Real Salt Lake got back in the win column on Sunday with a 2-1 victory over the Philadelphia Union, earning the club’s fifth comeback win this season and fifth win away from home. Key to that comeback success was forward Joao Plata, who scored his sixth goal of the season to lead RSL to victory. For his efforts, he was named to the MLSsoccer.com Team of the Week for the second time this season.
Plata had a game-high five shots, including three shots on goal, en route to his stunning goal in the 48th minute that equalized after a first-half penalty.
“I thought his energy level was very high today. Obviously going into a two-game road trip with the amount of traveling, we felt that this was our best opportunity to be aggressive and have the right energy for this game,” RSL Head Coach Jeff Cassar said. “Joao, in particular, was very threatening all the time. When you have players that are threatening all the time, you can keep back their outside backs from getting forward, which was the big part of the game.”
RSL continues its road stretch with a match in Toronto on Wednesday before returning home to face the Chicago Fire on Saturday.
Joining Plata on Team of the Week were goalkeeper David Bingham (San Jose Earthquakes); defenders Drew Moor (Toronto FC), Jelle Van Damme (LA Galaxy) and Ike Opara (Sporting Kansas City); midfielders Nicolas Lodeiro (Seattle Sounders FC), Tommy McNamara (New York City FC), Frank Lampard (New York City FC) and Kevin Molino (Orlando City SC); and forwards Sebastian Giovinco (Toronto FC) and Maxi Urruti (FC Dallas).
For more on the Week 21 Team of the Week, click here.
Team of the Week
Week 1: Juan Manuel Martinez
Week 2: Sunday Stephen
Week 5: Aaron Maund, Joao Plata
Week 7: Nick Rimando, Demar Phillips
Week 9: Jordan Allen
Week 12: Justen Glad
Week 14: Yura Movsisyan
Week 15: Juan Manuel Martinez
Week 18: Demar Phillips
Week 19: Aaron Maund
Week 21: Joao Plata
