RSL Starting XI: @ Colorado Rapids 8/25/18

MATCH 27: REAL SALT LAKE at COLORADO RAPIDS (AUGUST 25, 2018)
Listen to "RSL Starting XI 8/25/18" on Spreaker.

Starting XI: Nick Rimando; Brooks Lennon, Nick Besler, Justen Glad, Aaron Herrera; Sunny, Kyle Beckerman; Jefferson Savarino, Albert Rusnák, Joao Plata; Damir Kreilach.

Bench: Andrew Putna, Danilo Acosta, Adam Henley, Shawn Barry, Sebastian Saucedo, Corey Baird, Luis Silva.

Lineup notes:

• Injury list: Jordan Allen (knee), Tony Beltran (knee), David Horst (Achilles), Alex Horwath (Achilles), Ricky Lopez-Espin (knee), Luke Mulholland (back), Marcelo Silva (foot), Connor Sparrow (knee).

• GK Nick Rimando (USA/22 caps/39 years old/25 games, 25 starts (476, 476)/10-10-5 (206-160-111), 1.76 GAA/D.C. United) – Of Rimando’s 206 career wins, 23 have come against Colorado, the most of any opponent in his 19 MLS seasons.  Had his streak of playing 90 minutes in 42 consecutive regular season matches – then the active MLS leader – snapped when he was removed at halftime of RSL 2-0 loss to LAFC when he departed with a hamstring strain.  He missed the next match on Saturday against the Houston Dynamo, marking the only match he has missed this season.
• RB Brooks Lennon (USA/0 caps/20 years old/25 games, 24 starts (50, 39)/0 goals, 4 assists (3, 8)/Liverpool (England)/HGP) – RSL is 11-8-4 in his 23 previous starts at right back with six shutouts.  Second on RSL with 39 interceptions and 39 tackles.
• RCB Nick Besler (25 years old/16 games, 9 starts (16, 9)/0 goals, 0 assists (0, 0)/Real Monarchs) – Has eight starts this season as a center back.  Made one additional start in the midfield in a 2-1 win over the Houston Dynamo on May 30.  RSL is 4-3-2 in his nine regular season starts.
• LCB Justen Glad (USA/0 caps/21 years old/26 games, 26 starts (79, 77)/0 goals, 0 assists (2, 1)/RSL Academy/HGP) – Only player to start in all 26 matches this season.  Leads RSL and MLS with 80 interceptions.  Also ranks second in MLS with 22 blocks.  Ranks third on the team with 38 tackles.
• LB Aaron Herrera (21 years old/8 games, 6 starts (8, 6)/0 goals, 0 assists (0, 0)/University of New Mexico) – Making his seventh consecutive start after making his first on July 21 in a 2-2 draw with the Colorado Rapids.  RSL is 2-1-3 in his previous six starts.  Made his MLS debut on the road against Seattle Sounders FC in May.  Waited until July 7 in a 2-0 win over FC Dallas for his second appearance.
• CM Sunny (Nigeria/1 cap/29 years old/16 games, 10 starts (52, 43)/0 goals, 0 assists (1, 2)/Alanyaspor (Turkey)) – RSL is 5-4-1 in his ten starts and 9-4-3 in his 15 appearances.
• CM Kyle Beckerman (USA/58 caps/36 years old/24 games, 22 starts (456, 425)/1 goal, 0 assists (41, 49)/Colorado Rapids) – Leads RSL and ranks fourth in MLS with 66 tackles, including 36 in his last nine starts.
• RW Jefferson Savarino (Venezuela/1 cap/21 years old/25 games, 25 starts (46, 43)/3 goals, 7 assists (9, 12)/Zulia (Venezuela)/DP) – Has three assists in the last three matches after assisting on the equalizing goal by Albert Rusnák in a 2-1 win over the Houston Dynamo last week.  Now has the team lead with seven assists on the season.  Ranks fourth in MLS and first on RSL with 69 dribbles completed.  Also RSL’s most-fouled player, winning 58 fouls this season (ranking seventh in MLS).  Ranks third on RSL with 38 chances created.
• CAM Albert Rusnák (Slovakia/10 caps, 1 goal/24 years old/24 games, 23 starts (54, 52)/7 goals, 6 assists (13, 20)/FC Groningen (Holland)/DP) – Took the team scoring lead with two stoppage-time goals last week against the Houston Dynamo, becoming the first player in MLS history to score the game-tying and game-winning goals in second-half stoppage time.  It was his only appearance off the bench thus far this season.  Leads RSL and ranks fifth in MLS with 66 chances created.  Also ranks third with 46 chances created from open play.
• LW Joao Plata (Ecuador/4 caps, 2 goals/26 years old/18 games, 13 starts (189, 156)/7 goals, 4 assists (47, 44)/Toronto FC/TAM) – Has four goals and two assists in the last seven matches to jump into a share of the team scoring lead with Albert Rusnák at seven goals.  Ranks second on RSL with 42 chances created.
• FW Damir Kreilach (29 years old/25 games, 23 starts (25, 23)/6 goals, 6 assists (6, 6)/Union Berlin (Germany)/TAM) – Third on the team in scoring after netting two goals two weeks ago against Chicago.  Also second on the team in assists along with Albert Rusnák, both with six assists on the season.  Ranks second on the team in fouls won with 39 and third in tackles with 38.

