The winds of change were sweeping through Rio Tinto Stadium this week, as Owner Dell Loy Hansen announced a restructuring of the front office. Although the integration process which started on Wednesday is likely to be a long process, Technical Director Craig Waibel said there was no change on the soccer side of the business, as he maintains his role and keeps the team pressing forward towards its goals of reaching the playoffs and advancing through the Group Stage in CONCACAF Champions League.
“There are still a few ripples in the water and things are settling out. Dell Loy was in the office all day (Wednesday) helping and chatting and kind of administering the restructure. But nothing really changed in the last 24 hours for me. I’m still scouting players and figuring out how to get better,” Waibel said in his weekly interview on The Bill & OC Show on ESPN 700.
On the field, RSL is gearing toward the final stretch of the regular season, with a nine-match schedule starting against Seattle Sounders FC on Saturday at Rio Tinto Stadium and ending with a rematch with Seattle at CenturyLink Field on October 25.
As RSL readies to face the defending MLS Supporters’ Shield winners for the first time this season, it will be with an increasingly healthy squad, which will be beneficial throughout the final two months of the season.
“Practice today looked really good and it looked a little bit different than it had for most of the year. Minus Chris Schuler every other face was there. So it was kind of nice to watch. That’s going to be key, rotating some guys,” Waibel said. “The nine league matches become must-wins. And truthfully, if we don’t stay healthy, there’s no way to get this done. You just can’t get thin at this time in the year. It’s too difficult after so many months of guys beating up their bodies and being short-manned on the roster to battle through it continuously. The quality is there, but we have to have them wearing shoes on Saturday to actually make good of it.”
In addition, Waibel gave an update on the status of Juan Martinez, who signed with the club last week. The Argentine forward is expected in Salt Lake City on Friday and while his availability on Saturday is contingent on many factors, Waibel does not think he will take long to integrate into the team.
“We think he’ll translate into MLS and the style of play pretty easily. But it’s really more about the fitness,” Waibel said. “He’s about to come to the top of a mountain and start running around. It’s a little different than where he is right now. The big things will be fitness and the altitude.”
To hear the full interview, click here.
