RSL Starting XI: Match 30 @ Atlanta United FC 9/22/18

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

Bench: Andrew Putna, Nick Besler, Shawn Barry, Pablo Ruiz, Luke Mulholland, Sebastian Saucedo, Corey Baird.

Lineup notes:

• RSL is in the midst of a four-game unbeaten streak at 3-0-1.
• One change from last week after starting the same lineup in three consecutive matches – Marcelo Silva returning to the 11 in place of Nick Besler.  Silva returns after missing the last six matches with a foot injury.
• When Justen Glad and Marcelo Silva play 90 minutes together since Silva’s arrival in 2017, Real Salt Lake is 11-4-5 with 7 shutouts and a 1.05 goals against average. In 1,878 minutes overall with the pair on the field, RSL has a 1.15 GAA.
• RSL has six players with five or more goals – Albert Rusnák, Joao Plata, Damir Kreilach, Corey Baird, Jefferson Savarino and Luis Silva.  The only other MLS team to share that distinction this season is D.C. United.
• Damir Kreilach (10 G, 6 A) and Albert Rusnák (10 G, 7 A) – First time RSL has had two double-digit scorers since 2011 (Alvaro Saborio and Fabian Espindola)
• Injury list: Jordan Allen (knee), Tony Beltran (knee), David Horst (Achilles), Alex Horwath (Achilles), Demar Phillips (hamstring).
• Since July 4
  • Real Salt Lake is 6-2-4, 28 GF, 15 GA, 3 ShO
  • Jefferson Savarino – 4 G, 8 A, 11 GP
  • Damir Kreilach – 8 G, 2 A, 11 GP
  • Joao Plata – 5 G, 5 A, 10 GP
  • Albert Rusnák – 6 G, 3 A, 12 GP
• Real Salt Lake is 10 points ahead of where the club was through 29 games last season, already reaching last season’s total of 45 points.

• GK Nick Rimando (USA/22 caps/39 years old/28 games, 28 starts (480, 480)/12-10-6 (208-160-112), 1.67 GAA/D.C. United) – Atlanta United is one of three MLS teams against whom Rimando has not recorded a win – the others being LAFC and Orlando City SC.
• RB Brooks Lennon (USA/0 caps/21 years old/28 games, 27 starts (53, 42)/0 goals, 5 assists (3, 9)/Liverpool (England)/HGP) – Celebrating his 21^st birthday today.  RSL is 13-8-5 in his 26 previous starts at right back with seven shutouts.  Second on RSL with 43 tackles and third with 39 interceptions.
• RCB Marcelo Silva (Uruguay/0 caps/29 years old/15 games, 15 starts (24, 24)/0 goals, 0 assists (0, 0)/Zaragoza (Spain)) – Making his first start since August 4 in a 2-1 win over the Chicago Fire.  RSL is 7-5-3 with four shutouts in his 15 starts this season.
• LCB Justen Glad (USA/0 caps/21 years old/29 games, 29 starts (82, 80)/0 goals, 0 assists (2, 1)/RSL Academy/HGP) – Only RSL player to start in all 29 matches this season.  Leads MLS with 84 interceptions.  Also ranks third in MLS with 24 blocks.  Ranks fourth on the team with 40 tackles.
• LB Aaron Herrera (21 years old/11 games, 9 starts (11, 9)/0 goals, 0 assists (0, 0)/University of New Mexico) – Making his tenth consecutive start after making his first on July 21 in a 2-2 draw with the Colorado Rapids.  RSL is 4-1-4 in his previous nine starts with a 1.11 goals against average.  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/30 years old/19 games, 13 starts (55, 46)/0 goals, 1 assist (1, 3)/Alanyaspor (Turkey)) – Picked up his first assist of the season last week in a 1-1 draw against Minnesota.  RSL is 7-4-2 in his 13 starts and 11-4-4 in his 19 appearances.  Celebrated his 30^th birthday this week.
• CM Kyle Beckerman (USA/58 caps/36 years old/27 games, 25 starts (459, 428)/1 goal, 1 assist (41, 50)/Colorado Rapids) – Leads RSL and ranks fifth in MLS with 72 tackles, including 42 in his last 12 starts.  Ranks second on RSL with 42 interceptions.  With his 50^th career assist, he became the 22^nd player in MLS history to amass at least 40 goals and 50 assists, joining five former RSL players – Javier Morales, Jason Kreis, Jeff Cunningham, Chris Klein and Clint Mathis on that list.
• RW Jefferson Savarino (Venezuela/3 caps/21 years old/28 games, 28 starts (50, 47)/6 goals, 10 assists (12, 15)/Zulia (Venezuela)/DP) – Has three goals and four assists in the last four matches and four goals and eight assists in 11 matches since July 4.  Ranks fifth in MLS and first on RSL with 72 dribbles completed.  Also RSL’s most-fouled player, winning 66 fouls this season (ranking fifth in MLS).  Ranks third on RSL with 45 chances created.
• CAM Albert Rusnák (Slovakia/14 caps, 2 goals/24 years old/27 games, 26 starts (57, 55)/10 goals, 6 assists (16, 20)/FC Groningen (Holland)/DP) – Has five goals in the last four matches, ending a three-game scoring streak last week.  Since July 4 he has six goals and three assists in 12 matches.  Leads RSL and ranks sixth in MLS with 72 chances created.  Also ranks sixth with 50 chances created from open play.
• LW Joao Plata (Ecuador/4 caps, 2 goals/26 years old/21 games, 16 starts (190, 159)/8 goals, 7 assists (48, 47)/Toronto FC/TAM) – Has five goals and five assists in 10 matches since July 4.  Ranks second on RSL with 50 chances created.
• FW Damir Kreilach (29 years old/28 games, 26 starts (28, 26)/11 goals, 7 assists (10, 7)/Union Berlin (Germany)/TAM) – Has eight goals in his last seven starts and eight goals and two assists in 11 matches since July 4.  Now has goals in three consecutive matches, totaling five goals in that stretch.  Ranks second on the team in fouls won with 42 and third in tackles with 41.

