SANDY, Utah – Real Salt Lake is counting the days until they get back their missing piece.
And when Joao Plata, RSL’s leading scorer last season, returns from a preseason injury, the full intent of head coach Jeff Cassar’s switch from the club’s traditional 4-4-2 formation to 4-3-3 will be fully realized.
The surprise formation change was made with a very specific purpose in mind – to fully exploit RSL’s deep forward corps that also includes starters Alvaro Saborio and Sebastian Jaime and depth on the bench.
“That was the idea,” Cassar said. “Having six deep in the forward position and when one comes out, we just go right in with the other one. So teams can’t push up on us and they have no break. It makes us deeper. It makes us more dynamic, makes us more dangerous.”
The plan was to utilize Saborio, Jaime and Plata to attack opposing defenses and apply constant pressure. So far this season, however, the team hasn’t been able to run out the new formation at full strength.
Plata, who scored a career-high 13 goals in 2014, broke the fifth metatarsal in his left foot this preseason and has missed the past two months. It was a big blow to RSL, who announced shortly after they injury that they had signed the Ecuadorian to a multi-year contract extension while also giving him a young Designated Player tag. However, it looks like Plata has a way to go before he’s back on the field.
“He’s healing,” Cassar said. “It’s a time thing. He’s wearing running shoes. He’s not in a walking boot. He’s doing a lot of stuff on the bike. We’re trying to get his fitness level as high as it can and then strengthening all those muscles that he’s not quite using when he’s playing. To be honest, I don’t know what his return date is, but it’s not in the near future.”
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Despite RSL’s three-goal windfall two week ago in a 3-3 draw against the Philadelphia Union, they were unable to snatch one from the run of play – and that’s something that Plata can help to remedy.
“He’s dynamic,” Cassar said. “He’s shows up and can turn in those pockets but can also get in behind with his runs. On top of that, when he joins us, we get deeper. We get more relentless.”
