This past offseason grew into a period of construction in more ways than one for Real Salt Lake.
The club's long awaited soccer-specific stadium is finally being built in Sandy, a community south of Salt Lake City. Within the team itself, an even more dramatic construction process has taken place.
After enduring a highly disappointing season a year ago, RSL undertook drastic steps to overhaul its roster during the offseason. Thirteen new faces have joined through trades, draft picks and international player signings.
All of this activity comes with a singular goal -- making Real Salt Lake both relevant and a viable contender in Major League Soccer.
"The biggest thing is we want to be a club that competes for things," second-year coach Jason Kreis said. "We want to be a club that starts a winning tradition. And we want to be a club that is honest and hard working -- all of those things that our community represents."
To put such a long-term vision in action, Kreis and general manager Garth Lagerwey brought in a crop of new players who they feel like better fit the philosophy the club wants to embrace.
RSL made a splash by signing striker Kenny Deuchar away from Gretna, a Premier League club in Scotland. Matias Cordoba was brought in from Argentina to shore up the midfield, along with Dema Kovalenko, who was acquired in a trade with the New York Red Bulls.
RSL leaned mostly heavily on international veterans in the back where defenders Jamison Olave, Nat Borchers and left back Ian Joy were brought to Salt Lake from clubs in Colombia, Norway and Germany respectively.
All six players are expected to become a major part of the team's playing rotation -- either as starters or key reserves.
Still, the fanfare greeting these players does not guarantee anything, with the amount of depth the club now enjoys at each position. Competition will be ongoing situation well past training camp.
And that's how the players and coaches want it.
"The players we've brought in here are all quality and they're all bringing something to the team," Joy said. "That's going to push the guys in the first 11 to the next level. You got to be on top of your game to stay on this team and I think that's going to take our standard and our level higher."
One thing Real is definitely hoping to boost is its offensive capabilities. Among MLS clubs last season, they scored 31 goals in 30 games -- a total ranking third-lowest in the league. A lack of offensive firepower is one major reason why RSL could not get into the win column until a 2-1 victory against D.C. United in their 12th game of the season.
Acquiring Deuchar represents a big step toward addressing that issue. During his four-year stint with Gretna, he scored 63 goals in 90 games. The Scottish forward also brings an imposing 6-foot-4 frame, giving RSL some size they haven't enjoyed with past strikers.
Deuchar should form a nice one-two tandem with Robbie Findley. Real traded for Findley, as well as midfielder Nathan Sturgis, part way through his rookie season with the Los Angeles Galaxy. His debut came in RSL's first victory of the season and Findley was responsible for both goals.
Possessing more of a scoring punch up front should take some pressure off the rebuilt backfield. Veteran defender Eddie Pope retired at the end of last season, setting in motion a makeover which saw RSL bring in a host of new defenders -- both experienced veterans and promising rookies.
With their experience in European soccer, Joy and Borchers are expected to step in right away as defensive leaders. Tony Beltran, the No. 3 pick out of UCLA in the 2008 MLS SuperDraft, has already shown enough potential to push for playing time with Chris Wingert at right back.
After giving up 45 goals last summer, establishing a stronger defensive identity has become a top priority in 2008.
"We do it whatever way we can," Joy said. "We got to try and score more goals than them and do our jobs on defense and stop them from scoring goals."
The biggest thing will be taking pressure off of goalkeeper Nick Rimando. Rimando had a breakout season in 2007, starting 27 games and bailing out Real on numerous occasions with one highlight-reel worthy save after another. He finished the season with 146 saves and earned team MVP honors.
Kreis hopes a reinvigorated defense can help ease Rimando's worries this summer.
"We hope statistically he has a better year because we hope we have a stronger defense," Kreis said. "He had to make too many spectacular saves for us last year. It meant he stood out as having a fantastic year but, to be fair, we would like it if he doesn't have to have such a fantastic year."
Rimando might see a different kind of challenge this summer with backup goalkeeper Chris Seitz coming on strong. Seitz earned a spot on the U.S. under-23 national team that will be going to the Summer Olympics in Beijing.
Since being drafted fourth overall in the 2007 MLS SuperDraft, Seitz's progress in the net has followed what RSL anticipated when they went after him.
"Everybody on this team is comfortable with either of us in," Rimando said. "Being comfortable has a great deal to do with winning on the field. If you're comfortable with the player you're playing next to, you're going to be confident and trust them and that's how you win games."
The strongest link in the chain for RSL could be its midfield. Real has at least seven or eight midfielders who could start on just about any team, giving the club a degree of flexibility and depth it hasn't enjoyed before.
Figuring out who will start there long-term won't be an easy thing to do, but many players will see significant minutes either as starters or as key reserves.
"Competition is only good," said midfielder Kyle Beckerman. "You look around at the good teams in the world and they all are deep You can't win championships if you're not deep. It's a good thing and we'll use it as our advantage."
Beckerman will lead the way as one of the best holding midfielders in the league. Javier Morales will also be a big asset as the team's primary attacking midfielder. After acquiring him late in 2007, Morales impressed the coaching staff with his ball distribution abilities.
Sturgis is an up-and-coming center midfielder who should get a boost from his participation on the U-23 national team with Findley and Seitz. Kovalenko will help anchor the outside midfield after spending most of his time in left midfield during his recent stint with the Red Bulls.
John Coon is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
