RSL Manager Freddy Juarez Adamant On Scoring More Goals Once Play Resumes
Apr 30, 2020, 3:58 PM
SANDY, Utah – Real Salt Lake, along with every other professional sporting team in America, has been itching to get back to their training facility and start their preparations for the remainder of the MLS season. The extra time off has allowed head coach Freddy Juarez to work on projects such as implementing, changing and adjusting RSL’s key principles and style of play.
In a recent interview with KSL Sports, Juarez admitted that the time away from the facility and his players has given him a new perspective on how he wants the team to play.
He has been able to utilize his contacts and has received feedback from other professional coaches around the world in regards to perfecting the RSL style of play, with an emphasis on scoring more goals.
Attacking the fastest channel towards the goal is paramount in any sport, it is the quickest way to give your team an advantage.
This is the best play of the season so far for Real Salt Lake. It starts with the quick restart by Rusnak and then the skill of Sam Johnson. The finish on his first RSL goal was 🔥🔥🔥 #RSL #RSLvORL https://t.co/mswkFuB8kZ @KSL5TV @kslsports pic.twitter.com/9BjoZEndd2
— Jeremiah Jensen (@JJSportsBeat) April 14, 2019
Whether the balls travels through the air or on the ground does not concern Juarez. Although, he admitted that when the ball travels on the ground it is generally easier to control as opposed to the ball traveling through the air.
Scoring goals has been hard to come by for RSL over the recent years. This extra time off has allowed Juarez and his assistants to hopefully fix that.
The coaching staff at Real Salt Lake are determined, they will find a way to score more goals. Juarez admitted that he, and his staff, has gone to the extent of breaking down every aspect of how some of the best teams from around the world score goals.
What position on the pitch was the goal scored from? How did the ball end up in that position? What did the lead up to the goal look like? How did the players utilize space to put the finishing touches on a goal-scoring attack? Those are just a few of the questions that Juarez and his team are asking themselves.
Every aspect is being examined.
RSL has the strike power to be one of the most efficient goal-scoring teams in the league and Juarez knows that.
WHAT A GOAL FOR REAL SALT LAKE! 🔥
Albert Rusnák scores his first career Audi MLS Cup Playoff goal and gives RSL the lead at home. pic.twitter.com/vl3VGJ4GjK
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) November 5, 2018
Scoring a goal in a professional match of soccer begins from the backline, often from the goalkeeper. Every pass is paramount to open certain pockets of space, in fact, most passes that result in goal-scoring opportunities go unnoticed. It is what makes Juarez’s job so difficult.
“Talking strategy is my passion, it is what I do best,” Juarez said.
Whether one individual player has a break out year upon the return of play, or it is a collaborative team effort, fans can be excited about the style in which RSL goes about their business. Defending is key and will always be an important factor in winning, but scoring goals and applying scoreboard pressure is the difference between winning championships, or not.
Tom Hackett is a Utah and Real Salt Lake Insider for KSLsports.com and host of the It’s Utah’s World Podcast (Utah Football themed) and The Lion’s Den Podcast (Real Salt Lake themed). Follow him on Twitter: @TomCantHackett.