REAL SALT LAKE
2021 GAME NOTES
Last season, RSL failed to qualify for the 2020 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs and now in 2021, aims to return to the postseason with a re-tooled group of returning players and incoming players. Several new faces in attack and a leadership core in the locker room sets up the club to make its mark on MLS in 2021.
GOALKEEPERS:
Zac MacMath – 29 years old, 6’2”, 190 pounds
● Recorded three clean sheets and finished with a record of 1-3-3 for Real Salt Lake in 2020.
● Spent four seasons, notched eight shutouts and recorded a 1.14 goals against average with the Colorado Rapids before signing with the Vancouver Whitecaps in 2019, where he went 1-3-4 and recorded a 1.63 goals against average.
● Drafted 5th overall in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft by the Philadelphia Union and posted a 34-39-29 record with 28 shutouts and a 1.37 goals against average in four seasons.
David Ochoa – 20 years old, 6’2”, 174 pounds
● A standout of the RSL Academy program from 2016-2019, Ochoa became the youngest goalkeeper to debut at the USL level with a start for the Monarchs against Tampa Bay Rowdies on April 22, 2018
● Recorded 69 saves from 96 shots faced and four clean sheets in 2019 with the Monarchs, including 15 saves in four games throughout the Monarchs title-winning playoff run. Started all 20 of his appearances and recorded a 71.9 percent save rate
● Named to the final 20-man roster for the U.S. U-23 National Team for the 2020 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Tournament and recorded one clean sheet in three starts. Received his first call-up at the senior level for a friendly in December 2020.
Andrew Putna – 26 years old, 6’2”, 180 pounds
● Has 56 saves and six shutouts in 22 appearances (21 starts) for Real Salt Lake.
● Drafted 48th overall by RSL in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft and spent his rookie season with the Monarchs.
● Played collegiately for the University of Illinois at Chicago, serving as captain of the team in both his junior and senior seasons and finished his career second all-time within the program in wins (41) and shutouts (30), third in goals-against-average (1.05) and fifth in saves (214).
Jeff Dewsnup – 16 years old, 6’1”, 161 pounds
● First Herriman, Utah native to attend the RSL Academy and sign for Real Salt Lake.
● Made 12 appearances for the Academy at the U-16/17 level.
● Selected as the backup goalkeeper for the Monarchs versus San Diego Loyal on July 11 and trained significantly with RSL throughout 2020.
DEFENDERS:
Left backs
Bret Halsey – 20 years old, 5’9”, 150 pounds
● Drafted 7th overall in the 2021 MLS SuperDraft.
● Earned two ACC All-Tournament honors throughout his collegiate career at the University of Virginia.
● Started in all 31 match appearances in his three seasons and helped the Cavaliers to the NCAA National Championship where they fell in penalty kicks to Georgetown.
Ashtone Morgan – 30 years old, 5’11”, 165 pounds
● Won the 2017 MLS Cup Final as well as the 2017 MLS Supporters’ Shield with Toronto FC in addition to winning the Canadian Champion-ship three times (2012, 2017, 2018).
● Has recorded two goals and 11 assists in 127 MLS appearances and has played in 22 CONCACAF Champions League matches, scoring one goal.
● Represented the Canadian National Team in the 2019 Gold Cup before playing in friendlies against Barbados and Iceland in January 2020, bringing his total number of international caps to 18.
Noah Powder – 22 years old, 5’11”, 160 pounds
● Recorded four goals and six assists across 44 appearances (42 starts) for the Monarchs. The 2019 USL Championship Title was the sec-ond title win of his career.
● Helped New York Red Bulls II lift the 2016 USLC trophy before joining Orange County in 2018, where he recorded three goals and two assists during the club’s run to the USLC Western Conference Final.
● Has represented Trinidad and Tobago and scored four goals in a total of 14 international appearances at the U-17, U-20 and senior levels.
His first senior team appearance came on February 1, 2021 against the USMNT.
