MATCH 20: REAL SALT LAKE at MINNESOTA UNITED FC (JULY 14, 2018)
Starting XI: Nick Rimando; Brooks Lennon, Marcelo Silva, Justen Glad, Danilo Acosta; Kyle Beckerman, Sunny; Jefferson Savarino, Albert Rusnak, Corey Baird; Damir Kreilach.
Bench: Andrew Putna, Aaron Herrera, Nick Besler, Pablo Ruiz, Sebastian Saucedo, Joao Plata, Luis Silva.
Lineup notes:
- Damir Kreilach moves up top, with Sunny sitting beside Kyle Beckerman in the midfield. Corey Baird will start on the wing with Sebastian Saucedo moving to the bench.
- When Justen Glad and Marcelo Silva play 90 minutes together, Real Salt Lake is 10-3-4 with 6 shutouts and a 1.00 goals against average. In 1,608 minutes overall with the pair on the field, RSL has a 1.11 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/19 games, 19 starts (471, 471)/9-8-2 (205-158-108), 1.78 GAA/D.C. United) – Of Rimando’s 205 career wins, one came in his only appearance against Minnesota last season. Has now played 90 minutes in 37 consecutive regular season matches, the longest current streak in MLS.
- RB Brooks Lennon (USA/0 caps/20 years old/18 games, 17 starts (43, 32)/0 goals, 3 assists (3, 7)/Liverpool (England)/HGP) – Making his 17th start at right back this season. RSL is 9-6-1 in his 16 previous starts at right back with five shutouts. Second on RSL with 31 tackles and 33 interceptions.
- RCB Marcelo Silva (Uruguay/0 caps/29 years old/12 games, 12 starts (21, 21)/0 goals, 0 assists (0, 0)/Zaragoza (Spain)) – Making his tenth consecutive start after missing five straight matches to injury.
- LCB Justen Glad (USA/0 caps/21 years old/19 games, 19 starts (72, 70)/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 57 interceptions. Also ranks sixth in MLS with 16 blocks.
- LB Danilo Acosta (USA/0 caps/20 years old/10 games, 9 starts (27, 25)/0 goals, 1 assist (0, 3)/Real Salt Lake Academy/HGP) – Has started in eight straight regular season matches for RSL, with the club going 5-2-1 in that stretch. Fourth on the club with 26 tackles.
- CM Kyle Beckerman (USA/58 caps/36 years old/18 games, 16 starts (450, 419)/1 goal, 0 assists (41, 49)/Colorado Rapids) – Leads RSL with 42 tackles, including 12 in his last three starts.
- CM Sunny (Nigeria/1 cap/29 years old/10 games, 6 starts (46, 39)/0 goals, 0 assists (1, 2)/Alanyaspor (Turkey)) – Including tonight, has started in seven of the last nine matches. RSL is 4-2-0 in his last six starts and 7-2-1 in his ten appearances.
- RW Jefferson Savarino (Venezuela/1 cap/21 years old/19 games, 19 starts (41, 38)/3 goals, 3 assists (9, 8)/Zulia (Venezuela)/DP) – Only RSL attacking player to start in all 19 matches for RSL. Ranks seventh in MLS and first on RSL with 48 dribbles completed. Also RSL’s most-fouled player, winning 43 fouls this season (ranking sixth in MLS) after being taken down 16 times in the last four matches.
- CAM Albert Rusnák (Slovakia/10 caps, 1 goal/24 years old/17 games, 17 starts (47, 46)/5 goals, 4 assists (12, 18)/FC Groningen (Holland)/DP) – Scored on a penalty to move level with Corey Baird for the team lead with five goals. Luis Silva later joined the duo. Leads RSL and ranks third in MLS with 53 chances created.
- LW Corey Baird (22 years old/17 games, 12 starts (17, 12)/5 goals, 2 assists (5, 2)/Stanford/HGP) – Leads all MLS rookies in scoring after scoring his team-leading fifth goal last Wednesday in a 4-2 win over Sporting Kansas City.
- FW Damir Kreilach (29 years old/19 games, 18 starts (19, 18)/3 goals, 6 assists (3, 6)/Union Berlin (Germany)/TAM) – Leads RSL with six assists this season after assisting a late goal from Luis Silva in a 2-0 win over FC Dallas. Ranks third on the club with 29 tackles and second in fouls won with 26.
Bench:
- GK Andrew Putna (23 years old/0 games, 0 starts (0, 0)/Real Monarchs) – Signed with RSL on Friday. 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. Played 90 minutes in a 1-1 draw in an international friendly with Eintracht Frankfurt on Tuesday.
- DF Aaron Herrera (21 years old/2 games, 0 starts (2, 0)/0 goals, 0 assists (0, 0)/University of New Mexico) – 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.
- 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 seventh straight match after starting four consecutive matches at left back. Played 90 minutes on Tuesday in a 1-1 draw with Eintracht Frankfurt in an international friendly.
- 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 July 4. Started and played 90 minutes against Eintracht Frankfurt in an international friendly on Tuesday.
- FW Sebastian Saucedo (21 years old/15 games, 8 starts (44, 14)/2 goals, 3 assists (2, 5)/Real Salt Lake Academy) – Started in five straight matches for RSL before moving to the bench.
- 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) – Started for RSL in a 1-1 draw with Eintracht Frankfurt in an international friendly on Tuesday. Last scored on April 21 in a 3-0 win over the Colorado Rapids.
- FW Luis Silva (29 years old/15 games, 7 starts (153, 106)/5 goals, 0 assists (32, 16)/Tigres (Mexico)) – Leads RSL with 12 goals in the last 34 matches, scoring stoppage time goals in each of the last two matches.
