RSL Academy product Brooks Lennon made his first start of the season at right back in Real Salt Lake’s match against the New York Red Bulls on Saturday.
It was his second appearance on the back line this season, after he came on for Shawn Barry in RSL’s 5-1 loss to LAFC. Barry left that match with a knee injury in the 57th minute, and Lennon replaced him to add an attacking presence on the back line with RSL already down 3-1.
“This past Saturday was more of a wing back position,” Lennon said. “[RSL coach Mike Petke] wanted me to get high because we were obviously trailing.”
Lennon had jumped into a similar position a handful of times last year as a substitute, as RSL tried to fight back from behind. However, Saturday was the first time in his career that he started on the back line.
“It felt great,” Lennon said of last week’s appearance. “I thought I did the defending part well, and that’s the most important part when you’re playing right back is you need to make sure you’re doing your defensive duties correctly.”
That was also the most foreign part of the position for him.
“It’s similar in the attacking aspect,” Lennon said, “but obviously you’re a part of the back four now, so you need to make sure you’re stepping and dropping at the right times and communicating to the players in front of you. And it’s nice that you can kind of see the whole field when you’re further back, so it’s nice for me that I can now be a leader and try to communicate from the back line.”
On Monday Petke complimented Lennon on his performance against LAFC, calling him a “spark.”
Petke was running low on right backs after a string of injuries to players in that position, but on Saturday, Adam Henley also was available off the bench after returning from a hamstring injury.
Lennon was one of two RSL Academy products to make their first starts of the season for RSL on Saturday, as RSL continues to juggle its lineup in response to a flurry of muscular injuries at the beginning of the regular season. Sebastian Saucedo started in place of an injured Joao Plata (hamstring), before being substituted in the second half.
Other lineup changes
Highly anticipated striker Alfredo Ortuño made his first MLS start for RSL, after playing 23 minutes off the bench against LAFC. He was substituted in the second half after 79 minutes. Forward Luis Silva was a scratch for RSL, and was replaced on the bench by midfielder Pablo Ruiz. With Marcelo Silva still out with a hamstring injury, David Horst made his second start of the season at center back.