Real Salt Lake forward Fabian Espindola of Argentina, as shown here in MLS Cup action avoiding a tackle from Los Angeles Galaxy defender Gregg Berhalter, must have a better campaign if RSL are to repeat as champions. Photo/Real Salt Lake
With all rookies and select veterans now at their initial camp in the mountains of Park City, Real Salt Lake officially begins its preseason this week with a few questions at forward and fewer in other positions.
Now that forward Yura Movsisyan has taken the 15 goals he scored for RSL in three years to Randers FC in Denmark, a question must be answered in the interim.
The quick answer might be a forward RSL brought in from the 2010 Waiver Draft.
Abe Thompson, a journeyman whose best years in Major League Soccer came at FC Dallas between 2005 and 2008, scored 14 goals for the Hoops in that span. It’s hard to say what, if anything, Thompson will contribute to the front line, but it will need to be something, since Movsisyan accounted for five goals per season.
The undisputed leader at the position is still Robbie Findley. The budding U.S. international mainstay--who was just called up to his second consecutive U.S. national team camp earlier in the week-- has scored 24 goals in a three-year span for RSL, tallying a whopping 12 goals in 2009. His totals during the team’s championship season were good for third-best in the league and a team-high.
Fabian Espindola rejoined RSL from Deportivo Anzoetagui in April, and between that time and MLS Cup the flashy Argentine scored only three goals for the club. While Espindola did not have the kind of season, nor the numbers many were hoping for, a full year of having Espy in the claret-and-cobalt might be exactly what RSL needs.
The club will need to withstand a brutal schedule consisting of U.S. Open Cup, CONCACAF Champions League and the regular season. Odds are good that Espindola, despite having an off-year by some standards in 2009, will rebound with another solid year in 2010.
Pablo Campos came to RSL in July from San Jose with loads of courage, boasting rather infamously that his new club would make the playoffs. Not only were Campos’ words true, strangely enough, the club of course bettered them and won it all. Campos is a big presence up top, giving RSL a heady target player who is adept with the ball and has excellent vision.
The Brazilian’s size opens things up for Findley to roam about, and Campos cannot be underestimated as a future star. Campos scored two goals in only 11 games with the club despite only joining the club in July, and that was several months later than Espindola rejoined RSL.
Tino Nunez is another player with promise, although he spent most of 2009 either on the bench or on loan the Harrisburg City Islanders of the United Soccer Leagues, MLS’ equivalent to the minors.
Former New Mexico star Justin Davis has versatility and may even develop into a forward--or a wing defender a la Chris Wingert, according to several reports--but the 2nd round pick (32nd overall) in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft first has the always hard road to climb to the professional level.
After the draft, RSL head coach Jason Kreis told the Deseret Morning News that the club was “actively pursuing” another forward and had already scouted potential players in Argentina who could fit in the club‘s system.
With about $2 million in salary cap room, and with 23 of 24 roster spots currently filled, RSL has a few options going forward.
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