Could Change In Philosophy Catapult RSL Moving Forward?

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The band was back together in this weeks episode of The RSL Lions Den. Tom Hackett, Spencer Warne and Matt Gaschk had a jam packed show that included the upcoming Major League Soccer match preview against the Chicago Fire, Jefferson Savarino rumors and is head coach Mike Petke putting too much time into the opposition, and not into his own team?

The Chicago Fire have a few marquee players worth talking about, Bastian Schweintsteiger is still hanging around although is playing a different position nowadays. The heralded German midfielder is now playing center back. At thirty four years of age, the legs of Schweinsteiger have gone and he is unable to maneuver around the pitch like he used to.

They also have Nicholas Gaitan, a young Argentine who has spent time at Benfica and Atletico Madrid, some of the world’s biggest clubs. Gaitan leads the team in assists with five, he also has a pair of goals next to his name.

Jefferson Savarino Rumors

RSL forward Jefferson Savarino has been in the news this week as Sky Sports first reported that Premier League Club’s West Ham United and Newcastle United are interested in the young Venezuelan. Both clubs have scouts following Savarino around the Copa America tournament. Venezuela’s final group stage game is Saturday at 1 p.m. against Bolivia.

Savarino is worth $7 million, according to the report from Sky Sports.

While many RSL fans are saddened by the news that Savarino may leave the team, the guys on The Lions Den spoke on how it can also have a positive effect on the team. While there are many young soccer players around the world fighting for spots in Europe’s biggest teams, maybe some players will start to look at RSL as a potential destination to develop before they take on Europe.

Coaching Philosophy

Mike Petke addressed the media on Tuesday and spoke at length on how last week’s experience gaining his U.S. Coaching License has given him a change in philosophy when it comes to preparing his team for opponents.

“Yes we are focused on Chicago, but I also want to focus on us if not more,” Petke said. “We do a lot of research into the teams that we play and I am starting to think we do a little too much on how they are going to play and what to expect from them and how we can adapt to them, we want to start making teams adapt to us as much as possible.”

"We want to try to start making teams adapt to us as much as possible." pic.twitter.com/MdVI721XMr

— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) June 18, 2019

The comments made by Petke could change the entire dynamic on how the players approach away games. For years, RSL have struggled, much like other teams in MLS, on the road. No body has seemed to find an answer as to how you pick up points away from home in MLS. Matt Gaschk spoke on this during the latest episode of The Lions Den, “after going through the Pro Coaching License last week…he is going to put more emphasis on what this teams identity is.”

Tom Hackett added to the conversation stating “as a player when you are solely focused on what your opponent is going to do limits the way you can impact the game.”

KSLSports.com in collaboration with Real Salt Lake has launched a new podcast, The RSL Lion’s Den. It is the official Real Salt Lake podcast for all your club news and updates. Tom Hackett, Spencer Warne and RSL’s Director of PR, Matt Gaschk break down the games and discuss important club matters.

To listen to The Lion’s Den, click here. It is available on iTunes, Google Play or wherever podcasts are found. Don’t forget to rate and subscribe!