REAL SALT LAKE FACES SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES IN ROUND OF 16 OF MLS IS BACK TOURNAMENT
Winner Advances to Quarterfinal Against Minnesota or Columbus
ORLANDO, FL – (Sunday, July 26, 2020) – Real Salt Lake enters the Knockout Round of the 2020 MLS is Back Tournament when it faces the San Jose Earthquakes on Monday, July 27 at 6:30 p.m. MT in the Round of 16. The match will air nationally on FS1 and locally on ESPN700 radio.
After concluding the Group Stage with a 1-1-1 record (4 points), RSL was one of 16 teams to advance to the knockout rounds after finishing third in Group C to advance as the highest seeded Wild Card team. San Jose finished at the top of Group B, earning a 2-0-1 record (7 points) through its group stage matches.
The 2020 MLS is Back tournament format changes in the knockout rounds with matches no longer counting towards a team’s regular season points total as teams meet in single-elimination matches for the chance to be crowned tournament champions.
The two sides have faced one another on 33 occasions since 2005 with the all-time record between the sides knotted at 11-11-11. The only mark separating the two sides within the all-time record is RSL’s 45 goals scored in the series compared to San Jose’s 39. In the last meeting, RSL claimed a 1-0 victory over the Quakes at Rio Tinto Stadium behind a 75th minute strike from Damir Kreilach on September 11, 2019.
How to Follow Real Salt Lake vs. San Jose Earthquakes – Monday, July 27, 2020
·Coverage Begins: 6:30 p.m. MT
·National TV: FS1
·Digital Streaming: N/A
·English Radio: ESPN700
·Spanish TV: FOX Deportes
Game Notes for Monday’s RSL vs. SJ game Available Online
Those seeking the Adobe PDF version of the Game Guide in advance of Monday’s contest between Real Salt Lake and San Jose can be found here. Media members looking to receive the document as an attachment or have further questions are asked to please contact Taran Meyer in the RSL Communications Department via email at tmeyer@rsl.com.
RSL finished the 2019 regular season seeing 12 different players notch goals for the club. The team was led in scoring by MF Albert Rusnák with 10 goals, followed closely by FW Sam Johnson with nine goals while Rusnák added an additional five assists. 2018 RSL Golden Boot winner MF Damir Kreilach remained a steady presence in multiple roles for RSL in 2019, providing six goals and five assists in 32 starts this season.
On the backline, defender Nedum Onuoha returns in 2020 after becoming a mainstay at centerback in his first full season with the club, featuring in 27 of the club’s 34 matches. The former Manchester City and Queens Park Rangers defender was been paired alongside fellow returners Justen Glad, Marcelo Silva and Erik Holt and Nick Besler. On both sides of the backline, Homegrown defenders Aaron Herrera and Donny Toia return as the club welcomes MLS veteran Ashtone Morgan and MLS debutant Alvin Jones. Herrera led the team in matches played and minutes in 2019 having featured in 32 of RSL’s 34 matches for 2,768 minutes played.
In goal, David Ochoa and Andrew Putna return to the goalkeeping core and welcome veteran Zac MacMath to the team for the 2020 season. Putna saw action in goal for RSL and Real Monarchs last season, starting five of RSL’s 34 matches while earning two shutouts on the year in RSL’s dominant 3-0 victory over 2019 expansion side FC Cincinnati on April 19 and a scoreless draw against New England on September 21.
