RSL Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni Says Team Has That Dog In Them
Mar 24, 2023, 2:56 PM | Updated: Mar 25, 2023, 12:13 pm
(Photo by Laura Dearden/Real Salt Lake)
SALT LAKE CITY – Real Salt Lake Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni joined KSL Sports Zone to talk about the upcoming match against St. Louis and the early bye week.
After the loss to Austin FC on Saturday, March 11, RSL had a bye week which gave them two weeks of preparation for the game against St. Louis. The bye week may prove to be essential as the newest MLS expansion team has started their inaugural season with 4-straight wins.
‼️48 HRS UNTIL GAMEDAY‼️
— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) March 24, 2023
Pablo Mastroeni, Real Salt Lake Prepares for St. Louis
“These guys have been working their tails off,” Mastroeni said. “It will be a really exciting game tomorrow. The guys will definitely be up for it.”
St. Louis is the first expansion team in MLS history to start out 4-0. They are currently tied for the most goals scored in the league with 11.
Forward João Klauss has scored three goals in four games for St. Louis. RSL has scored three goals so far this season.
“I think they’re creating a lot of good chances in transition,” Mastroeni said. “Looking at their tapes, they swarm. They do a good job of pressing teams hard up the field. A lot of it comes from their defending.”
a little crash course before gameday#RSLvSTL | @EnglandLogistic pic.twitter.com/klpF5jfDEb
— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) March 24, 2023
Mastroeni said that St. Louis has some key players, but their success has been nothing short of a team effort.
“They have three guys who you can point your finger at and go ‘these guys are really difference makers’,” Mastroeni said. “Everyone else on the team is a dog. They’re willing to go to great lengths to fight, to battle, and they don’t stop.”
RSL and St. Louis are preparing for the possibility that they will face off in harsh conditions on Saturday. A chance of snow may make for an interesting game at America First Field.
You might wanna bundle up for this one. #RSLvSTL | @UofUHealth
— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) March 23, 2023
Mastroeni says that Real Salt Lake has the same qualities. At their best, Mastroeni believes that RSL can compete with any team on any night.
“When we’re at our best,” Mastroeni said. “We have the dog in us. We have real quality on our team. Quality will never be realized unless you bring out the dog. Whoever is on the field, that’s the mentality I’d like to see. When we have that, more times than not, we put ourselves in a great position to win games. ”
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.
Chandler Holt is a Digital Sports Producer for KSLSports.com, specializing in all things basketball and football. Follow Chandler on Twitter at @ChandlerHoltKSL.