Table of Contents
The Salt Lake Striker Situation
Real Salt Lake start their 20th season in Major League Soccer this Saturday, February 22, and their fourth foray into the Concacaf Champions Cup on Wednesday, February 19th – their first since the 2015-16 season, almost 10 years ago.
After a record setting 59-point season in 2024, the 3rd place Western Conference team looks to build on their success of the past year. However, despite the success, RSL retained none of their no. 9's from the previous season.
Andres Gomez (13G/8A in 2024) was sold mid-season last year to Ligue 1 side Stade Rennes FC, Anderson Julio (10G/4A in 2024) has been traded to F.C. Dallas, Matt Crooks (3G/4A in 2024) has returned home to England, joining Hull City, and star striker Chicho Arango (17G/6A in 2024) departed the Wasatch Front for San Jose just over a month ago.
Those four outbound attackers accounted for 66% of RSL's goals last year.
Real Salt Lake has since added three strikers to the roster: Brazilian Elias Manoel from New York Red Bulls via trade, Ghanaian Forster Ajago via the Re-Entry draft, as well as Australian Ariath Piol from Macarther FC in the A-League. None of whom fill the vacated Designated Player spot left by the departing Arango. And while there is plenty of reason to be bullish on these strikers, there are concerns as well.
Elias Manoel is no stranger to the league, touting a decent 9G/1A in 2024 for NYRB. Real Salt Lake were looking to get younger in their squad for 2025 with the trade of Anderson Julio to Dallas and replacing him with Manoel.
But, Manoel has yet to report for duty with Real Salt Lake, leaving questions around the trade that was made. As of the writing of this article, RSL is en route to San Jose, Costa Rica for their clash against Club Sport Herediano on Wednesday. Notably, Manoel has not travelled with the team.
The other two strikers, Ajago and Piol, have reported for duty and are with the team. Neither striker is especially proven in MLS. Despite two goals in Concacaf Champions Cup with Nashville FC, Ajago has no goals in MLS play. Piol just joined from Australia and hopes to impress in MLS this year. No Number 9 on RSL's roster has any goals in MLS play – which is concerning.
Where will the goals come from?
This is the question being asked of RSL coach Pablo Mastroeni and Sporting Director Kurt Schmid, to which they've both responded recently that while no DP 9 is in the mix, they expect the goals to come "by committee".
Despite the questions at the striker position, there is no real question to the quality of the other attacking players on the roster: 2024 Young Player of the Year Diego Luna, DP no. 10 Diogo Gonçalves, and wingers Lachlan Brook and Dominik Marczuk have been showing out in pre-season. The effort and grit we've come to expect from Pablo's team is on full display.
The moon keeps rising pic.twitter.com/N8qoMFF682
— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) November 7, 2024
While Diego Luna (9G/8A in 2024) will miss RSL's first game due to the nose injury sustained in the USMNT January camp, the rest will be key to RSL's early season success. Diogo has scored a goal in pre-season, as has Brook. Marczuk has looked great too, assisting at least on Brook's goal and threatening goals himself – he even debuted for the Polish senior team and netted his side's lone goal against Portugal in a 5-1 loss in November.
These last three players joined in the late summer last season, but with a proper pre-season under their belts, we expect them to shine in 2025. Ajago, while mentioned earlier as having no goals in MLS play, netted a brace against Red Bull New York in pre-season to help the claret and cobalt to a 3-3 draw against last year's MLS finalist team.
Ladies & gents, the 2025 season schedule just dropped!!
— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) December 19, 2024
There is no doubt the effort and energy will be on display in the early season. But there is reason to be concerned that the goals could be lacking. The committee is strong, but not quite as sharp and dangerous as what we experienced early last season with Arango, Julio, Crooks and Gomez.
That being said, I'd love to be proven wrong. RSL front office I'm sure is trying to resolve whatever is keeping Elias Manoel from joining the team and getting another DP signing done, which fans hope will be another no. 9 like Arango on which to hedge their bets.
