major League Soccer.
In honor of those 11 seasons, here are 11 things to look forward to 2015.
1. Sebastian Jaime – The Argentine forward showed moments of the brilliance that sparked RSL to sign him in the middle of the season in 2014. Now with a full preseason under his belt, he is poised to make a much greater impact in 2015.
2. New faces – There are quite a few new names gracing lockers in Rio Tinto Stadium this year, but perhaps the most exciting is that of defender Demar Phillips. The Jamaican National Team left back has been a revelation for RSL in preseason, particularly with his connection to Javier Morales. Phillips has a reputation as an attack-minded defender and his overlapping runs have created opportunities in the final third that leave players like Alvaro Saborio and Jaime salivating for goals.
3. Back to CONCACAF – With RSL’s finish in the 2014 regular season, the club earned a berth in CONCACAF Champions League. Those games won’t appear on the schedule until late in the summer, but the four matches provide RSL with an opportunity at redemption after falling in the 2011 final and bowing out in the Group Stage in 2013.
4. New Video Board – RSL Owner Dell Loy Hansen had a grand vision for how to grow the experience at Rio Tinto Stadium and the addition of a state-of-the-art video board in the south end was part of that vision. The new screen was set to be the largest in Major League Soccer until the LA Galaxy announced that the StubHub Center would house a slightly larger board that is currently under construction.
5. Beckerman and Rimando – The two veteran leaders for RSL have been keystones for the club for years and have been rewarded with new contracts for their efforts on the field and representing the club as ambassadors off of it. After a 2014 season that saw them both deployed for World Cup duty, 2015 should be a bit less hectic. Although both are likely candidates for Jurgen Klinsmann’s 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup squad, that tournament is held in the U.S. so there is much less travel involved than the World Cup in Brazil last year.
6. Luis Gil’s continued emergence – The No. 10 jersey is a special honor in the soccer world and Gil was bestowed with that honor this off-season. He will don the storied kit number in his sixth MLS season in what could be a pivotal year for the 21-year-old midfielder. In addition to an increased role with RSL, he could feature for the U.S. in the CONCACAF Gold Cup and for the U-23s in the Olympic qualifying tournament.
7. New formations – RSL Head Coach Jeff Cassar has been careful not to label his club’s newest formation as a departure from the diamond midfield that had become a hallmark of Real Salt Lake for the last eight seasons. However, the new 4-3-3 formation has shown to be quite effective and to showcase the talents of the players on the team, so it’s a wrinkle that could be largely beneficial for the whole squad.
8. Team is still the star – Unity is the name of the game with RSL and that’s no different in 2015. It is as together and unified a group as you’ll find and while there are standout players like Beckerman and Rimando that have received multiple All-Star nods, the mantra remains the same.
9. Rio Tinto Madness – After averaging over 20,000 in attendance for the first time in club history, Real Salt Lake is pushing the envelope even more in 2015. Already with a robust season-ticket base, RSL’s crew of supporters is growing by the day and is a large reason why the club boasted a record of 11-1-5 in the regular season last year.
10. Real Monarchs – Rio Tinto Stadium will house more than just Real Salt Lake in 2015. With the inception of the new USL club, Real Monarchs, Sandy will be the epicenter for a summer of soccer this year. The new club, coached by former RSL-Arizona Academy coach Freddy Juarez, will field a large contingent of former Academy standouts and other RSL hopefuls as the next step for development is nurtured.
11. New TV deals – With a reach that will expand into 5.5 million homes with the new regional broadcast deal that includes Boise, Las Vegas, Reno, Tucson, Phoenix and Albuquerque, RSL is quickly gaining a stronghold. Look for new and innovative content throughout the year on the weekly show on Talkin’ Sports on Thursday nights and expanded gameday coverage.
