REAL SALT LAKE v CD CHIVAS USA SATURDAY MARCH 24 2012
20
NED GRABAVOY
7:00PM MT RIO TINTO STADIUM
MIDFIELDER
HEIGHT: 5-7 WEIGHT: 150 DOB: 7/1/83 HOMETOWN: New Lenox, IL ACQUIRED: Waivers from SJ Earthquakes, 3/--/09 LAST SEASON: Played 33 games (25 starts) in all competitions, scoring playoff-series-clinching goal vs SEA in West Semis LAST MLS GOAL: 10/16/10 v. DAL (59’) - 27 games ago LAST MLS ASSIST: 07/31/10 v. DC (13’) - 36 games ago LAST GAME: 3/17/12 - start/90’ in 2-0 W v NY
With Williams retiring during the offseason, the versatile Grabavoy will be depended upon even more by Head Coach Jason Kreis to set the tone on the field and in the locker room as one of the team’s core members. The good news for Kreis and fans of RSL is that, thanks to a new offseason contract, the 28-year-old midfielder will put his masterful on-theball ability, vision and tenacity on display at Rio Tinto Stadium for at least the next three seasons.
JONNY STEELE
LUIS GIL
MIDFIELDER
HEIGHT: 5-10 WEIGHT: 155 DOB: 11/14/93 HOMETOWN: Garden Grove, CA ACQUIRED: Trade with KC, 3/10 PRONOUNCIATION: GILL LAST SEASON: Played 27 games (16 starts) in all competitions, scoring 2 goals LAST MLS GOAL: 3/17/12 v NY (58’) - ACTIVE LAST MLS ASSIST: none in 24 career appearances LAST GAME: 3/17/12 - start/62’/GOAL in 2-0 W v NY
During his third season in Claret-and-Cobalt in 2011, Ned Grabavoy continued to find more minutes in the platoon system with Andy Williams on the right side of Real Salt Lake’s diamond midfield, but, due to injuries and national team call-ups, the veteran also found himself at other spots in the diamond through necessity. Despite suffering from a nagging hamstring injury of his own late in the campaign, the gritty Grabavoy was able to register the second most appearances, starts and minutes of his eight seasons in Major League Soccer.
22
21
SANDY, UT
MIDFIELDER
HEIGHT: 6-0 WEIGHT: 180 DOB: 2/7/86 HOMETOWN: Larne, Northern Ireland ACQUIRED: via discovery option in Jan., 2012 PRONOUNCIATION: LAST GAME: 3/17/12 - sub/final 4’ in 2-0 W v NY
Real Salt Lake’s philosophy for the development of Luis Gil had always been “slow and steady,” but then Javier Morales’ devastating ankle injury and a slew of national team callups hit in the spring, and the acceleration of Gil’s learning curve soon followed. RSL Head Coach Jason Kreis originally took a committee approach to replacing Morales as the summer progressed, but the rotation would eventually include a heavy dose of the then-17-year-old Gil, who indeed proved capable of rising to the challenge while also doing plenty of “on-thejob” training. While inconsistent, as most teenagers growing up in a professional league tend to be, Gil more often than not showed glimpses as to why he was coveted by some of the world’s top sides prior to joining the Claret-and-Cobalt back in 2010. The physicality of the opposition might not be as much of a problem in 2012, as Gil entered RSL’s preseason camp noticeably bigger and more confident, both on the ball and within the squad. With regular starters Morales and Will Johnson both dealing with injuries heading into the season, Gil may very well find himself a member of the starting XI when March rolls around
23
PAULO JUNIOR
FORWARD
HEIGHT: 5-7 WEIGHT: 155 DOB: 1/23/89 HOMETOWN: Teresina, Brazil ACQUIRED: via loan in August, 2010 (purchased Jan., 2012) PRONOUNCIATION: PAUL-low LAST SEASON: Played 13 games (5 starts) in all competitions, scoring 2 goals & 4 assists LAST MLS GOAL: 4/9/11 @ NE (47’) - 11 games ago LAST MLS ASSIST: 3/17/12 v NY (39’) - ACTIVE LAST GAME: 3/17/12 - start/62’/ASSIST in 2-0 W v NY
Jonny Steele has squeezed a career’s worth of stops into his first eight professional seasons, but the preseason pact he signed with Real Salt Lake might just allow the 26-year-old midfielder to stop and settle down for awhile … besides, there’s precedence for this sort of thing with the Utah side (see Williams, Andy). After years of hopping between second divisions clubs and indoor teams, the native of Northern Ireland has finally earned the opportunity to display his talents on the North American continent’s top stage, eight years after his stateside journey began with a trial for FC Dallas. While Steele’s presence will ratchet up the amount of bite in the RSL midfield, thinking of him as simply a “hardman” would be a mistake, as the former Wolverhampton performer didn’t win the 2008 USL-1 MVP award for the Puerto Rico Islanders on hard tackles alone.
As explosive as the fall 2010 debut of Paulo Jr. onto the Real Salt Lake scene was, it appeared that the Brazilian’s 2011 was equally as disappointing … but one look at the limited sample size of stats might just prove otherwise. While the swashbuckling striker missed exactly half of the season due to lingering hamstring and hip flexor injuries over the summer, when he was on the field he was able to produce, notching a pair of goals and five assists in what amounted to just under 600 minutes across MLS and CONCACAF play. The diminutive forward’s season got off to a sparkling start, as he recorded a goal, an assist or both during his first four overall appearances. However, the injury bug would strike soon afterwards, derailing a promising start and limiting him to substitute and spot-start duty across the last three months of the season. Despite the health concerns, Real Salt Lake recognized Paulo Jr.’s potential this past offseason and acquired the 23-year-old’s player rights from the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers in February. The Utah side hopes a new three-year contract will provide the stability and confidence the still-developing striker needs in order to perform, which would result in a dangerous complement to first-choice forwards Fabian Espíndola and Álvaro Saborío.