It’s been an up-and-down season this year for Real Salt Lake defender Jamison Olave. After starting in six of the first 10 matches this season, he was limited to reserve duty until a recent return to form saw him back in favor with RSL Head Coach Jeff Cassar. With his goal in a 1-0 victory over FC Dallas on Saturday capping a solid run of matches, the 35-year-old veteran climbed to new heights as he has taken a stronghold back over his center back position.
“I know I wasn’t playing much in the past but I didn’t stop working because I knew the opportunities were around the corner because that’s soccer,” Olave said on Saturday. “That’s how it is I kept working and that’s the result I got.”
Olave entered the season as an incumbent starter on RSL’s back line, a veteran presence to balance with Aaron Maund and Justen Glad, both young talents who showed promise in previous years. However, both Maund and Glad established themselves as the frontrunners in the position and had gained praise for their play as a tandem over the course of the season.
That left Olave watching from the sideline until recently when Cassar saw something different in training that showed to him that Olave could again challenge the young duo for playing time. Once RSL embarked on a stretch of three matches in seven days, it was the perfect opportunity for Cassar to use a rotation among the three players and Olave took advantage.
An injury to Maund created a further opening for Olave, but his play in victories over the Philadelphia Union on the road and the Chicago Fire at home already challenged the starters in the position. With the results, Olave’s confidence grew, as did the faith of his coaches and teammates. Now he has started in four of the last five matches, with RSL going 3-1-0 in that stretch to climb into third place in the Western Conference, just five points behind the Supporters’ Shield leaders, FC Dallas.
“He’s stepping up. He’s really been stepping up now for quite some time, and it was even before he was actually getting on the field,” Cassar said after the match on Saturday. “He had been doing extremely well in training sessions and obviously with Aaron [Maund] going down and everything you have an experienced player stepping up and realizing that he’s got to take control of the situation and I think he’s done a great job.”
Added midfielder Luke Mulholland, “All the attention has been on Aaron Maund and Justen Glad this year and I’ve said at times not to overlook Olave because he’s got so much experience. I think he’s handled his role this year great. He’s always been available for us when we need him and he’s stepped up in vital games.”
With eight matches left, Olave’s role as a leader on the back line could be important as RSL looks to close out the final stretch by building momentum into the postseason. If Saturday’s match was any indication, it won’t just come with his defensive prowess, but also with his threat to contribute on the offensive end on set pieces, something that has been a struggle for the Claret and Cobalt this season.
