Real Salt Lake 0 at Santa Tecla FC 0
September 15, 2015; Estadio Las Delicias
CONCACAF Champions League Group G
Man of the Match: Jeff Attinella was making his first Champions League start in a difficult environment on the road in El Salvador. But the 26-year-old goalkeeper was more than up to the task. Attinella finished the night with five saves in earning the clean sheet, highlighted by a finger-tip save on a dangerous second-half free kick bound for the top corner of the net. In CCL and U.S. Open Cup play this season, Attinella has allowed just one goal in four starts.
Telling Stat: 526 consecutive minutes. That’s the extent of Real Salt Lake’s Champions League shutout streak, dating back to the 2012-2013 tournament. That streak was kept alive through a hearty defensive effort on Tuesday night and despite going down a man when John Stertzer was shown his second yellow card in the 79th minute.
What You Missed: Five RSL players made their first CCL starts on Tuesday, including Academy products Justen Glad and Sebastian Saucedo. In earning the road point, Glad and Saucedo gained valuable experience in international competition.
So What: Real Salt Lake had a chance to run away from the Group G competition in its first two matches, both coming on the road. Instead it walks out with four points and a tie atop the group standings with still two home matches to play. RSL is still firmly planted in the driver’s seat with home tilts at Rio Tinto Stadium on September 24 against Santa Tecla and October 20 against Municipal.
