REAL SALT LAKE WEEKLY UPDATE
Tues. – Sun., May. 1 - May. 6, 2018
SANDY/HERRIMAN, Utah (Tuesday, May 1, 2018) – Real Salt Lake returned from a Friday night match in Vancouver while Utah Royals FC player to a draw with the defending NWSL champions. Real Monarchs SLC opened its new home in Herriman while the Academy hosted DeAnza Force. Here’s what you need to know at the club this week:
Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake has announced that GK Alex Horwath has undergone a successful surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles tendon in his right leg.
Horwath, 31, is expected to be out approximately six months. A veteran of eight professional seasons, he returned to MLS to sign with Real Salt Lake in February after spending the previous four seasons in Sweden with Ljungskile SK and Norway with SK Brann. Previously, the University of Wisconsin product had played with the New York Red Bulls, Wilmington Hammerheads and VSI Tampa Bay. In his lone appearance this season, he went on loan with Real Monarchs SLC and allowed two goals in a 3-2 win over the Tulsa Roughnecks in the USL season opener on March 24.
The surgery was performed by Dr. Andrew Cooper at Salt Lake Regional Medical Center.
“Alex’s surgery went really well. It was a full rupture, so we will be a little slower on the front end and they tend to be about six-month recoveries,” Cooper said.
Real Salt Lake faces Orlando City SC on Sunday at Orlando City Stadium (3:00 p.m. MT).
Last Friday Real Salt Lake (3-4-1, 10 points, 6th West) fell at Vancouver, 0-2, conceding a 75th-minute penalty kick and then allowing a shorthanded Whitecaps goal four minutes later. Head Coach Mike Petke's team was unable to notch back-to-back wins for the first time this season, but will seek a bounceback win for the fourth time this year one week from Sunday, on May 6, at Orlando City (3:00 p.m. MT kickoff).
RSL kicked off Friday's match with what is believed to be the youngest backline in MLS history, as left back Pablo Ruiz (19 years old), centerbacks Justen Glad (21 y.o) and Nick Besler (24 y.o.), and right back Brooks Lennon (20 y.o.) combined for an average age of 21 years. It was Glad who provided the club's first-half defensive highlight, tracking back to deny Vancouver FW Anthony Blondell an open net after rounding RSL GK Nick Rimando, still seeking his 200th career MLS reg. season victory.
RSL's possession and passing game rounded into form to dominate the game's first sixty minutes, as near-chances by MF Kyle Beckerman, FW Corey Baird and FW Joao Plata were denied by either the woodwork or the Vancouver 'keeper. However, in the 75th minute, the game changed when Besler lunged after his own touch and took down Whitecaps FW Nicholas Mezquida. Vancouver's Cristian Techera converted the penalty to give him six goals in as many games against RSL and provide the home side a 1-0 lead, but earned a second yellow for removing his shirt in the resultant celebration.
Despite the man disadvantage, Vancouver doubled its lead just four minutes later, going up 2-0 in the 79thminute when Blondell poked home a far-post offering from 17-year old Whitecaps winter Alphonso Davies, who entered the game in the 61stminute and got in alone down his left side to create the short-handed opportunity. With the win, Vancouver snapped a three-game slide and won at home for the first time since their 2018 opener.
RSL will continue on the road for most of May, with only a home match on May 12 at Rio Tinto Stadium breaking up a stretch that sees the Utah side play four out of five games away. One week from Sunday, RSL makes the first of three maiden visits to new MLS stadia, meeting Orlando City SC at Orlando City Stadium for the first time on May 6 (3:00 p.m. MT on KMYU, ESPN700 AM and the RSL on KSL app / KSL.com). The last time RSL traveled to Florida to face Orlando, the match was played at the Citrus Bowl (now called Camping World Stadium). Later this season, RSL will play LAFC at their new home, Banc of California Stadium on August 15, and at Atlanta United in Mercedes-Benz on September 22.
Real Salt Lake’s training schedule for the week is as follows:
Wed., May 2 – OFF
Thurs., May 3 – 11:15 a.m. MT – Training at America First Field
Fri., May 4 – Travel to Orlando
Sat., May 5 – Training in Orlando TBD
Sun., May 6 – 3:00 p.m. MT – Kickoff at Orlando City SC
If you plan on attending a training session / game and are requesting access, please contact RSL Director of PR Matt Gaschk at (253) 250-3239 / mgaschk@rsl.com a day in advance for arrangements.
