Real Salt Lake 1 at Philadelphia Union 4
May 19, 2018; Chester, Pennsylvania; Talen Energy Stadium
Real Salt Lake (4-6-1, 13 points); Philadelphia Union (4-5-2, 14 points)
Man of the Match: Sebastian Saucedo came off the bench at halftime and provided the spark in the attacking half that RSL needed, although it didn’t show in the final result. He finished with four shots and one shot on goal and assisted RSL’s lone goal off the boot of Damir Kreilach. He gave the Union fits throughout the second half, drawing six fouls in just 45 minutes of action.
Telling Stat: Up until the first goal, RSL was arguably the better team in the match, forcing Union goalkeeper Andre Blake into four saves over the first 20 minutes. However, as has been the case on the road on a few occasions, the response after allowing goals has dug the team into deeper holes. Against Vancouver and Orlando in recent weeks, the second goal has come within four minutes of the first. And while it was 13 minutes between goals for Philadelphia, the match shifted clearly in the Union’s favor after the first goal.
What You Missed: It was Armed Forces Day at Talen Energy Stadium and prior to the match two military veterans were honored on the field. One was a big Kyle Beckerman fan and after warmups concluded, the RSL captain greeted him on the sideline, took some pictures and signed his Beckerman U.S. National Team kit.
So What: Real Salt Lake continues to search for its first road win of 2018, now at 0-5-1 after posting a draw against FC Dallas in the opening weekend. The team has largely taken care of business at home, going 4-1-0 with four straight wins at Rio Tinto Stadium, but the road hex will need to be broken to put RSL into contention for the postseason.
