Starting XI: RSL v LAFC Lineup Breakdown

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Today's Starting XI:

Goalkeeper: Rimando.

Defenders: Barry, Horst, Glad, Phillips.

Midfielders: Beckerman, Kreilach, Rusnak.

Forwards: Savarino, Plata, L. Silva.

Bench: Acosta, Horwath, Lennon, Mulholland, Ortuno, Saucedo, Sunny.

Competition: 2018 MLS Regular Season Home Opener

Venue: RioT

Time: 1:30 pm MT

TV: KMYU (Utah), Univision (Nationally)

Streaming: KSL TV app, KSL.com or Twitter.

Radio: ESPN 700

Weather: 60 degrees, partly cloudy

Refs: Baldomero Toledo

MATCH 2: REAL SALT LAKE VS LAFC (MARCH 10, 2018)

Starting XI: Nick Rimando; Shawn Barry, David Horst, Justen Glad, Demar Phillips; Kyle Beckerman ©, Damir Kreilach; Jefferson Savarino, Albert Rusnák, Joao Plata; Luis Silva.

Bench: Alex Horwath, Danny Acosta, Sunny, Luke Mulholland, Brooks Lennon, Sebastian Saucedo, Alfredo Ortuno.

Lineup notes:

• This is the first ever meeting between RSL and LAFC.
• Real Salt Lake starts the same 10 of the same 11 from the season-opener against FC Dallas.  The lone change is David Horst replacing Marcelo Silva.
• Silva is among six injured players for RSL – others include Jordan Allen (knee), Tony Beltran (knee), Adam Henley (hamstring), Aaron Herrera (hamstring) and Taylor Peay (knee).

·        GK Nick Rimando (USA/22 caps/38 years old/1 game (1 start)/0-0-1, 1.00 GAA)/D.C. United) – Making his 12^th consecutive start in a home opener for RSL.  The club is 4-0-7 with a 1.18 goals against average in home openers with Rimando in front of net.

• RB Shawn Barry (27 years old/1 game (1 start)/0 goals, 0 assists/Korona Kielce (Poland)) – Made his MLS debut last week against Dallas after 147 career appearances in Austria, Germany and Poland.
• RCB David Horst (32 years old/0 games (0 starts)/0 goals, 0 assists/Houston Dynamo) – Making his first start of the season for Real Salt Lake.  In his 8 starts last season, RSL went 3-4-1 with a 1.13 goals against average.  The three wins were 7/19, 4-1 @ Portland; 8/23, 4-0 vs. San Jose; 8/26, 4-1 vs. Colorado.
• LCB Justen Glad (USA/0 caps/21 years old/1 game (1 start)/0 goals, 0 assists/RSL Academy/HGP) – Making his 20^th consecutive start since returning from injury and international duty last June.  RSL is 9-5-5 in the 19 previous starts, outscoring the opposition 35-21 in that stretch.
• LB Demar Phillips (Jamaica/72 caps/34 years old/1 game (1 start)/0 goals, 0 assists/Aalesund (Norway)) – Came off with cramping in the 77^th minute of a 1-1 draw with Dallas, but is fit to return to action.
• DM Kyle Beckerman (USA/58 caps/35 years old/1 game (1 start)/0 goals, 0 assists/Colorado Rapids) – Made his 285^th RSL appearance and 280^th start for the club since coming over in 2007 in a trade with the Rapids in 2007.
• CM Damir Krielach (28 years old/1 game (1 start)/0 goals, 0 assists/Union Berlin (Germany)/TAM) – Made his MLS debut against FC Dallas, completing 76.9% of his passes while making three tackles and earning three fouls in 78 minutes.
• RW Jefferson Savarino (Venezuela/1 cap/21 years old/1 game (1 start)/0 goals, 0 assists/Zulia (Venezuela)/DP) – Came off in the 84^th minute against Dallas with cramping, but is fit to return to action. 
• CAM Albert Rusnák (Slovakia/8 caps/23 years old/1 game (1 start)/0 goals, 1 assist/FC Groningen (Holland)/DP) – With his assist last week, he now has eight assists in his last 10 MLS matches.  For just the third time in 31 career MLS matches, he was held without a shot (4/15/17, 2-1 W at Colorado; 5/20/17 1-0 L at Seattle).  He did have a team-high four chances created in the draw.
• LW Joao Plata (Ecuador/4 caps/26 years old/1 game (1 start)/1 goal, 0 assists/Toronto FC/TAM) – Scored his 41^st career MLS goal and 38^th for Real Salt Lake in a 1-1 draw last week with FC Dallas.  He didn’t score his first goal until May 27 last season, scoring in his 10^th match and the teams 14^th of the season.
• FW Luis Silva (29 years old/1 game (1 start)/0 goals, 0 assists/Tigres (Mexico)) – Made his 100^th MLS start last week in a 1-1 draw with FC Dallas.  He has 27 goals and 16 assists in 139 career MLS matches, including seven goals and three assists in 41 matches for RSL.

Bench:

• GK Alex Horwath (30 years old/0 games (0 starts)/SK Brann (Norway)) – Earned a shutout in his only career MLS appearance for the New York Red Bulls in a scoreless draw with Columbus in 2011.
• DF Danny Acosta (USA/0 caps/20 years old/1 game (0 starts)/0 goals, 0 assists/Real Salt Lake Academy/ HGP) – Appeared in 17 matches last season for RSL and 21 in 2015-2016 for Real Monarchs in the USL.
• MF Sunny (Nigeria/1 cap/29 years old/1 game (0 starts)/0 goals, 0 assists/Alanyaspor (Turkey)) – Came off the bench to play 12 minutes in a 1-1 draw last week with Dallas, replacing Damir Kreilach.
• MF Luke Mulholland (29 years old/0 games (0 starts)/0 goals, 0 assists/Tampa Bay Rowdies (NASL)) – Has averaged 30 games played and 24 games started in his four seasons with RSL, totaling 16 goals nad 15 assists.
• FW Sebastian Saucedo (21 years old/0 games (0 starts)/0 goals, 0 assists/Veracruz (Mexico)/HGP) – Scored three goals in three appearances with Real Monarchs in the USL last season.
• FW Brooks Lennon (USA/0 caps/0 games (0 starts)/0 goals, 0 assists/Liverpool (England)/HGP) – Scored three goals with four assists in his first MLS season.  Spent last week with the Monarchs in preseason, scoring two goals in a friendly in California.
• FW Alfredo Ortuno (27 years old/0 games (0 starts)/0 goals, 0 assists/Cadiz (Spain)/TAM) – Came to RSL after scoring 17 goals in 40 matches in the 2016-17 season for Cadiz in Spain.  Was on the bench last week, but did not appear against Dallas.

Storylines:

·       Real Salt Lake unbeaten in the last eight matches at Rio Tinto Stadium (5-0-3) with five consecutive victories

·       Real Salt Lake unbeaten in home openers (5-0-8)