Real Salt Lake will face Montreal in the first of back-to-back road matches against eastern conference opponents, here’s what you need to know ahead of the match:
1. Real took down the defending MLS Champions in a Friday night thriller. After a beautiful switch by Albert Rusnak, Sebastian Saucedo scored from similar range to his week 12 Goal of the Week winner to put the home team up at the break but Josef Martinez pulled Atlanta even in the 78th minute. With under a minute to play, and hope dwindling, Jefferson Savarino rose to the occasion and claimed all three points for RSL. The goal earned Savarino Man of the Match honors as well as a Goal of the Week nomination.
Rusnak’s pass to Saucedo was his second assist of 2019, bringing him to a team-leading five goals and two assists. Sam Johnson remains at four goals, Savarino now has three goals and one assist, Kreilach has three goals, Saucedo now has two goals and two assists, and Corey Baird has one goal and two assists. Everton Luiz’s pass to Savarino for the match-winner registered his first assist of the season.
Saucedo’s play earned him a spot on MLS Team of the Week for the third time this season.
2. The win on Friday was RSL’s third consecutive and moved them into 6th place in the western conference with a record of 6-6-1 and 19 points. The back-to-back home wins improved their home record to 4-2-0. Montreal will be RSL’s first of five Wednesday matches in 2019 and their only away of those five. Real Salt Lake has a record of 2-3-0 against Montreal all-time but has yet to take any points off the Impact in the three matches they’ve played at Saputo Stadium. RSL defender Donny Toia spent the 2015 and 2016 seasons with Montreal, playing in 48 matches and starting 44 for the Impact.
3. Montreal Impact is coming off a 4-2 loss at LAFC, bringing their winless streak to three matches at 0-2-1. Montreal has only played four matches at home so far this season and is 2-1-1 at Saputo Stadium, Wednesday’s contest will be their first of four consecutive home matches. Montreal currently sits in 4th place in the eastern conference at 6-6-3 and 21 points, but their goal differential of -6 is the worst of any team (east or west) currently sitting in a playoff position. Piatti has two goals and one assist in four matches against Real Salt Lake while Urruti has three goals and one assist in twelve.
Saphir Taïder’s goal against LAFC was his fourth of the season, he leads Montreal with four goals and one assist. Ignacio Piatti has three goals, Anthony Jackson-Hamel and Orji Okwonkwo have two goals each, and Max Urruti has one goal and five assists.
Striker Orji Okwonkwo has been ruled out of Wednesday’s match with a leg injury.
Our coverage of Real Salt Lake vs Montreal Impact begins on Wednesday, May 29 at 4:30 PM with Spencer Warne and Lauren Mason Beck.
