May 2015 in Review
RSL May record: 2-3-2
RSL season record: 4-5-5
Results: vs. San Jose Earthquakes, 1-1; vs. LA Galaxy, 0-0; @ Chicago Fire, 2-1; @ Montreal Impact, 1-4; vs. New York City FC, 2-0; @ LA Galaxy, 0-1; @ Vancouver Whitecaps FC, 1-2.
It was an up and down month of May for Real Salt Lake. Despite a 4-1 defeat on the road against the Montreal Impact, RSL had a chance at a pretty stellar month entering the final two matches of the season. Losses on the road against the LA Galaxy and Vancouver Whitecaps FC in those final two matches left the club wanting more. However, a 1-0-2 home record helped keep RSL in contention in the Western Conference and with six of the next eight matches over June and July at Rio Tinto Stadium, that draws reason for optimism over the summer months.
Top Performer: Devon Sandoval had a stellar three-game stretch with one goal and two assists while providing great hold-up play for RSL. He may not be the flashiest player, but his Goal of the Week winner against the Montreal Impact was nothing short of spectacular.
Unsung Hero: Quietly, Aaron Maund had a very good defensive run over the final two matches of the month. Working his way into the rotation in the absence of Chris Schuler, Maund has had his highs and lows, but his performance in those two matches winning headers and forcing the opposing forwards to work hard for every opportunity they had made him stand out in the month.
By the Numbers: 21 different players appeared in matches for Head Coach Jeff Cassar this month, including 20 in a starting role. Pecka and Justen Glad both made their MLS debuts while Joao Plata made his 2015 debut. Cassar hopes to tighten up that rotation in June and July, when RSL will play just eight regular season matches.
Up Next: RSL plays three out of four regular season matches at home in June. In addition, Seattle Sounders FC 2 from the USL will play in the U.S. Open Cup on June 16 at Rio Tinto Stadium. Although the month closes on another difficult stretch of three matches in seven days from June 21-27, two of those will come at home, giving RSL the chance to add to its success at Rio Tinto Stadium.
