Joao Plata seems like he's finally ready to return to Real Salt Lake.
RSL’s breakout forward from a year ago fractured his fifth metatarsal on the first day of the team's preseason camp and has been unavailable all season. Thursday afternoon, Plata sent out a tweet that sent RSL fans’ hearts racing.
Plata's absence has been a major blow for Real Salt Lake, who had already experienced significant roster overhaul in the offseason due to the expansion draft and other transactions. The club has sputtered without their leading scorer from 2014, getting off to a 3-3-5 start and only managing 10 goals in their first 11 matches.
The 23-year-old attacker led RSL last with 13 goals and added six assists as he played his way back onto the Ecuadorian national team.
RSL announced the day after the injury that they had signed Plata to a multi-year contract extension, making him just the fourth designated player in the club’s history, showing just how much faith they have in him.
Plata posted a tweet Thursday afternoon saying simply, “Saturday will be an amazing day for me.”
This brief, cryptic message was enough to spark speculation that the forward is alluding to a much-anticipated return this weekend against New York City FC (10 pm ET, MLS LIVE). RSL’s roster has suffered multiple injuries this year with Javier Morales, Chris Schuler, Sebastian Jaime, Demar Philips, and Plata all missing time. The loss of Plata, however, has perhaps had the biggest impact.
RSL head coach Jeff Cassar reconfigured the team’s playing style in the offseason, forgoing the team's tried and true diamond midfield and opting for a 4-3-3 to take advantage of the glut of talented forwards on the roster. So far, Cassar has been unable to see the formation at its best due to the myriad of absences.
Speaking about Plata’s progress after practice on Tuesday, Cassar was hesitant to provide anything concrete.
“We’ll see,” Cassar said. “I mean, practicing for two days doesn’t mean you’re available. Full strength doesn’t mean you’re available. It does mean you’re getting close, but there’s got to be fitness involved. There are a lot of things involved. It’s not just about getting him back to play one game, it’s about getting him back to play the rest of the season, because it’s a long season.”
The return of Plata would be a big boost for a struggling RSL and would add even more fuel to the hype already radiating from Saturday’s match, which will see former RSL head coach Jason Kreis and a collection of former Claret-and-Cobalt players return to Sandy for the first time with NYCFC.
