Real Salt Lake 1 vs Sporting Kansas City 1
July 22, 2017; Sandy, Utah; Rio Tinto Stadium
Real Salt Lake (7-12-3, 24 points); Sporting Kansas City (8-4-9, 33 points)
Man of the Match: The attacking trio of Albert Rusnák, Joao Plata and Jefferson Savarino had been dangerous in recent weeks, accounting for seven out of the 10 goals scored in road wins over the LA Galaxy and Portland Timbers. On Saturday, though, Luis Silva had his best match of the year, adding another dimension to the offense. He scored RSL’s lone goal and had other opportunities to add to his scoring total, but hit woodwork with a second-half chance.
Telling Stat: Real Salt Lake outshot Kansas City 20-9, putting six shots on frame to three for the visitors. With the bulk of possession and SKC’s only dangerous opportunity coming via a penalty, Salt Lake looked every bit deserving of a victory. Even Sporting midfielder Benny Feilhaber thought as much, saying after the match, “They probably outplayed us this game, so I think we’ll take the draw at this point. They were putting it to us, especially in the last 15 minutes. They played well.”
What You Missed: Late in the second half, RSL Head Coach Mike Petke was ejected after … voicing his displeasure for a no-call when Joao Plata was pulled down from behind on a potential breakaway. After the match, he explained his discontent in animated fashion. To see the full rant, click here.
So What: RSL felt deserving of three points in the match, but couldn’t convert on some key chances. After scoring 10 goals in the previous two matches, getting just one against the top defensive team in MLS is nothing to panic about, especially after managing 20 shots and six shots on goal in the match. With two more home matches before RSL takes to the road again, picking up points will be crucial to keep the momentum toward a postseason berth rolling.
