Flip the Switch: Marcelo Silva
The play: It may have seemed inconsequential at the time but in the 12th minute, Romain Metanire got free up the right wing and looked to have an opportunity to create some danger. Marcelo Silva came flying in and made a tackle that earned a foul call, but thwarted the Minnesota counter attack – one of United’s main sources of offense thus far in 2020.
The reason: The early tackle set the tone that RSL wasn’t going to allow anything easy in the match. Silva serves as the veteran presence on a backline made up of three RSL Academy products, each of whom has established themselves as mainstays in the lineup. In a match that ended scoreless, setting the tone defensively was vital to RSL’s success.
The stats: Silva finished the night with four tackles and five interceptions, both topping RSL for the match. Through two matches in the MLS Is Back Tournament, he has six tackles and eight interceptions, leading a stingy defense that is one of only two in the league to post two shutouts in the tournament.
The quote: RSL goalkeeper Zac MacMath on the clean sheet, “Everything starts with practice. The whole team and Freddy has emphasized just playing simple and not giving the ball away easily to the other team. I think we’ve done that really well over the last two games and hopefully it’s something we can continue to build on throughout this tournament. The guys in front of me were outstanding again, not just in the build-up, but defending shots and crosses as well making it really hard for the Minnesota forwards to score.”
