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It's hard sometimes to know the players who won't get much playing time, but if you want to be avoid confusion when players come on, it can be helpful to have a good sense of who they are.
We're going over some of those players you might see from time to time, but who aren't likely to be starting games in the near future without some substantial shifts. They're all young, and they're all exciting — here's why you should know them.
Jordan Allen: A superbly talented youngster who's most comfortable out wide. He'll get time sooner rather than later, and don't be shocked if he's gunning for a starting spot by the end of the season.
Lalo Fernandez: He'll get more time with Real Monarchs in his first minute than he has at Real Salt Lake, but that's not because he's shabby. The talented goalkeeper will get his opportunity with the second-team.
Justen Glad: One of the best defensive talents to come from the RSL-AZ academy, Tucson, Ariz.-born Glad has plenty of time to grow into a role. What that role is? Well, we'll see — there's plenty of time. He's 18 and he has the world at his feet.
Phanuel Kavita: A Salt Lake City native and Highland High School attendee, homegrown player Phanuel Kavita ("Phanny", as you'll come to know him) is a smart defender — or at least that's what he's shown in his summers training with Real Salt Lake and playing with their reserves.
Boyd Okwuonu: This years' second-round draft pick (our highest this SuperDraft) and a smart-passing right back, Okwuonu is both one for the future and a backup for Tony Beltran.
Fito Ovalle: This is the kid everyone wanted Real Salt Lake to sign, and sign him they did. Ovalle is a young defensive midfielder out of the RSL-AZ academy and a member of the Chilean youth national team. Just wait until you see him play — he's good with the ball at his feet, smart in possession, and a good tackler of the ball. And he's 17.
Sebastian Saucedo: Magical with the ball at his feet, great from the free kick, an excellent finisher — Sebastian Saucedo didn't make the bench last weekend by coincidence. He's not yet a starter or particularly close to it, but if he's given a chance to come off the bench, there could be fireworks.
Elias Vasquez: A young Guatemalan international-starter center back and one of several exciting offseason signings for Real Salt Lake, Vasquez is a like-for-like with 2015-departee Carlos Salcedo, but with more experience.