REAL SALT LAKE TOPS VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC 1-0 ON DECISION DAY
FW Damir Kreliach’s Goal Enough to Earn Home Playoff Match During Round 1 of the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs; Tickets Available at RSL.com/Tickets and by Phone at 844.REAL.TIX When Broadcast Information Finalized
VANCOUVER, BC (Sunday, October 6, 2019) – Real Salt Lake (16-13-5, 53 points) topped Vancouver Whitecaps FC 1-0 on Sunday evening to earn a Round 1 home playoff match in the 2019 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs. RSL will host the Portland Timbers in the first round at Rio Tinto Stadium. Tickets will be available at RSL.com/Tickets or by phone at 844.REAL.TIX when broadcast information is finalized.
FW Damir Kreilach notched his sixth goal of the year and GK Nick Rimando made five saves to earn his 10th shutout of the season– RSL’s 12th clean sheet of the year. With the win and other results on Decision Day, RSL finished third in the Western Conference standings with the sixth-best record in MLS.
Through the first 15 minutes of the match, both teams jostled for possession, but it was RSL who struck first in the 28th minute when Kreliach latched on to a cross from FW Corey Baird to put the visitors ahead. RSL nearly found its second goal when MFAlbert Rusnák’s deflected shot caromed off the post in the 31st minute. Salt Lake would go on the weather the storm to take the 1-0 lead into halftime.
Vancouver came out of the halftime break the aggressor and tested Rimando in the 69th minute but he was able to push the shot off the far post and away from danger. RSL stood firm defensively through the remainder of the match to claim the 1-0 win in Vancouver and earn a home match in the 2019 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs.
Postgame quotes from RSL at VAN.
UP NEXT: Real Salt Lake will now host the Portland Timbers in Round 1 of the 2019 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs on either October 19 or 20 with a time and television broadcast information to be determined.
GOAL SCORING RUNDOWN:
RSL: Damir Kreilach (Corey Baird, Kyle Beckerman), 28th minute: Kyle Beckerman found Corey Baird in space up the left side andBaird curled a first-time cross into the box where Damir Kreilach got his head to the ball to glance home hs sixth goal of the year for a 1-0 lead.
NOTES:
- DF Tony Beltran (knee), MF Nick Besler (broken right foot) and FW Douglas Martinez (hamstring) were out of action due to injury.
- Since returning from the Gold Cup break on June 22, RSL has the best defense in MLS. In those 18 matches, RSL is 10-5-3 with eight shutouts and a league-best 0.78 goals against average.
- MF Albert Rusnák (Slovakia), FW Sam Johnson (Liberia), FW Corey Baird (USA), FW Jefferson Savarino (Venezuela) and FW Douglas Martinez (Honduras) are all set to depart to join their senior national teams for upcoming matches. In addition, DF Justen Glad, DF Aaron Herrera, DF/FW Brooks Lennon, FW Sebastian Saucedo and GK David Ochoa will join the U.S. U-23 National Team for training camp in Miami. All 10 players are scheduled to return in advance of RSL’s playoff match against the Portland Timbers.
Match: Real Salt Lake at Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Date: October 6, 2019
Venue: BC Place; Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Attendance: 18,378
Weather: Mostly cloudy and 55 degrees
Scoring Summary:1 2 F
Real Salt Lake 1 0 1
Whitecaps FC 0 0 0
RSL: Damir Kreilach (Corey Baird, Kyle Beckerman) 28’
Lineups:
Real Salt Lake (4-2-3-1): Nick Rimando; Aaron Herrera, Justen Glad, Nedum Onuoha, Donny Toia; Kyle Beckerman, Everton Luiz; Jefferson Savarino (Brooks Lennon 84’), Albert Rusnák (Kelyn Rowe 84’), Corey Baird (Marcelo Silva 89’); Damir Kreilach
Subs not used:Andrew Putna, Joao Plata, Sebastian Saucedo, Sam Johnson
Whitecaps FC: (4-3-3): Maxime Crepeau; Erik Godoy (Georges Mukumbilwa 81’) Doneil Henry, Derek Cornelius, Ali Adnan; Andy Rose, Hwang In-Beom, Russell Teibert; Theo Bair (Yordy Reyna 60’), Tosaint Ricketts (Fredy Montero 61’), Michaell Chirinos
Subs not used: Zac MacMath, Scott Sutter, Victor Giro, Jon Erice
Stats Summary: VAN / RSL
Shots: 16 / 16
Shots on Goal: 5 / 4
Saves: 3 / 5
Corner Kicks: 5 / 4
Fouls: 7 / 11
Offside: 1 / 0
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY:
VAN – Erik Godoy (caution) 90’
VAN – Michael Chirinos (caution) 90’+2
OFFICIALS:
Referee: Ted Unkel
Assistant Referees: Kyle Atkins, Corey Rockwell
4th Official: Ramy Touchan
VAR: Joeseph Dickerson
AVAR: Rene Parra
