Real Salt Lake 1 vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2
June 4, 2022; B.C. Place, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Real Salt Lake (7-4-4, 25 points); Vancouver Whitecaps FC (5-7-2, 17 points)
Man of the Match: Midfielder Justin Meram was a key factor in the attack, scoring Real Salt Lake’s lone goal in the Club’s 2-1 loss to Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Meram connected on the end of a long ball sent over top from midfield by Pablo Ruiz and gathered the ball as it caromed off a Whitecaps defender, and struck the ball into the bottom-right corner for the equalizer. Additionally, Meram was second in total shots with two and consistently connected with his teammates, ending the match with a 92.2% pass percentage.
Telling Stat: Real Salt Lake out-performed Vancouver Whitecaps FC in every statistical category, winning the possession and shot battle. This is just the second time this season RSL has won the possession battle with the other time. coming in the 3-0 win over Houston Dynamo FC. Tonight’s match was the seventh time during the 2022 season when the Claret-and-Cobalt have out-shot its opponent, firing 10 shots to Vancouver’s six.
What You Missed: Real Salt Lake fall to Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2-1 after a stoppage-time penalty kick goal to give the Canadian side the full three points. Meram netted his second goal of the 2022 campaign while forward Anderson Julio made his first appearance since his injury against Austin FC. Additionally, midfielder Diego Luna made his MLS debut as the 28th player this season and 186th all-time to suit up for the Claret-and-Cobalt.
What’s Next: Real Salt Lake will have a one-week break before returning to Rio Tinto Stadium for a two-match homestand. RSL will first face San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday, June 18 at 7:30 p.m. MT before a matchup with Columbus Crew on Saturday, June 25 at 8:00 p.m. MT. Tickets are available for purchase at rsl.com/tickets/
