February 13, 2022 – Major League Soccer (MLS) – Real Salt Lake News Release
HERRIMAN, UT – Real Salt Lake continues 2022 preseason with 28 players available to RSL Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni for matches in Portland, a total which includes 18 returning options from the roster that advanced to the Western Conference Final in Portland just 10 weeks ago.
The bulk of RSL’s roster and projected starting group from a season ago make the trip to Portland, including team MVP Damir Kreilach, homegrown rearguard members Justen Glad, Aaron Herrera, GK David Ochoa and Andrew Brody, midseason additions M/Fs Jonathan Menendez and Justin Meram and FW Bobby Wood and international veterans DF Marcelo Silva and MF Pablo Ruiz.
As previously announced, veteran winger Justin Meram re-signed with Real Salt Lake during December’s MLS free agency period, with the Claret-and-Cobalt also signing MF Scott Caldwell, formerly of the New England Revolution. FW Sergio Cordova, the Venezuelan international on loan from FC Augsburg (Germany) officially announced at the end of January along with RSL’s 2021 Humanitarian of the Year, GK Zac MacMath are available in Portland as are former Real Monarchs standouts DF Erik Holt and M/F Maikel Chang.
Six others have been invited to compete during this last stage of preseason, including: Real Monarchs signee and 2022 MLS SuperDraft selection Pedro Fonseca; former RSL Academy stars and Homegrown teenagers FWs Axel Kei, Chris Garcia, DFs Bode Davis and Jaziel Orozco and Monarch’s veteran FW Yekeson Subah also travel to Portland.
Several non-roster invitees have seemed to impress Mastroeni and his staff – which now includes new assistant Brett Jacobs, in addition to Matt Taylor and “Nacho” Hernandez – make the trip as 2022 MLS SuperDraft second round selection MF Jasper Loeffelsend, PAC-12 Offensive Player of the Year FW Tyrone Mondi and former Penn State standout Pierre Reedy along with GK Tomas Gomez – who featured for the USL Championship’s Sacramento Republic in 2021.
Updated RSL Availability Report
RSL FW Rubio Rubin – third amongst RSL’s 2021 goalscorers with eight goals and five assists in his debut season – is in Portland with the team and is listed as day-to-day as he progresses through his recovery from a groin injury. Also, DF Aaron Herrera and Andrew Brody are in Portland but are listed as day-to-day after picking up small injuries earlier in the preseason. Homegrown DF Zack Farnsworth continues to miss time due to an arthroscopic procedure on his ankle. MF Nick Besler stayed back in Utah to nurse residual effects of a broken nose sustained late in the 2021 season. RSL Homegrown goalkeepers Jeff Dewsnup and Gavin Beavers also remain in Utah while progressing through recovery from shoulder and groin injuries respectively.
2022 RSL PRESEASON SCHEDULE (ALL SUBJECT TO CHANGE; EACH MATCH TO BE STREAMED LIVE ON KSL TV APP)
Portland, Oregon
Sun., February 13 – Sat., February 19: Training in Portland, Oregon
Sun., February 13 – Match #4 against Viking FC – 2:30p MT
Wed., February 16 – Match #5 against Minnesota United – 6p MT
Sat., February 19 – Match #6 against Portland Timbers – 6p MT
2022 REAL SALT LAKE STORYLINES TO WATCH
First Full Year Under Pablo Mastroeni
Following the team’s successful playoff run that saw RSL feature in the Western Conference Final, Mastroeni saw the interim tag removed from his title after 100 days at the helm to become the sixth head coach in Club history. Under his tenure in 2021, RSL went 8-8-1 during the regular season, advancing RSL into its 11th postseason in 14 years. In his first full season at the helm, Mastroeni will look to leverage the belief the team saw in latter half of 2021 and build a winning culture in Utah.
