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SANDY — At every level of his career, Real Salt Lake defender Aaron Herrera has acted like a professional.
Now, he just gets to claim the title and the contract as an RSL starter.
“He’s a quiet guy. When you get to know the kid, his strength has always been off the field,” said Real Salt Lake assistant coach Freddy Juarez, who has known Herrera since his days at the RSL-Arizona Academy in Casa Grandes, Arizona. “He knows how to take care of his body, how to eat. He’s been a really good professional since a young age.
“Now it’s just a matter of him understanding the tactics, and not letting the stage get too big.”
Herrera made the first start of his Major League Soccer career in last Saturday’s disappointing 2-2 draw with Rocky Mountain rival Colorado, and the outside back impressed his teammates and coaches — many of whom he grew to know years before signing his first professional contract in December.
In the start, Herrera was one of four RSL homegrown players on the pitch, joining former RSL-Arizona Academy teammates Corey Baird, Justen Glad and Brooks Lennon. Fellow homegrown players Danny Acosta and Bofo Saucedo were on the bench for Real Salt Lake, as well.
“All those guys have helped,” said Herrera, who will join Saucedo at the MLS Homegrown Game in Atlanta during all-star week. “We played together at the academy for so long, and it was definitely more comfortable coming here and knowing a lot of the guys off the field.
“It’s made it easier on the field.”
Herrera’s first minutes in the starting lineup impressed his teammates and earned him a new level of respect. He’ll try to earn more playing time Saturday at 8:30 p.m. MT on the road against the San Jose Earthquakes, a match that will be streamed live on KSL.com and the KSL TV app.
“Aaron’s such a quality player,” Lennon said. “He was with us at the U-20 World Cup, and that right there shows what kind of a quality player he is.
“He’s been patiently waiting for his chance, and he took advantage of it. He’s stayed true to himself, and has just been working hard.”
That group is pushing one another, as well.
“When you get that type of competition, it elevates the whole team and you start getting the best out of the team,” Juarez said. “Hopefully, Danny can respond and hopefully Aaron can see that he can do it, and he continues at the same form.”
Herrera became Salt Lake’s 14th homegrown signing in club history when he inked a contract with the club following three years at New Mexico.
The 21-year-old fullback scored seven goals and eight assigns in 54 matches for the Lobos, leading the team in scoring as a junior in 2017 with five goals and five assists.
It took some time for Herrera to get acclimated to his rookie season, though. He played in just two matches prior to his first start, logging a total of four minutes off the bench before going the full 90 against the Rapids.
Yet, if you ask Herrera, the biggest advantage to the weekend’s game-long performance wasn’t what happened in between the lines — it was the week of training leading up to his first start, when he had a pretty good feeling his time was fast approaching.
“I don’t think I learned too much from the game — I probably learned more in training, and the game was just a result of it all,” he said. “But I learned it’s tough to get results, and a couple of mental lapses can cost you a game.”
Real Salt Lake (9-9-3, 30 points) has had those same lapses before. It’s natural for a team starting as many young players as a club that prides itself on giving players opportunities, from the teenagers at the academy in Herriman to the second-division Real Monarchs to the first team.
They also know there will be a learning curve as each player moves up a level. Their challenge is adapting to the curve as quickly as possible.
“We have moments in games where we are unbelievable. There are times when we just run teams over,” Lennon said. “It’s a learning curve, for sure. We have a lot of young guys, and that’s OK. We are learning game-by-game, and all the young guys are stepping up and producing. We’re showing that we deserved to be in the starting lineup and play.”
