Real Salt Lake of Major League Soccer is in playoff positions at the moment after 24 games, but it’s a tight race in the West for the final three playoff spots. RSL has been searching for a coach since the departure of Freddy Juarez, who left the club to become an assistant at the Seattle Sounders.
One name stands out among the 3 rumored candidates and that is former USMNT forward and six-time MLS champion Landon Donovan. Donovan, 39, is currently the head coach and co-owner of the San Diego Loyal of the USL. According to an article in The Athletic, Donovan was recently interviewed for the position, although RSL has not begun the final round of interviews yet to fill the vacant coaching position.
Real Salt Lake at the moment sit sixth in the West and have a .500 record at 9-6-9, they are coached by another USMNT legend, Pablo Mastroeni. While it would be interesting to see Donovan in a role like this in MLS, it’s doubtful that he would leave his own club, SD Loyal, to coach such a small market MLS team. Here are the other two candidates RSL is said to be interviewing.
Jason Kreis
Under Jason Kreis from 2007-2013 RSL saw its best moment in their history, winning MLS Cup in 2009, and reaching the final in 2013. On the backbone of players like Rimando, Beckerman, Morales, Saborio, and Olave, among others. Kreis also reached the final of the CONCACAF Champions League in 2011 losing to Monterrey.
Since then, Kreis had unsuccessful stints with NYCFC, Orlando City, and most notably missing out on the Tokyo Summer Olympics with the USMNT U-23 squad.
Rob Valentino
Rob Valentino’s stock has risen since his interim coaching position at Atlanta United. Held to high regard at Atlanta, Valentino has been an assistant at the club since 2018. He stepped in this season to coach the team after the Gabriel Heinze debacle.