For every young player who earns a starting spot, an opportunity was seized. Not every chance has the same opportunistic outcome, but the success stories tend to have that pivotal moment where a break one way or the other determines the end result.
Justen Glad seized that moment when placed into the starting lineup early this season and never let it go and now the 19-year-old Real Salt Lake center back is poised to grow leaps and bounds as he enters his third full season with the Claret-and-Cobalt.
“Everybody gets their chance because someone else lost a chance,” Real Salt Lake General Manager Craig Waibel said. “The hardest thing to learn when you’re young is that you play club soccer and academy soccer, but you’ve never had to take someone’s job in order to get on the field. That’s the difference in the pros. You have to take someone’s job and not only get that chance but put your arms around it and never let it go because the guy you stepped in for always wants it back.”
Glad’s career has been a steady progression through his first two seasons, leading to his breakthrough in 2016. It’s been a tale of growing confidence in a role typically reserved for older, stronger veterans. Fighting the likes of Jamison Olave, Nat Borchers, Chris Schuler and Aaron Maund for playing time throughout his career, Glad felt assured early on that he belonged, but it wasn’t until this season that his belief was realized.
“Once you’re signed, and the coach puts that faith in you, that’s when you realize. But it’s one thing to think that and another thing to actually got out there and believe it,” Glad said. “I think that happened that past season with the consistency of games. And the learning never stops.”
Glad got his first opportunity that he had markedly grown over his rookie season in the fourth game of the season in a tough road contest against Sporting Kansas City. RSL was without several starters due to injury and suspension, but that didn’t thwart the effort. Spending most of his night occupied with marking Sporting’s dynamic Dom Dwyer, who went on to finish fifth in the league with 16 goals. On that night, though, it was Glad who would find himself on the scoresheet in a 2-1 win for RSL in a breakout performance that cemented his role in the starting 11.
He finished the season with 27 starts and was RSL’s Defensive Player of the Year. However, he’s not satisfied yet and uses his call-in to the U.S. U-20 National Team as motivation to take the next step in his development.
“I think this year was huge for me in terms of confidence and playing time. The Defensive MVP was a huge honor and I couldn’t have done it without all the people around me,” Glad said. “There’s definitely still more to work on and build on, but it was definitely a good stepping stone.”
While the year ended in a 3-1 defeat in the MLS Cup Playoffs against the LA Galaxy, the second half was a bright spot for Glad. In a year that saw him tested week-in and week-out against the likes of Fanendo Adi, David Villa and the others of that ilk, it would close with a duel against Robbie Keane. While LA held a 3-1 halftime lead, Glad and his teammates weren’t about to give up the fight and his defensive effort and performance in the second half didn’t go unnoticed.
“If we had just given up it would have been shameful. Going out and leaving it all on the field felt better than just hanging our heads after the first half,” Glad said. “Finishing it playing against Robbie Keane was a check that I wanted to mark off my list and I’m glad I got to do that before the season ended. That was a big moment for me.”
He hopes to carry momentum from that performance and build on his 2016 season as he eyes the 2017 season and a more prominent role to start the year. But first comes U.S. U-20 camp in Costa Rica this week. In a big year for the U-20s, who will have the CONCACAF Championships in February and March and potentially the World Cups shortly thereafter, Glad’s role in that team could elevate his profile on the national stage and propel him into greater interest with the senior national team.
He knows the importance the coming months will have for him and feels up to the challenge.
“I’m trying to perform at that national team level. Obviously it takes my game and elevates it a little more,” he said. “Anytime you get to put on the U.S. jersey it’s a big honor and to do it with some of the guys that I’ve played with for the past couple years is always a fun time. I think we can really do something special.”
U.S. U-20 camp begins on Wednesday in Costa Rica, with two friendlies against Costa Rica in the 10-day camp.
