SANDY, Utah (Saturday, August 11, 2018) – Real Salt Lake (10-9-5, 35 points) extended its home unbeaten streak to 12 straight matches (9-0-3) with a 1-1 draw against the Montreal Impact on Saturday night in front of 18,901 in attendance at Rio Tinto Stadium.
FW Joao Plata scored his seventh goal of the season and GK Nick Rimando finished the night with three saves as Real Salt Lake remained in playoff position in sixth place in the Western Conference.
Real Salt Lake put three first-half shots on goal, nabbing the lead in the 24th minute. Plata went on a run in behind the Montreal defense on a ball from MF Albert Rusnák and was taken down from behind. Referee Chris Penso pointed to the spot and Plata converted the penalty for his team-leading seventh goal of the season to give RSL the 1-0 advantage.
In the second half, RSL continued to force Montreal goalkeeper Evan Bush into some difficult saves and Rimando made some of his own. However, the Impact was able to equalize in the 55th minute when a corner kick was played around the perimeter of RSL’s defense until landing on the foot of Jukka Raitala, who fired a shot that went inside the far post for his first goal of the season to equalize at 1-1. Both teams pressed for a winner, but came up empty and the match ended in a draw.
With the point, RSL has now earned 30 out of 39 points at home this season and remains within striking distance of a top-three position in the West.
UP NEXT: RSL continues its stretch of three matches in eight days on the road with matches on Wednesday against LAFC and August 18 against the Houston Dynamo. Salt Lake split home matches against the Western Conference foes, losing to LAFC on March 10 and topping the Dynamo on May 30 at Rio Tinto Stadium.
GOAL SCORING RUNDOWN:
RSL: Joao Plata (PK), 26th minute – After Joao Plata was taken down in the box for a penalty, the RSL forward converted from the spot for his seventh goal of the season, pounding his shot to the lower left corner while goalkeeper Evan Bush dove the opposite direction.
MTL: Jukka Raitala (Alejandro Silva, Sapher Taider), 55th minute – Montreal took a corner kick from the right side, playing it short, then passing around the perimeter before Jukka Raitala fired a shot from 20 yards out that beat Nick Rimando inside the far post for his first goal of the season to even the match at 1-1.
KEY SAVES AND DEFENSIVE STOPS:
MTL: Evan Bush, 20th minute – Joao Plata put his free kick from 21 yards out through the Montreal wall and forced Evan Bush into a diving save to his right, narrowly pushing the ball clear of the near post.
MTL: Evan Bush, 57th minute – Kyle Beckerman lined up a shot from the edge of the 18 and forced Evan Bush into a leaping parry to push the shot over the crossbar.
RSL: Nick Rimando, 71st minute – Ignacio Piatti brought down a ball in the box, then fired a left-footed shot and Nick Rimando was up to the task, keeping the match tied at 1-1.
NOTES:
- RSL is now 3-5-1 against the Eastern Conference with two matches remaining – at Atlanta United on September 22 and at home against the New England Revolution on October 18.
- FW Luis Silva returned to action after missing the previous three matches with an adductor strain.
Match: Real Salt Lake vs. Montreal Impact
Date: August 11, 2018
Venue: Rio Tinto Stadium; Sandy, Utah
Attendance: 18,901
Weather: Partly Cloudy and 88
Scoring Summary: 1 2 F
Real Salt Lake 1 0 1
Montreal Impact 0 1 1
RSL: Joao Plata (PK) 26’
MTL: Jukka Raitala (Alejandro Silva, Sapher Taider) 55’
Lineups:
Real Salt Lake (4-2-3-1): Nick Rimando; Brooks Lennon, Marcelo Silva, Justen Glad, Aaron Herrera; Kyle Beckerman, Damir Kreilach (Sebastian Saucedo 84’); Jefferson Savarino, Albert Rusnák, Joao Plata; Corey Baird (Luis Silva 80’).
Subs not used: Andrew Putna, Danilo Acosta, Shawn Barry, Pablo Ruiz.
Montreal Impact (4-3-3): Evan Bush; Jukka Raitala, Victor Cabrera, Rudy Camacho, Daniel Lovitz; Ken Krolicki (Micheal Azira 84’), Samuel Piette, Sapher Taider; Alejandro Silva, Matteo Mancosu (Quincy Amarikwa 67’), Ignacio Piatti.
Subs not used: Clement Diop, Zakaria Diallo, Michael Petrasso, Shamit Shome, Mathie Choiniere.
Stats Summary: RSL / MTL
Shots: 9 / 13
Shots on Goal: 6 / 4
Saves: 3 / 5
Corner Kicks: 8 / 5
Fouls: 10 / 10
Offside: 3 / 3
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY:
MTL: Daniel Lovitz (Caution) 66’
RSL: Corey Baird (Caution) 74’
OFFICIALS:
Referee: Chris Penso
Assistant Referees: Eric Weisbrod, Michael Kampmeinert
4th Official: Sorin Stoica
Video Assistant Referee: Younes Marrakchi
