When Real Salt Lake General Manager Craig Waibel met the media to close out the 2016 season, he hinted at a core group of players around which he could build a potent and dynamic club for RSL’s long-term plans.
Central to those plans is Ecuadorian forward Joao Plata.
Once a promising young talent with unrealized potential, the 24-year-old has now established himself as a consistent threat in the attack after leading the Claret-and-Cobalt in scoring for the second time in the last three years. For all of the personal accolades that come with those scoring marks, though, Plata’s focus is on team success.
“I feel good when you score and when you assist your teammates,” Plata said. “But I want to win something with my teammates. MLS Cup is all we need and what the fans need.”
As Waibel looks toward 2017 and beyond, it is with Plata and others in mind that he holds optimism for what the offense can bring.
Plata was Real Salt Lake’s Golden Boot winner in 2016 with nine goals and 12 assists. It was the second time he earned that honor after netting 13 goals to lead the club in 2014. The year in between was a difficult one for Plata, though.
After his breakout season in 2014, Plata came into camp in 2015 with high expectations. As the club adopted a new formation to get more attacking firepower on the field, he salivated at seeing even more opportunities for goals in the 4-3-3. Instead, a fractured foot in the first training session of the new season saw that continuity slam to a halt. Limited to just 19 appearances, Plata finished with four goals and four assists – hardly the production he had hoped for nor what the team envisioned when swapping out the reliable 4-4-2 with a diamond midfield.
In 2016, though, a new season saw new opportunities for Plata and he took advantage with aplomb, helping RSL back to the postseason after a one-year hiatus. The early exit at the hands of the LA Galaxy has Plata and his club eager to get back on the field for next season.
“I’m excited to get back to the playoffs, but it’s sad too when you lose the first game in the playoffs,” Plata said. “We were fighting. We need to get better next year and start training very hard in the preseason to get back for next season.”
Now with four seasons and 104 regular season matches with RSL under his belt, Plata feels at home in Utah and is committed to bringing championships back to the Wasatch Front.
“RSL is my family and I appreciate that they are letting me play here. I’m happy to be here in the city,” he said. “We need to get better and win something – MLS Cup … Open Cup – to see how it is.”