Real Salt Lake Head Coach Jeff Cassar knew Joao Plata’s return from a four-month absence because of a fractured in the fifth metatarsal in his right foot wouldn’t mean instant goals from the Ecuadorian forward. For a striker, it takes time to get match fitness and into a scoring rhythm.
After 197 minutes of MLS action, Plata has inched closer and closer to that form of 2014 when he scored a team-high 13 goals to go with six assists. And while he’s not there yet, notching a goal and an assist in playing 90 minutes in RSL’s 2-1 win over Seattle Sounders FC 2 in the fourth round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Tuesday was a step in the right direction for the 23-year-old and Cassar was quick to credit the work he has put in to get back on track.
“When you take four and half months off from playing soccer, and then you come back, it’s going to take a little bit of time. There’s going to be some great, some bad, some in the middle,” Cassar said. “Joao has been working extremely hard, and then as long as he’s staying aggressive, that’s a good thing for us. He needs to continue to be aggressive, continue to get fitter.”
Plata spent a lot of time working his way back to fitness after suffering his injury on the first day of training camp back in January. That has helped allow him to regain his form, but another key factor has been playing with Javier Morales. The two developed a strong link in the 2013 and 2014 seasons and showed glimpses of that chemistry on Tuesday night in their 32 minutes together on the field.
That relationship means more joy for RSL’s attack, particularly out of their lethal combination.
“I think when you play with players who play good, that’s better for the relationship. He’s a good player, and I love to play with good players like him. It’s nice to play with guys like him,” Morales said. “He’s getting better and a better. He’s a smart guy and he’s getting there.”
Plata looks to notch his first MLS goal on Sunday in a nationally-televised match against Sporting Kansas City. The match kicks off at 8 p.m. MT with tickets still available at RealSaltLake.com.
