July 2016 in Review
RSL July record: 1-1-4
RSL season record: 9-6-7 (9-7-10 overall)
Results: vs. D.C. United 1-1; vs. Montreal Impact 1-1; @ Vancouver Whitecaps FC 0-2; vs. New England Revolution 0-0; vs. San Jose Earthquakes 1-1; @ Philadelphia Union 2-1.
A busy month saw Real Salt Lake slip in the standings, but staying out of the loss column has helped Salt Lake keep within striking distance of the Western Conference front-runners. RSL played to four draws at in the month of July, with all four matches coming at Rio Tinto Stadium. While Salt Lake remains unbeaten at home, Head Coach Jeff Cassar would certainly like to see more wins than draws on home turf. At the end of the month, RSL was tied for fourth in the West, but just four points behind the Colorado Rapids in the No. 2 position.
Top Performer: Goalkeeper Nick Rimando allowed four goals in five matches to drop his season goals against average to 1.44 and now he has the fourth-best winning percentage among goalkeepers with 15 or more starts on the year. While he has been solid throughout the month, the biggest reason for Rimando’s inclusion is that he tied Kevin Hartman with 180 career victories – the most in MLS history. His next win will have him stand alone in the record books.
Unsung Hero: It’s not often that Javier Morales’ contributions go unnoticed, but with his play in the last few matches to close out the month, RSL was able to boost from the depths in the final two matches to earn points from both, sealing results in five of six matches for the month. He notched the game-tying assist in a 1-1 draw with the San Jose Earthquakes, then followed that up with the game-winning goal against Philadelphia, giving RSL five points from a losing position for the month.
By The Numbers: 5. Five different players had goals and five different players had assists for RSL in the month, spreading the scoring through different players. In total, seven players registered either a goal or an assist on the month, but nobody had more than one of either. To get back among the top few spots in the West and get a firmer grip on a home match in the MLS Cup Playoffs, RSL will need to have some standout performances coming up.
Up Next: Real Salt Lake gets off to a hot start in August, facing Toronto FC on the road and the Chicago Fire at home in a four-day stretch that continues the road trip that started with the July-ending win in Philadelphia. With five matches scheduled in the month – three home and two away – RSL has a chance to climb in the standings, particularly with the final two matches of the month coming at home against West-leading FC Dallas on August 20 and another West frontrunner in the Colorado Rapids on August 26.