REAL SALT LAKE 2021 ROSTER NOTES
REAL SALT LAKE
2021 GAME NOTES
Tate Schmitt – 23 years old, 5’11”, 161 pounds
● Recorded three goals and four assists for the Monarchs in 2019, with one goal and a team-high three assists during the Monarchs title-win-ning playoff run.
● A graduate of the RSL Academy, Schmitt earned All-ACC First Team honors in 2018 with the University of Louisville, in addition to being named the 2018 ACC Championship Tournament MVP.
● Notched 11 game-winning goals in his four seasons with the Cardinals, including four in the NCAA Championship Tournament and finished his career ranked fourth in school history in career points with 69 and sixth in career goals with 26.
Donny Toia – 28 years old, 5’8”, 155 pounds
● Signed as RSL’s first homegrown player in 2011 but was released before ever appearing for the club.
● Started in all six Knockout Round matches during Montreal’s run to the CONCACAF Champions League Final in 2015
● Since rejoining RSL in 2018, Toia has recorded one goal and two assists across 46 total appearances (45 starts).
Right backs
Aaron Herrera – 23 years old, 5’11”, 155 pounds
● Joined Real Salt Lake in 2018 and has recorded five assists in 68 total appearances (65 starts).
● Led the team in minutes with 2,948 in his second season with the club and was voted the RSL Defensive Player of the Year for his perfor-mances during the 2019 campaign.
● Named to the final 20-man roster for the U.S. U-23 National Team for the 2020 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Tournament, helping the team to a shutout in three starts.
Andrew Brody – 25 years old, 5’10”, 135 pounds
● Recorded seven goals and seven assists across 100 appearances (87 starts) for Real Monarchs since joining the club in 2016.
● Debuted for Real Salt Lake in 2019 after being called up for a U.S. Open Cup Match against LAFC and officially signed with RSL on Sep-tember 25, 2020.
● A graduate of the Real Salt Lake Academy program, Brody played collegiately for the University of Louisville.
Center backs
Justen Glad – 24 years old, 6’1”, 160 pounds
● Has recorded three goals and one assists in 126 appearances (121 starts) since joining Real Salt Lake in 2014 and was voted RSL Defen-sive Player of the Year in 2016.
● Named to the 2015 and 2016 Chipotle MLS Homegrown teams and was recognized on MLS’s 22Under22 List at #9 before the 2018 sea-son.
● Named to the final 20-man roster for the U.S. U-23 National Team for the 2020 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Tournament, helping the team to two shutouts in three starts.
Erik Holt – 24 years old, 6’1”, 185 pounds
● Has recorded one assist in 12 total appearances (nine starts) for RSL since 2019.
● Three of his four goals with the Monarchs came in the USL Championship playoffs en-route to the club winning the 2019 USL Champion-ship title, including a 120th minute game-winner against El Paso and the equalizer in the final versus Louisville City.
● Helped the RSL Academy earn the nation’s best record in 2015 before earning All-Pac-12 First Team honors with UCLA his junior (2017) and senior (2018) seasons while leading the Bruins to the NCAA Tournament three times in four years.
Marcelo Silva – 32 years old, 6’2”, 181 pounds
● Has recorded two goals in 64 total appearances (59 starts) for Real Salt Lake since joining the club in 2017.
● Began his professional career in Uruguay with Danubio before moving to Spain to play with Almería in the Spanish top flight from 2010-2014.
● Made appearances for three different Spanish clubs between 2014-2016; Las Palmas, Real Valladolid and Real Zaragoza.
MIDFIELDERS:
Attacking midfielders
REAL SALT LAKE 2021 ROSTER NOTES
REAL SALT LAKE
2021 GAME NOTES
Damir Kreilach – 31 years old, 6’1”, 174 pounds
● Has recorded 26 goals and 14 assists in 86 total appearances (83 starts) for Real Salt Lake since joining the club in 2018 and has led the club in goals scored in both 2020 with eight goals in 21 appearances and in 2018 with 15 goals in 33 appearances.
