Real Salt Lake 1 vs. San Jose Earthquakes 1
May 1, 2015; Rio Tinto Stadium
Records: Real Salt Lake (2-2-4, 10 points). San Jose Earthquakes (3-4-1, 10 points)
Man of the Match: Jordan Allen was called on in a pinch when Javier Morales needed a first half substitute (more on that later). The 20-year-old, fresh off of two matches in Austria with the U.S. U-20 National Team last week, provided a spark on both ends of the field and while he didn’t figure into the stat sheet with any shots, he made an impact in other ways that softened the blow of losing the club’s top playmaker in Morales.
Telling Stat: 5. Over the final 20 minutes of the match, RSL registered five shots. Head Coach Jeff Cassar made three attacking substitutes, bringing in Allen, Devon Sandoval and Sebastian Saucedo. With those three, RSL was able to put the pressure on San Jose, particularly after gaining momentum from a 71st minute own-goal. In Allen and Saucedo, RSL has two promising young players who get involved in the offense and aren’t intimidated by the moment. That bodes well for the future of the club.
What You Missed: Javier Morales was taken out of the match in the 41st minute after suffering a blow to the head in the 27th minute. After momentarily coming out of the match, Morales returned to the field for some time before being taken out by Cassar. After the match, Cassar said Morales was “disengaged” upon his return to the field, prompting the change. He was taken to Salt Lake Regional Medical Center and treated for concussion-like symptoms.
So What: The draw ends a two-game losing streak for RSL and puts them somewhat back on track in the Western Conference. Although there were no shots on goal, the offense was far from stagnant, creating several second-half chances, including a header from Alvaro Saborio and a long-range half-volley from Kyle Beckerman that narrowly missed. With a busy month of May that includes seven matches on the schedule, building some offensive momentum can be key to finding success in the month.
