David Ochoa says he’s “not allowed to train with the team” in Instagram story

In what has become a source of unending questions, Real Salt Lake goalkeeper David Ochoa’s situation with the club has been murky at best throughout 2022.

The season started with Ochoa listed as “questionable” on the injury reports, which matched with an apparent injury he suffered in a preseason match, forcing a substitution. What followed was a series of injuries — recurrences of the first injury, a finger injury, another finger injury, and then basically radio silence.

The silence around Ochoa was not deafening — he’d still post on Instagram, often from Oxnard, California. The silence from the club was resounding, as he moved off injury reports and into a sort of dead zone. But whatever the case, there was silence about Ochoa’s position on the team, and we all sort of assumed that he’d be moving on sooner rather than later.

That silence was broken today — by none other than David Ochoa himself in an Instagram story.

For those of you asking... yes I’m still an RSL player. I’m just not allowed to train with the team ... and can’t leave.

Ochoa’s rise to prominence at RSL included winning a starting position from Zac MacMath in 2021, playing in 25 regular season matches before proving a volatile, exciting figure in the playoffs. His propensity for antics angered opposing fans, with the opening playoff match against Seattle reaching a fever pitch.

I’ve reached out to RSL Communications for more clarity on the matter but have not, as yet, received a response. All told, it’s quite the mystery we’re very slowly having unpacked in front of our eyes.