REAL SALT LAKE WEEKLY UPDATE
Tues. – Sun., May. 22 - May. 27, 2018
SANDY/HERRIMAN, Utah (Tuesday, May 22, 2018) – Real Salt Lake fell at the hands of the Philadelphia Union while Utah Royals FC and Real Monarchs SLC both claimed victory at the weekend. The RSL Academy spilt results against Pateadores in Herriman on Saturday. Here’s what you need to know at the club this week:
Real Salt Lake
On Monday, Real Salt Lake MF Luke Mulholland underwent successful surgery to alleviate a chronic back condition at Salt Lake Regional Medical Center. Mulholland, 29, has averaged 24 starts and 30 appearances since coming to RSL prior to the 2014 season, but has just one appearance off the bench this season. He has 16 goals and 15 assists in 121 career MLS appearances. The timetable for his return will be determined at a later date.
Real Salt Lake MF Albert Rusnák has been called in to the Slovakian National Team for a pair of friendlies in Slovakia next week against the Netherlands on May 31 and Morocco on June 4. While away, he will miss RSL’s home matches against the Houston Dynamo on May 30 and Seattle Sounders FC on June 2.
“Albert continues to grow and develop as a player and has been vital in keeping us in playoff contention in the early part of the season,” RSL General Manager Craig Waibel said. “While we will miss him in our matches, the opportunity to play for Slovakia against such high-profile competition cannot be understated and we are happy that his development affords him these opportunities.”
In his first MLS season in 2017, Rusnák finished fourth in the league with 14 assists. He earned Real Salt Lake’s Golden Boot with seven goals and was voted RSL’s Most Valuable Player by his teammates. This season, he has three goals and three assists to share the team lead in both statistics. He also ranks second in MLS with 40 chances created this season after ranking third in the league in that category in 2017.
Rusnák, 23, has 10 caps for Slovakia and scored his first international goal in March in the 2018 King’s Cup in Thailand.
Real Salt Lake (4-6-1, 13 points) remained winless on the road in 2018 after a 4-1 loss to the Philadelphia Union at Talen Energy Stadium on Saturday.
MF Damir Kreilach scored his third goal of the season, but it wasn’t enough to stage a comeback as RSL suffered its first loss to the Union in 11 matches since Philadelphia joined MLS in 2010.
Through the first 19 minutes of the match, RSL played Philadelphia toe-to-toe, putting four shots on goal during that stretch and forcing Union goalkeeper Andre Blake to show his meddle. Then in the 21st minute, the Union broke through with the first goal of the match. Fafa Picault ran up the left side, then sent a ball through the box to Marcus Epps for a first-time shot that found the back of the net. The Union continued its onslaught into the 34th minute when Borek Dockal doubled the lead when he lofted a chip shot over the on-rushing Nick Rimando on a breakout up the right side and the match went into halftime at 2-0.
In the second half, FW Sebastian Saucedo replaced DF Adam Henley to add more to the attack and early on it bore fruit as Saucedo took two shots early in the second half before assisting on Kreilach’s goal in the 65th minute. However, the comeback effort would stop there, as Philadelphia added goals in the 74th minute from Ilsinho and 81st minute from Keegan Rosenberry to put the match out of reach at 4-1.
The loss drops RSL to 0-5-1 on the road after the fifth consecutive road defeat. Salt Lake is now winless in its last 10 road matches dating back to last season.
RSL will conclude a stretch of four road matches in five games against Seattle Sounders FC on May 26 at CenturyLink Field. It will be the first of two matches against Seattle in eight days, as the Sounders visit Rio Tinto Stadium on June 2.
Real Salt Lake’s training schedule for the week is as follows:
Tues., May 22 – TBD
Wed., May 23 – TBD
Thurs., May 24 – TBD
Fri., May 25 – TBD
Sat., May 26 – 2:00 p.m. MT – Kickoff @ Seattle Sounders
If you plan on attending a training session / game and are requesting access, please contact RSL Director of PR Matt Gaschk at (253) 250-3239 / mgaschk@rsl.com a day in advance for arrangements.
Real Monarchs SLC
Real Monarchs SLC (8-1-1, 25 points 1 West) toppled Las Vegas Lights FC 2-0 last Saturday night in its first ever visit to Sin City. Goals from MFs Sebastian Velasquez and Josh Heard paired with another shutout performance from GK Jake Leeker helped the club remain atop the United Soccer League table.
The first half began well in favor of the Monarchs when Velasquez was gifted a chance just three minutes into the match where he calmly slotted the ball past Lights FC goalkeeper Ricardo Ferriño. In the 22nd minute Heard would tuck away his first goal in a Monarchs uniform when his breakaway found the back of the net.
