2013 Player Profiles: Aaron Maund sees limited minutes at center back

Aaron Maund was never likely to see many minutes in 2013.

His 270 minutes, though, may have been poor, even by the low expectations placed on him.

Maund was brought in from Toronto FC; we sent the Canadian side Justin Braun in return. He was also played as a defensive midfielder in Toronto, but his role with us was as a center back.

He has the unfortunate mark of playing in three matches, two of which were lost very late on: first, the Sporting Kansas City debacle in which RSL lost in the seventh minute of stoppage time; second, a 3-4 loss to New York Red Bulls (in which RSL led 3-2).

These are not high marks, but they do not mean the player is incapable or unlikely to feature for Real Salt Lake moving forward. Maund is an athletic, aware defender, but he's also young and, to some extent, more likely to fail when thrust into difficult matches in the middle of the season without featuring much at all otherwise.

Maund may have missed expectations in 2013, but not by much. He was set to be a role player in his first season with the club, and that's exactly what he was. But for the meteoric rise of Carlos Salcedo, he surely would have featured more, though.

2014 should see Maund back at it, trying to ensure that, when the time comes, he is ready to play and to win a spot. He's some way off that now, but his positive qualities paint his future as a bright one.

Editor's note: This is part of a series of player profiles recapping the 2013 season and previewing the 2014 season. Player ratings were compiled via a vote by RSL Soapbox writers. Statistics are via mlssoccer.com.