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Real Salt Lake vs. New York Red Bulls: What to watch

No preseason snoozer here. With new faces on the field and roster spots on the line, there’s a lot to watch in RSL’s first preseason game.

MLS: New York Red Bulls at Real Salt Lake Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports

Pre-season is finally here **looks out window to see if there’s still snow on the ground in Salt Lake**, which means it’s time to take a closer look at the team. Here are three things to watch in the match with RBNY today.

New Faces // Feels like the first day of school

If you’ve been following transfer stories and rumors, then you’re probably already well aware of what RSL has been up to this offseason. Luis Silva is back, same with Brooks Lennon, same with David Horst. Chad Barrett signed with the team, Albert Rusnak is on his way to Arizona. A lot has happened, but the focus is on what’s going to happen. That’s why the preseason is so exciting, you get little tastes of what’s to come when everything kicks off on March 4th, at the RioT.

Goalkeeper Play // Second Best

With Rimando busy shutting out Serbia, you’ll have the chance to potentially see both Lalo Fernandez and Matt Van Oekel in goal. The two have a lot to play for as the backup spot is currently unclaimed. And with a fire lit under Robbie Findley, not only to secure a roster spot but also to score against his old team, it will be especially interesting to see how the goalkeepers fare in this one.

Team Form // What’s form got to do with it?

It feels like just yesterday the team was cleaning out their lockers after a tough-to-swallow 3-1 loss to LA, but it’s been almost 100 days since the season ended. That’s enough time for guys to get some rest, enjoy the holidays and hopefully put in some work at the gym. With such a long season ahead, form will be a big factor. The first pre-season game will be a good chance to see who has done their work in the offseason and who hasn’t.

What will you have your eye on during the game today?