SANDY – Real Salt Lake forward Rubio Rubin made his debut for the Guatemala national team earlier this month, and now opportunities also present themselves with his club after a starter Bobby Wood.
Rubin attracted enthusiasts more than a year ago when he scored an impressive motorcycle shot on May 7, 2021 in front of San Jose, giving RSL a goal contender of the year and a rarely noticed acrobatic flash.
FIRST GOAL CONTAINER OF THE YEAR @MLS!
He helped the team reach the Western Conference Finals last season, but started the 2022 season late due to injury.
He made a few appearances on the bench in May, but his first real opportunities of 2022 came with the Guatemalan national team, scoring a goal against the Dominican Republic on June 13.
Here’s the goal from the Oregon native: pic. twitter. com/5805BMSytX
“I came back here in early April because of my injury and struggled to get out of Pablo and his team because (I missed) the preseason,” Rubin said. “Going down (to Guatemala) and having 90 minutes and seeing the first one come in, is very important, especially as an offensive player. It’s helping me a lot to be able, I hope, to regain momentum and score goals for RSL and help this team keep winning and be at the top of the table. . “
Rubin’s return to form couldn’t have come at a better time for RSL, as head coach Pablo Mastroeni reveals himself as a leader with an injury to Wood in the first 20 minutes of last week’s game against San Jose.
Mastroeni is confident in the characteristics to reposition Wood, especially given the team’s good fortune despite injuries so far this season. league positions.
“This year, with all the other cases that have been imposed on us, like the last game, Bobby came out in the 20th minute, everyone is in a position to pass,” Mastroeni said. to the culture we have in this club: the next man, everyone is in a position to pass and everyone is cheering for each other. It’s a special feeling and we hope it will continue to lead us in the right direction. “
Who is the type of RSL in the attack position?
Some comments on my summary last night concentrate on the strikers not generating at the point the team wants at the moment. With Kreilach, and now Wood, injured, what’s the answer to #RSL as a striker?pic. twitter. com/ BuqGQZpfCe
Rubin has the most powerful case after starting 29 games last season and acting as Wood’s backup after the sudden injury against San Jose. Anderson Julio and Joni Menendez are also in the mix, who have had very limited minutes so far this season. Mastroeni said the team would be left with two strikers, even in Wood’s absence, pairing one of the past with Sergio Cordova up front.
“We have a lot of quality at the front,” Rubin said. It’s a war week after week to win a starting job and get minutes. Unfortunately, not everyone can get minutes every weekend, so it’s all about education and making sure you’re ready.
“The truth is that it hurt me a lot to go to Guatemala, take out the games, score the passes and come back here and look to win a few more minutes, keep scoring passes and this team is still in the most sensible of the table. “
Another detail that can give Rubin an edge when it comes to the initial resolution is his taste for the game. Mastroeni said he has a tendency to play the same way Wood does, with his back to purpose and involving other players, while Cordova is more of a vertical presence with his speed and length to push the backline and get the passes into the area.
“Rubio has a very delayed game,” Mastroeni said. (He) naturally needs to play with his back to the purpose and bring the guys into the game. “
Rubin has yet to score a goal for RSL this season, but in the area of the team’s two goals against San Jose, in a position that seems to have chemistry with fellow forwards Cordova, Jefferson Savarino and Justin Meram. Both the team and Rubin appear in a position for their integration into the starting XI and the greater opportunities that are presented to them.
The Claret and Cobalt have a home game this week against the Columbus Crew at Rio Tinto Stadium on Saturday at 8 p. m. m. MDT.