RSL excited to kick off season against Messi and Inter Miami

HERRIMAN, Utah (ABC4 Sports) – Real Salt Lake couldn’t ask for a higher profile season opener Wednesday night, as they take on Lionel Messi and Inter Miami CF.

“I think it’s just excitement,” said RSL midfielder Diego Luna. “And of course, nerves are there. So I think it’s all about getting to that day, getting to Miami, and then everything’s going to lock in and clicking.”

Real Salt Lake is the only MLS team to make the playoffs the last three seasons, but they know it it is time to take the next step.

“We’ve kind of met our goals last three years of making the playoffs,” said goalkeeper Zac MacMath. “But we we’ve come up short in a couple of tournaments, and really trying to bring a hardware to this city. That’s our goal this year to win something.”

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What better test than to open the season against Messi and a star-laden Inter Miami team on the road. RSL did not play Miami last season, so this will be their first look at the Argentinian legend.

“If you’re a professional athlete, you’re a competitor and competing against the best, regardless of the sport, really is a great barometer for you to see where you stack up,” said head coach Pablo Mastroeni. “It usually brings out your best.”

There is no denying the impact Messi has already had on Major League Soccer in the short time he has been with Inter Miami.

“You’ve seen what he’s done already,” MacMath said. “I think it’s bringing a new picture to MLS, a bigger idea, and he’s bringing more talent to the to the to the league.”

But RSL can’t get star struck when they take the field with perhaps the greatest soccer player of all time. They have to treat Messi like any other opponent.

“Once you get on that field, it’s you’re playing against another 11 guys,” Luna said. “But it’s going to be awesome,” Luna said. “It’s something you dream of. He’s a player that I watched growing up, so it’s pretty crazy to to imagine that, but now it’s going to happen.”

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“I’ve talked to my five-year-old son about it quite a bit,” MacMath said. “He now he’s a big Messi fan and I told him this week I’m actually playing against him. So he’s excited for that. Obviously, it’s a dream for everyone, you know, that has grown up over the last 20 years watching him play.”

As for Real Salt Lake’s rising star, Diego Luna, the team needs him to be an impactful playmaker this season with the departures of Jefferson Savarino, Rubio Rubin and Damir Kreilach.

“I’ve had discussions with Pablo and I’m making sure that there’s there’s not a lot of pressure on me. I think it’s to make sure that I’m just enjoying the game,” Luna said. “You know, I’m 20 years old and still young, growing into the game. So I think for me, I want to be that player. I want to put everything on my back when things get tough. But at the same time, I want to make sure my mental state is OK.”

“I think the important thing about development is the next phase,” Mastroeni said about Luna. “He went with the national team, now he’s come back and now the challenges are a lot different. It’s maintaining that consistency day in and day out.”

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Real Salt Lake and Inter Miami will kick off the MLS season at 6:00 p.m. Wednesday night.

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