Needing some additional firepower and stability in the backline, Real Salt Lake has added two veterans who should help immediately: forward Chad Barrett and defender David Horst.
Barrett’s acquisition is a big boost for RSL, as he should alleviate some of the scoring burden on star striker Yura Movsisyan. Barrett, 31, last played for San Jose and ranks 35th on the league’s all-time scoring list with 58 goals and has also displayed an eye for assists with 31. Among active players, he ranks seventh in MLS in scoring.
Barrett’s best season came where he split time between Chicago and Toronto, scoring nine goals and adding seven assists.
“Chad is a hard-working competitor with a nose for the goal,” RSL general manager Craig Waibel said in a press release. “He’s proven throughout his career that he can be an impact player either as a starter or off the bench and we’re happy to add him to the locker room.”
For Horst, it’s a return to the team that drafted him in 2008 SuperDraft after spending the past six seasons with the Portland Timbers and Houston Dynamo. Horst didn’t get much playing time in his initial stint with RSL, managing just three appearances, but his career took off after landing in Portland in the Expansion Draft. He was a full-time starter there for two seasons before moving on to Houston, where he was regular starter since 2014.
At 6’4, Horst provided some much-needed athleticism and size to RSL’s backline.
“David is another veteran player that adds a different dynamic to our group of center backs,” Waibel said. “With his addition, we are much more comfortable with our depth now that we have four center backs that are capable of starting, with each pairing offering something different.”
