Real Salt Lake roster at "90 percent," says GM Fall
With the start of the MLS season nearing, the RSL roster isn't yet complete — but is it getting close?
In an interview today with Bill Riley over at ESPN 700, Real Salt Lake general manager Elliot Fall described the team's roster as "probably 90 percent of the way there," citing a desire for more options.
With the club sealing the arrival of under-22 signing Carlos Andrés Gómez, who Fall described as the club's top target for the year, he's continuing to search for another attacking option and defensive depth.
"We would love another attacking option," Fall said in the interview. "And then, in this league, you can never have too much depth, especially defensively. We're in a lot of different competitions, so bringing in some competition there that can compete for minutes and push the guys we currently have would be the other spot."
While he didn't commit to timelines, Fall noted that the club "feels good" about the direction.
"I guess in terms of percentages, we're probably 90% of the way there," he said. "We're still looking for a couple impact pieces and feel good about where we're headed in that direction."
Fall also cited what he described as "question marks" on the roster, most notably with regard to RSL captain Damir Kreilach. After a nerve injury in his back required surgery, Kreilach hasn't played competitive soccer in nearly nine months.
"We're all excited to have (Kreilach) back, he's playing and feeling good, getting sharper and fitter," Fall said. "But there's one question mark right there: Is Dami going to be able to hit the ground at 2021 Dami levels? Honestly, we won't know until the real competition kicks off. He's obviously a big part of what we want to do, both on and off the field."
An extended excerpt from the interview follows.
We're not 100% of the way there. We have a couple pieces we're still targeting to bring and really bolster the group, bring some high level competition to the group. We feel very good about where the roster is right now. We were able to bring in our top offseason target in Andres Gomez. We have the benefit this year of having more left from our full group from last year in preseason from day one this year.
I guess in terms of percentages, we're probably 90% of the way there, but we're still looking for a couple impact pieces and feel good about where we're headed in that direction.
The global soccer landscape is one that is ever-evolving. There are constant changes. We're looking at new players literally every single day and evaluating, but we do have a short list of players that we are having more intense discussions internally and externally about.
The European window closed this week, which also provides an interesting dynamic to the situation. There are some players on the list that ended up making a move to another team in Europe, but other players, the move they were looking for didn't come off, and now, we're one of the only windows that's open. (There are) a lot of options we're discussing concurrently.
We would love another attacking option, and then, in this league, you can never have too much depth, especially defensively. We're in a lot of different competitions, so bringing in some competition there that can compete for minutes and push the guys we currently have would be the other spot.
You're always able to look at the roster, see promise, upside, pieces we feel good about. But there are always question marks. Players have to go out and perform. We're all excited to have (Damir Kreilach) back, he's playing and feeling good, getting sharper and fitter. But there's one question mark right there: Is Dami going to be able to hit the ground at 2021 Dami levels? Honestly, we won't know until the real competition kicks off. He's obviously a big part of what we want to do, both on and off the field.
The other one is we have a lot of young guys. Hopefully we're able to get one or two more young guys across the line. How many of those guys are going to be able to be real impact players from all of them? The hope would be all of them … hopefully we're able to see some impact like we saw from Braian Ojeda last year. You could look at questions anywhere on the field, but you could look at positive potential upside as well.
