Real Salt Lake will take on yet another high-profile team on Saturday, hosting a revamped Toronto FC side at 7:30 p.m. MT at Rio Tinto Stadium.
Here are a few storylines to watch ahead of Saturday’s match:
Can RSL slow down new-look TFC?
Bolstered by the high-profile offseason additions of Michael Bradley, Jermain Defoe, Julio Cesar and Gilberto, Toronto FC has started 2014 with a bang, winning its first two matches for the first time in club history. Defoe has been particularly hot for the new-look Reds, scoring all three of the team’s goals in his first two games in the league. Of course, RSL has an unbeaten record of its own to protect on Saturday, entering the match with a 1-0-2 record through its first three regular season games.
Beckerman looks to continue climb up MLS record books with more success against TFC
RSL midfielder Kyle Beckerman has the most success of any RSL player against Toronto FC, tied for the team lead with two career goals against Toronto and leading RSL with three career assists in 11 career regular season games against the Reds.
Beckerman will also likely continue his climb up the MLS record books on Saturday. A start for the Claret-and-Cobalt captain would make him just the seventh player in league history to hit 300 career regular season starts. One of the six players in MLS history to hit the 300 start mark before Beckerman? RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando, who has 349 career starts.
How will RSL fare without Plata?
Real Salt Lake will be without dynamic forward Joao Plata on Saturday for the first time this season, with the Ecuadoran forward set to miss the game due to a hamstring injury suffered in last Saturday’s 1-1 draw against the Galaxy. Plata was fantastic in RSL’s first three matches, scoring two goals and adding two assists before leaving last week’s match in the first half after suffering his injury.
Expect Olmes Garcia to fill-in for Plata alongside striker Alvaro Saborio up top on Saturday. The two will have a tough test against a TFC backline that has been stingy so far this year, allowing just one goal in its first two games.
World Cup players on display
A few players from each team could very well be making big news in Brazil this summer, with RSL's Beckerman, Rimando and Saborio and TFC's Bradley, Defoe and Cesar all looking like decent bets to make it to the World Cup for their respective national teams. You'll have a chance to see all of them - along with RSL's darkhorse candidate for Brazil, midfielder Luis Gil - in action in one place on Saturday, a rare opportunity that more than likely won't present itself again this season.
