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The bye week gives RSL players a time to improve sharpness, both in Utah and on the road with the Monarchs

(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Real Salt Lake forward Corey Baird (27) kicks the ball, as New York Red Bulls midfielder Alejandro Romero Gamarra (10) defends in MLS action between Real Salt Lake and New York Red Bulls at Rio Tinto Stadium, Saturday, March 17, 2018.

Real Salt Lake right back Adam Henley was one of the first to embrace Corey Baird after the homegrown player scored the Real Monarchs’ first goal at Tulsa Saturday.

Eventually they were surrounded by teammates, including fellow first-team players left back Danilo Acosta and midfielder Nick Besler.

The Monarchs, Real Salt Lake’s USL affiliate, brought nine first team players with them to Tulsa during a bye week for RSL. Seven saw the field in a 3-2 victory over the Roughnecks, while back in Utah, RSL players made progress recovering from injury.

“It’s very similar,” Baird said of the playing style between the two teams. “I think [Monarchs coach Mark] Briggs does a great job with that, integrating the first team guys with the second team guys and making sure everyone’s on the same page.”

RSL AT TORONTO FC<br>When • Friday, 6 p.m. MDT<br>TV • KMYU

The group of RSL players who stepped on the field for the Monarchs included backup goalkeeper Alex Horwath, former Monarchs captain Nick Besler, draft pick Ricky Lopez-Espin and 19-year-old midfielder Pablo Ruiz, all of whom have yet to start for RSL this season.

Baird, who signed with RSL over the offseason, followed his MLS debut on March 17 up with his first professional goal Saturday for the Monarchs. Henley, who suffered a hamstring injury in late February, saw the field for the first time this season, playing 77 minutes.

As for RSL practice that week, Petke said: “We grabbed a couple of the Monarchs players who didn’t travel, a couple of the Academy players, and it was about just keeping sharp. We didn’t do a ton tactically, although we did talk about a lot of tactics last week.”

The bye week gave the four players who were left out of the 18 last week due to muscle injuries — center back Marcelo Silva, forward Luis Silva, winger Joao Plata, and right back Aaron Herrera — extra time to heal. All of them participated in training Monday.

Yura Movsisyan loaned to Swedish club

Real Salt Lake has unloaded some of the responsibility for Yura Movsisyan’s paycheck by sending him to Djurgården on a six-month loan, which the Swedish club announced Monday. The loan includes an option for an extension.

MLSsoccer.com reported, and a source confirmed to The Tribune that RSL will still be on the hook for the majority of Movsisyan’s salary. Real Salt Lake waived Movsisyan, who is guaranteed almost $2 million this season, just before the roster compliance deadline on March 1.

Albert Rusnák and Slovakia win King’s Cup

RSL attacking midfielder Albert Rusnák played 98 minutes in two matches and scored his first goal for the Slovakia senior national team as Slovakia tore its way through the Kings Cup, winning the four-team tournament in Thailand Sunday.

“He’s earned it,” Petke said of Rusnák playing 90 minutes against United Arab Emirates Thursday, “the way he’s played with us last year and even this year so far, the quality that he has. Them not traveling to the World Cup I think that they are giving players a chance ahead of time right now that they think are the future, and Albert to me is certainly the future of that national team.”

Rusnák scored Thursday in a 2-1 Slovakia win over United Arab Emirates, striking a line drive of a shot to the far post.