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Who Are the Best Real Salt Lake Soccer Players of All Time?

Real Salt Lake first started playing as a member of Major League Soccer in 2005. The club has one MLS Cup to its name, which was won back in 2009. Who are the best players in the history of Real Salt Lake and what are their accomplishments for the club? Keep reading to find out.

Top 10 Best Real Salt Lake Players of All Time

Kyle Beckerman
Nick Rimando
Javier Morales
Álvaro Saborío
Jámison Olave
Nat Borchers
Chris Wingert
Damir Kreilach
Andy Williams
Albert Rusnák

1. Kyle Beckerman

2009 MLS champion
Second-most games in Salt Lake history
Tied for third-most assists in Salt Lake history

Kyle Beckerman played in the MLS for eight years before joining Real Salt Lake in 2007. Beckerman is one of the longest-tenured players in the club’s history and an MLS Cup champion. The defensive midfielder appeared in 15 matches in his first season in Salt Lake City while accumulating three goal contributions. Beckerman became a consistent starter in 2008 and helped the club win its first and only MLS Cup in 2009. His best offensive season came in 2011 when he had three goals and seven assists. The midfielder followed that up with seven-goal contributions in 2012 and eight-goal contributions in 2012.

Beckerman appeared in 25 or more league matches for Real Salt Lake through the 2019 campaign. After appearing in ten games in 2020, the midfielder retired. Beckerman appeared in 409 matches across all competitions for the club, which is the second-most by a player in the history of Real Salt Lake. He scored 33 goals during his tenure, and his 29 assists are tied for the third-most by a player for the club.

2. Nick Rimando

2009 MLS champion
Three-time MLS Goalkeeper of the Year finalist
Most games in Salt Lake history

Nick Rimando was selected in the third round of the 2000 MLS Draft by the Miami Fusion before joining Real Salt Lake in 2007. Rimando is a three-time MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Finalist and the longest-tenured player in club history. The keeper started 27 matches for the club in 2007 and led the MLS in saves. Rimando led the league in minutes in 2008 as he started 30 games. The goalkeeper won the MLS Cup with Salt Lake in 2009.

Rimando was named a finalist for the MLS Goalkeeper of the Year in 2010 while leading the MLS with 14 clean sheets in 27 matches. He was also named a finalist for the honor in 2013 and 2014. The keeper also led the league in clean sheets in 2011 with 13. Rimando had double-digit wins in 13 seasons during his 15 years with the club. He retired after the 2019 campaign. The keep appeared in 420 matches across all competitions for the club, which is more than any other player in Real Salt Lake’s history.

3. Javier Morales

2009 MLS champion
Most assists in Salt Lake history
Second-most goals in Salt Lake history

Javier Morales played in Argentina and Spain before joining Real Salt Lake in 2007. Morales is one of the best scorers and facilitators in the history of the club, as he leads Salt Lake in assists and has the second-most goals for the club. The attacking midfielder’s first full season with the club came in 2008, and he produced six goals and 11 assists. Morales won the 2009 MLS Cup with Real Salt Lake. The Argentinian player had 13 goal contributions in 2010. Morales’ best stretch with the club was between 2013 and 2015.

He made 16 goal contributions in 2013, 21 in 2014, and 18 in 2015. The midfielder played one more season in Salt Lake City before joining F.C. Dallas in 2017 and then retiring. Morales appeared in 292 matches across all competitions for the club, which is the third-most in Salt Lake’s history. He leads the club with 85 assists and has the second-most goals in club history with 60.

4. Álvaro Saborío

Most goals in Salt Lake history
Four-time leading goal scorer for Salt Lake
Most goals in a single season in Salt Lake history

Álavro Saborío played throughout the world before joining Real Salt Lake in 2010. Saborío is the all-time leading goal scorer in the club’s history. The center-forward scored 12 goals in his first year in Salt Lake City. That was the first of four consecutive seasons that Saborío led the club in goal scoring. The Chilean player had 11 goals in 2011. He set the single-season goal record for Real Salt Lake in 2012 as he scored 17 goals.

Saborío had 12 goals in 2013 and followed that up with ten goal contributions the next year. The forward had three goals in 2014 before joining D.C. United to wrap up his six-year tenure with Salt Lake. He appeared in 157 matches across all competitions while having 79 goals and 14 assists for the club. Saborío is the all-time scoring leader in the history of Real Salt Lake.

5. Jámison Olave

2009 MLS champion
2010 MLS Defender of the Year
Two-time MLS Defender of the Year finalist

Jámison Olave came to the United States from Columbia to join Real Salt Lake in 2006. Olave is an MLS Defender of the Year winner and is one of the best defenders in the history of the club. The center-back started 23 matches in his first season with the club, and he scored two goals. He won the MLS Cup with Real Salt Lake in 2009. Olave won the 2010 MLS Defender of the Year award while scoring three goals and leading the MLS with a plus/minus of 24. The defender finished as a finalist for the award in 2011 as well.

