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Real Salt Lake’s youth movement is continuing apace, with three of its first-team players being called up to their respective national teams.
That’s Albert Rusnak for Slovakia, Jefferson Savarino for Venzuela, and Joao Plata for Ecuador. The three are each important players for Real Salt Lake, with their interchange and connection providing an incredible spark for the team in their resurgence.
In a club-issued press release, RSL general manager Craig Waibel described the call-ups as “a credit to all three of them individually and as a group.”
“All three are young players and it’s very rare in that scenario where the spotlight is shared,” Waibel said. “More times than not one player in a group like that will get overlooked, so it’s a credit to all three of them individually and as a group. With all three of their national teams recognizing that, it’s a testament to what they have done together and we are extremely proud that they will have the opportunities to represent their countries in World Cup qualifiers.”
Waibel on Rusnak
“Since coming to RSL, Albert has become a prominent figure for us and for his national team. He has been such an important player for us and when he goes to play with Slovakia he’s been consistent for them. Whether it was with the U-21s in the summer or with the full national team, it’s been fun to watch his transition.”
Waibel on Plata
One of the hardest things in soccer is to get called in to your national team. It’s even harder to regain the attention and respect of your team after you’ve been out. It’s a credit to his perseverance, growth and professionalism that he is back with Ecuador. What he does for us can easily get overlooked, but he works 1v1 against his opponents and that creates opportunities and space for his teammates to operate.
Waibel on Savarino
We are really proud of Jefferson for a lot of reasons. It took a lot of courage for him to come play for us and that he earned his third call-up is a compliment to the work that he has put in. At 20 years old he has made an impact for us and accepted the load that we have put on him.