March 2015 in Review
RSL Record: 1-0-2
Results: @ Portland, 0-0; vs. Philadelphia Union, 3-3; vs. Toronto FC, 2-1.
Real Salt Lake started the 2015 season strong with an unbeaten month and ranks fifth in MLS with 1.67 points per match. While the play on the field has bene somewhat inconsistent, the results have come largely as a result of the work rate of the club from top to bottom. The first two matches were polar opposites, with a stellar defensive performance marking a Week 1 draw with the Portland Timbers then an offensive outburst and defensive lapses ending with a 3-3 draw against the Philadelphia Union one week later. The most complete performance came in a 2-1 win over Toronto FC, but that match had both sides missing five players on international duty and more to injuries and suspensions. All told it was a resilient month.
Top Performer: Javier Morales finished the month with one goal and three assists, accounting for four of RSL’s five goals on the month. The 35-year-old playmaker had 17 goals and 22 assists over the last two seasons and is showing early this season that he doesn’t plan to slow down anytime soon. His precision passing has been the catalyst for RSL in the last two matches, as the team scored five goals in two home contests, showing glimpses of an explosive attack. And who can forget his laser-beam free kick goal against Philadelphia?
Unsung Hero: Luke Mulholland did exactly what was needed of him in all three matches. Against Portland, he came off the bench to provide some defensive stops to keep the Timbers from breaking through late in the match. Against Philadelphia, his burst into the box drew the equalizing penalty. Whether the penalty was deserved or not is irrelevant in the end – he put himself in position to make a play and a game-deciding play was the result. Finally against Toronto FC, he started and put RSL out to a 1-0 first-half lead with his first goal of the season.
By The Numbers: Head Coach Jeff Cassar used 15 different starters, 18 different players. … 19-year-old Jordan Allen scored his first MLS goal for a game-winner against Toronto FC. … 18-year-old Sebastian Saucedo saw his MLS debut in the closing minutes of that match, too. … After 240 days – nearly eight full months – John Stertzer made his return to the field at Rio Tinto Stadium with a substitute appearance against Toronto FC. After suffering a fractured leg in August of 2014 and a fractured toe during training camp, Stertzer is now healthy and ready for action.
Up Next: Real Salt Lake will play three road matches in April, with the lone home date coming on April 18 against Vancouver Whitecaps FC. The road contests come at new Avaya Stadium against the San Jose Earthquakes on Sunday, at Sporting Kansas City on April 11 and finishing the month against last year’s MLS Cup finalists in the New England Revolution on April 25.
