RSL is headed to the Big Apple for their third match in nine days, here’s what you need to know ahead of the match:
1. Real Salt Lake’s three-match win streak was ended Wednesday night in Montreal. Real looked like they would make it to halftime at 0-0 but just before the whistle Omar Browne found the breakthrough for the home team. Sam Johnson nearly equalized early in the second half but it was rightfully called back for offside. In the 68th minute Saphir Taider converted a PK to put Montreal up 2-0 and RSL pulled one back in the 84th through Johnson but they couldn’t find a second and the match ended at 2-1. Albert Rusnak was subbed off in the 57th minute due to an apparent ankle injury.
Rusnak still leads RSL with five goals and two assists, Johnson’s goal on Wednesday was his fifth of the season, Damir Kreilach got his first assist of 2019 to add to his three goals, Jefferson Savarino also has three goals and one assist, Sebastian Saucedo has two goals and two assists, and Corey Baird has one goal and two assists.
Real Salt Lake remains in 6th place with a record of 6-7-1 and 19 points.
2. Wednesday’s lineup was the first time in club history that all four players in RSL’s starting defensive line were Homegrown players (Lennon, Glad, Holt, Toia). With three matches in nine days, squad rotation and depth has been a big talking point this week. Marcelo Silva and Kyle Beckerman did not travel with the team for the Montreal match but have joined the team in New York for Saturday’s match. RSL has an all-time record of 7-5-9 against New York Red Bulls but are just 1-5-4 at NY.
Saturday’s match will be RSL head coach Mike Petke’s first time coaching at Red Bull Arena since he parted ways with NYRB in 2015.
3. New York Red Bulls currently sit in 5th place in the eastern conference with a record of 6-5-3 and 21 points, and are unbeaten in their last four matches with three wins and one draw. New York has fifteen different goal scorers so far in 2019, but just four of those fifteen have scored two or more. Brian White leads NYRB with three goals and two assists, Daniel Royer has two goals and four assists, Cristian Casseres Jr. has two goals and one assist, and Alex Muyl has two goals. Bradley Wright-Phillips, who had twenty goals and eight assists in 2018, has missed NYRB’s last seven matches due to a groin injury.
Red Bulls have a home record of 4-3-2 and have outscored visitors 13 to 10.