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SANDY — Nearly half of the starters from the 2021 Western Conference Final against Portland have missed significant time so far for Real Salt Lake in 2022, but the pieces are slowly returning just in time for the most grueling stretch of the season so far.
Last week, starting right back Aaron Herrera and forward Bobby Wood returned to the pitch, coming in as second-half substitutes in a 2-2 draw against Toronto FC.
Head coach Pablo Mastroeni said Tuesday that Herrera could potentially play a full 90 minutes after completing a full week of training. He also revealed the return of two more key players in starting center back Justen Glad and 2022 MLS SuperDraft selection Jasper Loffelsend. Both will add much-needed depth for what was a depleted back line for RSL just two weeks ago.
"They both look great," Mastroeni said of Glad and Loffelsend. "We'll progress as the week goes on as to what they can can and cannot do, but (I'm) optimistic that those two players will be or be available around the corner."
Team captain Damir Kreilach started his first game of the season against Toronto after a slow return from injury and energized the RSL attack, slotting home his first goal of the season and leading the team with an 84.6% passing accuracy.
The King serving his people. pic.twitter.com/1BRONfn8zr
— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) April 11, 2022
Mastroeni called the 16-shot outing against Toronto one of the team's "more complete" attacking performances this season, specifically mentioning the off-ball movement as getting to closer to their "ideal style of play."
"That's something that we've been working on since preseason, and it finally manifested itself in real time," Mastroeni said. "Like everything else, it doesn't happen overnight. It's a steady work in progress."
Mastroeni mentioned last week that starting goalkeeper David Ochoa practiced partially, but the 21-year-old keeper was not made available against Toronto and was not mentioned as a possible returnee this week. Ochoa joins midfielder Nick Besler, forward Rubio Rubin, defender Erik Holt and forward Jonathan Menendez as some of the key pieces still missing from the field for RSL.
"I think it's gonna take quite some time to really get everything in place on both sides of the ball," Mastroeni said on how close the team is to its final form. "When you build chemistry, it's because you have consistency in the lineup, consistency in the overall roster, and that's what we haven't had this year."
If the pattern of the last couple weeks hold up and players continue to trickle back into the lineup, the chemistry and consistency could reach peak form sooner rather than later. That's not a bad prospect for an RSL team already tied for second place in the Western Conference and facing three matches in the span of seven days starting on Sunday.
The Claret and Cobalt take on New York City FC in New York on April 17, then return home for a U.S. Open Cup matchup against the USL's Hailstorm FC on April 20. The team then hits the road again for a match against the Portland Timbers on April 23.
