Real Salt Lake 1 vs. Eintracht Frankfurt 0
July 10, 2018; Sandy, Utah; Rio Tinto Stadium
International Friendly
Man of the Match: Joao Plata assisted on the first goal of the night and had other creative moments to show that he is in good form while competing to get back into the starting lineup after Sebastian Saucedo took over the starting spot on the left wing. Every week is a competition and Plata showed Tuesday that even in a friendly he is going to put in the work to continue fighting for the starting role.
Telling Stat: RSL was outshot 15-7, but limited Eintracht Frankfurt to just one shot on goal. Part of that is the lack of sharpness of Frankfurt playing its first preseason match, but a lot of credit goes to the RSL defense too. There weren’t easy opportunities to be had for the visitors from Germany and that is due in large part to the commitment on the field from all 11 players.
What You Missed: It was a friendly in name, but the feisty and chippy play near the end of the match was a testament to just how seriously players on both teams were taking the match. On both sides, players were fighting for positions in their squads and that was evident throughout the match, but bubbled over in the final minutes.
So What: The game was a good opportunity for RSL Head Coach Mike Petke to see some players who haven’t seen extended playing time of late while also mixing in some players from Real Monarchs SLC in the USL. Brody took advantage with the goal, but several other players acquitted themselves quite well, keeping the German Cup champions at bay for much of the match. Last year’s match against Manchester United provided a springboard to RSL’s strong close to the season, even in a 2-1 defeat. With upcoming matches against three of the bottom four teams in the Western Conference, RSL will look to rekindle some of that second-half fire and on the heels of two big home wins over Sporting Kansas City and FC Dallas, Petke and his crew have shown the ability to contend in the Western Conference.
