PREGAME FACTS AND INFO SHEET
REAL SALT LAKE vs. SANTA TECLA FC
THURS., SEPTEMBER 24, 2015 – 8:00 pm MT
on FOX SPORTS 2, ESPN700 & 102.3 LaGranD
0 – goals conceded by the RSL defense in its last 526 minutes of CCL play, dating back to the club’s first group game of 2012 in the 14th minute at Costa Rican power Herediano … RSL allowed 7 goals in its first two all-time SCCL matches (2010: 5-4 loss v Cruz Azul; 3-2 win v Arabe Unido), but has allowed a total of only 6 goals in its last 8 SCCL games …
3 – all-time road wins in CCL play by RSL in its 10 away games in the 2010/11, 2012/13 and 2015/16 tournaments, the August win in Guatemala 5 weeks ago the first coming outside of Panama (2010 at Arabe Unido, 2-1; 2012 at Tauro FC, 1-0) … RSL’s all-time road mark in the tourney is now 3-3-4 after last Tuesday’s 0-0 draw in El Salvador, with the losses coming in 2010 at Cruz Azul (4-5 at group stage), 2011 at Saprissa (gaining critical away goal to advance with a 1-2 loss in Semifinal stage) and in 2012 at Herediano (0-1 loss in group stage after 55’ Nat Borchers red card) … RSL drew in trips to Toronto FC (1-1 in 2010 group), Columbus Crew (0-0 in 2011 Quarterfinal) and at Monterrey (2-2 in 2011 Final) …
4 – goals in CCL play by RSL’s maestro, MF Javier Morales, the club’s active leader in the tournament … Morales, a 35-year old Argentine, hit on a deadly free kick in Toronto in the 2010 group stage to secure passage to the knockouts, and also provided the critical road equalizer in the first leg at Monterrey of the 2011 final … Current RSL Captain Kyle Beckerman owns 3 career CCL goals, as does DF Jamison Olave … Former RSL man Alvaro Saborio scored 10 goals in 14 CCL games for the Claret-and-Cobalt …
6 – all-time home CCL wins for RSL in its previous two iterations, the club amassing a dominant 6-1-1 mark in group and knockout play … The club’s overall record of 9-4-5 includes two heartbreaking home blemishes –the 0-1 home loss to Monterrey (MEX) in the 2011 Final Second Leg, as well as the 0-0 home draw against Herediano (CRC) in the 2012 group stage, when RSL just needed any scoring draw to advance – will forever leave a mark, preventing advancement …
7 – consecutive playoff berths for RSL from 2008-14 (the longest active run in MLS), during which time the club has averaged 1.58 points per game) … RSL also owns a league-record 5 consecutive seasons with 15+ wins and 50+ points, matching LA’s active run from 2010 to present …
8 – all-time RSL road wins on artificial surfaces in MLS, Open Cup and CCL action, the Utah club posting a dismal 8-22-16 mark on the fake stuff at Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, New England, Toronto, MetroStars, Saprissa (CRC), Minnesota, Atlanta and Santa Tecla … RSL did win its lone MLS Cup title via shootout against LA in what is now known as Century Link Field in Seattle, but has posted only an 0-6-3 mark on turf since its last win on the surface, 1-0 at Portland in the 2nd Leg of the 2013 Western Conference Finals … All-time, RSL has been outscored 37-78 on foreign turf …
25 – all-time wins on Utah soil against international opponents in either CCL play (6-1-1, with a 17/5 goal advantage), exhibitions (7-4-4, 20/17 difference) or against visiting Canadian MLS teams (12-2-3, with a 32/14 +/-) … At Rio Tinto Stadium, RSL has 20 wins, 2 losses and 6 draws against int’l clubs or in CCL competition …
60 – number of players in RSL’s 11-year, 126-player, 349-game league history to have scored at least one MLS goal for the Claret-and-Cobalt, now that FW Juan Manuel Martinez opened his MLS account Sept. 12 in Houston … Martinez, nicknamed “El Burrito,” joins a group that includes Brian Dunseth, Robbie Findley, Matias Mantilla, Kenny Deuchar, Pablo Campos, and Luke Mulholland to have scored in their first-ever MLS start for RSL, while three players – Luis Tejada, Kyle Brown and Paulo Junior each scored in debut starts outside of league play …
76 – RSL #maestro Javier Morales’ assist on the Devon Sandoval game-winning goal in the 3rd minute against LA on Saturday was the 76th of his illustrious MLS career, surpassing Jason Kreis on the all-time list for the No. 14 rank in MLS history … This season, Morales has now has a team-high 8 goals and 11 assists in 22 league games, just 1 goal and 4 assists shy of the 35-year old’s career highs in each category ... Morales made his 207th MLS reg. season appearance against LA, moving into lone possession of 3rd place all-time, joining a 200+ reg. season games played-group that includes Nick Rimando (244), Kyle Beckerman (224), Nat Borchers (205) and Chris Wingert (204) ... Morales now has a franchise-high 18 game-winning assists (1 ahead of Captain Kyle Beckerman) and 76 assists overall to go with his 45 career goals, the Argentine MF responsible for nearly 25% of the club’s all-time 470 MLS goals, despite missing all of the 2005/06 seasons and most of both 2007 & 2011 …
96 – home wins since 2008, as RSL has amassed a 96-20-39 mark on home soil in all competitions in its last 155 home matches, during which it has outscored opponents by 168 goals (280-112) … RSL returns home October 14 against Portland Timbers in a critical Western Conference tilt with a 77-15-36 record in MLS reg. season games (231-93 goals), and a 6-1-1 CCL mark (17-5), a 5-2-2 playoff resume (11-4), and an 8-2-0 ledger in Open Cup (21-10) …
126 – players to have appeared in an MLS game for RSL in 11 seasons, as Jeff Cassar has given several players – Justen Glad, Phanuel Kavita, Boyd Okwuonu, Elias Vasquez, Demar Phillips, Sebastian Saucedo & Pecka – opportunities this season … 28 players have seen league minutes this year, meaning everyone on the roster except GK Lalo Fernandez (MF Fito Ovalle is on a season-long loan to the USL Monarchs) have seen MLS time …
207 – RSL #maestro Javier Morales, the 9th-year player, comes off back-to-back MLS games with a goal and an assist … When Javi starts and plays the full 90 this season, he has 8 goals and 11 assists – the entirety of his scoresheet appearances – in those 20 games, leaving “the maestro” 1 goals and 4 assists shy of matching career highs in both categories … Morales has scored in 3 of his last 4 league games, never finding the back of the net in 4 out of 5 … Will Sunday at San Jose add another first to the ageless wonder’s 2015 tally? …
526 – Active shutout streak for RSL’s rearguard in CCL play, not allowing a goal in the last 5+ games since the 14’ of an 0-1 road loss at Herediano in July, 2012 … Should the Claret-and-Cobalt notch another clean sheet tonight, the club will set a new CCL record for consecutive shutouts, with six on-the-trot (breaking the record of 5 straight it currently shares with Alajuela (CRC) and Pachuca (MEX) … GK Nick Rimando owns a personal 436’ streak, while Jeff Attinella – RSL’s captain tonight – went a full 90’ in stoning Santa Tecla at Estadio Las Delicias last week …
