Kreis Returns Stateside, Is An RSL Announcement Forthcoming?
Nov 18, 2019, 2:33 PM | Updated: 2:35 pm
(Photo by George Frey/Getty Images)
SANDY, Utah – It has been a number of weeks since there has been any Real Salt Lake news regarding their vacant head coach and general manager roles. Although, we do know Jason Kreis interviewed for both jobs.
Since Kreis’s interview on November 5, there have been no updates on how the interview went, or if RSL will interview anyone else.
Did Kreis blow the interview out of the water and convince owner Del Loy Hansen that he does not need to interview anyone else?
Kreis is still currently employed as the USMNT U-23 head coach, as well as an academy coach for the expansion side Inter Miami CF.
Immediately following the interview on November 5, Kreis jumped on a plane and headed to Spain where his USMNT U-23 squad, that includes a number of RSL players, was competing in the 2019 United International Football Festival.
Sebastian Saucedo, Aaron Herrera, and Justen Glad were all participating under the guidance of Kreis.
Back at it 💪
The U-23 #USMNT is underway at its training camp in the Canary Islands 🌴 pic.twitter.com/FQPdWOfcj6
— U.S. Soccer YNT (@USYNT) November 10, 2019
Their final match, however, was yesterday. Sebastian Saucedo captained the team, the first time he has captained the U-23 team, ever.
The US fell to the reigning Olympic gold medalists, Brazil, 1-0 in their opening game of the tournament. During the third-place game, the US prevailed 3-0 with Brooks Lennon scoring a brace and Bofo Saucedo scoring the opener.
Bofo Saucedo captaining Jason Kreis’s U23 national team side today 👀
— Megan Webb (@meganrsl) November 17, 2019
I have a sneaky suspicion that we could be hearing something sooner rather than later if, in fact, RSL has anything to announce.
If Kreis were to return to RSL, no matter the role, the expectation would be set – win the MLS Cup. If you have done it before, you can do it again.
Kreis became the first player in RSL history after being traded from the Dallas Burn, he would go on to become the first goal scorer for the club.
After his playing career, he immediately joined the coaching staff as the second head coach in club history. As a coach, Kreis won the 2009 MLS Cup, in which he is still the youngest head coach in MLS history to do so. He took RSL on a number of deep MLS playoff and CONCACAF runs.
The pre-season transfer window does not open until February 1, so there is no rush in hiring a GM and head coach. However, the sooner you can make your move, the faster the players can start creating a relationship with him/her and the better the chemistry will be come 2020.