MATCH 18: REAL SALT LAKE vs SPORTING KANSAS CITY (JULY 4, 2018)
Starting XI: Nick Rimando; Brooks Lennon, Marcelo Silva, Justen Glad, Danilo Acosta; Sunny, Damir Kreilach; Jefferson Savarino, Albert Rusnak, Sebastian Saucedo; Corey Baird.
Bench: Andrew Putna, Aaron Herrera, Nick Besler, Pablo Ruiz, Kyle Beckerman, Joao Plata, Luis Silva.
Lineup notes:
- With three matches in eight days, Head Coach Mike Petke is mixing up his lineup with one change from Saturday’s 2-1 loss to Columbus Crew SC. Kyle Beckerman moves to the bench while Corey Baird returns to the starting lineup, moving Damir Kreilach back to the midfield.
- When Justen Glad and Marcelo Silva play 90 minutes together, Real Salt Lake is 8-3-4 with 5 shutouts and a 1.00 goals against average. In 1,428 minutes overall with the pair on the field, RSL has a 1.13 GAA.
- Injury list: Jordan Allen (knee), Tony Beltran (knee), David Horst (Achilles), Alex Horwath (Achilles), Ricky Lopez-Espin (knee), Luke Mulholland (back), Connor Sparrow (knee).
- GK Nick Rimando (USA/22 caps/38 years old/17 games, 17 starts (469, 469)/7-8-2 (203-158-108), 1.88 GAA/D.C. United) – Of Rimando’s 203 career wins, 11 have come against Kansas City. Ranks sixth in MLS with 57 saves this season. Has now played 90 minutes in 35 consecutive regular season matches, the longest current streak in MLS.
- RB Brooks Lennon (USA/0 caps/20 years old/16 games, 15 starts (39, 28)/0 goals, 2 assists (3, 6)/Liverpool (England)/HGP) – Making his 15th start at right back this season. RSL is 7-6-1 in his 14 previous starts at right back with four shutouts. Had one goal and one assist in the regular season finale last season against Kansas City. Second on RSL with 28 tackles and 29 interceptions.
- RCB Marcelo Silva (Uruguay/0 caps/29 years old/10 games, 10 starts (19, 19)/0 goals, 0 assists (0, 0)/Zaragoza (Spain)) – Making his eighth consecutive start after missing five straight matches to injury.
- LCB Justen Glad (USA/0 caps/21 years old/17 games, 17 starts (70, 68)/0 goals, 0 assists (2, 1)/RSL Academy/HGP) – Only player on the back line to start in all 18 matches this season. Leads RSL with 52 interceptions, ranking second in MLS behind Minnesota’s Rasmus Schuller.
- LB Danilo Acosta (USA/0 caps/20 years old/8 games, 7 starts (25, 23)/0 goals, 1 assist (0, 3)/Real Salt Lake Academy/HGP) – Making his seventh consecutive start at left back.
- CM Sunny (Nigeria/1 cap/29 years old/8 games, 5 starts (44, 38)/0 goals, 0 assists (1, 2)/Alanyaspor (Turkey)) – Making his second consecutive start in the midfield and his second alongside Damir Kreilach, the last coming in a 2-1 win over the Houston Dynamo in a midweek match on May 30.
- CM Damir Kreilach (28 years old/17 games, 16 starts (17, 16)/3 goals, 4 assists (3, 4)/Union Berlin (Germany)/TAM) – Shares the RSL lead with four assists this season. Ranks third on the club with 25 tackles and second in fouls won with 21.
- RW Jefferson Savarino (Venezuela/1 cap/21 years old/17 games, 17 starts (39, 36)/2 goals, 2 assists (8, 7)/Zulia (Venezuela)/DP) – Ranks seventh in MLS and first on RSL with 42 dribbles completed. Also RSL’s most-fouled player, winning 38 fouls this season (ranking sixth in MLS) after being taken down 11 times in the last two matches.
- CAM Albert Rusnák (Slovakia/10 caps, 1 goal/23 years old/15 games, 15 starts (45, 44)/4 goals, 4 assists (11, 18)/FC Groningen (Holland)/DP) – Leads RSL and ranks fourth in MLS with 49 chances created. Shares the team lead in goals and assists with Corey Baird and Damir Kreilach, respectively.
- LW Sebastian Saucedo (21 years old/12 games, 5 starts (40, 11)/1 goal, 3 assists (1, 5)/Real Salt Lake Academy) – Remains in the starting lineup for the fourth straight match.
- FW FW Corey Baird (22 years old/15 games, 10 starts (15, 10)/4 goals, 2 assists (4, 2)/Stanford/HGP) – Returns to the starting lineup after appearing off the bench on Saturday against Columbus Crew SC. Leads all MLS rookies in scoring.
Bench:
- GK Andrew Putna (23 years old/0 games, 0 starts (0, 0)/Real Monarchs) – Signed a short-term contract with Real Salt Lake to fill-in for the injured Connor Sparrow (knee). Has allowed three goals in two matches with Real Monarchs SLC this season, giving him six appearances in two seasons with the USL club. Earned two clean sheets with the Monarchs last season.
- 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.
- MF Kyle Beckerman (USA/58 caps/35 years old/16 games, 15 starts (448, 418)/1 goal, 0 assists (41, 49)/Colorado Rapids) – Leads RSL with 37 tackles, seven of which have come in the last two matches.
- FW Joao Plata (Ecuador/4 caps, 2 goals/26 years old/11 games, 8 starts (180, 151)/3 goals, 2 assists (43, 42)/Toronto FC/TAM) – Has assisted on two of the last three goals RSL has scored against Kansas City.
- FW Luis Silva (29 years old/13 games, 7 starts (150, 106)/3 goals, 0 assists (29, 16)/Tigres (Mexico)) – Leads RSL with 10 goals in the last 34 matches. Has two goals and two assists in 10 career matches against Kansas City, including two goals in three matches with Real Salt Lake, both of which came last season at Rio Tinto Stadium.
