For the last few weeks, Real Salt Lake’s attack hasn’t had the same lethal voracity that became a staple early in the season. With just one goal in the last four matches, it’s no wonder RSL finds itself in a five-match winless streak.
A big reason for that has been the absence or limited play of playmaker Javier Morales and the forward trio of Juan Manuel Martinez, Yura Movsisyan and Joao Plata. In the last four matches, that foursome has played just 31 minutes together – and that came when Morales subbed on at halftime against Portland and had to be taken off later due to injury.
In the last two matches, Movsisyan has been limited to 14 minutes because of a heel injury and to General Manager Craig Waibel, that absence is the most difficult to replace.
“When Yura’s on the field, our results, our goals for, our production are overwhelmingly convincing that he is an extremely important piece to our attack,” Waibel said Tuesday on ESPN 700’s Bill Riley Show. “He occupies both center backs when he’s on the field which frees up Plata and Juan to get isolated. It also frees up space underneath Yura for Javi to operate with a bit more space. That’s because Yura is a special forward. He’s a difference-maker.”
Movsisyan – in his first season back in MLS after a big off-season loan move from Spartak Moscow – shares the club’s scoring lead with Joao Plata, each forward tallying nine goals this season in a multi-pronged RSL attack.
RSL is 10-5-8 this season when Movsisyan starts and 6-1-4 when he has a goal or an assist. For those reasons and more, Waibel sees the potential for a deep run in the postseason if Movsisyan can get back to full fitness ahead of the playoffs.
“It’s really important for us to get him healthy here in the final stretch. I do think we have the talent to cause some noise,” Waibel said. “I think we’re capable on any given day to beat any team in this league. But I also think we need to start the game healthy. We need to start the game with our strongest group. Our subs can make us better in the right environment and with the right guys around them.”
To hear Waibel’s full interview, click here.