Real Monarchs SLC
Real Monarchs (4-1-1, 13 points) played their first home game at the new Zions Bank Stadium against Las Vegas Lights FC (2-3-1, 9 points), playing to a scoreless tie in front of a near capacity crowd of 4,065.
The Lights picked up a red card within the first 20 minutes of play when Marcelo Alatorre went for a bad tackle behind Sebastian Velasquez, who was just outside the box. With a man up, the Monarchs had no problem taking control of the game. The team led in shots, shots on goal, and possession.
Both Velasquez for the Monarchs and Samuel Ochoa for the Lights did find the back of the net, but each time they were disallowed for offside calls. The Monarchs never gave up though, and continued fighting for that goal until the very end, but just could not break past the deep back line of the Las Vegas Lights.
The Monarchs get their second chance at their first win at their new stadium, this Friday against Orange County SC. The game will be at 7:00 P.M. MT at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman, Utah.
The Monarchs training schedule for the week is as follows:
Wed., May 2 – 10:00 a.m. MT – Training at ZBTC (Herriman, UT)
Thurs., May 3 – 10:00 a.m. MT – Training at ZBTC (Herriman, UT)
Fri., April 27 – 7:00 p.m. MT – Kickoff vs Orange County SC at Zions Bank Stadium
Information regarding Real Monarchs SLC or the Zions Bank Real Academy in Herriman can be found at RSL.com/Monarchs or RSL.com/Academy.If you plan on attending a training session / game and requesting access, please contact RSL Media Services personnel Taran Meyer at (801) 657-2161 / tmeyer@rsl.com a day in advance for arrangements.
Utah Royals FC
Utah Royals FC (0-1-4, 4 points) FW Amy Rodriguez scored her first NWSL goal since 2015 as URFC got out to an early second-half lead, but the Portland Thorns responded with an equalizer and Royals FC settled for a 1-1 draw in front of 8,446 at Rio Tinto Stadium.
Rodriguez made her first start since tearing her ACL in the 2017 season opener and scored in the 53rd minute for her first goal in a Royals uniform. GK Abby Smith one save in the draw as Utah still seeks its first ever victory.
The teams entered the halftime break scoreless with each side earning its share of chances with nothing coming to fruition. The best chance for URFC fell to the feet of Rodriguez whose volleyed effort from five yards sailed over the bar.
Rodriguez didn't waste much time in staking the Royals to a second-half lead though. In the 53rd minute, she got to a ball behind the Portland defense, rounded goalkeeper Britt Eckerstrom and worked past another Portland defender before putting her shot into the net for a 1-0 lead. Portland would bounce back in the 67th minute when Christine Sinclair played Tobin Heath on the run and she lifted her shot into the open net past the on-coming GK Abby Smith to make it 1-1.
URFC will remain at home for the second consecutive game as it hosts the Washington Spirit on May 5 at 7:00 p.m. MT from Rio Tinto Stadium.
Utah Royals FC training schedule for the week is as follows:
Wed., May 2 – OFF
Thurs., May 3 – 11:15 a.m. MT – Training at America First Field
Fri., May 4 – TBD
Sat., May 5 – 1:30 p.m. MT – Kickoff vs. Washington Spirit at Rio Tinto Stadium
If you plan on attending a training session / game and are requesting access, please contact Utah Royals FC Director of PR Carla Haslam at (801) 435-6646 / chaslam@rsl.com a day in advance for arrangements.
Real Salt Lake Academy
The RSL Academy spent the weekend in Herriman where it played host to DeAnza Force on Saturday April 28. The U-17s topped Force 6-0 on Saturday while U-19s topped both Force 5-1 to cap a dominant display from RSL.
In the U-17s first match of the weekend, MF Luis Arriaga notched a hat trick, while FW Ben Ortiz scored twice before Julian Vasquez added another. GK Tyler Kirberg started and played the full 90 minutes in goal.
For the 19s, RSL was led by another hat trick from FW Sebastian Soto as MFs Juan Obeso and Richard Ledezma added to the emphatic scoreline.
On Saturday May 5, the RSL Academy U-17s will travel to Mission Bay, California to face Albion SC. The match will kick off at 9:00 a.m. MT.
The Zions Bank Real Academy Campus in Herriman - located at 14788 South Academy Parkway (3718 West) - MUST be entered off of Mountain View Corridor, just West of the Facility