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 Nick Besler (25 years old/19 games, 12 starts (19, 12)/0 goals, 0 assists (0, 0)/Real Monarchs) – Has 11 starts this season as a center back, including each of the previous six matches before tonight with RSL going 3-1-2 with a 1.17 goals against average.  Made one additional start in the midfield in a 2-1 win over the Houston Dynamo on May 30.  RSL is 6-3-3 in his 12 regular season starts.
• DF Shawn Barry (28 years old/3 games, 3 starts (3, 3)/0 goals, 0 assists (0, 0)/Korona Kielce (Poland)) – Called in to the Puerto Rican National Team for a match next week against Saint Kitts and Nevis.  It is his first international call up.  Came to RSL after playing his career in Austria, Germany and Poland.
• MF Pablo Ruiz (Argentina/Chile/0 caps/19 years old/11 games, 5 starts (10, 5)/0 goals, 0 assists (0, 0)/San Luis (Chile)) – Returned to the field after missing two matches with a hamstring injury suffered against the Houston Dynamo last month.  Played in consecutive matches against LAFC and the Houston Dynamo last month before suffering a hamstring injury against Houston, requiring him to miss the next two matches.
• MF Luke Mulholland (30 years old/1 game, 0 starts (121, 96)/0 goals, 0 assists (16, 15)/Tampa Bay Rowdies) – Back in the 18 for the second consecutive match after returning to the bench last week for the first time since coming off the bench and playing one minute in a 1-0 win over the New York Red Bulls on March 17.  Had back surgery on May 21.  Averaged 30 appearances and 2,073 minutes over his previous four MLS seasons.
• FW Sebastian Saucedo (21 years old/24 games, 9 starts (53, 15)/2 goals, 4 assists (2, 6)/Real Salt Lake Academy) – Appeared off the bench in eight of the last nine 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 month 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/27 games, 18 starts (27, 18)/6 goals, 4 assists (6, 4)/Stanford/HGP) – Leads all MLS rookies in scoring after scoring his sixth goal in a 6-0 win over the Colorado Rapids last month.