Bench:

• GK Andrew Putna (23 years old/2 games, 1 start (2, 1)/1-0-0 (1-0-0), 0.67 GAA/Real Monarchs) – Signed with RSL in July.  Made his first MLS start on Saturday, making two saves and earning a 2-1 win over the Houston Dynamo.  Made his MLS debut last Wednesday, coming on at halftime in place of the injured Nick Rimando.  Made four saves while allowing no goals in the final 45 minutes against LAFC.  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 Danilo Acosta (USA/0 caps/20 years old/11 games, 10 starts (28, 26)/0 goals, 1 assist (0, 3)/Real Salt Lake Academy/HGP) – Remains on the bench for a fifth straight match after starting in nine straight matches for RSL, with the club going 5-3-1 in that stretch.  Fifth on the club with 26 tackles.
• DF Shawn Barry (27 years old/3 games, 3 starts (3, 3)/0 goals, 0 assists (0, 0)/Korona Kielce (Poland)) – Made his return to the starting lineup last week against LAFC after being out of action since March 10, when he suffered a knee injury against LAFC.  Came to RSL after playing his career in Austria, Germany and Poland.
• DF Adam Henley (Wales/2 caps/23 years old/5 games, 2 starts (5, 2)/0 goals, 0 assists (0, 0)/Blackburn Rovers (England)) – Appeared in three straight matches from 4/7-21 and then consecutive matches from 5/12-19.  RSL is 3-2-0 in his five matches, winning all three substitute appearances.  Came to RSL after seven seasons with Blackburn Rovers in England.
• FW Sebastian Saucedo (21 years old/21 games, 9 starts (50, 15)/2 goals, 4 assists (2, 6)/Real Salt Lake Academy) – Appeared off the bench in five of the last six matches, also starting in the other match.  Assisted on the game-tying goal and earned the penalty that proved to be the game-winning goal last week against the Houston Dynamo.  Started in five straight matches for RSL before moving to the bench against Minnesota in July.
• FW Corey Baird (22 years old/24 games, 18 starts (24, 18)/5 goals, 2 assists (5, 2)/Stanford/HGP) – Leads all MLS rookies in scoring after scoring his fifth goal in a 4-2 win over Sporting Kansas City last month.
• FW Luis Silva (29 years old/18 games, 8 starts (156, 107)/5 goals, 0 assists (32, 16)/Tigres (Mexico)) – His last three goals have come in a substitute role, including stoppage-time goals in back-to-back home wins over Sporting Kansas City and FC Dallas in July.