Wasatch Soccer Sentinel

The international break is over and club soccer is back, which puts Real Salt Lake in Texas and facing the Houston Dynamo. After playing them far too many times in 2023, they’ll play once again. These two teams last met in MLS on July 3, with RSL edging a 3-2 win. The Dynamo knocked RSL out of Leagues Cup with a 3-0 trashing on August 5th. Houston has been a tough place for RSL to get results, and they need to beat fellow western conference teams in order to keep a high playoff place.

Chicho back

RSL’s talismanic striker Chicho Arango is no longer on the injury report. With a few weeks off he should be close to fit and healthy, and the quality he brings to the attack is unmatched on the team. Before his injury, he had a spell where he wasn’t scoring and that's an open concern. The impact he has against Houston is the biggest question around this game.

Gonçalves, Crooks, and the left wing

With the sale of Andres Gomez to Ligue 1, the team now has a massive hole on the left wing. Lachlan Brook started there against the Revs and was ok, but certainly not at the level of Gomez. It's early days for Brook, and we've got some time before hitting the panic button.

Gonçalves is looking more comfortable in his role at the 10, which leaves Crooks without a spot. Could he play on the left wing? Maybe, but he’s never really played there. He has come in for Julio, however the return of Chicho means Julio is the obvious replacement at the 9, so where Crooks ends up is unclear at this point.

Goalie wars

RSL find themselves in an odd place without a clear starting keeper. Zac MacMath hasn’t had his best season, and at the old age of 33 (ok, not that old), we have to wonder if it’s time for Gavin Beavers to be the starter. Beavers has grown as a keeper this year, but he’s mostly played a game for every two games MacMath plays. While it seems most likely that MacMath starts, Beavers keeping a clean sheet against the Revolution might mean he gets the nod.

RSL player availability

Out: Bonilla (knee), Ruiz (knee)

Questionable: Palacio (knee injury suffered 8/27 in training), Vera (neck strain suffered 8/27 in training)