RSL DRAWS 0-0 v SEATTLE TO SNAP HOME LOSING SKID
In Debuts of New Defenders Mansally & Watson-Siriboe,
RSL Notches 7th Shutout of 2012, Including 4th at Home
SANDY, Utah (Wednesday, July 4, 2012) – Real Salt Lake (10-6-3, 33 points, West #2) tallied a home shutout – its seventh of the 2012 season and its fourth at home – in a hotly-contested 0-0 draw against Seattle Sounders FC. The rematch of last season’s Western Conference Semifinals, won by RSL 3-2 on aggregate a year ago, saw extensive possession and positive play for RSL, which snapped a three-game MLS losing streak as well as a three-game home losing stretch across all competitions.
Tonight’s capacity Independence Day crowd saw a standing-room-only attendance of 20,363, the eighth-largest crowd in Rio Tinto Stadium history for the MLS club, and the 17th-largest crowd in RSL’s eight-year history. RSL’s all-time Rio Tinto Stadium record in sellout situations is now 6-6-5, with four of the sellouts coming in the team’s 10 home games this season.
Real Salt Lake manager Jason Kreis inserted two new names into the starting eleven for the home side, both on the back line as DF Kenny Mansally – signed a month ago after being waived by New England in March – and DF Kwame Watson-Siriboe – acquired last week in a trade with Chicago Fire – made their RSL debuts. Mansally’s appearance was his 90th in six MLS seasons, but his first as a starting left back, his position with the Gambian National Team. The 23-year old played 79 minutes, many of them with a second-degree shoulder separation, displaying dynamic attacking skill from the back and solid one-on-one defending.
Watson-Siriboe’s appearance was his 11th in MLS play, after the Univ. of Connecticut product played in 10 games (including seven starts) for the Fire during his 2010 rookie campaign. Without even a full training session with RSL, the 25-year old centerback filled in admirably for RSL’s injured backline tandem of Jamison Olave and Chris Schuler, playing the full 90 minutes alongside veteran stabilizer Nat Borchers.
RSL dominated Seattle in the first half of the match, maintaining a 65% possession edge and creating several half-chances, with a trio of headers by FW Alvaro Saborio going high or wide, and a header by Borchers on a corner kick cleared off the line by Sounders DF Jeff Parke. Saborio earned a yellow card in the 41st minute when he got tangled up with Seattle DF Leo Gonzalez on the sideline, resulting in a skirmish that also saw Sounders DF Jhon-Kennedy Hurtado cautioned.
After a scoreless first half, Saborio appeared to break the deadlock, slotting home an apparent goal in the 51st minute. A stellar cross by RSL veteran Chris Wingert found “Sabo” even and then alone in on Sounders’ ‘keeper Bryan Meredith, but the Costa Rican – RSL’s leading 2012 goal-scorer – was whistled offside.
The Sounders’ best scoring chance came in the 88th minute, when a ball skipped across the RSL box but over the outstretched leg of an onrushing Cordell Cato, allowing RSL GK Nick Rimando – who had two spectacular plays on dangerous crosses in the first half – to notch his sixth clean sheet of 2012 and his 57th career RSL shutout.
Click here to access video highlights and the MLSsoccer.com MATCHCENTER for RSL v SEA
Real Salt Lake Match Notes – RSL 0 : 0 SEA
• Real Salt Lake’s record of 10-6-3 (33 points) through 19 games is second only to its 2010 start and its 6-3-1 home mark is the second-best in the team’s eight-year history …
• Tonight’s home result snapped RSL’s winless run at home at three games, the second-longest run in the club’s eight-year history, trailing only the six-game losing streak late in the team’s 2005 expansion season …
• RSL Captain Kyle Beckerman returned from the one-game suspension for caution accumulation served last Saturday at Columbus, while tonight’s yellow card shown to FW Fabian Espindola will cause the Argentine striker to miss Saturday’s home game against Portland … Espindola’s strike partner, Alvaro Saborio, is on the precipice of a suspension, having earned his “Good Behavior Incentive” Saturday in Columbus … His next caution will result in a one-game suspension, while MF Javier Morales today earned his Good Behavior Incentive, as tonight marked his third-consecutive game without a booking …
• DF Jamison Olave (R calf) and MF Ned Grabavoy (adductor strain) were both listed on the substitutes’ bench after missing the weekend trip to Columbus, Grabavoy entering in the 62nd minute this evening … With RSL DF Tony Beltran (adductor spasm) not dressing tonight vs SEA, only FW Alvaro Saborio has appeared in all 19 MLS games for RSL this year … Beltran is expected to be available Saturday against Portland …
• Real Salt Lake continues this week’s stretch of three games by welcoming another Cascadia club, Portland Timbers FC, the Saturday, July 7 match kicking off at 7:00 p.m. MT at Rio Tinto Stadium … Tickets for the second of four July home games for RSL can be purchased at www.RealSaltLake.com or by calling (801) 727.2701.
REAL SALT LAKE 0 : 0 SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC
WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 2012
RIO TINTO STADIUM
Goals by Period 1 2 F
Real Salt Lake 0 0 0
Seattle Sounders FC 0 0 0
Scoring Summary: No goals
Misconduct Summary: SEA – Jhon Kennedy Hurtado (Dissent) 41’
RSL – Alvaro Saborio (Dangerous play) 41’
SEA – Leonardo Gonzalez (Off the ball foul) 45’ + 1’
RSL – Chris Wingert (Foul) 56’
RSL – Fabian Espindola (Time wasting) 86’
Lineups:
Real Salt Lake (4-1-2-1-2) – Nick Rimando; Chris Wingert, Kwame Watson-Siriboe, Nat Borchers, Kenny Mansally (Jonny Steele, 79’); Kyle Beckerman (c), Luis Gil (Ned Grabavoy, 62’), Will Johnson, Javier Morales; Fabian Espindola, Alvaro Saborio
Substitutes Not Used: Kyle Reynish (GK), Emiliano Bonfigli, Jamison Olave, Yordany Alvarez, Paulo Jr.
Seattle Sounders FC (4-4-2) – Bryan Meredith; Zach Scott, Jeff Parke, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Leonardo Gonzalez; Alvaro Fernandez (Marc Burch, 85’), Servando Carrasco, Brad Evans (Andy Rose, 64’), Mauro Rosales; Fredy Montero (Cordell Cato, 73’), Eddie Johnson
Substitutes Not Used: Josh Ford (GK), Alex Caskey, Samuel Ochoa, Patrick Ianni
Referee: Hilario Grajeda Referee's Assistants: Paul Scott, Bill Dittmar 4th Official: Mark Declouet
Attendance: 20,363
Time of Game: 1:53
Weather: Clear and 88 degrees
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