With Gil at point of attack, RSL transitions from hunter to hunted


Save Story
Leer en español

Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

FRISCO, Texas — Since the Seattle Sounders took a 10-point lead on Major League Soccer ahead of the 2014 World Cup break, every other team has worked to chase down the leaders from the Pacific Northwest.

That included Real Salt Lake, which scraped, clawed and often won ugly in piling up enough points to catch its Western Conference rival.

But RSL faces a different scenario as it prepares for a trip to FC Dallas, a match that will kick off at 7 p.m. MDT at Toyota Stadium and be broadcast on NBC Sports Network. As RSL sits tied at 42 points with Seattle and Sporting Kansas City atop the Supporter’s Shield race, the one-time hunter has now become the hunted.

Not that anything has changed for RSL, according to midfielder Luis Gil.

“I don’t feel like there’s a difference. I just feel like we want more points,” Gil said after practice Thursday. "We’ve got a difficult game this weekend, and every point matters now. I feel like we’ve been picking our game up, and we’ve been looking sharp. We just have to keep it going.”

RSL midfielder Luis Gil will slide into the attacking midfield role for his second straight MLS game, replacing the injured Javier Morales.
RSL midfielder Luis Gil will slide into the attacking midfield role for his second straight MLS game, replacing the injured Javier Morales. (Photo: File photo)

Gil is expected to start at attacking midfield for RSL’s Texas trip after head coach Jeff Cassar announced regular starter Javier Morales would miss his second straight MLS match with a hip injury. Gil has received rave reviews in that spot as he slides over from the wing of RSL’s diamond midfield formation.

“I feel good. I feel like my game is picking up,” Gil said. “I’m coming back from that injury that I had, (and) it was a grind to get back into it. But I feel good right now.”

Both Gil and Cassar stressed ball control and possession in stopping Dallas’ potent counterattack. Colombian winger Fabian Castillo is playing like one of the best players in the league, and he has Dallas only four points behind Salt Lake at third place in the West.

“Just being extremely good with the ball, and making sure we are in good positions when the ball turns over,” said Cassar as he mentioned keys to the match. “If we have to foul early, foul early.”

Surging rookie Tesho Akindele, a first-round MLS SuperDraft pick from the Colorado School of Mines, has the Hoops unbeaten in nine straight matches, including three straight wins. It’s a familiar scenario out West, where Salt Lake, Vancouver and the L.A. Galaxy are also picking up points as the playoffs approach.

“Everyone seems to be hitting their peak right now,” RSL midfielder Luke Mulholland said. “We just have to concentrate on ourselves, and not really worry about other teams.

“If we win out, we’ll be in good shape.”

JAIME ON THE WAY

Cassar confirmed after practice that new RSL designated player striker Sebastian Jaime has acquired his P-1 visa and should arrive in Salt Lake City on Friday, with potential to begin training with the squad as early as Monday. “In the interviewing process, he’s an extremely intelligent person and player,” Cassar said of Jaime. “He’s got a very high work rate, so from that, we can build. I don’t expect the transition to be rough at all. If the team’s playing well, there’s no rush, no pressure, and we can bring him on as time tells.”

Related stories

Most recent Sports stories

Related topics

SportsReal Salt Lake
Sean Walker

    ARE YOU GAME?

    From first downs to buzzer beaters, get KSL.com’s top sports stories delivered to your inbox weekly.
    By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

    KSL Weather Forecast