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It’s not like you really need a reminder, but Real Salt Lake’s youth movement has continued apace, with the three from RSL called in to the MLS Homegrown Team featuring in a surprisingly fun draw against Chivas U-20 side.
It brings one big question to mind: Is RSL doing better — right now — at involving and building their roster around homegrown players? It’s a question that should provoke plenty of live debate.
Obviously, the MLS Homegrown game isn’t the most meaningful estimation of RSL’s academy progress, but it’s at least somewhat notable that we had three players involved — exactly as many as FC Dallas. Let’s not quibble too much over the numbers.
How’d RSL’s three do in the 2-2 draw?
Justen Glad
The RSL mainstay saw 45 minutes of action, and he came away from this one without an injury — a real chance to breathe that sigh of relief. Playing on the right side of a three-man line provided us with something interesting to watch, too. He combined really well with Brooks Lennon when he was on the right flank, too — it all makes uou wonder what Justen Glad’s best position will be moving forward.
Here’s what Glad said about RSL’s playoff chances during a post-halftime interview:
Just a lot of fight — I think it’s a mentality. If you look at our last couple games, you’ve seen more about what our team’s about ... we can be a very dangerous team, and it’s just about keeping that momentum.
Brooks Lennon
As you might expect, Lennon looked like a dangerous figure on the flank, and he created some interesting, exciting chances. He played 61 minutes for the Homegrown side. Lennon wasn’t directly involved in any goals, but it’s nice to see him create some opportunities for his team.
Jose Hernandez
I’m constantly amazed at the energy level that Hernandez brings into each match as he buzzes around the pitch pressuring the opposition. He even played about 40 minutes on Monday for Real Monarchs before flying out on Tuesday morning to Chicago. He showed reasonably well in the match, but as a player that thrives in combinations, it was always going to be hard, having not really even trained with the team.