Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni Wants Real Salt Lake To Continuously Evolve
Jul 14, 2023, 1:16 PM
Real Salt Lake manager Pablo Mastroeni encourages his team from the sideline of America First Field on Sunday, October 9, against Portland Timbers. (Photo by Laura Dearden/Real Salt Lake)
(Photo by Laura Dearden/Real Salt Lake)
SALT LAKE CITY – Real Salt Lake head coach Pablo Mastroeni went over the club’s recent play and what to expect in the upcoming match against New York in an interview with the KSL Sports Zone.
RSL hasn’t lost a Major League Soccer game in over a month. The club’s last loss in MLS play came against the LA Galaxy on May 31.
Coached ‘em to the comeback#SKCvRSL | @ReaganOutdoor pic.twitter.com/aImWkxRbkF
— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) July 14, 2023
Real Salt Lake Forces Draw In KC
RSL’s last game was a 2-2 draw with Sporting KC in Kansas City. Down 2-0 at the half with the undefeated streak on the line, they came out of the break with a vengeance.
Second-half goals by Danny Musovski and Anderson Julio tied the game and allowed the club to sneak out of Children’s Mercy Park with a point.
“I thought in the first half, we were tentative,” Mastroeni said. “We didn’t play forward enough. Expectations start to grow when you’re in a good run of form. There’s a little tenseness. We just weren’t playing with enough bravery.”
RELATED: Real Salt Lake Pulls Off Comeback, Forces Draw With Sporting KC
there’s still time#SKCvRSL | @SeatGeek pic.twitter.com/MTo86h0TtC
— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) July 13, 2023
Real Salt Lake has shown numerous starting lineups throughout the season.
Now with new additions like Chicho Arango and Nelson Palacio, the club can look in many different directions for production.
Mastroeni believes that roster construction is much more complex than picking the most skilled players.
“I think the group picks itself,” Mastroeni said. “Another thing I look for as a coach are the partnerships. You start to get a good idea of the combinations that work really well with each other.”
Haven’t lost since May 31st btw#SKCvRSL | @AFCU pic.twitter.com/U2SieRawiR
— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) July 13, 2023
RSL Looks To Climb Further In West
In June, RSL jumped from outside the playoff picture into the top of the west.
They currently sit in the four-seed with a record of 9-7-7. They trail the one-seeded St. Louis City by just four points.
“You can’t be the same team and stay in the top four,” Mastroeni said. “You’ve got to continuously evolve. That’s the challenge with our group, we all have to step outside our comfort zone if we want to grow. What worked in 2021 is not going to work in 2023.”
Real Salt Lake will face off against the New York Red Bulls at home on Saturday.
The Red Bulls are 6-8-8 and look to make a push for the playoffs. Real Salt Lake looks to solidify its position atop the West.
“The most important thing for the team is that the collective understands what we’re trying to do,” Mastroeni said.
How To Watch Real Salt Lake
All Major League Soccer games are broadcasted on Apple TV with MLS Season Pass.
All Real Salt Lake English-language radio coverage for the 2023 season and beyond will be carried on various KSL radio signals. KSL Sports Zone (97.5 FM/1280 AM) and KSL Newsradio (102.7 FM / 1160 AM) are both stations under the Bonneville International umbrella.
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Chandler Holt is a Digital Sports Producer for sports.ksl.com, specializing in all things basketball and football. Follow Chandler on Twitter @ChandlerHoltKSL or on Threads @chandlerho1t.
