MLS Moves: Kreilach gives RSL boost in midfield

• by Paul Kennedy  @pkedit, Feb 7, 2018

After its second-half surge that got it to within striking distance of an MLS playoff spot with the league's largest corps of young players, Real Salt Lake wasn't interested in making a lot of major offseason changes.

The TAM signing of Union Berlin co-captain Damir Kreilach will give Coach Mike Petke some needed depth in midfield and another strong figure in the locker room.

"We're really excited about bringing Damir in," said RSL GM Craig Waibel. "He's got a ton of experience and challenges our depth immediately. He brings talent. He brings leadership – he was the co-captain at Union Berlin. He's a good person. He's going to be a good fit in our locker room."

Kreilach, 28, played his last game for Union Berlin on Monday night, starting in a 1-1 draw against Arminia Bielefeld in the German second division. He scored 33 goals in 147 matches over five seasons. His best season came in 2015-16 when he scored 12 goals.

Before that, he scored 19 goals in six seasons for Rijeka in the Croatian first division.

2018 Real Salt Lake Roster:
Goalkeepers: Nick Rimando, Connor Sparrow.
Defenders: Danilo Acosta, Shawn Barry, Tony Beltran, Justen Glad, Adam Henley, Aaron Herrera, David Horst, Taylor Peay, Demar Phillips, Marcelo Silva.
Midfielders: Kyle Beckerman, Nick Besler, Jose Hernandez, Damir Kreilach, Luke Mulholland, Pablo Ruiz, Albert Rusnak, Sebastian Saucedo, Sunny.
Forwards: Jordan Allen, Corey Baird, Brooks Lennon, Yura Movsisyan, Alfredo Ortuno, Joao Plata, Jefferson Savarino, Luis Silva.