Real Salt Lake 1 at Seattle Sounders FC 3
October 25, 2015; CenturyLink Field
Real Salt Lake (11-15-8, 41 points); Seattle Sounders (15-13-6, 51 points)
Man of the Match: Tony Beltran led RSL with six interceptions and five tackles, ensuring that the slow start the led to three Seattle goals in the first 20 minutes didn’t bleed over into the rest of the match. He led the charge in his actions and words and assisted on the only goal of the match for RSL in the second half.
Telling Stat: Real Salt Lake outshot Seattle 8-7 for the match, including a 4-1 edge in the second half. However, the Sounders blocked four of RSL’s shots on the afternoon. That 50 percent figure is well above the season average for Salt Lake, who had roughly 21.2 percent of its shots blocked on the season.
What You Missed: RSL went winless in 2015 on turf, going 0-4-1 in league play and 0-4-2 overall. Luis Gil’s goal in the second half was only the second on fake grass this season and first since Javier Morales scored a stunning free kick in May 30 against Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
So What: Real Salt Lake now enters a pivotal off-season with many decisions for General Manager Craig Waibel to make. A run in the CONCACAF Champions League could set the tone for the season and it starts early next year for the Claret-and-Cobalt, who will face Tigres UANL from Mexico in the Quarterfinal Round. The allocation money awarded the club for qualifying for the quarterfinals – and for missing the postseason for the first time since 2007 – should go a long way in helping Waibel reconstruct the team in a way that could help it compete in Champions League and make a return to the playoffs next year.
