Just how good is Real Salt Lake? Evaluating the injury woes

Diving down the depth chart

Along with zero minutes for the team’s best XI, RSL has also yet to play the same lineup in back to back games. The last few matches have been less drastic, with only one or two changes from the previous week, but that has been because of depth players staying healthy. Versatile veteran Chris Wingert has logged more minutes this season than everyone but Yura and Rusnák, but shows how bad the injuries have gotten.

Having played every position on the back line at least once this year, Wingert has been handy. The issue is that Wingert has started the last four games as a center-back, despite being the fifth center back in the depth chart. Fifth. Playing Wingert in the middle has allowed Danilo Acosta to start at right back over the same time, despite never having previously played there in his career. There aren’t many options behind Acosta and Phillips in one of them go down either.

Luckily, Acosta has performed very well with his chances. Relying on the 34-year-old fullback Wingert to play centrally has been a tough, as Sporting and Atlanta were both able to score three goals on RSL over the last two games. This week’s contest against FC Dallas could also get ugly. While Wingert has filled in admirably, and will likely continue to do so in the future, it’s hard not to wonder how different things would have been with a healthy Maund and Glad playing together.