Welcome back to Backheeled’s weekly journey around the world of MLS, where we look at players, teams, stats, videos, and the downright bizarre.
Onward!
We’re not talking about this team enough: Real Salt Lake
I didn’t have Pablo Mastroeni going full 2024 Wilfried Nancy on my bingo card, but here we are:
So impressed with the structure Pablo Mastroeni has set up in Salt Lake. They have such clear ideas and are very efficient in possession. Not at all what I expected from them. The off-ball run from Hezarkhani to open space for Gozo here is so smart.
— Ben Wright (@benwright.bsky.social) 2026-03-08T17:56:21.149Z
I love so much about this goal from RSL’s 3-2 win over Atlanta United on Saturday. It’s such an organized and structured sequence out of their 3-4-2-1 shape, with clear ideas with the ball. That type of clarity – knowing where each teammate is and where the ball is supposed to go – doesn’t happen by accident. It’s the result of really good coaching and putting players in positions that play to their strengths.
