Football Season Review

Real Salt Lake’s 2017 season was certainly not one to remember. Finishing in eighth position in the Western Conference table, the side from Utah would miss out on the playoffs by the narrow margin of 1 point, meaning that they have now failed to qualify for post-season competition in 2 of the last 3 years. While Salt Lake would lose just 1 of their last 12 home games in the league, it would be their away record that really let them down. Picking up just 14 points on the road, Real would struggle to play to their best when on their travels – something they will need to fix if they wish to challenge for the playoffs in 2018. Salt Lake would miss the presence of a dominant centre forward for the majority of the season, with their offensive line up often chopped and changed around too easily. With no Salt Lake player scoring more than 7 goals this season, they should be looking to bring in a proven striker in the off-season. Albert Rusnak’s 7 goals and 14 assists are certainly commendable stats, with the skilful forward looking to take that form into next year’s campaign. Yura Movsisyan would however prove to be a let-down following his impressive debut season, with the experienced forward relegated to second choice behind Luis Silva. Having recently signed a 3 year contract for Salt Lake, head coach Mike Petke will certainly be looking forward to conducting his first pre-season campaign in charge of the side. While Salt Lake have so far proven to be fairly quiet in the winter transfer window, they have still managed to secure the services of a number of key players from last season, who will be absolutely vital to their chances next year. Brooks Lennon is one of those players, with the exciting youngster signing on a permanent basis from Liverpool fairly recently. The resigning of veteran goalkeeper Nick Rimando could also prove to be key, with his experience and composure a valuable asset for the side.

Player of the Season: Albert Rusnak