Real Salt Lake 2 vs. Houston Dynamo 1
April 30, 2016; Sandy, Utah; Rio Tinto Stadium
Real Salt Lake (5-1-2, 17 points); Houston Dynamo (1-5-2, 6 points)
Man of the Match: Jordan Allen finished the night with a goal and an assist and throughout the first half he was aggressive in going at Houston left back DaMarcus Beasley. That set the tone for a second half that saw Allen notch his first goal of the season on a tremendous shot from the right side after the second effort from a corner kick. Then it was his ball up the left side that sprung Demar Phillips into position to set up Yura Movsisyan for his second goal of the season. Not a bad night for Allen on the week of his 21st birthday.
Telling Stat: Thus far this season when Javier Morales and Juan Manuel Martinez are on the field together (256 minutes), Real Salt Lake is outscoring its opponents 6-1. On the offensive side, they bring a creative flair unlike many in MLS and The constant threat the duo brings in the attack keeps teams honest on the defensive side while limiting opposing possession and opportunities to score.
What You Missed: Saturday was the final match at Rio Tinto Stadium before RSL embarks on a five-match road stretch. RSL is now 4-0-0 this season at home to run the team’s all-time, all-competitions record to 95-21-35 at the RioT. Real Salt Lake will return to its home pitch on June 18.
So What: Saturday saw the return of Javier Morales and Sunday Stephen to the RSL starting midfield, however, stalwart defender Aaron Maund left the match in the first half with a hamstring strain. As Salt Lake embarks on a stretch of five consecutive road matches over the next six weeks while the field at Rio Tinto Stadium is replaced, Head Coach Jeff Cassar will look to his depth that got his team through the first seven matches with a record that is tops in MLS.