International Network of New Ownership
As the Club’s roster begins to take shape ahead of the earliest opening game in Club history (February 27 at Houston Dynamo FC), new ownership has provided General Manager Elliot Fall and Technical Director Kurt Schmid with a deeper and expanded network to potentially fill the RSL roster. Owner David Blitzer’s stake in multiple clubs across Europe (Crystal Palace – ENG; Augsburg – GER; Estoril – POR; ADO den Haag – NED; Alcorcón – SPN; Waasland – BEL) could provide the opportunity for RSL to acquire an array of players with international experience to bolster its roster. On the other hand, current RSL players could see the opportunity to join those teams in Europe to gain valuable experience similar to Andrew Brody and Pablo Ruiz’s Fall 2019 venture to Austria (FC Pinzgau Saalfelden) before returning to RSL and contributing significantly.
Fans First
Since RSL moved into Rio Tinto Stadium in October 2008, its fans have provided a dominant home-field advantage – a .771 winning percentage and 2.06 points per game – while helping the Club to the most aggregate MLS points earned during the regular season (409). Last season saw RSL set a new club record with seven consecutive wins at home en route to a 9-4-4 overall mark on Utah soil, solidifying its extreme advantage in Sandy and propelling the team to the top tier of MLS as a perennial postseason participant. RSL’s 11 playoff appearances in the last 14 seasons include five Conference Finals and 10 Conference Semifinal berths, second only to Seattle during this period.
In 2022, new ownership has committed itself to expanding the fan experience through all levels of the organization, its venues and its online presence. Fan support has always been at the center of everything the Club has done and with a new era of RSL beginning in 2022, the Club ensures itself to the fan experience to help maintain its home dominance.
Carrying Momentum
As fans were reminded last season, anything can happen in the MLS Cup Playoffs, and one must always “#BELIEVE” in the Claret-and-Cobalt. Under then-interim boss Mastroeni, the team was galvanized at the end of the season to qualify for the playoffs in possibly the most dramatic fashion MLS has ever seen. From the “Damiracle” in Kansas City, a defensive masterclass in Seattle and come-from-behind drama in the return trip to KC, RSL’s cardiac collective led MLS is goals scored after the 80th minute and in stoppage-time as well. Momentum in the locker room, in the fanbase and around the country began to bloom ahead of the team’s postseason run, defying odds on and off the pitch amid the sense of self-belief RSL carried in the closing stages of 2021 is now a stated priority as Mastroeni’s culture-building re-engages to help the team kick off the season on the front foot.
Second-Year Players in Their First Full Seasons
RSL made a splash in the spring of 2021, announcing it had secured the services of Bobby Wood in a move that saw the former USMNT star join MLS for the first time in his career. Arriving during the summer, Wood featured in 17 matches and made 7 starts, scoring two goals. Wood will be looking to mesh with the rest of the squad through the upcoming preseason and make an impact for the season’s entirety.
On May 29, 2021, RSL announced the signing of winger Jonathan Menéndez to bolster the team’s attacking core. In 17 matches played, the versatile Argentine scored one goal and contributed five assists during his first season in MLS. Capable of creative and explosive plays, Menéndez looks to solidify his place within the team in a league in which quick, seamless adaptaion has often proven difficult.
Homegrown Emergence and Pipeline Growth
Prior to the commencement of preseason, RSL announced five new additions to the roster, all Homegrown players from Real Monarchs and the RSL Academy. The Club has long prided itself on developing talent from within and has seen significant contributions from many of its Homegrown stars. What will the Club see in 2022 from its Homegrown players after it led the league again in minutes played by Homegrown players? Now with experienced Homegrowns such as David Ochoa, Justen Glad, Andrew Brody and Aaron Herrera, the core of the Homegrown pipeline can lead RSL to new heights following a 2021 season where 17 of the 32 players on the roster either developed through the Academy or Real Monarchs.
Homegrown Leadership
The RSL technical staff and front office sees a number of experienced “homegrown” individuals as well, with John Kimball, Rob Zarkos, Elliot Fall, Tony Beltran, Luke Mulholland, Jordan Allen and Jamison Olave each holding positions with the Club. These individuals – among many others – helped lead RSL through previous eras in other positions, now looking to build upon the successes of 2021.
