REAL SALT LAKE DEFEATS SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES 1-0
MF Damir Kreilach’s Goal Gives RSL Sole Possession of Second Place in West
SANDY, Utah (Wednesday, September 11, 2019) – Real Salt Lake (14-11-4, 46 points)secured a 1-0 victory over San Jose Earthquakes on Wednesday night to move into second place in the Western Conference.
MF Damir Kreilach netted the lone goal on the night for RSL, his fifth of the season, while GK Nick Rimando made three saves to earn the team’s tenth shutout of the year.
Postgame quotes from RSL v SJE.
In the first half, RSL was put on the back foot as Rimando was forced into a big save in the 11th minute when he denied a Cristian Espinoza effort just inside the six-yard box. After the 30-minute mark, RSL took control of the match and nearly found the opening goal through Kreilach but his headed effort was saved well by San Jose goalkeeper Daniel Vega.
The second half saw a shift in momentum as RSL’s offense gained the upper hand over San Jose. In the 75th minute RSL broke the stalemate when Kreilach headed home the game winner off a cross from FW Brooks Lennon. In the final moments of the match, FW Jefferson Savarino nearly doubled the lead when he fired off a point-blank shot at Vega who was able to lift the ball into the crossbar just minutes before the clock expired.
UP NEXT: Real Salt Lake travels to face Minnesota United on Sunday, September 15 at 3:30p MT. The match will mark the first for RSL at the newly opened Allianz Field.
GOAL SCORING RUNDOWN
RSL: Damir Kreilach (Brooks Lennon) 76th minute: After Kyle Beckerman nearly found the header from a corner kick, the ball trickled out to Lennon at the back post. Lennon clipped a ball back across the box where Kreilach was there to meet it with a rising header that found the back of the net.
NOTES:
- DF Tony Beltran (knee) and MF Nick Besler (broken right foot) were out of action due to injury.
- MF Albert Rusnák (Slovakia), FW Sam Johnson (Liberia), FW Corey Baird (USA) and GK David Ochoa (U.S. U-20) were unavailable for the match after only recently returning from international duty. DF Aaron Herrera, DF Justen Glad, DF/FW Brooks Lennon and FW Sebastian Saucedo all returned Monday night after playing with the U.S. U-23 National Team. FW Jefferson Savarino returned early Wednesday after playing 17 minutes on Tuesday for Venezuela.
- Since returning from the Gold Cup break on June 22, RSL has the best defense in MLS. In those 14 matches, RSL is 8-3-3 with seven shutouts and a league-best 0.57 goals against average. The Portland Timbers (8-4-2, 5, 1.00) are second in the league in that same stretch.
- FW Douglas Martinez made his MLS debut in the match against San Jose, playing 64 minutes. Martinez signed for RSL on August 31 and currently has 11 goals for Real Monarchs SLC in the USL Championship this season.
Match: Real Salt Lake vs. San Jose Earthquakes
Date: September 11, 2019
Venue: Rio Tinto Stadium; Sandy, Utah
Attendance: 17,196
Weather: 63 degrees and sunny
Scoring Summary 1 2 F
Real Salt Lake 0 1 1
San Jose Earthquakes 0 0 0
RSL: Damir Kreilach (Brooks Lennon) 76’
Lineups:
Starting XI: Nick Rimando; Aaron Herrera, Nedum Onuoha, Justen Glad, Donny Toia; Everton Luiz, Kyle Beckerman (Kelyn Rowe 84’); Joao Plata (Sebastian Saucedo 64’), Damir Kreilach, Brooks Lennon; Douglas Martinez (Jefferson Savarino 64’)
Bench: Andrew Putna, Eric Holt, Marcelo Silva, Tate Schmitt
San Jose Earthquakes (4-5-1): Daniel Vega; Tommy Thompson, Guram Kashia, Florian Jungwirth, Paul Marie; Anibal Godoy, Judson (Andres Rios 66’), Cristian Espinoza, Magnus Eriksson, Chris Wondolowski (Danny Hoesen 66’); Carlos Fierro (Valeri Qazaishvili 74’)
Subs not used: Andrew Tarbell, Shea Salinas, Francois Affolter, Eric Calvillo
Stats Summary: RSL/SJ
Shots: 12 / 9
Shots on Goal: 6 / 3
Saves: 3 / 5
Corner Kicks: 3 / 3
Fouls: 13 / 14
Offside: 0 / 2
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY:
SJ – Judson (caution) 28’
RSL – Kyle Beckerman (caution) 31’
RSL – Brooks Lennon (caution) 60’
SJ – Florian Jungwirth (caution) 90’+2’
SJ – Anibal Godoy (caution) 90’+4’
OFFICIALS:
Referee: Joseph Dickerson
Assistant Referees: Jeff Hosking, Kevin Klinger
4th Official: Allen Chapman
VAR: Edvin Jurisevic
AVAR: TJ Zablocki
