Who do you expect to be in the starting XI?
RSL will stick with their 4-4-2 with the pinched diamond in the middle. I think the lineup will be the same one we saw at the end of the 2010 season, at least for the first month of the season. Then it will be all bets are off as some players will have a chance to earn a spot. Nick Rimando in goal is a no brainer, the backline rotation that worked so well last year with Chris Wingert, Jamison Olave, Nat Borchers, Tony Beltran (rotating Robbie Russell).
The midfield will be interesting this year but I believe you will see Ned Grabavoy, Kyle Beckerman, Javier Morales, and Will Johnson as the starting 4 to kick off the season, they are a known quantity but like last year expect Andy Williams (who looks more fit than ever), newcomer Arturo Alvarez, and Collen Warner all to demand attention and playing time. Up top I expect we will see a lot of Alvaro Saborio and Fabian Espindola, with a dose of Paulo Jr. tossed in. It will be interesting to see how Jason Kreis and staff use Alvarez, a lot of talk about him playing up top of the formation as well.
Which new player(s) will have biggest impact?
Alvarez, since he is the only new player on the roster, but I would have to include Paulo Jr. as well since he saw very limited MLS action last year. Arturo brings a very offensive minded style of play and will provide a left foot that can strike and serve. The question is how well he will adapt to the RSL style of play. Paulo Jr. is pure energy. No matter the situation, he brings a creativity and electricity to the pitch each time he steps on it.
Which player(s) loss will be felt the most?
Robbie Findley, without a doubt when you lose the leading scorer in your team's history it hurts. Robbie’s speed forced teams to adjust how they played against RSL and neither Saborio nor Espindola have that type of speed. Paulo Jr. might but only time will tell who if anyone can fill the shoes of Findley (31 goals, 13 assists in under 6,000 minutes over four seasons).
At what point is this season considered success?
It will be hard to replicate the four-loss season of 2010, but expectations are high for RSL as they are positioned to win multiple trophies (CCL, US Open Cup, Supporters’ Shield, and MLS Cup). I have to say anything less than two trophies this year will probably be looked at as disappointing to many fans, I can only say #TheQuad is possible but will be a difficult challenge.
Whose performance do you think will be most indicative of the season as a whole?
Olave, in 2010 he played within himself and under control and was named the MLS Defender of the Year. In 2009 RSL’s defense allowed 35 goals to be scored against them, in 2010 that number was a league leading 20. In 2009 Olave was sent off three times with red cards, in 2010 that number was zero. If Olave can stay healthy and in control he will be the MLS defender of the year again in 2011.
What impact will RSL’s depth have on their lineup in 2011?
I do think you will see some of the younger players make solid cases for minutes; Jean Alexandre is a physical beast in the midfield and has the grit and determination to be a solid d-mid when Kyle is out (Gold Cup this summer). Warner will probably see a lot of action this year, his reputation grew with his performance in the CCL match against Cruz Azul last year, and this year he added a couple inches in height in the off season as well. A huge question mark will be the development of both Luis Gil and Nelson Gonzalez as both will look to impress the staff and get minutes with the first team.
Who will be the biggest surprise on the RSL roster in 2011?
For me it is going to be a toss-up between Warner and Paulo Jr., as both players have shown flashes of being something very special. Both were guys who filled in a bit in MLS action last year, but used the CCL to showcase their talent. This year there will be no CCL group stage for RSL but expect that they will make a real run at the U.S. Open Cup and these two guys could use that as a launching pad for first-team MLS action. Collen brings a unique vision to the pitch as we saw against Cruz Azul in the final Group A match last year. Some great passes and the ability to score big goals in big matches will surely have a lot of people paying attention to the second-year player in 2011. Paulo Jr. was Mr. Excitement whenever he hit the pitch in 2010. He made just two CCL appearances but managed to score three goals in those matches, including two against Cruz Azul at Rio Tinto Stadium. He may have only seen 65 minutes of MLS action last year, but expect those numbers to climb in 2011.
- Report by Denzel "denz" Eslinger of RSL Soapbox (Real Salt Lake blog)