The Colombian player appeared in 21 matches for Salt Lake in 2012 and then joined the New York Red Bulls after the season. Olave returned to the club in 2015, and he appeared in 39 matches over the next two seasons before retiring. The defender had 16 goals and two assists in his 190 appearances for Salt Lake.

6. Nat Borchers

2009 MLS champion
Two-time MLS Defender of the Year finalist
Sixth-most games in Salt Lake history

Nat Borchers played in the MLS and Norway before becoming a member of Real Salt Lake in 2008. Borchers is one of the best defenders in the club’s history and is a two-time MLS Defender of the Year finalist. The center-back appeared in 29 matches in his first season with the club. Borchers scored his first goal for Salt Lake in 2009 while also winning the MLS Cup with the club. The defender scored two goals in 2010 and finished with a plus/minus of 24 that year, which led the league.

Borchers finished as a finalist for the 2010 MLS Defender of the Year Award, something that he also did in 2011, as he had three goals and one assist in 30 matches. He remained with Real Salt Lake through the 2014 campaign, when he then joined the Portland Timbers. Borchers appeared in 244 matches across all competitions for the club, which is the sixth-most by a player in Salt Lake’s history.

7. Chris Wingert

2009 MLS champion
Fourth-most games in Salt Lake history
Second-most bookings in Salt Lake history

Chris Wingert was selected in the second round of the 2004 MLS Draft by the Columbus Crew, and he joined Real Salt Lake before the 2007 campaign. Wingert is one of the best defenders in the club’s history and one of the longest-tenured players for the club. The left-back played in 16 games in 2007 and contributed two assists. Wingert became a regular starter in 2008, as he appeared in 29 matches. He won the MLS Cup with Salt Lake in 2009. The defender scored his first league goal for the club in 2010.

Wingert continued to be a consistent starter in Salt Lake through the 2014 season when he had three goal contributions. After joining NYCFC for one year, the defender returned to the club in 2016, and he made 43 more appearances for Real Salt Lake before retiring after the 2017 season. Wingert’s 289 appearances and 52 bookings for the club are the fourth-most and second-most, respectively, in the history of the club.

8. Damir Kreilach

Third most goals in Salt Lake history
Tied for eighth-most assists in Salt Lake history
Three-time leading goal scorer for Salt Lake

Damir Kreilach played in Croatia and Germany before crossing the Atlantic Ocean and joining Real Salt Lake in 2018. Kreilach is one of the top goal-scorers in the club’s history and has led Salt Lake in scoring three times. The center midfielder scored 12 goals and had four assists in his first season in Salt Lake City. Kreilach led the club in scoring in 2018, something that he also did in 2020 and 2021. He had 19 goal contributions over two years from 2019 to 2020.

The midfielder’s best offensive season for the club came in 2021 when he scored 16 goals and had eight assists. The Croatian led the MLS in non-penalty goals that year. Kreilach was named the captain in 2022 and is still with the club for the 2023 campaign. The midfielder’s 56 goals for Salt Lake are the third-most by any player for the club. Kreilach’s 19 assists are tied for the eighth-most in the club’s history as well.

9. Andy Williams

2009 MLS champion
Tied for third-most assists in Salt Lake history
Eighth-most games in Salt Lake history

Andy Williams was an eight-year MLS veteran before joining Real Salt Lake for the club’s first season in the league in 2005. Williams is a top facilitator in the club’s history and is also an MLS Cup winner with the club. The attacking midfielder started 26 games in his first year in Salt Lake City, and he had eight goal contributions. His five goals and eight total goal contributions in 2005 were the most by Williams during his tenure with the club. Williams won the 2009 MLS Cup with Real Salt Lake.

The midfielder had four assists in both 2009 and 2010. He appeared in 31 matches in 2011, which marked his final season with the club. The midfielder appeared in 214 matches during his seven seasons with the club and had 16 goals and 29 assists. Williams has the eighth-most appearances and is tied for the third-most assists in the history of Real Salt Lake.

10. Albert Rusnák

Tied for third-most assists in Salt Lake history
Tied for fifth-most goals in Salt Lake history
Leader in assists in MLS in 2017

Albert Rusnák played in Europe before joining Real Salt Lake in 2017. Rusnák is among the best offensive players in the club’s history, as he ranks in the top five for both goals and assists. The attacking midfielder led the MLS with 12 assists in his first year in Salt Lake City. He also added seven goals in 2017. Rusnák had ten goals in each of the following two seasons while adding five assists in 2018 and three assists in 2019.

The midfielder started 34 matches in 2021 while contributing eleven goals and seven assists. That was his last year with the club as he joined the Seattle Sounders in 2022 and remains with them in 2023. Rusnák appeared in 146 matches across all competitions and had 42 goals and 29 assists during his five-year tenure with Real Salt Lake. He is tied for the fifth-most goals and tied for the third-most assists in the history of the club.