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SANDY — There was a new face at America First Field on Wednesday morning as Real Salt Lake opened up another training session, but none of the players had to introduce themselves.
The new guy was already familiar enough.
Joao Plata returned to the training pitch for RSL, completing laps around the perimeter during practice and trying to regain conditioning following foot surgery to repair a fracture in his left foot during the Ecuadorian forward’s first practice of the regular season.
RSL coach Jeff Cassar said Plata is still at least three weeks away from returning to full practice — but Wednesday proved to be a positive step forward in his rehabilitation.
“It’s great news,” Cassar said. “Now it’s about progressing (from) the first week of impact with a little bit of light running.”
Plata led RSL in 2013 with a career-high 13 goals, the 10th-most in Major League Soccer last year. The 23-year-old striker’s contract was purchased outright in the offseason, when RSL reclassified him as a young designated player and inked him to a five-year extension.
Cassar said Plata could return to full training in the next 3-4 weeks, as he transitions from conditioning to cutting and changing direction and finally into a full session. But he also cautioned that the forward’s return is not necessarily imminent.
“Once he gets into training, it’s fitness,” Cassar said. “What we don’t want is to introduce him too fast, and then he gets nagging muscle injuries. But it’s a real positive to see him out here.”
Photo credit: Scott G Winterton/Deseret News
The injury, which came on a non-contact, change-of-direction play on artificial turf, occurred in the fifth metatarsal of Plata’s foot — which can be a particularly difficult break for healing purposes. But Plata’s return to the training pitch sparked optimism among his coaches and teammates, including good friend Javier Morales, who smiled broadly when asked about the diminutive striker’s first activity on the practice field since surgery with team physician Dr. Andrew Cooper at Salt Lake Regional Medical Center.
“He’s a good player, an excellent player and person,” Morales said following training. “I’m happy that he was feeling better. To have him on the team and on the field, it’s always fun.”
SAUCEDO SUSPENSION SERVED — Cassar also clarified that rookie forward Sebastian “Bofo” Saucedo has served his mandatory one-game suspension following his red card during RSL’s 1-0 loss to Vancouver. The 18-year-old who grew up in Park City was called into the U.S. U-18 national team alongside teammate Justen Glad last week, but sat out the training camp with a nagging groin injury.
Saucedo, who was officially "available" despite the minor injury going into RSL's road loss to New England, fully participated in training Wednesday after RSL had only 16 players on its roster against the Revs.
“That helps our attacking, makes us a deeper team,” Cassar said. “It’s getting there, and we need it.”
Glad continued with the U-18s this week, but reserve striker Jordan Allen returned from international duty with the U-20 U.S. side, and U-23 internationals Luis Gil and Boyd Okwuonu were also available at training.
