Real Salt Lake 2 vs Portland Timbers 1
September 16, 2017; Sandy, Utah; Rio Tinto Stadium
Real Salt Lake (11-14-5, 38 points); Portland Timbers (12-10-8, 44 points)
Man of the Match: Albert Rusnák had a goal and an assist in leading the charge in the attack, giving him five matches this season in which he registered at least one goal and one assist. Now with seven goals and 12 assists, he has moved to the front of RSL’s Golden Boot race and has the second-most assists in a single season for an RSL player, trailing only the 15 assists by Javier Morales in 2008.
Telling Stat: Mike Petke has his team rolling and seems to know when and how to push the right buttons. Since he took over prior to a 3-0 win over Vancouver on April 8, RSL has gone 5-1-2 against Western Conference foes at Rio Tinto Stadium. Throughout his tenure he preached the process. Now, while he acknowledges things that Salt Lake still needs to clean up, that home record is a good indication that his team is responding to his methods.
What You Missed: If you blinked, you missed two incredible goals from Real Salt Lake. Rusnák’s first-half goal came seemingly out of nowhere as he bombed a shot on the run and from distance, swerving it past former RSL goalkeeper Jeff Attinella. Then in the second half, Jefferson Savarino scored the game-winner when he switched to his left foot while at the right corner of the box and left the Timbers defense with nothing to do but watch as he floated a shot perfectly into the far corner for his fifth goal of the season.
So What: RSL has been among the hottest teams in MLS since July 4. On Independence Day, Salt Lake ousted the LA Galaxy 6-2 and since then has gone 6-2-3, good for the third-most points in the Western Conference in that span and fourth-most overall, trailing only Toronto FC (26 points), Vancouver Whitecaps FC (24 points) and Seattle Sounders FC (23 points). Already a meaningful clash, the matchup with Seattle next week now becomes even more vital for RSL as the Claret-and-Cobalt try to remain above the playoff line.
