Real Salt Lake 2 vs New York Red Bulls 1
June 22, 2016; Sandy, Utah; Rio Tinto Stadium
Real Salt Lake (8-4-3, 27 points); New York Red Bulls (7-8-1, 22 points)
Man of the Match: It was a night for substitutes, as John Stertzer notched his first career MLS assist on Yura Movsisyan’s goal in the 65th minute, but the Man of the Match goes to another sub – Jordan Allen. The versatile 21-year-old came off the bench in the second half and scored his third goal of the season and fourth in his MLS career to lift RSL to victory.
Telling Stat: Real Salt Lake now has four comeback victories this season – three at home and one on the road. Those points have proven incredibly valuable as RSL continues to keep pace with the top teams in MLS.
What You Missed: While trailing 1-0 early in the second half, the crowd at Rio Tinto Stadium broke into an impromptu rendition of the club’s anthem, “Believe.” It’s a song that sings of fan loyalty and spirit, but the word “belief” keeps popping up from players and coaches as well, so the song serves as something of a reminder of that credence on the field.
So What: RSL is now just one point behind FC Dallas with two games in hand for second place in the Western Conference standings. With those two teams clashing on Saturday in Frisco, Texas, it’s an opportunity to leapfrog Dallas in the standings. Though, like New York on Wednesday, Head Coach Jeff Cassar indicated he would be rotating his squad a bit on Saturday, particularly with a home match in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Tuesday.
