RSL Starting XI 6/30/18

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MATCH 17: REAL SALT LAKE at COLUMBUS CREW SC (JUNE 30, 2018)

Starting XI: Nick Rimando; Brooks Lennon, Marcelo Silva, Justen Glad, Danilo Acosta; Kyle Beckerman, Sunny; Jefferson Savarino, Albert Rusnak, Sebastian Saucedo; Damir Kreilach.

Bench: Connor Sparrow, Aaron Herrera, Nick Besler, Pablo Ruiz, Joao Plata, Luis Silva, Corey Baird.

Lineup notes:

• Kyle Beckerman is making his 300^th career MLS regular season appearance for Real Salt Lake.  He is the only field player in MLS history to reach that milestone with a single club.
• When Justen Glad and Marcelo Silva play 90 minutes together, Real Salt Lake is 8-2-4 with 5 shutouts and a 0.93 goals against average. In 1,338 minutes overall with the pair on the field, RSL has a 1.08 GAA.
• The lineup includes one change from a 1-1 draw with the San Jose Earthquakes last week.  Sunny moves into the midfield alongside Kyle Beckmeran while Damir Kreilach will be pushed higher up the field.  Corey Baird moves to the bench as the lineup will look slightly modified from the 4-2-3-1 Mike Petke has deployed throughout the season.
• Injury list: Jordan Allen (knee), Shawn Barry (knee), Tony Beltran (knee), David Horst (Achilles), Alex Horwath (Achilles), Ricky Lopez-Espin (knee), Luke Mulholland (back), Demar Phillips (ankle).

• GK Nick Rimando (USA/22 caps/38 years old/16 games, 16 starts (468, 468)/7-7-2 (203-157-108), 1.88 GAA/D.C. United) – Of Rimando’s 203 career wins, seven have come against Columbus, though just one came at Mapfre Stadium.  Ranks fifth in MLS with 55 saves this season. 
• RB Brooks Lennon (USA/0 caps/20 years old/15 games, 14 starts (38, 27)/0 goals, 2 assists (3, 6)/Liverpool (England)/HGP) – Making his 14^th start at right back this season.  RSL is 7-5-1 in his 13 previous starts at right back with four shutouts.  Second on RSL with 26 tackles and 29 interceptions.
• RCB Marcelo Silva (Uruguay/0 caps/29 years old/9 games, 9 starts (18, 18)/0 goals, 0 assists (0, 0)/Zaragoza (Spain)) – Making his seventh consecutive start after missing five straight matches to injury.  RSL is 3-2-1 in the last six starts for Silva.
• LCB Justen Glad (USA/0 caps/21 years old/16 games, 16 starts (69, 67)/0 goals, 0 assists (2, 1)/RSL Academy/HGP) – Only player on the back line to start in all 17 matches this season.  Remains in the starting lineup after leaving last week’s 1-1 draw with San Jose after 31 minutes as an injury precaution.  Leads RSL with 52 interceptions, tied for the league lead with Minnesota’s Rasmus Schuller.
• LB Danilo Acosta (USA/0 caps/20 years old/7 games, 6 starts (24, 22)/0 goals, 1 assist (0, 3)/Real Salt Lake Academy/HGP) – Making his sixth consecutive start at left back. 
• CM Sunny (Nigeria/1 cap/29 years old/7 games, 4 starts (43, 37)/0 goals, 0 assists (1, 2)/Alanyaspor (Turkey)) – Returns to the starting lineup after one match off the bench following four consecutive starts in the midfield.  RSL went 3-1-0 in those four starts.
• CM Kyle Beckerman (USA/58 caps/35 years old/15 games, 14 starts (447, 417)/1 goal, 0 assists (41, 49)/Colorado Rapids) – Leads RSL with 34 tackles, four of which came last week against San Jose.
• RW Jefferson Savarino (Venezuela/1 cap/21 years old/16 games, 16 starts (38, 35)/2 goals, 2 assists (8, 7)/Zulia (Venezuela)/DP) – Ranks eighth in MLS and first on RSL with 40 dribbles completed.  Also RSL’s most-fouled player, winning 33 fouls this season (ranking eighth in MLS) after being taken down six times last week against San Jose.  Scored last season in a 2-2 draw with Columbus at Rio Tinto Stadium.
• CAM Albert Rusnák (Slovakia/10 caps, 1 goal/23 years old/14 games, 14 starts (44, 43)/3 goals, 4 assists (10, 18)/FC Groningen (Holland)/DP) – Leads RSL and ranks third in MLS with 47 chances created. 
• LW Sebastian Saucedo (21 years old/11 games, 4 starts (39, 10)/1 goal, 3 assists (1, 5)/Real Salt Lake Academy) – Remains in the starting lineup for the third straight match.  Had five shots and three chances created last week against San Jose.
• FW Damir Kreilach  (28 years old/16 games, 15 starts (16, 15)/3 goals, 4 assists (3, 4)/Union Berlin (Germany)/TAM) – Shares the RSL lead with four assists this season.  Scored his third goal of the season last week against San Jose.

Bench:

• GK Connor Sparrow (23 years old/0 games, 0 starts (0, 0)/0-0-0 (0-0-0)/Real Monarchs) – Started in a 2-0 loss in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup to Sporting Kansas City – his first competitive appearance for Real Salt Lake.  Has three shutouts in five matches with Real Monarchs in the USL after posting seven shutouts in 18 appearances last year to lead the Monarchs to the USL regular season title.  Shutout Fresno FC 1-0 on Tuesday night at Zions Bank Stadium.
• DF Aaron Herrera (20 years old/1 game, 0 starts (1, 0)/0 goals, 0 assists (0, 0)/University of New Mexico) – Made his MLS debut on the road against Seattle Sounders FC last month, coming off the bench during stoppage time to see out a 1-0 win over Seattle.  Made his first competitive RSL start against Sporting Kansas City in the Fourth Round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, a 2-0 defeat.
• DF/MF Pablo Ruiz (Argentina/Chile/0 caps/19 years old/7 games, 4 starts (7, 4)/0 goals, 0 assists (0, 0)/San Luis (Chile)) – On the bench for the sixth straight match after starting four consecutive matches at left back.
• DF/MF Nick Besler (24 years old/8 games, 5 starts (8, 5)/0 goals, 0 assists (0, 0)/Real Monarchs) – Started in the midfield in a 2-1 win over the Houston Dynamo on May 30 after starting four previous matches as a center back.  RSL is 3-2-0 in his five regular season starts.
• FW Corey Baird (22 years old/14 games, 10 starts (12, 8)/4 goals, 2 assists (4, 2)/Stanford/HGP) – Scored his team-leading fourth goal against Seattle Sounders FC on June 2.  Leads all MLS rookies in scoring.
• FW Joao Plata (Ecuador/4 caps, 2 goals/26 years old/10 games, 8 starts (179, 151)/3 goals, 1 assists (43, 41)/Toronto FC/TAM) –Has two goals and two assists in his last three matches against Columbus.
• FW Luis Silva (29 years old/12 games, 7 starts (149, 106)/3 goals, 0 assists (29, 16)/Tigres (Mexico)) – Scored in two straight matches after his late open-net finish last week against Seattle Sounders FC to move into a tie for second on the team in scoring with three goals.