Real Salt Lake GM explains major roster changes up top for 2013


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SANDY — There’s no doubt about how different Real Salt Lake’s 2013 roster is beginning to look from the past few seasons, but what do all the trades, acquisitions and signings, specifically up top, that have taken place since the 2012 season ended, mean for the Claret and Cobalt in its upcoming season?

A fast, more offensive attacking team? Perhaps even a similar looking team that fans saw win the 2009 Major League Cup and drive itself toward the Champions League Final in 2011? It is according to RSL General Manager Garth Lagerwey.

With the 2013 MLS regular season less than two weeks away, Lagerwey explained the Salt Lake club's many major up-top roster decisions during a radio interview with ESPN 700’s Bill and Hans Wednesday.

“We really feel like the best period for our club was September 2009 till April 2011,” Lagerwey told ESPN 700. “Our fans remember that’s when we began playing very well at the end of the 2009 season and then won the championship. 2010 was our best season by far, by pretty much any statistical measure, and then in 2011 we make our run for the Champions League Final up until the point when Javier (Morales) gets hurt.”

The RSL general manager told ESPN 700 the Salt Lake club aims to go after what the team had back in the end of 2009 to 2011 as it made changes for the upcoming season. “When we look at that group and what that group did well, we had a little bit more speed in that team and we had a little bit more speed centrally, “ said Lagerwey.

In order to make room for what RSL wanted to add, trimming was necessary. Although fans were heartbroken to see a few faces leave, the Salt Lake club’s major roster changes began when it traded former RSL defender Jamison Olave and striker Fabian Espindola to the New York Red Bulls. Another big, fan-shocking move came when the Salt Lake club sent former RSL midfielder Will Johnson north to the Portland Timbers for allocation money.

“Strategically we made a conscious decision to take resources away from our defense and to push them toward our attack,” said Lagerwey. “Olave is obviously one of the best center-backs in the league, in my opinion. Will Johnson is one of the best two-way midfielders, but more a defensive player than an offensive player.”

After removing three major players from the Salt Lake club in early December, fans speculated through the holidays and into the New Year as to what the RSL front office had in store for the 2013 season.

In early January, rumors began to fly via Twitter that former RSL forward Robbie Findley would be re-signed by the Salt Lake club. On Jan. 16, RSL confirmed that rumor by doing just that, re-signing Findley.


When we look at that group and what that group did well, we had a little bit more speed in that team and we had a little bit more speed centrally.

–Garth Lagerwey


The second big addition to the 2013 roster came when the club acquired Joao Plata from a trade with Toronto FC, exchanging its second-round pick in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft. RSL then signed Olmes Garcia, a 20-year-old Colombian forward from Deportes Quindio, this week.

“What we wanted when we signed our forwards in the offseason was we got Findley, and everyone knows he’s fast, but we got Plata, we got Garcia, and both of these guys are really fast as well, and so what it does is for the first time it gives us an ability to bring that speed at anytime and in any situation in the match. We really feel that speed is the key to stretching the field, which will give our midfielders more time on the ball and by having more time on the ball will enable them to make better decisions and to create more dangerous chances,” said Lagerwey.

Only time will tell if the Salt Lake club’s roster plans will work in its favor, but Lagerwey is confident they will, especially long-term.

“This is RSL 2.0, it’s part of a new three-year plan — that’s how we’re looking at this. We think we have talented young players who can develop and contribute to us long-term,” said Lagerwey. “We’re set up again contractually where we think we can retain this core over that period of time if they prove themselves. Some guys will emerge, some guys will fall away and we’ll back and commit to the guys that emerge and we’ll bring in new guys for the ones that fall away.”

Kira Terry is a sports writer covering Real Salt Lake for KSL.com. Follow her on Twitter, @kiraterry.

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