Real Salt Lake 3 at Houston Dynamo 1
September 12, 2015; BBVA Compass Stadium
Real Salt Lake (9-11-8, 35 points); Houston Dynamo (9-11-8, 35 points)
Man of the Match: In his first MLS start, Juan Manuel Martinez showed just why Real Salt Lake exerted so much effort in its pursuit of the Argentine forward. He finished the night with a game-high four shots and three shots on goal, with all three leading to Salt Lake goals. His first two shots on goal were saved by Houston goalkeeper Tyler Deric only to spill to other RSL players for goals – the first eventually getting to Javier Morales and the second ending with Devon Sandoval’s second goal of the season. All told, it was another solid performance for Martinez after a limited time training with his new club.
Telling Stat: In 13 career matches, Morales now has seven goals and seven assists against the Dynamo, including five goals and three assists in the last three matches, all wins for Real Salt Lake. Morales now has seven goals and 10 assists on the season. His 75 career assists surpassed former RSL Head Coach Jason Kreis for 14th on the league’s all-time list.
What You Missed: RSL forward Sebastian Jaime missed the match after his wife gave birth to the couple’s third child on Thursday. Jonas Valentin Jaime shares a birthday with his brother and sister, twins who were born on September 10, 2014.
So What: It’s another busy stretch for RSL and snapping an eight-game road losing streak in MLS play is a good way to get started on the sequence of five games in 16 days. Next up are two tough tests against Santa Tecla FC in El Salvador in CONCACAF Champions League Group Stage play on Tuesday, followed by a meeting with the LA Galaxy at Rio Tinto Stadium on Saturday.
