Real Salt Lake 0 at New York Red Bulls 1
June 24, 2015; Red Bull Arena
Records: Real Salt Lake (5-6-6, 21 points). New York Red Bulls (5-5-5, 20 points)
Man of the Match: Though it was in a losing effort, Nick Rimando’s seven saves kept the match within reach for RSL to even have a chance at an equalizer in the match’s dying moments. Down two men for the final 35 minutes, Salt Lake had a lot of defending to do, so having the last line of defense stand up tall was crucial and while it didn’t have an effect on the final outcome, it allowed RSL to walk out of the stadium with its pride intact after a gutty performance.
Telling Stat: 9. Rimando wasn’t alone in keeping New York out of the net for the final 86 minutes. As a club, RSL finished with nine blocked shots, a good indicator of the effort and commitment to the defensive side of the ball.
What You Missed: I know you didn’t miss the fact that RSL had two red cards in the match. What you may have missed was that it was just the fourth time RSL had been reduced to nine men in 394 matches across all competitions in club history. However, it was the second time it has happened this season after RSL was down to nine men in a 1-0 loss to Vancouver Whitecaps FC on April 18.
So What: RSL will have a tough test on Saturday when it faces Columbus Crew SC at Rio Tinto Stadium. That task was made all the more difficult with the two red cards, leaving Head Coach Jeff Cassar without Javier Morales or Demar Phillips against a strong Columbus team that is battling for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
