Real Salt Lake 2 at Portland Timbers 2
March 19, 2016; Portland, Oregon; Providence Park
Real Salt Lake (1-0-2, 5 points); Portland Timbers (1-1-1, 4 points)
Man of the Match: Nick Rimando organized a 10-man squad for the majority of the match and kept Portland at bay until the final minutes. Joao Plata and Yura Movsisyan both scored goals – Movsisyan while down a man – but RSL was under the gun for most of the match, but the play of Rimando kept the Claret-and-Cobalt in the lead until the last minutes.
Telling Stat: 8. Real Salt Lake blocked eight of Portland’s 26 shots – a testament to the undying commitment and belief the team had, even when down to nine men late in the second half. Rimando finished the match with four saves, a couple of which could very well be candidates for MLSsoccer.com’s Save of the Week.
What You Missed: The match was pretty evenly played through the first 31 minutes before Kyle Beckerman was shown a red card. The teams were even on shots at 3-3 at that time and RSL held a 1-0 lead. Over the next 59 minutes, Portland would outshoot Salt Lake 23-4. While RSL was hanging on for dear life, there was a unified feeling to the group as they endured a barrage from the Timbers.
So What: This was the second time this season where red cards and late goals cost points on the road for RSL … but despite the first half ejections Head Coach Jeff Cassar was optimistic about the drive of his club to score while down a man on both occasions. Getting two points on the road from matches against Orlando and Portland keeps RSL in a good position in the West, even while it felt like two points lost in both matches. The road tests don’t get any easier, with RSL facing Sporting Kansas City on the road next on April 2.