● Recorded 33 goals and 18 assists in 147 appearances with FC Union Berlin from 2013-2017, including a stint with current teammate Bobby Wood.
● Made his professional debut in Croatia for his hometown club HNK Rijeka in 2008 before going on to score 19 goals in 128 total appearances through 2012.
Albert Rusnák – 26 years old, 5’9”, 161 pounds
● Has recorded a total of 31 goals and 28 assists across 110 matches (105 starts) since joining RSL in 2017. Winner of the RSL Golden Boot award in both 2017 and 2019.
● Began his professional career with Manchester City U-23 in 2012 and scored five goals and five assists in 23 matches played before loan stints with Oldham Athletic, Birmingham City and dutch club SC Cambuur-Leeuwarden.
● Has represented the Slovakian National Team in 32 appearances (21 starts), adding five goals and five assists.
Pablo Ruiz – 22 years old, 5’7”, 145 pounds
● His first goal for RSL was a match-tying screamer in the 85th minute of a 2-2 draw against Seattle Sounders in September 2020, adding an assist in 30 appearances (20 starts).
● Played the majority of the 2019 season on loan with the Monarchs and in Austria’s third division with FC Pinzgau Saalfelden.
● Featured for the Argentina U-17 National Team for the U-17 South American Championship and the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2015, but is now set to represent Chile at the senior international level
Holding midfielders
Nick Besler – 27 years old, 6’1”, 165 pounds
● Signed with Real Monarchs ahead of the 2017 season and captained the squad to the USL Regular Season Shield with three goals, one assist and starts in all 30 appearances.
● Earned promotion to RSL on August 24, 2017 and has a career 28 starts in 51 total appearances, including two goals and two assists.
● Drafted 5th overall by the Portland Timbers in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft, spent two seasons with Timber 2 and made his professional debut against Real Monarchs on March 30, 2015.
Everton Luiz – 32 years old, 5’8”, 154 pounds
● Has recorded two assists and been a part of 11 shutouts in 41 appearances (35 starts) since signing with Real Salt Lake in January 2019.
● Spent 2018 with Italian club S.P.A.L., helped the club avoid relegation that season and brought his professional career totals (prior to RSL) to ten goals scored in 246 matches across all competitions.
● Won the Serbian Cup with Partizan in both 2016 and 2017, while earning Serbian SuperLiga Team of the Season honors.
Justin Portillo – 28 years old, 5’6”, 134 pounds
● Recorded four goals and 10 assists for the Monarchs in 52 appearances (49 starts), including two assists during the Monarchs title-winning playoff run. Voted Team MVP in 2018.
● Recorded 17 goals and 9 assists across 88 matches for the Charleston Battery from 2015-2017, earning USL All-League Second Team honors in 2017.
● Finished his collegiate career at Coastal Carolina as the all-time leader in matches played with 89 and matches started with 87.
FORWARDS
Milan Iloski – 21 years old, 5’10”, 155 pounds
● Netted 16 goals and 15 assists in 36 matches for the RSL Academy before joining UCLA where he recorded a total of 23 goals and six assists in 46 appearances (36 starts).
● Led the Pac-12 in scoring in 2019 with 17 goals in 16 matches with the Bruins, including matches where he scored five goals in a 5-2 victory over San Diego State and a hattrick in a 3-2 win over Maryland.
● Made one appearance as a substitute for Real Salt Lake and one appearance in the starting eleven for the Monarchs in 2020.
Douglas Martínez– 23 years old, 6’0”, 140 pounds
● Has recorded three goals in 19 appearances (10 starts) since signing with RSL in August 2019.
● Recorded a club-high 17 goals for the Monarchs in 2019 (fifth highest in USL Championship) while also tallying seven assists across 25 match-es, including one goal scored and assist during the Monarchs title-winning playoff run.
