SANDY, UT (Wednesday, October 2, 2019) – Real Salt Lake had five players called in to their senior national teams for international duty ahead of next week’s FIFA window. FW Corey Baird has been called by in by U.S. National Team Head Coach Gregg Berhalter, while FW Sam Johnson (Liberia), FW Douglas Martinez (Honduras), MF Albert Rusnák(Slovakia) and FW Jefferson Savarino(Venezuela) will join their respective countries in action. All the players are scheduled to join their teams following RSL’s Decision Day match on the road against Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Sunday and return prior to the club’s first match in the 2019 Audi MLS Cup Playoff match.
“We’re very excited to have every one of those players represent their country in national team duty and we recognize how fortunate RSL is to have players of their caliber. I am particularly proud and excited for Douglas’ first full national team call up. I believe the Monarchs have been a huge part of his development and we hope to continue his growth with the first team,” Real Salt Lake Interim Head Coach Freddy Juarez said. “I know all of them will demonstrate the same commitment they do to the club and we wish them great success.”
Baird, 22, is in his second year with Real Salt Lake after signing prior to the 2018 season. A product of Real Salt Lake’s Academy, he has five goals and three assists in 30 matches this season after leading all rookies in scoring with eight goals, adding five assists in his 2018 MLS AT&T Rookie of the Year campaign. He has one assist in four caps for the U.S.
The U.S. takes on Cuba on Friday, October 11, at Audi Field in Washington, D.C., and Canada on Tuesday, October 15, at BMO Field in Toronto in the first two matches for the U.S. in 2019-20 CONCACAF Nations League. The U.S. is currently second in Group A, where Canada topped Cuba in two previous matches last month. The winner of each group will advance to the tournament semifinals with the top two teams qualify for the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Rusnák, 25, has 10 goals and five assists in 28 matches this season, giving him 27 goals and 26 assists in 89 matches since coming to Real Salt Lake prior to the 2017 season. Since his first appearance for Slovakia in 2016, Rusnák has five goals in 22 caps.
Slovakia faces Wales on Thursday, October 10, in UEFA Euro 2020 Qualifying before meeting Paraguay in a friendly on Sunday, October 13. Slovakia is currently second in Group E of qualifying at 3-2-0 (9 points), trailing only Croatia. The top two teams in each group automatically qualify for the 2020 European Championships. Both matches will be played in Slovakia.
Now in his third season with Real Salt Lake, Savarino scored on Sunday in a 2-1 win over the Houston Dynamo to give him eight goals and five assists in 27 matches this season. In 81 career MLS regular season matches, he has 21 goals and 21 assists. Savarino, 22, made his international debut at Rio Tinto Stadium, coming on as a substitute in a friendly against the U.S. on June 3, 2017. He now has one goal in 10 caps for Venezuela after recording his first international goal on June 9 in a friendly against the U.S.
Venezuela will face Bolivia on Friday, October 11, and Trinidad & Tobago on Monday, October 14 in friendly matches in Caracas, Venezuela.
Johnson, 26, has nine goals in 24 appearances for RSL this season, his first with the club. For Liberia, he has three goals in 14 career appearances since making his full international debut in 2015.
Liberia meets Chad in a two-legged Preliminary Round matchup, with the first leg on Monday, October 7, and the second on Tuesday, October 15. The winner will advance to the Group Stage in 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.
Martinez, 22, leads the Monarchs in scoring in 2019 with 15 goals in 20 matches in his first year with the club. Acquired ahead of the 2019 season, Martinez spent the 2017-18 season with C.D.S. Vida in his second stint with the club. He became the eighth player to sign with RSL from Real Monarchs SLC on August 31.
In his first senior call up, Martinez and Honduras will face Trinidad & Tobago at Hasley Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago on Thursday, October 10, before facing Martinique on Sunday, October 13, at Estadio Olímpico Metropolitano in San Pedro Sula, Honduras.
Real Salt Lake is currently fifth in the Western Conference standings at 15-13-5 (50 points) and faces Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Sunday at BC Place in the final regular season match of the 2019 season. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. MT with live coverage on KMYU, the KSL TV app and ESPN 700.
