Real Salt Lake 4 vs San Jose Earthquakes 0
August 23, 2017; Sandy, Utah; Rio Tinto Stadium
Real Salt Lake (9-13-5, 32 points); San Jose Earthquakes (9-11-6, 33 points)
Man of the Match: This was as thorough a team effort as they come, so all 14 players who appeared in the match had a stake in this honor, but ultimately in falls to Albert Rusnák, who had one goal and two assists in leading the charge on the offensive end. That gives him six goals and 10 assists this season, putting him second in MLS in goals scored by a player who has 10 or more assists, trailing only the eight goals of New England’s Lee Nguyen. Other contenders included Luis Silva, who scored in his third consecutive match; Joao Plata, who had one assist and five chances created (in addition to one goal being waived off after video review); and Nick Rimando, who played in his 300th match for RSL and earned his 100th shutout for the club.
Telling Stat: Officially, according to Opta, RSL had three shots hit the woodwork on Wednesday night. In addition to the four goals scored and one disallowed, that accounts for eight would-be goals in a match that the club launched 23 shots total. In putting nine on target, that made for a total of 13 times when the club was within a hair of putting goals on the board. It was a phenomenal offensive outpouring in a match that also saw RSL put the clamps down defensively to earn the first home win since June 17.
What You Missed: Before the match, Rancid bandmates Branden Steineckert and Lars Frederiksen served as honorary captains, each representing their home club. The duo took a night away from the band's current "From Boston To Berkeley" tour for the occasion and held a pre-game meet and greet with fans outside the stadium.
So What: Real Salt Lake now moves within three points of Vancouver Whitecaps FC for the sixth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference standings, with San Jose sitting between the two clubs and one point ahead of RSL. With four of the final seven matches at home and points taken in seven of the last eight matches (4-1-3, 15 points), it’s still an uphill battle, but one the team believes in as it fights through each match. Saturday is a big one against the Colorado Rapids, as a win will clinch the Rocky Mountain Cup and set up an even more important meeting with Vancouver in the return from an international break on September 9.
