After an off day for Real Salt Lake on Sunday following Saturday’s matches, the team was back in training on Monday on Kino Sports Complex in Tucson as it began the final week of the 2020 preseason.
As the team looks ahead to Wednesday’s match against the Houston Dynamo at Kino North Stadium, Monday’s session saw two groups working on attacking and defending principals in different fashions. The group that played the majority or 90 minutes of Saturday’s scoreless draw with Sporting Kansas City were put through an extended warmup before moving into passing sequences and pattern play before the day was done. The group that played the full 45 minutes in a scrimmage with the Houston Dynamo on Saturday, was put through a small-sided match session at full speed.
Discussing various principals looked different for the two groups as the players who saw more minutes on Saturday took in a tactical discussion with RSL Assistant Coach Steffen Siebert as he helped the players visualize what was expected by using a whiteboard as instruction. The group on the next field saw Head Coach Freddy Juarez and Assistant Coach Tyrone Marshall work with another group to add layers to defending principals and counter movements against an opponent.
After playing 45 minutes in a 1-0 win over the Houston Dynamo on Saturday, the group’s legs were a bit fresher and were able to push the tempo of training for roughly 90 minutes.
To finish the day with the help of the goalkeeping core and Goalkeeper Coach Todd Hoffard, some players took part in a shooting drill that saw stunning strikes as well as high-flying saves.
RSL will take the training field again on Tuesday to put the finishing touches on tactics ahead of its second match in the 2020 Visit Tucson Sun Cup at Kino North Stadium on Wednesday. RSL will face Houston in a full 90-minute match beginning at 4:00p MT. Fans can stream Wednesday’s contest LIVE here.
