RSL Starting XI 7/7/18

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MATCH 19: REAL SALT LAKE vs FC DALLAS (JULY 7, 2018)

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

Bench: Andrew Putna, Aaron Herrera, Nick Besler, Pablo Ruiz, Sunny, Joao Plata, Luis Silva.

Lineup notes:

• In the final match of a stretch of three matches in eight days, Head Coach Mike Petke made just one change to the starting lineup after a 4-2 midweek win over Sporting Kansas City.  Captain Kyle Beckerman returns to his spot in the midfield in place of Sunny, who will be available off the bench tonight.  RSL is now 4-1-0 in matches played in three-game weeks.
• When Justen Glad and Marcelo Silva play 90 minutes together, Real Salt Lake is 9-3-4 with 5 shutouts and a 1.06 goals against average. In 1,518 minutes overall with the pair on the field, RSL has a 1.19 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/39 years old/18 games, 18 starts (470, 470)/8-8-2 (204-158-108), 1.89 GAA/D.C. United) – Of Rimando’s 204 career wins, 12 have come against Dallas. Ranks seventh in MLS with 58 saves this season. Has now played 90 minutes in 36 consecutive regular season matches, the longest current streak in MLS.  Has two assists in his career against FC Dallas, contributing to his total of seven all-time assists, most among goalkeepers in MLS history.
• RB Brooks Lennon (USA/0 caps/20 years old/17 games, 16 starts (42, 31)/0 goals, 3 assists (3, 7)/Liverpool (England)/HGP) – Making his 16^th start at right back this season.  RSL is 8-6-1 in his 15 previous starts at right back with four shutouts.  Second on RSL with 30 tackles and 31 interceptions.
• RCB Marcelo Silva (Uruguay/0 caps/29 years old/11 games, 11 starts (20, 20)/0 goals, 0 assists (0, 0)/Zaragoza (Spain)) – Making his ninth consecutive start after missing five straight matches to injury.
• LCB Justen Glad (USA/0 caps/21 years old/18 games, 18 starts (71, 69)/0 goals, 0 assists (2, 1)/RSL Academy/HGP) – Only player on the back line to start in all 19 matches this season.  Leads RSL and MLS with 55 interceptions.  Also ranks sixth in MLS with 15 blocks.
• LB Danilo Acosta (USA/0 caps/20 years old/9 games, 8 starts (26, 24)/0 goals, 1 assist (0, 3)/Real Salt Lake Academy/HGP) – Making his eighth consecutive start at left back.  Tied for fourth on the club with 21 tackles.  Averaging 4.7 recoveries and 2.9 tackles per match in the last seven matches, all starts.
• CM Kyle Beckerman (USA/58 caps/36 years old/17 games, 15 starts (449, 418)/1 goal, 0 assists (41, 49)/Colorado Rapids) – Returns to the starting lineup after coming off the bench on Wednesday in a 4-2 win over Sporting Kansas City. Leads RSL with 37 tackles.
• CM Damir Kreilach (29 years old/18 games, 17 starts (18, 17)/3 goals, 5 assists (3, 5)/Union Berlin (Germany)/TAM) – Shares the RSL lead with five assists this season.  Ranks third on the club with 28 tackles and second in fouls won with 24.
• RW Jefferson Savarino (Venezuela/1 cap/21 years old/18 games, 18 starts (40, 37)/3 goals, 2 assists (9, 7)/Zulia (Venezuela)/DP) – Only RSL attacking player to start in all 19 matches for RSL.  Ranks fifth in MLS and first on RSL with 44 dribbles completed.  Also RSL’s most-fouled player, winning 41 fouls this season (ranking sixth in MLS) after being taken down 14 times in the last three matches.
• CAM Albert Rusnák (Slovakia/10 caps, 1 goal/24 years old/16 games, 16 starts (46, 45)/4 goals, 4 assists (11, 18)/FC Groningen (Holland)/DP) – Celebrating his 24^th birthday on Saturday. Leads RSL and ranks third in MLS with 52 chances created. 
• LW Sebastian Saucedo (21 years old/14 games, 7 starts (43, 13)/2 goal, 3 assists (2, 5)/Real Salt Lake Academy) – Remains in the starting lineup for the fifth straight match after scoring on Wednesday in a 4-2 win over Sporting Kansas City.  It was the first MLS goal at Rio Tinto Stadium for the Park City, Utah, native.
• FW Corey Baird (22 years old/16 games, 11 starts (16, 11)/5 goals, 2 assists (5, 2)/Stanford/HGP) –Leads all MLS rookies in scoring after scoring his team-leading fifth goal on Wednesday in a 4-2 win over Sporting Kansas City.

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 (21 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 (25 years old/10 games, 5 starts (10, 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.  Drew the fouls that saw two players ejected for Sporting Kansas City on Wednesday night.
• MF Sunny (Nigeria/1 cap/29 years old/9 games, 6 starts (45, 39)/0 goals, 0 assists (1, 2)/Alanyaspor (Turkey)) – Returns to the bench after starting six of the last seven matches.  RSL is 4-2-0 in his six starts and 6-2-1 in his nine appearances.
• 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) – Appeared off the bench in two of the last three matches, notching an assist on RSL’s lone goal in Columbus last Saturday.
• FW Luis Silva (29 years old/14 games, 7 starts (152, 106)/4 goals, 0 assists (31, 16)/Tigres (Mexico)) – Leads RSL with 11 goals in the last 34 matches.