The last time Chris Schuler took the field for Real Salt Lake, he keyed a shutout of the LA Galaxy in the quarterfinal round of the 2015 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. On Friday, 410 days since that last appearance in the Claret-and-Cobalt, Schuler subbed on in the final seconds of RSL’s 2-1, Rocky Mountain Cup-clinching win over the Colorado Rapids and after the match he couldn’t keep from flashing his megawatt smile in the locker room.
Behind that smile was 410 days laboring to get back on the field that he has called home since being drafted 39th overall in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft.