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SALT LAKE CITY — Real Salt Lake has struggled to score for long stretches in recent years, but the team's first hat trick in six years and three goals in two of the last four matches have the offensive side of the ball humming along in high gear as spring settles in.
While the goals are coming free and easy, the state of RSL's defense looks a little more endangered following an injury in training this week.
Veteran center-back Marcelo Silva stepped on a ball during practice on Tuesday and "ended up doing the splits (and) nearly tore his hamstring off the femur bone," according to a club representative. He left training on a cart and will be out "four-to-six months" as doctors and trainers decide on a "non-surgical pathway" for the Uruguayan's hamstring.
Silva played just 181 minutes before his injury, amounting to two of the team's six games so far, but he is also the only center-back behind starters Justen Glad and Brayan Vera to see the field this season.
Erik Holt is the only other center-back currently on the RSL roster, and he hasn't played since May of last year. The club will likely have to call up members of the Real Monarchs, such as Keller Storlie, Bobby Pierre and Omar Alba, or cut short the loans of Jaziel Orozco, Kevon Lambert or Delentz Pierre to provide depth.
Many of the Monarchs players have already spent time in RSL training sessions this season, and head coach Pablo Mastroeni said every player is given equal attention and opportunity in training and when it comes to making lineup decisions.
"From just a macro perspective, we don't work with 11 guys and then move the rest of the group to another field," Mastroeni said. "Every player is given the same amount of attention, is given the same amount of care, and that allows us to be a deep team."
Pablo Mastroeni talks about the development of the young #RSL players. Says they're all so much further ahead than he was at such a young age pic.twitter.com/917wVycL4F
— Caleb Turner (@calebturner23) April 2, 2024
Silva's injury marks the second potentially season-ending absence for RSL over the last month, as midfielder Pablo Ruiz was ruled out for the season with an ACL tear in early March.
The team has until April 23 to bring in reinforcements via the MLS primary transfer window, or else in-house talents will have to fill in the gaps until the summer transfer window opens on July 18.
Should the team avoid further injuries, the starting lineup has taken shape and fallen into form with two consecutive wins for the first time since early September of last year.
Captain Chicho Arango leads the team with five goals and four assists after his trifecta against St. Louis last week and Diego Luna has stepped up his playmaking production with five assists already in 2024.
The Claret and Cobalt hit the road this week against fellow top-four Western Conference side Minnesota to try and win three in a row for the first time in MLS play since May 2022.
