RSL trades for Columbus defender amid injury desperation

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Royals made their first personnel move of the season earlier this week, and Real Salt Lake followed suit just three days later with a move of their own as the club's injury report reaches critical levels.

The team announced Friday the acquisition of 24-year-old center-back Philip Quinton from the Columbus Crew for up to $200,000 in general allocation money via trade. The move comes as four center-backs were listed on the injury report for Saturday's match in Chicago, including questionable tags for starters Justen Glad and Brayan Vera.

Head coach Pablo Mastroeni said the team would likely bring in another center-back after a season-ending injury to backup Marcelo Silva earlier this month, and the team got the move in just days before Tuesday's MLS primary transfer deadline. The oft-injured Erik Holt was the final center-back left on the bench but has missed the last two weeks with a hamstring injury.

The decimation of the center-back position forced extreme measures for RSL in training this week, with not only outside backs Bode Hidalgo and Bryan Oviedo moving inside to provide depth, but also attacking midfielder Matt Crooks temporarily filling in for the defense during certain drills and scrimmages.

Mastroeni, a former defender himself, even jumped in on the back line of the scout team at the end of training on Thursday as matters truly became desperate.

"It's not ideal when one of the coaches has to step in," goalkeeper Zac MacMath said, ending with a nervous joke. "But he, obviously, has the mind still, and I just pray that he doesn't get hurt."

The trade announcement noted that Quinton will meet the team in Chicago ahead of its match on Saturday evening and "could potentially provide cover for bench depth."

Quinton was selected in the first round of the 2022 MLS SuperDraft (25th overall) out of Notre Dame and had one goal in 12 appearances for the reigning MLS champion Crew.

"I think over the last few years we've always kind of dealt with adversity pretty well. It's always been a next-man-up kind of mentality," MacMath said of the injuries. "Unfortunately, we've had probably too many injuries. I think you see that across the league. But whoever's ready to step in is gonna be ready and do their best."

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