Real Salt Lake has weathered much of the storm that has swooped through its schedule thus far this year. After playing nine of the first 13 matches of the season on the road and emerging with a 7-4-2 record and now in the midst of a stretch of six matches in 18 days, RSL will now get a key player back in the lineup, as Kyle Beckerman returned from Copa America Centenario just in time to close out that busy stretch with matches on Tuesday in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup against Seattle Sounders FC and on Friday in MLS play against D.C. United.
On Monday, he was back on the field at Rio Tinto Stadium for the first time since leaving for national team duty on May 21. While RSL managed a 2-2-1 record while playing three of the five matches on the road and advancing in the Open Cup, the club was enthused to have him back.
“We miss Kyle a lot. He’s our ‘capitan.’ It’s always good to have him on the team,” midfielder Javier Morales said. “It’s going to be very good for us.”
Beckerman started in one match for the U.S., a semifinal loss to Argentina, so he is fresh in his return. But playing with the U.S. for an extended period also lends to some sharpness for Beckerman. That’s one element he hopes to bring back to RSL’s midfield, particularly in the absence of Sunny, out with a facial fracture that will keep him off the field for at least six weeks.
“Whenever you go away for international duty, you bring a little sharpness back with you. I try and bring some sharpness and some energy back and give the guys a boost going forward,” Beckerman said. “I miss the guys. I miss being out here. I’m excited to get back going at it and get this second half of the season going strong.”
There is plenty to motivate the RSL captain too. Head Coach Jeff Cassar and defender Chris Wingert both sited the Open Cup as an opportunity to win a trophy that has never been hoisted by RSL. With that in the motivational tank along with the fact that it comes against bitter rivals Seattle, Cassar is eager to see his captain back on the field.
“I think it’s going to be great for him. It’s the first time on the new pitch and it’s against a big opponent,” he said on Monday. “One thing that we spoke to as a group was that this is a trophy that we’ve never won. We’re taking it really serious. I know Kyle and the rest of the guys all want to win a championship so it’s really important.”
Tuesday’s match kicks off at 8 p.m. MT and is in the season ticket package as Bonus Game B.
