Real Salt Lake Remains Confident In Ability To Compete
Nov 15, 2023, 4:52 PM | Updated: Nov 16, 2023, 1:53 pm
(Photo courtesy of Real Salt Lake)
(Photo courtesy of Real Salt Lake)
SALT LAKE CITY – Despite dropping in the first round of the MLS playoffs for the second straight year, Real Salt Lake remains confident in its ability to compete across all competitions.
Multiple players and general manager Elliot Fall shared this sentiment at the end-of-season interviews.
RSL general manager Elliot Fall on the balance between filling holes in the roster and waiting for player development. ⚖️#RSL pic.twitter.com/f0htOQMdK4
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) November 15, 2023
“Do I agree that we have the talent to win something? Absolutely,” Fall said. “There are so many different factors and so many different variables that go into winning. This is a roster that is absolutely talented enough to win trophies.”
The 2023 season was filled with ups and downs for RSL.
There were times when it looked like Real could miss the playoffs and there were times when it looked like they could finish as high as the 2-seed.
“It’s important to reflect on what got us here and what we need to do differently”#HOUvRSL | @keybank pic.twitter.com/ZRpcgJXzEM
— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) November 14, 2023
A multitude of factors like roster turnaround and key injuries resulted in RSL finishing as the fifth seed with a record of 14-12-8.
Jasper Löffelsend had high praise for the club despite a sour ending to the season.
“With a healthy squad and everyone being at their (best),” Löffelsend said. “This team is the best in the MLS.”
Although Real Salt Lake fans may grow impatient, the future does look bright in Utah.
Pablo Ruiz will return from injury, Chicho Arango will have a full year under his belt, and young players like Diego Luna and Emeka Eneli will continue to improve in 2024.
Emeka Eneli on earning confidence from the coaching staff and what he needs to work on this offseason. 📈#RSL pic.twitter.com/pq2cghglrq
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) November 15, 2023
RSL was just one game away from the U.S. Open Cup final in 2023. They were also one penalty kick away from hosting Sporting KC in the MLS Cup Playoff semifinals.
Rising star Diego Luna also believes that RSL has the firepower to achieve its goals.
“I think we have the personnel to do what we want to do,” Luna said. “We were one penalty kick away from all these talks being different. We have the personnel. It’s about everybody being at their best.”
However, close isn’t close enough. Do you think that Real Salt Lake could climb the mountain and earn a trophy in the near future?
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 2024 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.
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Chandler Holt is a co-host for the Jazz Notes podcast and a Digital Sports Producer for KSLSports.com, specializing in all things basketball and football. Follow Chandler on Twitter @ChandlerHoltKSL or on Threads @chandlerho1t.
