NEW YORK (Thursday, June 2, 2016) – Real Salt Lake closed out its extended five-game road swing in winning fashion on Thursday, coming from behind to earn a 3-2 win over New York City FC in the club’s first ever visit to Yankee Stadium.
FW Yura Movsisyan and FW Juan Manuel Martinez both scored second half goals and the Claret-and-Cobalt saw the benefit of an own goal as RSL rallied back from a 1-0 deficit after withstanding the pressure from NYCFC for the first hour of the match. The win improved Salt Lake to 7-4-2 on the season and 2-3-0 in the stretch of five consecutive road matches while the field at Rio Tinto Stadium is resurfaced.
NYCFC’s David Villa had the first good scoring chance when he got into the box off an errant back pass and fired a right-footed shot from the right side. GK Nick Rimando dove to his right to get his hand to it to make the save and DF Justen Glad made the clearance as the rebound spun in front of the open net to keep things scoreless in the ninth minute.
Villa would continue to put pressure on the Salt Lake defense had seven shots, including three shots on goal, as New York finished the first half with a shots advantage of 11-3, with Rimando making three saves to keep the match level.
While RSL came out of halftime strong, it was New York that would score first, catching an odd deflection to take a 1-0 lead in the 56th minute.
Villa played the ball to Jack Harrison and the rookie forward carried from right to left across the top of the RSL box before cutting back to his right foot for a shot headed toward the far post. However, the attempt ricocheted off an RSL defender and bounced into the left side of the goal while Rimando was leaning the opposite direction and the ball found the back of the net.
The lead didn’t last long, though, as RSL sprung to life after the goal.
In the 59th minute, MF Sunny sent a ball over the top for Movsisyan, who outdueled Jason Hernandez for the ball, then eluded him to get the ball to his right foot inside the box for a shot that beat Josh Saunders to equalize at 1-1.
It was the fourth goal of the season for Movsisyan.
In the 68th minute, Martinez would stake Salt Lake to the lead off of a screaming shot for his fourth goal of the season. MF Javier Morales sent a free kick in from the left side that was defended by NYCFC, but the clearance fell to Martinez on the right side of the box. He collected and fired a rocket past Saunders and into the net for a 2-1 lead.
That lead was doubled in the 74th minute when Morales sent a cross in form the right side that caromed off of New York defender Federico Brillant and into the net for an own goal, giving RSL the 3-1 advantage.
New York pulled a goal back when Villa converted a penalty in the 87th minute, but RSL stood its ground through five minutes of stoppage time to earn the victory, improving to 1-1-1 against the Eastern Conference.
Real Salt Lake will return to the field June 14 at Rio Tinto Stadium against the Wilmington Hammerheads (USL) in the fourth round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The Claret-and-Cobalt is back to MLS play on June 18 at Rio Tinto Stadium against the Portland Timbers.
GAME NOTES – NYCvRSL
- MF Kyle Beckerman was out of the lineup Thursday while away with the U.S. National Team preparing for Copa America Centenario. The U.S. opens the tournament Friday against Colombia.
- RSL Head Coach Jeff Cassar was not available to coach Thursday’s match after being ejected from the match on Saturday against Columbus Crew SC. In his place, Richie Williams led the coaching staff on Thursday alongside assistants Daryl Shore, Tyrone Marshall and Ted Eck.
- DF Chris Wingert made his return to Yankee Stadium, where he spent one year with New York City FC in 2015. He made his first start of the season at right back after making seven previous starts at left back.
NEW YORK CITY FC 2-3 REAL SALT LAKE
THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2016
YANKEE STADIUM
Goals by Period 1 2 F
Real Salt Lake 0 3 3
NYCFC 0 2 2
Scoring Summary:
NYC: Jack Harrison (David Villa) 56’
RSL: Yura Movsisyan (Sunny) 59’
RSL: Juan Manuel Martinez 68’
RSL: Federico Brillant (OG) 74’
NYC: David Villa (PK) 87’
Misconduct Summary:
RSL: Demar Phillips (Caution; Foul) 14’
RSL: Luke Mulholland (Caution; Foul) 17’
NYC: Andrea Pirlo (Caution; Foul) 27’
RSL: Chris Wingert (Caution; Foul) 51’
Lineups:
Real Salt Lake (4-2-3-1): Nick Rimando; Chris Wingert (Tony Beltran 71’), Justen Glad, Aaron Maund, Demar Phillips; Sunday Stephen, Luke Mulholland; Juan Manuel Martinez (John Stertzer 92+’), Javier Morales, Joao Plata; Yura Movsisyan (Devon Sandoval 84’).
Substitutes not used: Jeff Attinella, Jordan Allen, Olmes Garcia, Jamison Olave.
New York City FC (4-3-3): Josh Saunders; Ethan White, Frederic Brillant, Jason Hernandez, RJ Allen; Andrea Pirlo, Mix Diskerud (Frank Lampard 74’), Andoni Iraola; Steven Mendoza (Khiry Shelton 63’), David Villa, Jack Harrison (Kwadwo Poku 74’).
Substitutes not used: Eirik Johansen, Diego Martinez, Tommy McNamara, Jefferson Mena.
Referee: Ted Unkel
Assistant Referees: Brian Dunn, Danny Thornberry
Fourth Official: Jaime Herrera
Attendance: 22,736
Weather: Mostly Cloudy and 66
