If you go to SI.com’s soccer site today — and, really, you should hit that site every day – you’ll see where I’m singing the praises of Real Salt Lake.
Real Salt Lake and prudent personnel planning
The gist of this piece is that RSL may have built a sustainable model for what Major League Soccer clubs should be. It’s mostly about personnel, about how GM Garth Lagerwey has tied up all the key players with long-term contracts.
You can read all about it if you like. What you won’t see is much about the club’s business side. Click on for some of that ...
In this regard, RSL has more competition. They are doing fine in suburban Sandy, just outside Salt Lake City. But whereas you can make an argument that RSL is the standard bearer on the field at the moment, with the most astutely assembled roster, there are plenty of MLS sides that have the bigger picture equally well sorted.
Seattle, of course, is the gold standard in terms of attendance and generating buzz. Toronto and Los Angeles are doing well. Philly, too. Other clubs are further along in terms of developing practice facilities or fully integrating their youth development systems.
So RSL is playing catch-up in some of these areas. But Lagerwey told me recently the organization is making headway in breaking ground on that long-awaited practice facility. And they need it. First-class organizations need first-class facilities, top to bottom. They have the stadium, now they need the day-to-day practice digs.
While you consider that, check out Ridge Mahoney’s smart Q&A with RSL president Bill Manning. It’s worth the read. But after you read the SI.com piece, of course.
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