RSL Starting XI presented by Little Caesar's

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MATCH 14: REAL SALT LAKE vs LA GALAXY (JUNE 9, 2018)

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

Bench: Connor Sparrow, Taylor Peay, Aaron Herrera, Pablo Ruiz, Nick Besler, Kyle Beckerman, Luis Silva.

Lineup notes:

• When Justen Glad and Marcelo Silva play 90 minutes together, RealSaltLake is 8-1-4 with 5 shutouts and a 0.77 goals against average. In 1,217 minutes overall with the pair on the field, RSL has a 0.96 GAA.
• MF Albert Rusnák returns to RSL after two friendlies with Slovakia last week.  He started and played 89 minutes in a 1-1 draw with the Netherlands, then came off the bench and assisted on Slovakia’s lone goal in a 2-1 loss to Morocco.  He now has one goal in 12 appearances for Slovakia.
• The lineup includes two changes from last week’s 2-0 win over Seattle Sounders FC at Rio Tinto Stadium.  Sebastian Saucedo replaces the injured Joao Plata while Kyle Beckerman moves to the bench as a precaution while Albert Rusnák moves back into the starting lineup, shifting Damir Kreilach back to the box-to-box role.
• Injury list: Jordan Allen (knee), Shawn Barry (knee), Tony Beltran (knee), Alex Horwath (Achilles), Luke Mulholland (back), Demar Phillips (ankle), Joao Plata (abdominal strain).

• GK Nick Rimando (USA/22 caps/38 years old/14 games, 14 starts (466, 466)/7-6-1 (203-156-107), 2.00 GAA/D.C. United) – Of Rimando’s 203 career wins, 13 have come against the LA Galaxy.  Ranks second in MLS with 50 saves this season. 
• RB Brooks Lennon (USA/0 caps/20 years old/13 games, 12 starts (36, 25)/0 goals, 2 assists (3, 6)/Liverpool (England)/HGP) – Making his 12th start at right back this season.  RSL is 7-4-0 in his 11 previous starts at right back with four shutouts.  Second on RSL with 25 tackles and 29 interceptions.
• RCB Marcelo Silva (Uruguay/0 caps/29 years old/7 games, 7 starts (16, 16)/0 goals, 0 assists (0, 0)/Zaragoza (Spain)) – Making his fifth consecutive start after missing five straight matches to injury.  RSL is 3-1-0 in the last three starts for Silva.
• LCB Justen Glad (USA/0 caps/21 years old/14 games, 14 starts (67, 65)/0 goals, 0 assists (2, 1)/RSL Academy/HGP) – Only player on the back line to start in all 15 matches this season.  Leads RSL with 49 interceptions, ranking second in MLS.
• LB Danilo Acosta (USA/0 caps/20 years old/5 games, 4 starts (22, 20)/0 goals, 1 assist (0, 3)/Real Salt Lake Academy/HGP) – Earned MLSsoccer.com Team of the Week honors in two consecutive weeks after his return to the starting lineup, playing in three consecutive wins for RSL.
• CM Damir Kreilach  (28 years old/14 games, 13 starts (14, 13)/2 goals, 4 assists (2, 4)/Union Berlin (Germany)/TAM) – Returns to his box-to-box role after two straight starts as the attacking midfielder in Albert Rusnák’s place.  Leads RSL with four assists this season.
• CM Sunny (Nigeria/1 cap/29 years old/6 games, 3 starts (42, 36)/0 goals, 0 assists (1, 2)/Alanyaspor (Turkey)) – Making his fourth consecutive start, with RSL winning all three previous matches.  Has completed 86% of his passes while making six tackles.
• RW Jefferson Savarino (Venezuela/1 cap/21 years old/14 games, 14 starts (36, 33)/2 goals, 2 assist (8, 7)/Zulia (Venezuela)/DP) – Scored two goals in a 6-2 road win over the LA Galaxy last season on July 4.  Ranks eighth in MLS and first on RSL with 37 dribbles completed.  Also RSL’s most-fouled player, winning 26 fouls this season.
• CAM Albert Rusnák (Slovakia/10 caps, 1 goal/23 years old/12 games, 12 starts (42, 41)/3 goals, 3 assists (10, 17)/FC Groningen (Holland)/DP) – Leads RSL and ranks third in MLS with 41 chances created.  Returns after two matches with Slovakia in friendlies against the Netherlands and Morocco.  Had one goal and three assists in three matches against the Galaxy last season.
• LW Sebastian Saucedo (21 years old/10 games, 3 starts (38, 9)/1 goal, 3 assists (1, 5)/Real Salt Lake Academy) – Moves back to the starting lineup after coming off the bench in last week’s 2-0 win over Seattle Sounders FC.  Has one goal and three assists in the last four matches, including the game-winning goal in a road win against Seattle and assists on both goals against Houston last Wednesday.
• FW Corey Baird (22 years old/12 games, 8 starts (12, 8)/4 goals, 1 assist (4, 1)/Stanford/HGP) – Scored his team-leading fourth goal last week against Seattle Sounders FC.  Leads all MLS rookies in scoring.

Bench:

• GK Connor Sparrow (23 years old/0 games, 0 starts (0, 0)/0-0-0 (0-0-0)/Real Monarchs) – Started Wednesday in a 2-0 loss in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup to Sporting Kansas City – his first competitive appearance for Real Salt Lake.  Has two shutouts in four matches with Real Monarchs in the USL after posting seven shutouts in 18 appearances last year to lead the Monarchs to the USL regular season title.
• RCB Taylor Peay (26 years old/0 games, 0 starts (7, 4)/0 goals, 0 assists (0, 0)/Real Monarchs) – Started three matches thus far for Real Monarchs SLC in the USL while on loan from RSL.  Salt Lake City native played 21 matches for the Monarchs in 2017.  Made his RSL competitive debut in a 2-0 Open Cup loss to Sporting Kansas City.
• 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 two weeks ago, 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/6 games, 4 starts (6, 4)/0 goals, 0 assists (0, 0)/San Luis (Chile)) – On the bench for the fourth straight match after starting four consecutive matches at left back.
• DF/MF Nick Besler (24 years old/7 games, 5 starts (7, 5)/0 goals, 0 assists (0, 0)/Real Monarchs) – Started in the midfield in a 2-1 win over the Houston Dynamo last Wednesday after starting four previous matches as a center back.  RSL is 3-2-0 in his five starts.
• MF Kyle Beckerman (USA/58 caps/35 years old/14 games, 13 starts (446, 416)/1 goal, 0 assists (41, 49)/Colorado Rapids) – Has five goals and three assists in 45 career matches against LA, including a late equalizer in a 1-1 draw in LA last season.
• FW Luis Silva (29 years old/10 games, 7 starts (147, 106)/3 goals, 0 assists (29, 16)/Tigres (Mexico)) – Scored in two straight matches after his late open-net finish last week against Seattle Sounders FC.