Following his sizzling goal from distance and 90 minutes of mistake-free defending in RSL’s 1-1 road draw at LAFC on Wednesday night, Colombian centerback Brayan Vera becomes the latest RSL player to be named to Major League Soccer’s “Team of the Matchday” for Matchday 27.
Wednesday night’s goal from nearly 32 yards out was Vera’s first of the 2024 campaign, but his fourth overall as an RSL player in 2023 and 2024. Appearing in 32 games across all competitions last year, Vera scored three goals overall – including two on lefty free kicks that few would have known existed had it not been for the late-season Pablo Ruiz injury.
Despite dropping just two of its last 20 matches, posting 11 wins and seven draws against just two losses, recent setbacks at Portland and at home against LA Galaxy have seen RSL fall into second place in the West for the first time since mid-March. RSL’s 0-3 loss at Portland last Saturday was its heaviest of the season, but the bounceback 1-1 draw at LAFC Wednesday embodies the mentality and resilience of the Pablo Mastroeni era, with RSL losing in back-to-back matches on just nine occasions in 125 games played across all competitions since August, 2021, when Pablo assumed the Club’s reins.
Vera – who also has two assists to his name this season - has returned to Mastroeni’s starting XI in each of the last three games after securing his Green Card, the process causing him to miss the July 3 home victory over Houston due to immigration travel. Both of Vera’s caution accumulation suspensions this year have incidentally come against the LA Galaxy, both on May 11 in Carson and June 22 at America First Field. Last December, the 25-year-old Vera made his Colombian National Team debut.
RSL now focuses on securing its first hardware of the season, concluding the current three-game Western Conference road gauntlet in suburban Denver with the Rocky Mountain Cup on the line. RSL fell to the Rapids on March 9, 1-2 at America First Field, before a dramatic 5-3 home win on May 18 put the Claret-and-Cobalt Cup holders back into the lead. With a win, draw or even a one-goal loss Saturday, RSL would secure the fan-created RMC for a 15th occasion in 20 seasons, with the 2020 Cup disputed due to a variety of Covid-19 reasons that affected that year’s series.
RSL have sold out five consecutive contests in Sandy and seven of 11 this season, with tickets still available at www.RSL.com/tickets for the upcoming Leagues Cup contest against Atlas on August 1, as well as six of its nine remaining post-All-Star MLS reg. season games starting on August 24 through mid-October's "Decision Day."
