Real Salt Lake forward Andrés Gómez was named to MLSsoccer.com’s Major League Soccer Team of the Matchday’s starting XI for Matchday 3. This is the Colombian’s second time being named to the TOTM starting XI. Against LAFC on Saturday, Gómez recorded two goals and an assist. Chicho Arango was also named to the TOTM bench for Matchday 3. Arango scored the third goal of the match, from an assist from Gómez.
The Deep Dive:
Before Saturday’s match against LAFC, RSL was 5-1-0 when the high visibility ball or “orange ball” was used for games affected by cold snowy conditions. Thanks to a spectacular performance by Andrés Gómez, Real Salt Lake added to that impressive record. The Colombian Winger ended the evening with two goals and an assist to help push the Claret and Cobalt to a win.
Andrés looked like a man among boys in the snow. He seemed to be one of the only players unaffected by the unfortunate conditions. He glided around the field with angel like grace, swiftly moving past opposition player after player. Andrés managed to double his goal tally from his debut season in the first half of the match against LAFC.
He also became the youngest player in Real Salt Lake history to record three goal contributions in a single match at 21 years and 172 days old. Andrés opened the scoring thanks to a through ball from Diego Luna.
Luna picked up the ball on the left wing, drove into the center and passed the ball up to Gómez. Stealing the ball from the defender and right footing the ball past Hugo Lloris. In the 41st minute, Chicho plays a lofted ball from the left wing to the far post, it’s picked up by Luna. Luna then holds up the ball and calmly passes it to Gómez who finishes it for the brace.
Wrapping up the first half, after some quick interplay between Crooks, Luna and Gómez, Luna springs Gómez down the right wing. Gómez then fired a cross as pure as the driven snow into the diving feet of Chicho for Real Salt Lake’s third goal of the evening.
This is a performance that will be remembered by all fans of the Claret and Cobalt. The Legend of Andrés Snomez is a story that will be told across generations of Real Salt Lake fans. The history will be written that Andrés Gómez can do it on a cold snowy afternoon in Sandy.
Below is MLSsoccer.com’s full Team of the Matchday for Week 3 organized in a 3-4-3 formation:
F: Joseph Paintsil (LA), Luis Suárez (MIA), Lionel Messi (MIA)
M: Célio Pompeu (STL), Luciano Acosta (CIN), Julian Gressel (MIA), Andrés Gómez (RSL)
D: Noah Eile (RBNY), Miles Robinson (CIN), Aaron Herrera (DC)
GK: Sean Johnson (TOR)
Coach: Tata Martino (MIA)
Bench: Jonathan Sirois (MTL), Joakim Nilsson (STL), Miki Yamane (LA), Jhojan Valencia (ATX), Alejandro Bedoya (PHI), Santiago Moreno (POR), Lorenzo Insigne (TOR), Cristian Arango (RSL), Cucho Hernández (CLB)
