Real Salt Lake is one of four clubs that will be represented by three players at the U.S. National Team’s annual January camp in Carson, California. With Danilo Acosta, Justen Glad and Brooks Lennon all joining the senior national team for their first calls, it is an opportunity for some young talent to dip their toes in the waters of international soccer at a new level after the trio helped the U.S. U-20 National Team – along with RSL teammates Sebastian Saucedo and Aaron Herrera – to the CONCACAF U-20 championship and a run to the quarterfinals in the FIFA 2017 U-20 World Cup.
Coupled with their success at the club level, the three RSL players represent a turning of the page for the U.S. National Team as the Stars and Stripes shift the focus on the 2022 World Cup in Dubai, having failed to qualify for this summer’s tournament in Russia.
While they all journeyed through Real Salt Lake’s vaunted academy, they have also each taken divergent paths to earning regular playing time at the MLS level and their first senior national team call-ups.
In Acosta’s case, the 20-year-old came to Real Salt Lake prior to the 2016 season with plenty of options in front of him. Tactically, he could play several positions – as a holding midfielder, a center back or an outside back on either side of the pitch. It wasn’t until late in the season while playing on loan with Real Monarchs SLC in the USL that he ultimately made the shift to left back. That move proved fruitful as he worked his way onto the field for the U-20 National Team during the CONCACAF tournament, then battled with veterans Demar Phillips and Chris Wingert for playing time with RSL. In the end, he started in 16 matches for Real Salt Lake and added two assists as he blossomed into a player that can compete week-in-and-week-out for playing time.
While that was a significant step, RSL General Manager sees a bright future for Acosta if he can continue to work hard and make progress toward those goals.
“Danny, I think, over the last two years has taken very nice strides in becoming a professional. I think Danny would look you in the eye and tell you he still has a ways to go to perform at the level we know he is capable of,” Waibel said. “He’s still really young and it’s amazing the things he’s accomplished to be able to perform the way he did in the second half of the season.”
For Glad, the move into the starting lineup came at a slightly younger age as the now-20-year-old center back transitioned into consistent first team minutes during the 2016 season – his third in MLS. While experiencing typical growing pains along the way, Glad was also a quick learner who rarely made the same mistake twice. His progression has had him among the league’s top Homegrown talents each of his three MLS seasons and after returning from international duty and a minor injury that followed he solidified the back line along with center back partner Marcelo Silva.
All the while, he kept his focus on improving every week and that is a reason RSL’s staff sees a bright future for the budding talent.
“One of Justen’s greatest strengths is his humility. That’s a wonderful quality that he has,” Waibel said. “I think he was one of the top five center backs in the second half of the season and I think it is remarkably deserved.”
Finally, Lennon returned from a stint with Liverpool in England, where he stood out at the youth levels before coming back to his roots on loan with RSL. After posting three goals and four assists in 25 appearances – 15 of them starts – he showed the upside that prompted a move to England at 16 years old. With that season under his belt, he signed a permanent move to RSL this off-season and figures to be an important piece for Petke in 2018. His additional exploits with the U.S. U-20s, where he was the leading scorer in the CONCACAF Championships and the World Cup, represent a solid future for attacking players in U.S. Soccer’s pipelines.
“Our job here is to make sure we challenge him to get better and I think he did get better in the second half of the year. That’s why he’s in camp,” Waibel said. “The potential Brooks has to perform for our club and our national team is certainly there. Like every attacking player, he’s going to be judged on goals and assists and he’s been phenomenal.”
The trio starts camp in California on Wednesday and will return to training camp following a friendly with Bosnia on January 28.
