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SANDY — Real Salt Lake will travel to the Lone Star State Friday in preparation to take on Major League Soccer opponent F.C. Dallas Saturday in a match that will be full of both challenge and opportunity for the Salt Lake club.
The Claret and Cobalt have yet to notch a victory in the Lone Star State, and with five RSL regular starters — defenders Tony Beltran and Abdoulie Mansally, goalkeeper Nick Rimando, midfielder Kyle Beckerman and forward Alvaro Saborio — on international duty, some challenge will kick in.
“We’ve got a lot of guys representing their country right now, which ultimately I think speaks good things about us, but it does make life a little bit difficult and forces a coach to get a little bit creative every once in a while,” RSL head coach Jason Kreis told ESPN 700 during a radio interview Tuesday.
Enter opportunity for the young and new Salt Lake club roster.
“I think that we feel like for every player that we lose (to international duty) opens up an opportunity for somebody else in our squad to take and really at the exact right moment because the guys that have performed in the last two reserve matches have done incredibly well,” said Kreis. “So they look like they are champing at the bit for their chance to prove something with the first team so there will be a few more of those guys getting a chance this weekend, and we’ll hope that they will step forward as they have in the last two reserve matches.”
With two defender positions, a goalkeeper position, a midfielder position and a forward position, there will be plenty of opportunity for new and young RSL players to make an impact. One of those players who will possibly see opportunity is young forward Devon Sandoval.
Sandoval was picked up by the Salt Lake club early this year in the MLS SuperDraft and after entering the club just before its preseason camps has impressed the RSL coaching staff in its reserve matches and even a handful of minutes in the club’s first team matches.
“Devon Sandoval, probably the very top performer in the first two reserve matches for us,” said Kreis. “The amount of work that he’s putting in is unbelievable.”
Sandoval agrees, and if called upon to start or come off the bench in Dallas, he won’t only be bringing his 6-foot-1 stature and wild hair to the pitch, but he says he’ll be bringing what he can to contribute.
“I’ve pretty much got the same mindset I’ve had up until this point — work as hard as I can in practice and if I get my chance in the game then it’s a ‘do whatever I can to help us win’ and that’s what I’m going to do,” Sandoval told ESPN 700 during a radio interview Thursday.
With Rimando in Denver with the U.S. Soccer Men's National Team, RSL backup goalkeeper Josh Saunders will also get an opportunity in Texas this weekend and will make his debut in the Claret and Cobalt uniform — a backup that has the last two MLS Cup championships on his resume.
Even with five regulars on international duty, the RSL defense may see the return of veteran defender Nat Borchers against F.C. Dallas. Borchars, who has been recovering from a knee injury, played his first minutes of the 2013 season in the Salt Lake club’s reserve match last weekend, putting 70 minutes behind him.
“I thought he was solid. What’s more impressive and what we’re more happy about is that he recovered quite well and he was in training for us (Tuesday),” Kreis told ESPN 700. “We believe as he does that he’s in consideration for this weekend.”
Following Saturday’s match in Texas, RSL will return to Utah to prepare for its second home match this season as the club hosts the Seattle Sounders March 30.
Kira Terry is a sports writer covering Real Salt Lake for KSL.com. Follow her on Twitter, @kiraterry.
