Real Salt Lake: Ex-RSL keeper Chris Seitz enduring growing pains in Philadelphia

SANDY — This Saturday figures to be a memorable night for Chris Seitz as he returns to Utah to receive his MLS Cup championship ring from Real Salt Lake.

Following the brief pregame presentation at Rio Tinto Stadium, the Philadelphia Union keeper will take the field against his former team in what figures to be more growing pains for the 23-year-old keeper.

In five games with the expansion Union this year, Seitz has conceded 11 goals, including two major laughers. Now, he faces perhaps his toughest test yet against an RSL team that scored 34 goals at home last year and finished with the best home mark in MLS.

Regardless of the outcome, Seitz can chalk it up as another learning experience in his quest to fulfill the immense expectations that came along with him being dubbed the next great U.S. National Team goalkeeper. He never quite lived up to those expectations in three years with Real Salt Lake.

Selected with the fourth overall pick in the 2007 MLS SuperDraft, many believed RSL had landed its franchise keeper. However, not wanting to completely hand the reigns over to a rookie, RSL brought in Nick Rimando from the New York Red Bulls to groom Seitz for the No. 1 position.

An interesting thing happened during those three years — the veteran Rimando flourished.

Seitz could never quite unseat the incumbent No. 1 as he started just seven games in three years with Real Salt Lake finishing with a 1-4-2 record.

"We always felt here it was strictly going to be a matter of time until he was an extremely good goalkeeper in this league, and the only question mark was whether he was going to be patient enough to allow that to happen here," said Kreis.

Within days of winning the MLS Cup last November, Real Salt Lake determined that Seitz no longer fit into their long-term plans. On the day of Philadelphia's expansion draft, RSL shipped Seitz to the Union in exchange for allocation money.

All three parties were thrilled.

Seitz was finally out of Rimando's ever-growing shadow, Philly acquired a keeper with huge upside and Real Salt Lake cashed in on that potential with allocation money.

Seitz's former coach still believes the Philly keeper has a bright future, but Kreis isn't surprised by the growing pains he's endured.