2022 REAL SALT LAKE PRESEASON ROSTER (as of 12 FEB 2022)
(2022 additions in BLUE; post-Tucson additions in RED: Portland travel party in BOLD)
No. Player Pos. Ht. Wt. Birthdate Age Hometown College Status INTL
35 Gavin Beavers GK 6-4 180 04/29/2005 16 Henderson, NV HG/MON
33 Julio Benitez MID 5-7 155 07/30/2005 16 Mesa, AZ HG/MON
13 Nick Besler MID 6-1 165 05/07/1993 28 Overland Park, KS Notre Dame MON
2 Andrew Brody DEF 5-10 135 05/03/1995 26 Orlando, FL Louisville HG/MON
12 Scott Caldwell MID 5-9 157 03/15/1991 30 Weymouth, MA Akron
— Edgar Castillo DEF 5-6 151 10/08/1986 35 Las Cruces, NM USA
16 Maikel Chang MID 5-10 174 04/18/1991 30 Havana, Cuba MON
11 Sergio Cordova FWD 6-2 175 08/09/1997 24 Calabozo, Venezuela Int’l TAM VEN
19 Bode Davis FWD 6-0 165 02/22/2002 19 Kaysville, UT HG
24 Jeff Dewsnup GK 6-1 161 05/21/2004 17 Herriman, UT HG
32 Zack Farnsworth DEF 6-1 165 07/13/2002 19 Cedar Hills, UT HG
77 Pedro Fonseca FWD 5-8 165 05/20/1997 24 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Louisville
17 Chris Garcia FWD 5-7 141 01/13/2003 19 El Paso, TX HG/MON
15 Justen Glad DEF 6-1 160 02/28/1997 24 Tucson, AZ HG USA
51 Tomas Gomez GK 6-2 175 05/20/1993 28 Webster Groves, MO Georgetown
27 Bret Halsey DEF 5-9 150 06/01/2000 21 Sterling, VA Virginia
22 Aaron Herrera DEF 5-11 155 06/06/1997 24 Las Cruces, NM New Mexico HG USA
20 Erik Holt DEF 6-1 185 09/06/1996 25 San Diego, CA UCLA HG
31 Axel Kei FWD 6-4 183 12/30/2007 14 Abidjan, Ivory Coast Int’l HG
8 Damir Kreilach MID 6-1 174 04/16/1989 32 Vukovar, Croatia Int’l DP
95 Jasper Löffelsend DEF 5-5 155 09/10/1997 24 Cologne, Germany Pittsburgh Int’l
25 Everton Luiz MID 5-8 154 05/24/1988 33 Porto Alegre, Brazil Int’l
18 Zac MacMath GK 6-2 190 08/07/1991 30 St. Petersburg, FL Maryland
10 Jonathan Menendez FWD 5-5 160 03/05/1994 27 Buenos Aires, Argentina Int’l TAM
9 Justin Meram FWD 6-1 165 12/04/1988 32 Shelby Township, MI Michigan IRAQ
90 Tyrone Mondi MID 5-7 150 01/01/1997 25 Bloemfontein, South Africa Oregon State
— Christian Nydegger MID 5-9 160 08/22/2003 18 Highland, UT HG/MON
1 David Ochoa GK 6-2 174 01/16/2001 20 Oxnard, CA HG MEX
99 Jaziel Orozco DEF 5-9 170 06/02/2004 17 El Paso, TX HG/MON MEX
— Bobby Pierre DEF 6-2 180 08/28/2002 19 Ft. Lauderdale, FL HG/MON HAI/USA
98 Pierre Reedy MID 6-0 175 01/11/1998 24 Kutztown, PA Penn State
14 Rubio Rubin FWD 5-11 161 03/01/1996 25 Beaverton, OR USA
6 Pablo Ruiz MID 5-7 145 12/20/1998 23 Comodoro Rivadavia, Arg. Int’l
21 Tate Schmitt DEF 5-11 161 05/28/1997 24 Phoenix, AZ Louisville HG/MON
30 Marcelo Silva DEF 6-2 181 03/21/1989 32 Fray Bentos, Uruguay Int’l
55 Yekeson Subah FWD 5-11 172 02/13/2004 18 Raleigh, NC HG/MON
38 Jude Wellings MID 5-9 160 04/26/2006 15 Birmingham, MI HG
7 Bobby Wood FWD 5-11 183 11/15/1992 29 Honolulu, HI USA
REAL SALT LAKE (MLS)
Head Coach: Pablo Mastroeni (Phoenix, AZ) EVP, Soccer Operations: Rob Zarkos (Seattle, WA)
Assistant Coach: Matt Taylor (Irvine, CA) General Manager: Elliot Fall (SLC, UT)
Assistant Coach: Brett Jacobs (St. Louis, MO) Assistant GM: Tony Beltran (Claremont, CA)
Goalkeeper Coach: Ignacio Hernandez (Veracruz, Mexico) Technical Director: Kurt Schmid (Torrance, CA)
Strength/Conditioning: Ryan Cotter (Grand Rapids, MI) Head Scout: Luke Mulholland (Preston, England)
Video Coordinator: Rob Rogers (Liverpool, England) Data Analysis: Vahe Tanielian (SLC, UT),
Equipment: Randy Butts (Sandy, UT), Ben Chavez (Long Beach, CA) Dr. Joseph Lee Thomas (Kansas City, MO)
Team Administration: Chase Rusden (Glenmoore, PA), Press Officers: Trey Fitz-Gerald (Albuquerque,NM),
Christian Peters (Germansville, PA) Taran Meyer (Millcreek, UT)
Athlete Health/Performance: Theron Enns, ATC (Chicago, IL) Massage Therapist: Kristina Kearl (SLC, UT)
Athletic Training: Jake Joachim (Portland, OR), Matt Murphy (Weston, WI), Jessica Volz (Mansfield, OH)
Team Doctors: Dr. Chris Gee / Dr. Steve Aoki – Univ. of Utah Health
REAL MONARCHS SLC (MLS NEXT PRO)
Head Coach: Jamison Olave (Medellin, Colombia)
Assistant Coach: Joel DeLass (Spring Lake, MI)
Assistant Coach: Cody Worden (St. Louis, MO)
Goalkeeper Coach: Mirza Harambasic (Prijedor, Bosnia)
Strength/Conditioning: Tim Green (Australia)
Video Coordinator:
Equipment:
Team Administration: Rory James (Eugene, OR)
Athletic Training: Matt Murphy (Weston, WI)
Press Officer: Meg Van Dyk (Orlando, FL)
2022 REAL SALT LAKE NUMERIC ROSTER AND PRONUNCIATION GUIDE
(2022 additions in BLUE; post-Tucson adds in RED; Portland travel party in BOLD)
No. Player Pos. Pronunciation Place of Birth Last Club
1 David Ochoa GK oh – CHO – uh Oxnard, CA Real Monarchs (USL Champ.)
2 Andrew Brody DEF Orlando, FL Real Monarchs (USL Champ.)
6 Pablo Ruiz MID Comodoro Rivadavia, Argentina San Luis (Chile)
7 Bobby Wood FWD Honolulu, HI Hamburger SV (Germany)
8 Damir Kreilach MID duh-MEER CRY-lock Vukovar, Yugoslavia Union Berlin (Germany)
9 Justin Meram FWD MEER – umm Shelby Township, MI Atlanta United (MLS)
10 Jonathan Menendez FWD Buenos Aires, Argentina Club Atletico Independiente (ARG)
11 Sergio Cordova FWD Calabozo, Venezuela FC Augsburg (Germany)
12 Scott Caldwell MID Weymouth, MA New England Revolution (MLS)
13* Nick Besler MID BEESE – lurr Overland Park, KS Real Monarchs (USL Champ.)
14* Rubio Rubin FWD roo – BEAN Beaverton, OR San Diego Loyal (USL Champ.)
