Almost exactly ten months ago, Matt Real made his first Major League Soccer start, going 75 minutes on the road against Colorado Rapids. At the time, Real was 18-years old and playing alongside Auston Trusty, another fresh-faced teenager new to the top level of American pro soccer. Two matches later, after the Union in the midst of a five-match winless streak, Ray Gaddis replaced Real in the lineup and held onto his spot for the remainder of the season.
The responses were predictable: Real wasn't ready; too green; not experienced enough to play alongside another teenager.
There was truth in that, but a player with Real's skills doesn't calcify in the state at which he hits Major League Soccer.