MATCH 16: REAL SALT LAKE vs SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES (JUNE 23, 2018)
Starting XI: Nick Rimando; Brooks Lennon, Marcelo Silva, Justen Glad, Danilo Acosta; Kyle Beckerman, Damir Kreilach; Jefferson Savarino, Albert Rusnak, Sebastian Saucedo; Corey Baird.
Bench: Connor Sparrow, Aaron Herrera, Nick Besler, Pablo Ruiz, Sunny, Joao Plata, Luis Silva.
Lineup notes:
- Real Salt Lake is looking to extend its club-record six-game home winning streak.
- Kyle Beckerman is making his 300th career MLS regular season start for Real Salt Lake. He is the only field player in MLS history to reach that milestone with a single club.
- When Justen Glad and Marcelo Silva play 90 minutes together, Real Salt Lake is 8-2-4 with 5 shutouts and a 0.93 goals against average. In 1,307 minutes overall with the pair on the field, RSL has a 1.10 GAA.
- The lineup includes one change from a 3-0 loss to the LA Galaxy on June 9, with Kyle Beckerman moving back into the starting lineup in place of Sunny. Joao Plata also returns to the bench after missing the match against the Galaxy with an abdominal strain.
- Injury list: Jordan Allen (knee), Shawn Barry (knee), Tony Beltran (knee), Alex Horwath (Achilles), Luke Mulholland (back), Demar Phillips (ankle).
- GK Nick Rimando (USA/22 caps/38 years old/15 games, 15 starts (467, 467)/7-7-1 (203-157-107), 2.07 GAA/D.C. United) – Of Rimando’s 203 career wins, 14 have come against the San Jose Earthquakes, second-most of any Western Conference opponent behind the 23 wins against the Colorado Rapids. Ranks fifth in MLS with 52 saves this season.
- RB Brooks Lennon (USA/0 caps/20 years old/14 games, 13 starts (37, 26)/0 goals, 2 assists (3, 6)/Liverpool (England)/HGP) – Making his 13th start at right back this season. RSL is 7-5-0 in his 12 previous starts at right back with four shutouts. Second on RSL with 26 tackles and 29 interceptions.
- RCB Marcelo Silva (Uruguay/0 caps/29 years old/8 games, 8 starts (17, 17)/0 goals, 0 assists (0, 0)/Zaragoza (Spain)) – Making his sixth consecutive start after missing five straight matches to injury. RSL is 3-2-0 in the last five starts for Silva.
- LCB Justen Glad (USA/0 caps/21 years old/15 games, 15 starts (68, 66)/0 goals, 0 assists (2, 1)/RSL Academy/HGP) – Only player on the back line to start in all 16 matches this season. Leads RSL with 51 interceptions, tied for the league lead with Minnesota’s Rasmus Schuller. Scored one of his two career goals against San Jose in 2016.
- LB Danilo Acosta (USA/0 caps/20 years old/6 games, 5 starts (23, 21)/0 goals, 1 assist (0, 3)/Real Salt Lake Academy/HGP) – Making his fifth consecutive start at left back.
- CM Damir Kreilach (28 years old/15 games, 14 starts (15, 14)/2 goals, 4 assists (2, 4)/Union Berlin (Germany)/TAM) – Leads RSL with four assists this season.
- CM Kyle Beckerman (USA/58 caps/35 years old/14 games, 13 starts (446, 416)/1 goal, 0 assists (41, 49)/Colorado Rapids) – Returns to the starting lineup after missing RSL’s 3-0 loss to the LA Galaxy on June 9. Has four goals and seven assists in 34 career matches against San Jose.
- RW Jefferson Savarino (Venezuela/1 cap/21 years old/15 games, 15 starts (37, 34)/2 goals, 2 assists (8, 7)/Zulia (Venezuela)/DP) – Ranks seventh in MLS and first on RSL with 40 dribbles completed. Also RSL’s most-fouled player, winning 27 fouls this season. Scored one of his six goals last season in a 4-0 win over the Earthquakes in August at Rio Tinto Stadium.
- CAM Albert Rusnák (Slovakia/10 caps, 1 goal/23 years old/13 games, 13 starts (43, 42)/3 goals, 3 assists (10, 17)/FC Groningen (Holland)/DP) – Leads RSL and ranks third in MLS with 43 chances created. Had one goal and two assists in his only match against San Jose last season.
- LW Sebastian Saucedo (21 years old/10 games, 3 starts (38, 9)/1 goal, 3 assists (1, 5)/Real Salt Lake Academy) – Remains in the starting lineup for the second straight match. Has one goal and three assists in the last five matches.
- FW Corey Baird (22 years old/13 games, 9 starts (12, 8)/4 goals, 1 assist (4, 1)/Stanford/HGP) – Scored his team-leading fourth goal against Seattle Sounders FC on June 2. Leads all MLS rookies in scoring.
Bench:
- GK Connor Sparrow (23 years old/0 games, 0 starts (0, 0)/0-0-0 (0-0-0)/Real Monarchs) – Started in a 2-0 loss in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup to Sporting Kansas City – his first competitive appearance for Real Salt Lake. Has two shutouts in four matches with Real Monarchs in the USL after posting seven shutouts in 18 appearances last year to lead the Monarchs to the USL regular season title.
- RCB Taylor Peay (26 years old/0 games, 0 starts (7, 4)/0 goals, 0 assists (0, 0)/Real Monarchs) – Started three matches thus far for Real Monarchs SLC in the USL while on loan from RSL. Salt Lake City native played 21 matches for the Monarchs in 2017. Made his RSL competitive debut in a 2-0 Open Cup loss to Sporting Kansas City.
- DF Aaron Herrera (20 years old/1 game, 0 starts (1, 0)/0 goals, 0 assists (0, 0)/University of New Mexico) – Made his MLS debut on the road against Seattle Sounders FC last month, coming off the bench during stoppage time to see out a 1-0 win over Seattle. Made his first competitive RSL start against Sporting Kansas City in the Fourth Round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, a 2-0 defeat.
- DF/MF Pablo Ruiz (Argentina/Chile/0 caps/19 years old/7 games, 4 starts (7, 4)/0 goals, 0 assists (0, 0)/San Luis (Chile)) – On the bench for the fifth straight match after starting four consecutive matches at left back.
- DF/MF Nick Besler (24 years old/7 games, 5 starts (7, 5)/0 goals, 0 assists (0, 0)/Real Monarchs) – Started in the midfield in a 2-1 win over the Houston Dynamo on May 30 after starting four previous matches as a center back. RSL is 3-2-0 in his five starts.
- CM Sunny (Nigeria/1 cap/29 years old/7 games, 4 starts (43, 37)/0 goals, 0 assists (1, 2)/Alanyaspor (Turkey)) – Returns to the bench after making four consecutive starts in the midfield. RSL went 3-1-0 in those four starts.
- FW Joao Plata (Ecuador/4 caps, 2 goals/26 years old/9 games, 8 starts (178, 151)/3 goals, 1 assists (43, 41)/Toronto FC/TAM) – Returns to the bench after missing last week’s match against LA with an abdominal strain. Has one goal and four assists in 13 career matches against San Jose.
- FW Luis Silva (29 years old/11 games, 7 starts (148, 106)/3 goals, 0 assists (29, 16)/Tigres (Mexico)) – Scored in two straight matches after his late open-net finish last week against Seattle Sounders FC to move into a tie for second on the team in scoring with three goals. Has two goals in six career matches against San Jose.
