Real Salt Lake 0 vs Portland Timbers 1
February 11, 2016; Kino Sports Complex
2016 Preseason
Man of the Match: Luke Mulholland embodied the competitive spirit of the team from top-to-bottom on Thursday. With new players arriving and the fight for minutes heating up, Mulholland showed that he wasn’t going to easily concede his starting role to Sunday Stephen Obayan. Playing the final 30 minutes of the match, Mulholland led a strong defensive effort and nearly scored on a free kick just outside the box late in the second half. Those bold decisions show that Mulholland and others are striving to make Head Coach Jeff Cassar’s lineup decisions difficult.
Telling Stat: There was one shot on goal the whole match, the goal in the first minute from Lucas Melano. Otherwise, there were limited scoring chances but as the two teams build their fitness and sharpness, those opportunities will become goals. At times, Real Salt Lake has looked sharp in the build-up and in possession, but has been unable to string together the final series of movements to get on the score sheet. With a veteran core that is loaded with talent, those moments will materialize in time as cohesiveness grows.
What You Missed: A brief scuffle in the 25th minute saw Yura Movsisyan and Jack McInerney ejected from the match, though both teams were allowed to keep the match 11v11. It was nothing too serious, but the mix of new players and returning players that stood side-by-side in support of each other in the melee can be nothing but encouraging as RSL builds during the preseason.
So What: RSL is now 1-2-0 in preseason with three more matches before opening the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals against Tigres on February 24. Next up is a matchup with Seongnam FC from South Korea, followed by the Columbus Crew on Wednesday and concluding with the New England Revolution on February 20. Time is limited for RSL to find the sharpness needed in that Champions League clash, but the intensity is high in training as that crucial match draws nearer.