● Named to the final 20-man roster for the Honduras U-23 National Team for the 2020 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Tournament and recorded
REAL SALT LAKE 2021 ROSTER NOTES
REAL SALT LAKE
2021 GAME NOTES
Rubio Rubin – 25 years old, 5’11”, 161 pounds
● Recorded seven goals in just five matches for USLC club San Diego Loyal in 2020.
● Made his professional debut as a starter for dutch club FC Utrecht in 2014 before going on to record four goals and eight assists in 41 total appearances.
● Named 2012 U.S. Soccer Young Male Athlete of the Year before making his USMNT senior debut in November 2014.
Bobby Wood – 28 years old, 5’11”, 183 pounds
● Broke the record for goals scored by an American in a single season in Germany’s top two leagues in his first season with FC Union Berlin alongside current teammate Damir Kreilach in 2015.
● Made his Bundesliga debut with Hamburger SV in 2016 and finished his career there with 12 goals and three assists in 76 appearances through 2020.
● Has recorded 13 goals in 45 international appearances for the USMNT, including a game-winner in a 4-3 victory over Netherlands in a friendly in 2015 and a second game-winner five days later in a friendly against Germany.
Wingers
Maikel Chang – 29 years old, 5’10”, 174 pounds
● Joined the Monarchs in 2018 and recorded 19 goals and 17 assists across 71 total appearances (67 starts).
● Became the first player in the modern era of the USL Championship to reach 30 career assists while helping the Monarchs win their first USL Championship title with two goals and two assists in four playoff appearances.
● Signed with RSL ahead of the 2020 campaign and recorded one goal and six assists in 19 appearances (12 starts), including a goal and two assists in his debut as a substitute against Colorado on August 23.
Christopher Garcia – 18 years old, 5’7”, 142 pounds
● Signed with Real Salt Lake from the RSL Academy on February 10, 2020 and made his professional debut in a 2-1 loss against Vancouver on September 20.
● Joined the RSL Academy ahead of the 2018 season and recorded 18 goals in 38 games (30 starts).
● Playing primarily with the RSL U-17s, Garcia helped lift his side to an undefeated run in the USSDA Winter Showcase where he scored a goal in three appearances.
Anderson Julio – 24 years old, 5’7”, 155 pounds
● Spent his first four professional seasons with Ecuadorian club LDU Quito and recorded 26 goals and 22 assists in 122 total appearances (107 starts)
● Helped LDU Quito lift Ecuador’s first ever domestic cup trophy in the 2019 Copa Ecuador with four starts in five appearances, including starts in both legs of the final that saw LDU Quito win on penalties over Delfín SC.
● Made the move to LigaMX in 2020 and started eight of his 19 appearances for Atlético San Luis in both the LigaMX Clausura and Apertura tournaments.
Justin Meram – 32 years old, 6’1”, 165 pounds
● Recorded three goals and four assists in 22 matches (13 starts) for RSL in 2020.
● Selected 15th overall in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft by Columbia and made his MLS debut in the CONCACAF Champions League Quarterfinals against RSL. Averaged eight goals and 7.3 assists in 32.5 matches from 2014-2017 with three goals and two assists in 16 career MLS Cup Play-off matches, including an appearance in the 2015 MLS Cup Final.
● Appeared in three 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers and scored two goals for the Iraq National Team.
Jeizon Ramírez – 20 years old, 5’7”, 132 pounds
● Signed with Real Salt Lake in February 2020 and has appeared in 10 matches.
● Made his professional debut at 16 years old in the Venezuelan top flight playoffs for Deportivo Táchira in 2017.
● Recorded five goals and eight assists across 51 total appearances in Venezuela.
Bode Davis – 19 years old, 6’0”, 165 pounds
● The Kaysville, Utah native made 10 starts in 15 appearances for the Real Monarchs in 2020 before signing with RSL on September 22.
● First professional goal came 12 days earlier in a 4-1 victory over Switchbacks FC on September 10.
● Recorded a total of two goals and two assists for the Monarchs.