Real Salt Lake took all 3 point on Saturday against Colorado and now they’re in Vancouver to face the Whitecaps for the second time this month. RSL is now 7-8-4 all-time against the Whitecaps. Here’s what you need to know for Friday’s match:
1. Real Salt Lake beat Vancouver 2-1 in their last matchup at Rio Tinto Stadium on April 7th thanks to goals from Luis Silva and Jefferson Savarino, but Vancouver didn’t give up and Brek Shea pulled one back late.
2. RSL is 1-7-1 at Vancouver all-time. Real Salt Lake took zero points from their 2017 visit to BC Place in a 3-2 loss with goals coming from defenders Chris Wingert, who has since retired, and Tony Beltran, who is out injured. Their win and draw at Vancouver both came in 2013, Real scored 1 goal in each of those games.
3. Real Salt Lake injuries are as follows:
Out: Tony Beltran DF knee 10/15/17, Jordan Allen MF knee 6/16/17, David Horst DF knee 4/11, Alex Horwath GK achilles 4/18.
Questionable: Taylor Peay DF knee 1/22, Shawn Barry DF hamstring 3/10, Demar Phillips DF ankle 4/7, Marcelo Silva DF groin 4/7, Luis Silva FW ankle 4/21.
Probable: Aaron Herrera DF hamstring 2/27, Luke Mulholland MF hamstring 3/17.
4. Nick Besler (24) got his first MLS start playing alongside Acosta (20), Glad (21), and Lennon (20) on defense against Colorado, making the average age of the back line 21 years old. The defense stood strong, helping Rimando get his 139th clean sheet, and prevented Colorado from registering a single shot on goal. Pablo Ruiz (19) and Corey Baird (22) also saw time in the second half. Add all of that to Albert Rusnak’s (23) AT&T Goal of the Week and Jefferson Savarino’s (21) consistent performances and the future of this organization looks bright.
5. Vancouver is winless in their last 3 MLS matches, dating back to their loss at Rio Tinto Stadium on April 7th, with a 2-0 loss to LAFC at BC Place and most recently at SKC 6-0. Yordy Reyna and Efrain Juarez both received red cards, the team’s 2nd and 3rd in 8 matches, just before half in their loss at SKC, the match was already at 3-0. Vancouver is 1-1-1 at home so far this season with an overall record of 3-4-1, they are currently sitting just below Real Salt Lake in 6th place.
Our coverage of Real Salt Lake at Vancouver Whitecaps begins at 7:30 PM with Lauren Mason Beck and JP Chunga, kick-off is at 8:30 PM with Tom Hackett and Spencer Warne.
