Lost a bit in the shuffle of Monday’s big trades and option declines was the news that starting defenders Chris Wingert and Tony Beltran both signed contract extensions to stay at Real Salt Lake.
That’s a shame, because the extensions are significant news. Wingert and Beltran were rocks for the Claret-and-Cobalt in 2012, with both players finishing the season in the top-three on RSL in league appearances, league starts and league minutes played.
Both guys are lockdown defenders, solid in possession and constantly improving in the attack. Their returns – along with that of starting center back Nat Borchers – keeps a good amount of continuity on the RSL backline, which lost starter Jamison Olave in a trade with New York on Monday.
That continuity is tactically significant. Wingert and Beltran both know the RSL system incredibly well. Head Coach Jason Kreis won’t need to worry about teaching either of them when to press, when to sit back, where to pop up in support or when to bomb forward like he would with new players.
Both Wingert and Beltran provide stabilizing forces in the locker room. Wingert is RSL’s longest tenured field player and Beltran has been around since the 2008 SuperDraft. They’re both easy to get along with, both of them work very hard and both set good examples for their teammates.
Make no mistake: Wingert and Beltran returning for 2013 and beyond is a big deal. They’ve been around for all of the team’s past successes and will undoubtedly play important roles in the Claret-and-Cobalt’s next generation.
