Real Salt Lake is now five weeks from its season-opening match on April 24 against Minnesota United and the team is taking strides in getting closer to its preparations to kick off the 2021 season.
On Friday, RSL Head Coach Freddy Juarez held the third intrasquad scrimmage of the preseason and the mixture of players on both teams showed progress in the areas of focus, even while doing so in differing fashions.
“The grey team did a lot of good things and the blue team maybe wasn’t as sharp technically and tactically, but was able to find a way to win,” Juarez said. “It was a good shift. There was definitely some growth and we got a lot out of it.”
2021 MLS SuperDraft selection Aris Briggs scored for one side while Noah Powder and Jeizon Ramirez scored for the other in a hard-fought 2-1 win for the blue team.
Briggs opened scoring early in the match when he pounced on a loose ball and poked it home for the goal. Powder responded six minutes later when he powered a low-angled shot after pressing up into the attack. Finally in the closing minutes of the 70-minute match, Ramirez smashed a half-volley off a cross from Anderson Julio for the deciding goal.
The goal for Powder came on the same day his native Trinidad & Tobago announced that he would join the roster for World Cup Qualifying matches next week and highlighted a good series of sessions for the young defender this week.
“It was his turn to be on the left side today and he took advantage and had a great goal,” Juarez said. “The guys that see Noah all the time know that he has a great shot from that angle. He gets into a good spot offensively and he can give good service or he can create for himself. And defensively he went against Anderson and was a tough defender to get by.”
Along with the ever-improving fitness of the squad, the focus has been on building the principles of play for RSL. In that regard, Juarez has been continually happy with each step the team has taken from week-to-week.
“We wanted to continue to get into the attack and the counter, particularly in the middle third so we can work on how to break an opponent down when they are in an organized block. We really worked on getting in behind the opponent and our midblock and how we can press and win the ball back,” he said. “We will continue to work on that and add to it next week. We’re very happy where we are at and we will continue to progress.”
RSL continues preseason from the Zions Bank Training Center on Monday after taking the weekend off. Kickoff for the 2021 season comes on the road against Minnesota on April 24 before the home opener on May 1 against Sporting Kansas City.
