MATCH 4: REAL SALT LAKE VS VANCOUVER WHITECAPS (APRIL 7, 2018)
Today's Starting XI:
Goalkeeper: Rimando.
Defenders: Lennon, M. Silva, Glad, Phillips.
Midfielders: Beckerman©, Kreilach, Rusnak.
Forwards: Savarino, L. Silva, Baird.
Bench: Alex Horwath, Adam Henley, David Horst, Sunny, Pablo Ruiz, Joao Plata, Alfredo Ortuno
Lineup notes:
·Just one change from last week against Toronto FC, with goalscorer Corey Baird replacing Joao Plata at forward.
·Albert Rusnák scored his first MLS goal one year ago this weekend in a 3-0 win over Vancouver.
·Joao Plata moves to the bench and Pablo Ruiz comes into the 18 after a strong performance last week with Real Monarchs. Alex Horwath also returns from a calf strain and will be on the bench.
·Injury list: Jordan Allen (knee), Shawn Barry (knee), Tony Beltran (knee), Aaron Herrera (hamstring), Luke Mulholland (hamstring) and Taylor Peay (knee).
·Six players are playing on loan with Real Monarchs in their road match against Phoenix Rising tonight in Arizona. Danny Acosta, Nick Besler, Jose Hernandez, Aaron Herrera, Ricky Lopez-Espin and Connor Sparrow are all slated to be in uniform for the 2-0-0 Monarchs.
·GK Nick Rimando (USA/22 caps/38 years old/4 games, 4 starts (456, 456)/1-2-1 (197-152-107), 2.25 GAA/D.C. United) – Third in MLS with 19 saves through the first four matches. … Has allowed just 14 goals in 30 PK attempts since 2012 after his save of Sebastian Giovinco last Friday in Toronto.
·RB Brooks Lennon (USA/0 caps/20 years old/3 games, 2 starts (28, 17)/0 goals, 0 assists (3, 4)/Liverpool (England)/HGP) – Making his third straight start at right back.
·RCB Marcelo Silva (Uruguay/0 caps/29 years old/2 games, 2 starts (11, 11)/0 goals, 0 assists (0, 0)/Zaragoza (Spain)/TAM) – Will potentially face three Uruguayans in Cristian Techera, Nicolas Mezquida and Jose Aja. He crossed paths with Mezquida at Penarol in 2012.
·LCB Justen Glad (USA/0 caps/21 years old/4 games, 4 starts (57, 55)/0 goals, 0 assists (2, 1)/RSL Academy/HGP) – Making his 23rd consecutive start since returning from injury and international duty last June. RSL is 10-7-5 in the 22 previous starts, outscoring the opposition 38-29 in that stretch.
·LB Demar Phillips (Jamaica/72 caps/34 years old/4 games, 4 starts (64, 54)/0 goals, 0 assists (0, 7)/Aalesund (Norway)) – Leads RSL with 14 interceptions through the first four matches, ranking fifth in MLS.
·DM Kyle Beckerman (USA/58 caps/35 years old/4 games, 4 starts (436, 407)/0 goals, 0 assists (40, 49)/Colorado Rapids) – Making his 285th start and 290th game played in MLS play for Real Salt Lake since coming to the team in 2007.
·CM Damir Krielach (28 years old/4 games, 4 starts (4, 4)/0 goals, 0 assists (0, 0)/Union Berlin (Germany)/TAM) – Leads the team with nine tackles.
·RW Jefferson Savarino (Venezuela/1 cap/21 years old/4 games, 4 starts (26, 23)/0 goals, 1 assist (6, 6)/Zulia (Venezuela)/DP) – Was fouled five times against Toronto last week, moving him to ninth in the league with 11 fouls won.
·CAM Albert Rusnák (Slovakia/10 caps, 1 goal/23 years old/4 games, 4 starts (34, 33)/1 goals, 1 assist (8, 15)/FC Groningen (Holland)/DP) – Scored his first MLS goal on April 8, 2017, in a 3-0 win in the snow against Vancouver, adding two assists in the match as well.
·LW Corey Baird (22 years old/2 games, 0 starts (1, 0)/1 goal, 0 assists (1, 0)/Stanford/HGP) – Making his first MLS start after scoring his first MLS goal last week against Toronto FC. Made his MLS debut coming off the bench against the Red Bulls on March 17. Scored his first professional goal for Real Monarchs in a 3-2 road win over the Tulsa Roughnecks on March 24.
·FW Luis Silva (29 years old/3 games, 3 starts (141, 102)/0 goals, 0 assists (27, 16)/Tigres (Mexico)) –
Bench:
·GK Alex Horwath (31 years old/0 games, 0 starts (1, 1)/0-0-0 (0-0-1), 0.00 GAA/Brann (Norway)) – Returning from a strained calf suffered in the Monarchs 3-2 win over the Tulsa Roughnecks on March 24. He made one save in the victory.
·DF David Horst (32 years old/3 games, 2 starts (146, 128)/0 goals, 0 assists (5, 4)/Houston Dynamo) – Made two starts in place of the injured Marcelo Silva, giving him 12 career starts in two stints with RSL.
·DF Adam Henley (Wales/2 caps/23 years old/0 games, 0 starts (0, 0)/0 goals, 0 assists (0, 0)/Blackburn Rovers (England)) – Missed the first two matches with a hamstring injury suffered against NYCFC in preseason.
·MF Sunny (Nigeria/1 cap/29 years old/2 games, 0 starts (38, 33)/0 goals, 0 assists (1, 2)/Alanyaspor (Turkey)) – Came off the bench to replace Alfredo Ortuno in the 79th minute of RSL’s 1-0 win over New York.
·MF Pablo Ruiz (Argentina/Chile/0 caps/19 years old/0 games, 0 starts (0, 0)/0 goals, 0 assists (0, 0)/San Luis (Chile)) – Has two starts on loan with Real Monarchs in the USL, earning one assist in 129 minutes to help the Monarchs to two wins to start the season.
·FW Joao Plata (Ecuador/4 caps, 2 goals/26 years old/3 games, 3 starts (172, 146)/2 goals, 0 assists (42, 40)/Toronto FC/TAM) – Moves to the bench after starting in three of the first four matches.
·FW Alfredo Ortuno (27 years old/2 games, 1 start (2, 1)/0 goals, 0 assists (0, 0)/Cadiz (Spain)/TAM) – Made his first MLS start against the Red Bulls on March 17. Came to RSL after scoring 17 goals in 40 matches in the 2016-17 season for Cadiz in Spain.
Storylines:
·RSL is 5-1-3 with four shutouts in nine matches at home against Vancouver since the Whitecaps came to MLS in 2011.
·Last time they met here on April 8, 2017, RSL recorded a 3-0 win in a snowstorm in Mike Petke’s first match as head coach.
