The 2022 MLS campaign has long been over and the unforgiving nature of the single-elimination Audi MLS Cup Playoffs sends another six clubs to the offseason after Round One, joining 14 clubs that missed the postseason.
Here, we'll be covering three questions for every team moving forward. Think of it as an exit interview, if you will. Matt Doyle, as always, has you covered on his preeminent season-in-review for each club (Real Salt Lake version). Read that, too.
He has gifs. It’s tough to beat gifs.
Pablo Mastroeni returned for his first full year as head coach of Real Salt Lake after a wonderful job as interim last year. RSL started strong and stayed afloat as the season went on, making the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs once again. New ownership took over ahead of the season and rejuvenated the fanbase, as America First Field was full and loud all year long.
RSL’s season came to an end after penalty kicks on the road against Austin FC in Round One of the playoffs. What’s next?
Real Salt Lake have made the playoffs in four of the last five years. They’ve done so with different managers and different players. They’ve done so with a low budget. They’ve done so when ownership was in flux to sell the team, meaning budgets were even tighter than normal.
They did so this year, after new ownership took over in January, which meant the offseason was in much of a holding pattern. They did so this year despite losing one of their two best players in free agency (Albert Rusnak) and the other one of their two best players missing essentially the whole year with injury (Damir Kreilach).
No one wants to plan a trophy parade for a Round One playoff loss, but this team continues to surpass expectations (and, often, without great explanation from those outside the club whose literal jobs are to explain these things). It’s impressive.
With new ownership comes optimism. With optimism, fans returned to the stands en masse. It was one of the most fun stories in the league this year, watching that stadium loud and packed again. Bigger expectations come with optimism and more fans coming back. RSL need to take the next step. But how?
We’ve felt the consternation a bit in the transfer market. The club didn’t add a full new DP until the final days of the Primary Transfer Window, and it was only technically a “new” DP because they re-signed Jefferson Savarino. (I’m not counting Sergio Cordova because he could have been bought down). He’s been good, and was a good signing, but folks around the league expected a bigger splash.
Kreilach returning next year will help a lot. They wanted to sign a big-time No. 6 (Colombia international Gustavo Cuellar was top of the list) but a deal never got done. Maybe a DP central midfielder is still the plan, maybe not. Another full DP would help alongside Krielach’s return.
Speaking of Cordova, the Venezuelan forward was on loan from Bundesliga side FC Augsburg for the season. Per sources, the expectation is that Cordova’s loan will be made into a permanent transfer, but nothing is 100% done quite yet.
Depending on the final fee and length of contract, perhaps there will still be DP flexibility even if Cordova does come back as expected. A player’s budget charge is their salary plus transfer fee amortized over the length of the contract. (I.e., if it’s a $1 million fee on a four-year contract, then $250k will be added to the player’s salary to make up the budget charge).
Per the MLS Players Association, Cordova’s contract came with a guaranteed compensation of just under $700,000. There’s plenty of room to work under the max-TAM charge.
That’s just a long-winded way of saying it seems very possible Cordova can be back while potentially keeping a DP spot open.
Cordova had some issues with consistent finishing during the year, but ended the season strong with two goals in the playoffs.
Real Salt Lake will have to decide on Braian Ojeda’s future as well. The Paraguayan midfielder is on loan from Premier League side Nottingham Forest with a purchase option, but they can leave that for the summer as his loan doesn’t expire until then.
This question doesn’t fit totally perfectly into this general concept, but it’s a conduit to talk a bit about how good Pablo Ruiz was this year. We all overlooked Kreilach for too long, you know.
Ruiz, who turns 24 in December, made 29 appearances in the midfield for RSL and has gotten better every year. A former Argentine youth international who has developed in MLS... teams in Europe usually pay attention to that kind of thing.
His role in possession was vital across all aspects, but particularly his passing range to hit big switches. Real Salt Lake were at their best when in possession and knocking a long pass to the opposite flank. Ruiz can do that in his sleep.
Another big-time midfielder to play with Ruiz (as was the plan when they worked on the Cuellar deal) could really give RSL control of the midfield constantly in 2023.
- Mastroeni used other formations but seemed to most often go back to a 4-4-2. Kreilach seems like he could be plugged back in as a second forward again.
- Jasper Loffelsend was selected No. 81 (fourth round) in the 2022 MLS SuperDraft. He was awesome this year. Value can still be found in the draft.
- How many minutes can Diego Luna, a highly-rated USYNT No. 10, get next year?
- Which other youngsters will be ready for more minutes in 2023?
