Finding an Offensive Groove
Over the last five matches across all competitions, Real Salt Lake has found its scoring touch. With eight goals in that stretch, it isn’t as though the forwards are lighting the world on fire, but four two-goal games across all competitions in that stretch has been a vast improvement over previous stretches in the year.
Now, Sebastian Jaime has found his scoring touch with three goals in the last four matches, while Olmes Garcia and Javier Morales have added two goals and two assists apiece and Joao Plata has one goal and two assists dating back to June 16.
A Spectacle to Behold
There will be a fireworks show after the match on Saturday at Rio Tinto Stadium, but an equally fascinating draw is Kaka. He is the second FIFA World Player of the Year to come to MLS after Lothar Matthaus did the same in 2000, but Matthaus wasn’t near the spectacle that Kaka is.
Already with eight goals in 17 MLS matches, the Brazilian superstar has made an impact for expansion Orlando City on the field and in the community, where OCSC has become as prominent as Disney and the sun. And the excitement isn’t limited to Florida, as Brazil jerseys pepper the stands at every stop he has made during his time in the league.
Summer Streak
Orlando City started off its inaugural season with plenty of fanfare, but limited results. After a 2-5-3 start, though one of the league’s two newest clubs has gone on a tear, going 4-1-2 in the last seven matches to vault up to a tie for third in the Eastern Conference.
In that stretch, five players have scored goals, with Kaka leading the way with five goals and Cyle Larin close behind with three. With Larin away on international duty with Canada, that puts that much more impetuous on Real Salt Lake to pressure the 2007 FIFA World Player of the Year.
End of a Long Road
Real Salt Lake has been busy over the last three weeks, but the hectic schedule will lighten up a bit after Saturday. The match against Orlando ends a stretch of six matches in 18 days that started clear back on June 16 with a match in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup against Seattle Sounders FC 2 from the USL. In that stretch, that has included two Open Cup matches, RSL has gone 3-1-1.
This was the busiest stretch in RSL’s calendar this year, but with CONCACAF Champions League and possibly more U.S. Open Cup matches on the horizon, the relief in the schedule is only temporary.
