SANDY, Utah – After months playing without at least one significant attacking threat, Real Salt Lake are finally getting healthy again.
While still missing some important pieces in injured defender Chris Schuler and US U-20 World Cup squad member Jordan Allen, the returns of midfield playmaker Javier Morales from a concussion and 2014 leading scorer Joao Plata from a broken metatarsal in Saturday’s 2-0 win against New York City FC have RSL trending upward ahead of Wednesday's contest at the LA Galaxy (10:30 pm ET, MLS LIVE).
Plata made his season debut against NYCFC, coming on in the final minute of the home win after missing RSL’s first 11 games of the year after fracturing the fifth metatarsal in his left foot in the first day of preseason training. Morales made a more substantial return after missing RSL’s previous three games due to a concussion suffered against San Jose on May 1, playing the final 28 minutes of the win.
Morales spoke after training on Tuesday about what his and Plata’s returns mean to RSL, who have struggled at times in the attack this year and currently average one goal per game, tied for 15th in MLS.
“It’s very important, like every player on the team.” Morales said. “[Plata] scored 13 goals last year. He’s very important to us. Now everyone is healthy. [Injured Designated Player Sebastian] Jaime is getting better. When everyone is healthy, the team is better.”
Morales in many ways reiterated what RSL head coach Jeff Cassar has been repeating during this tough stretch: It is hard to evaluate the team because of the many absences that have plagued the roster since opening day. With the team missing as many as five starters at times, it has been difficult to judge formations, playing style and execution.
Now that a number of key pieces are returning, Cassar must balance that roster during a grueling three-match slate that includes Wednesday's LA trip and a date at the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday after last weekend’s match against New York City FC.
“It gets really tough, especially when you have several players that can’t quite go 90 yet,” Cassar said. “So it gets to be a little bit tricky because you can’t have too many players on the field that can’t go 90 minutes, because then you’re hurting yourself. You’re putting yourself in a shoebox. So we have to think of it as three games and how we’re exactly going to plan it out.”
RSL is hopeful that the win over New York will serve as a turning point for the club, who have struggled to put positive results together during their 4-3-5 start to the season.
“I think it was our closest game to 90 minutes that we’ve put together all year,” Cassar said. “Very sound defensively, and we had bright ideas in the attack. Really pleased on both sides. There are some areas that we could tighten up and get a little bit better, but the energy that the guys had, the character that they showed after coming off that tough [4-1 loss] in Montreal show what we’re all about.”
