Herriman • The two box-to-box midfielders could hardly have more different body-types. Damir Kreilach towered over most of the media members gathered at the Zions Bank Real Academy Monday, while Pablo Ruiz stood at 5-foot-8 in the middle of the scrum.
Kreilach, 28, joined Real Salt Lake with a decade of professional experience, while 19-year-old Ruiz’s career is in its infancy. Yet RSL’s two newest additions made their Utah media debuts with the same calm confidence.
RSL returned to Utah from Orlando, Fla., for a final week of training before its season opener at Dallas on Saturday. Monday marked Kreilach and Ruiz’ first sessions in Herriman. They both joined the team in Orlando after signing earlier this month.
“They’re integrating better each day,” RSL coach Mike Petke said. “… They’re both great characters, they’re both very good soccer players, and they’re both two players that are going to contribute very much to this team, I believe, at different courses. Pablo’s more of a future–type thing that could contribute now, and Damir is a quality player from a quality league, very experienced, that is raring to go.”
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Kreilach has spent the past five seasons with 2.Bundesliga club Union Berlin, following over five years with Croatian first division team HNK Rijeka. He’s in midseason form, having made 19 league appearances for Union Berlin already this season. According to Petke, Kreilach has been so eager to jump right in that they had to rein him back in Orlando.
“That is one plus for me because I’ve had two preseasons [already],” Kreilach said. “I am ready. Luckily I was not injured and I am very happy to make practice immediately with the team.”
The midfielder could make an early impact for RSL. With a decrease in playing time this season, Kreilach has netted just two goals in league play, but in 33 2.Bundesliga matches last season, he scored nine.
“We haven’t got a ton of time together,” said defensive midfielder Kyle Beckerman, “but I just know already from the way he’s come into the team and just his personality that he’s going to jell with us really quickly.”
Playing Kreilach alongside Beckerman has the potential to bring out the best in the RSL mainstay. With a proven midfielder who served as Union-Berlin’s co-captain next to him, Beckerman may be able to limit his heroics, which have overextend him in the past.
RSL acquired Ruiz with the future in mind, but as Petke often stresses, the RSL coach aims to put whoever is playing best on the field regardless of age, experience or pay grade.
Ruiz said RSL’s system is different from what he’s used to, but it hasn’t been hard to adjust to.
“It’s just how quickly you can adapt to playing that new style,” he said through a translator, “to be able to be a part of the team, and a complete part of the team, and to be able to play open and free.”
He made his first preseason appearance in the second match of RSL’s two games against Orlando City SC on Feb. 17, playing 30 minutes off the bench.
Ruiz did not appear against NYCFC last week, but Kreilach made his debut. He replaced Luke Mulholland in the 77th minute.