15 Justen Glad DEF Tucson, AZ RSL-Arizona Academy U-18 (USSDA)
16 Maikel Chang MID MY – kell Havana, Cuba Real Monarchs (USL Champ.)
17 Chris Garcia FWD El Paso, TX Ljungskile SK (Swedish 2nd Div.)
18 Zac MacMath GK St. Petersburg, FL Colorado Rapids (MLS)
19 Bode Davis FWD BOH – dee Kaysville, UT Real Monarchs (USL Champ.)
20 Erik Holt DEF San Diego, CA Real Monarchs (USL Champ.)
21 Tate Schmitt DEF Phoenix, AZ Phoenix Rising (USL Champ.)
22 Aaron Herrera DEF Las Cruces, NM RSL-Arizona Academy U-18 (USSDA)
24 Jeff Dewsnup GK DOO – snupp Herriman, UT Real Monarchs (USL Champ.)
25 Everton Luiz MID Porto Alegre, Brazil SPAL (Italy)
27 Bret Halsey DEF HALL – see Sterling, VA Real Monarchs (USL Champ.)
30 Marcelo Silva DEF mar – SELL – oh Mercedes, Uruguay Real Zaragoza (Spain)
31 Axel Kei FWD AK – sel KAY San Diego, CA RSL Academy
32* Zack Farnsworth DEF Cedar Hills, UT RSL Academy
33 Julio Benitez MID WHO – lee – oh Mesa, AZ Real Monarchs (USL Champ.)
35 Gavin Beavers GK Henderson, NV Real Monarchs (USL Champ.)
38 Jude Wellings MID Birmingham, MI RSL Academy
55 Yekeson Subah FWD yuh-KAY-son SOO-bah Raleigh, NC Real Monarchs (USL Champ.)
77 Pedro Fonseca FWD fawn – SAY – kuh Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Louisville Univ. (NCAA)
99 Jaziel Orozco DEF hah – see – ELL Ciudad Juárez, Mexico Real Monarchs (USL Champ.)
NON-ROSTER INVITEES:
— Evans Armah MID ARR – muh Accra, Ghana Utah Valley Univ. (NCAA)
–* Edgar Castillo DEF kah – STEE – yo Las Cruces, NM FC Cincinnati (MLS)
51 Tomas Gomez GK toe-MOSS Montemorelos, Mexico Sacramento Republic (USL Champ.)
95 Jasper Löffelsend DEF LEF – full – send Cologne, Germany Univ. of Pittsburgh (NCAA)
90 Tyrone Mondi MID MAHN – dee Bloemfontein, South Africa Oregon State Univ.
— Christian Nydegger MID NYE – deg – urr Highland, UT Real Monarchs (USL Champ.)
98 Bobby Pierre
— Pierre Reedy MID Kutztown, PA Penn State Univ. (NCAA)
2022 RSL PRESEASON ROSTER FAST FACTS (TRAVELING TO PORTLAND):
Total Players: 28 2021 Returnees: 21 (18 RSL, 2 Monarchs, 1 RSL Academy)
Homegrown Players: 12 Teenagers: 5 Aged 30+: 8
Colleges Represented: 13 (Louisville 3, 12 others w/ 1 each)
Nationalities Represented: 12 (USA 21, Mexico 3, Argentina 2, Brazil 2, Venezuela, Haiti, Germany, Uruguay, Croatia, South Africa, Ivory Coast, Iraq)
International Players: 12 – including dual-nationals FW Justin Meram, GK David Ochoa, DF Edgar Castillo, FW Axel Kei
Players w/ Utah Ties: 4 (DF Bode Davis, GK Jeff Dewsnup, DF Zack Farnsworth, MF Christian Nydegger)
Injured Players: 4 (FW Rubio Rubin, DF Zack Farnsworth, MF Nick Besler, DF Edgar Castillo)
Returning Loanees: 2 (FW Chris Garcia, DF Tate Schmitt)
Youngest Player: Axel Kei (14 years, 22 days) Oldest Player: Edgar Castillo (35 years, 101 days)
Longest-tenured Player: Justen Glad (166 games) Leading Scorer: Damir Kreilach (42 goals, 23 assists)
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