Luke Mulholland chose a great time to notch his first goal of the 2016 season on Saturday when his rocket from distance put RSL up 2-0 on the road against Sporting Kansas City. Now, the eventual game-winner in a 2-1 victory over previously unbeaten SKC is in the running for the AT&T Goal of the Week.
On the play, Sporting cleared a Real Salt Lake corner kick, but only as far as Mulholland and the RSL midfielder hit a first-time shot that bounced in the box and past Tim Melia for his first goal of the season and 10th in his three-year MLS career.
“You’ve got to put it back in a dangerous area and it went in the most dangerous area – the back of the net – so it’s all gravy, baby,” Mulholland smiled after the match.
Mulholland was playing in the midfield for RSL, but not in his traditional role, but rather in the No. 10 role typically occupied by Javier Morales. With Morales nursing a rib injury, along with four other starters and five reserves missing the match for injury or suspension, Mulholland was thrust into the unfamiliar position, but thrived, though in a different way than when Morales is on the field.
“You can never play as well as Javier plays it,” Mulholland said in his postgame interview on KMYU’s television broadcast. “I think today it was just a good team performance. We were struggling to get a full 18 players out there today. It was my first time playing that position. I just tried to work hard. I knew I wasn’t going to get on the ball a lot but when I did I had to be careful with it and connect as many passes as possible.”
Mulholland has 10 goals and nine assists in 63 career MLS matches. Saturday was his first start in three appearances this season.
To vote for him for Goal of the Week, click here.
