Chris Schuler has had a lot of time to think about his return to Major League Soccer. The newly re-signed Real Salt Lake defender last played an MLS match on July 11, 2015. Battling a series of injuries that limited him to just five matches in 2015, he finally returned to RSL when the club announced his official signing on Thursday, exactly 13 months after his last match.
“There may come a time when I can’t go anymore where it doesn’t make sense physically or from a professional standpoint to continue playing,” Schuler said Friday on The Bill Riley Show. “But that point isn’t today.”
Schuler, 28, has been a promising player for RSL since joining the Claret-and-Cobalt in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft. Gradually he earned more and more playing time while learning behind the 2010 Best XI defensive tandem of Nat Borchers and Jamison Olave.
A few injuries caused some stops and starts to each season, but in 2014 he had his best pro season, finishing with 25 starts for an RSL team that reached the playoffs for the seventh consecutive year. With so much promise and potential still there, he looked to be a cornerstone for the defense in 2015, but knee and ankle injuries derailed those plans.
Rigorous rehabilitation and support from family, friends and teammates saw him get back on the field, but he needed some time with Real Monarchs in the USL to prove that he could stay healthy and still compete at a high level before he could get back into Real Salt Lake’s regular rotation.
“There were a lot of factors that helped me get back – mainly my family. There were a lot of tough times when I was down and my mom and sister and my pops sometimes would be there to lift me up despite it being a difficult situation,” Schuler said. “Jeff and Craig stuck their necks out for me to put me in a situation where I could take my time just so I could get the long-term picture painted correctly.”
While he never considered the end of his playing career, not every day was steady progress toward getting back on the field. Some of those days were more difficult than others and he had to dig deep to find the motivation to keep working.
“There were dark days where you don’t know,” he said. “There’s only one way to find out if you can make it work and that’s to keep doing it.”
All of that work paid off on the day when he signed his contract with Real Salt Lake, signaling his return to MLS and triggering his signature grin that lights up Rio Tinto Stadium.
“It feels great,” Schuler beamed. “It’s something that I’ve been working toward for a long time, so it’s cool to finally sign on the line.”
To hear the full interview, click here.
