Real Salt Lake’s Golden Boot leader is back.
After serving a four-game suspension for violating Major League Soccer’s anti-harassment policy, Chicho Arango is expected to make his return to RSL’s lineup this week, possibly as early as Monday’s Leagues Cup match in Houston.
“I think getting Chicho back in this moment is really important for the group,” RSL coach Pablo Mastroeni said. “A lot like when we got Chicho last year, his energy and his presence is infectious.”
Neither RSL nor the league has said what Arango did to violate the policy; RSL only announced that it “accepts the disciplinary decision.” Asked last month about the suspension, Mastroeni said he had intentionally avoided getting details from club officials.
While the circumstances of Arango’s suspension remain unknown, his impact on the field has been obvious.
Arango leads MLS with 17 goals so far this season. His next goal in league play will set a new single-season scoring record for Real Salt Lake.
Arango has not been allowed to train with the team during his suspension.
“He’s been away training really, really hard away from the game,” Mastroeni said, “and I think just having him back in the building is like having your big brother with you. You feel more confident. There’s more belief when you have a player of his magnitude.”
Whether Arango will immediately return to the starting lineup is uncertain.
“It’s now about integrating him back in a way that he doesn’t hurt himself, but he brings that persona to the group,” Mastroeni said.
Palacio’s blast
Nelson Palacio took everyone by surprise when he launched a rocket of a shot from nearly 40 yards, a line drive that found the top right corner of the goal and gave RSL a 2-1 win over Atlas.
“He does shoot from distance,” Mastroeni said, “but that I haven’t seen.”
Palacio, a 23-year-old Colombian, figured to be a key part of RSL’s squad when he arrived last season. But he has been relegated to the bench behind midfielders Emeka Eneli and Braian Ojeda.
Still, Matroeni said he’s seen progress from Palacio.
“I think in the last six weeks Nelson has really turned it up, both in trainings and in games … and he’s coming into form at a great time,” the coach said. “Just super happy for him because it validates all the hard work he’s been doing. I feel like we have a really strong midfield corps and he’s really stepping up his game.”
Up next
After beating Liga MX’s Atlas last week in Salt Lake City, RSL will play its second Leagues Cup match on Monday in Houston.
“We play in a similar fashion,” Mastroeni said of facing a Dynamo team that bounced RSL from the MLS playoffs last season. “… Their two pivots are really good conductors of the game. They like to send an outside back forward just like we do. It’s almost like playing a carbon copy of yourself. We know how hard it is to win the ball back. Pressing from the front will be critical.”
Kickoff is at 7 p.m. on Apple TV.
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