Real Salt 5 Game Report Card

Written March 27th 2025

We're 5 games into the MLS season. What have we learned? What do we need to re-iterate?

Stats gathered from fbref.com and fotmob.com

Defending

• Real Salt Lake is 29th in MLS in conceded xG. 

  • Teams are getting good chances. We're set up well defensively, making good saves, and blocking well. Somehow, it could be still be worse. 

• Failure to win duels on the perimeter (27th in tackles and 20th in interceptions). 

• Rafael Cabral has made some great saves. Very pleased with how this signing turned out. I was skeptical but he's proven me wrong. Breath of fresh air.

The cause to our woes is not objective fact, our defenders have not been the 29th most error prone team. I would truthfully say I think Justen, Brayan, and Rafael have been less error prone than I've seen a backline be in a while. However, these are my leading theories for the issues.

1. Variance. I think we'll concede less goals as the season progresses and the performances will level out with more data. 

2. Chance creation vacuum at striker. This leads to more turnovers. Which leads to more counter attacks. Which lead to better chances for the other team.

3. Zero good performances at right back through five games (Brown had a decent game against Seattle).

4. Less minutes for Katranis, less success from Junqua.

Possession

Very little to complain about here. Sure, I think it's true we can win more duels, interceptions, and tackles. I don't think that's why we're losing

Every possession stat we're middle of the road

• Possession 51%

• Passes completed 12th in MLS

• Passes Attempted 12th in MLS

•  Crosses 18th in MLS

• Pass Completion Percentage 13th in MLS

We attempt and complete the most long balls/switches in MLS by about 10%. This means something, if you have ideas let me know. 

• Maybe we're bypassing the strikers and resorting to long balls to create chances?

• Maybe more teams are countering our strong midfield with amid block and we're getting around this by going long?

• Justen glad is good at long range passing. Why not take advantage of it?

Attacking

Real Salt Lake has under performed xG by -3.8, tied for 26th in MLS.

• Not just the strikers. The wingers have also struggled here

• .05 goals per shot taken (25th in MLS)

Possession and chance creation hasn't been that bad. We've had chances

• 11th in MLS in non Penalty xG

• 17th in MLS in big chances created

• 13th in MLS in xA

• 8th in MLS in shots taken

Striker Position

Against FC Dallas RSL started with 2 strikers in a 4-2-2 empty bucket formation. This is their combined stat line for that game.

• 1 red card

• 4 completed passes

• 17 touches

•  0 shots 

•  0 chances created

We have a vacuum at the Striker position.

• Not creating chances for themselves

• Not creating chances for others

• Struggling to finish chances given to them by other players

• Lack of a relentless press leads to better chances to enter the middle/final third

Final Thoughts

We knew most of this. We are very weak at striker and have struggled at right back. We have a strong core which can win us some games. As it stands this is not a playoff team. We need a striker. The club is looking for one, and as far as I know will sign at least one attacker before the end of the window. Our best bet is to hope this striker is good and that the rest of the team progresses. My only real opinion is that this team will never compete for a trophy until we get more from our DPs and we have players putting in 7/10 performances 80% of the time. Right now we're not doing that at Right Back, Left Back when Junqua plays, or Striker. Don't expect much from us until that changes.