TUCSON, Arizona (Saturday, February 20, 2016) – Real Salt Lake’s first XI got one last run-out before starting the CONCACAF Champions League Quarterfinal series with Tigres next week, playing a 45-minute scrimmage against FC Tucson on Saturday morning. A 4-0 win was just the result the team was looking for as Joao Plata scored a hat trick and Juan Manuel Martinez added another as the offense was clicking on all cylinders and the defense held strong in the final tune-up for the players slated to be in the starting lineup in Mexico on Wednesday.
The match got out to a quick start as Plata opened his preseason account in the second minute on an assist from Yura Movsisyan, who played Plate through for a simple tap-in to make it 1-0.
While FC Tucson was able to apply some pressure over the next few minutes, Plata found the net again in the 15th minute. Martinez started on the right side and a series of passes moved him to the left side for a running shot that walloped off of the crossbar and spilled to Plata for a putback score and a 2-0 lead.
He completed the hat-trick in the 25th minute, running alone up the left side of the box on a ball from Martinez before firing home his shot for a 3-0 lead.
Martinez added to the tally in the 32nd minute when another series of passes led to Plata laying off the ball for Martinez to thump into the net to make it 4-0.
Real Salt Lake’s final preseason match is Saturday at 5 p.m. MT at Kino Sports Complex against Columbus Crew SC. The match will be streamed live on RSL.com.
REAL SALT LAKE 4-0 FC TUCSON
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2016
Tucson, Arizona
Goals by Period F
Real Salt Lake 4
FC Tucson 0
Scoring Summary:
RSL: Joao Plata (Yura Movsisyan) 2’
RSL: Joao Plata 15’
RSL: Joao Plata (Juan Manuel Martinez) 25’
RSL: Juan Manuel Martinez (Joao Plata) 32’
Lineups:
Real Salt Lake (4-2-3-1): Nick Rimando; Tony Beltran, Jamison Olave, Aaron Maund, Demar Phillips; Kyle Beckerman, Sunday Stephen Obayan; Juan Manuel Martinez, Javier Morales, Joao Plata; Yura Movsisyan (Amass Amankona 24’).