The second half saw the hosts take control of the possession in an effort to get back into the match. The Monarchs nearly found a third goal in the game’s late stages when second half substitute FW Juan Ignacio Mare’s deflected effort nearly caught the Las Vegas goalkeeper out of position. During a second half surge of pressure from Lights FC, Leeker – who made seven saves on the night – and the Monarchs defense stood firm to keep the 2-0 score line intact for its second consecutive shutout in the club’s 100th regular-season match.
The Monarchs will remain on the road for a May 26 matchup against Portland Timbers 2 at Providence Park. Kickoff for the match is set for 3:00 p.m. MT.
The Monarchs training schedule for the week is as follows:
Tues., May 22 – 10:00 a.m. MT – Training at ZBTC (Herriman, UT)
Wed., May 23 – 10:00 a.m. MT – Training at ZBTC (Herriman, UT)
Thurs., May 24 – 10:00 a.m. MT – Training at ZBTC (Herriman, UT)
Fri., May 25 – 10:00 a.m. MT – Training at ZBTC (Herriman, UT)
Sat., May 26 – 3:00 p.m. MT – Kickoff @ Portland Timbers 2 – Providence Park
Information regarding Real Monarchs SLC or the Zions Bank Real Academy in Herriman can be found at RSL.com/Monarchs or RSL.com/Academy.If you plan on attending a training session / game and requesting access, please contact RSL Media Services personnel Taran Meyer at (801) 657-2161 / tmeyer@rsl.com a day in advance for arrangements.
Utah Royals FC
Utah Royals FC (2-1-5, 11 points) won their second match in club history last Saturday against the Houston Dash, ending with a score line of 1-0 at Rio Tinto Stadium. A crucial goal by FW Erika Tymrak—assisted by MF Gunny Jonsdottir—marked the only goal of the game, while GK Abby Smith took home her fourth clean sheet - and the sixth of her young NWSL career - for the squad.
While URFC only once, it dominated the match against the Houston side, holding 63% possession (compared to the Dash’s 36%), and nearly doubled the total passes throughout the game– 557 passes to Houston’s 310. The team controlled the run of play throughout both halves, registering an 80% passing accuracy, included DF Becky Sauerbrunn ending in a 97% passing accuracy.
Amid the dominating play in the first half, MF Gunny Jonsdottir sent a throughball into the box for a streaking FW Amy Rodriguez, who was clipped from behind just moments after receiving the ball. FW Diana Matheson stepped up to take the penalty kick, but USWNT GK Jane Campbell blocked the shot, ending the half scoreless.
FW Erika Tymrak changed the momentum midway through the game, placing a shot into the side-netting in the 51st minute. The play started on a counterattack, initiated by Jonsdottir, as the Icelandic international ran through Houston’s midfield, pulling multiple white jerseys to the far-side of the pitch. Before entering the box, Gunny passed the ball across to a feinting Rodriguez, who let the ball slide past her into the waiting feet of Tymrak – who coolly slipped the ball past Campbell’s diving arms.
URFC will be looking for three points as they head to Providence Parknext Friday, May 25, to take on the 2017 NWSL Cup Champions, Portland Thorns FC. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. MT, and will include USWNT stars like MF Tobin Heath taking on DF Becky Sauerbrunn and FW Amy Rodriguez.
Utah Royals FC training schedule for the week is as follows:
Tues., May 22 – OFF
Wed., May 23 – 11:00 a.m. MT – Training at ZBTC (Herriman, UT)
Thurs., May 24 – TBD
Fri., May 25 – 8:30 p.m. MT – Kickoff @ Portland Thorns – Providence Park
If you plan on attending a training session / game and are requesting access, please contact Utah Royals FC Director of PR Carla Haslam at (801) 435-6646 / chaslam@rsl.com a day in advance for arrangements.
Real Salt Lake Academy
On Saturday the RSL Academy hosted league-leader Pateadores at the Zions Bank Training Center in Herriman where the U-17s fell 1-0 before the U-19s earned an emphatic 4-0 victory.
The U-17s group fell late after a hard-fought match saw Pateadores notch the game’s lone goal and the subsequent winner in the 77th minute.
In the day’s second match, MF Luis Arriaga led RSL with two goals while MFs Erik Virgen and Juan Obeso added goals to inch closer to the top spot in the Southwest Division standings. GK Jacob Jackson started and played the full 90 minutes in goal for the U-19s before travelling to Las Vegas for Real Monarchs match against Lights FC as a backup to Jake Leeker.
On May 26 the RSL Academy will host LA Galaxy at the Zions Bank Training Center with the U-17s kicking off at 11:00 a.m. MT before the U-19s begin at 1:30 p.m. MT in Herriman.
The Zions Bank Real Academy Campus in Herriman - located at 14788 South Academy Parkway (3718 West) - MUST be entered off of Mountain View Corridor, just West of the Facility
