Real Salt Lake 0 at San Jose Earthquakes 0
July 28, 2018; San Jose, California; Avaya Stadium
Real Salt Lake (9-9-4, 31 points); San Jose Earthquakes (2-12-7, 13 points)
Man of the Match: Nick Rimando came up big when he was needed most on San Jose’s two biggest scoring opportunities. In the 54th minute, San Jose went on a quick counter after an RSL scoring chance off a deep free kick and when Magnus Eriksson tried to chip his shot over Rimando, he made himself big enough that he forced the shot on an open net just wide. Then in the 63rd minute Quincy Amarikwa sent a volley over his head that looked destined for the back of the net, but Rimando got a glove to it and forced it into the crossbar for the save. In total, he finished with three saves to earn his sixth shutout of the season and 143rd in his illustrious MLS career.
Telling Stat: This was just the third time this season that RSL has earned points on the road. The first came against West-leading Dallas in the season-opener and the second was a road win against Seattle. The shutout was the second clean sheet away from home – the first coming against Seattle. And while one game doesn’t necessarily signal a turnaround, the shutout was big in the locker room as the team was overwhelmingly optimistic about the performance in keeping San Jose off the board.
What You Missed: Just three minutes into the match, Albert Rusnák went to the ground with neck spasms. He attempted to continue, but went down again quickly after returning to the field. One of the league’s top chance creators was missed in action, though Damir Kreilach filled in admirably and Joao Plata set up three scoring chances himself.
So What: RSL has six shutouts this season, second most in the Western Conference. Additionally, Salt Lake is 4-0-3 against the bottom four teams in the Western Conference. So while it may feel like a missed opportunity to gain points in the three draws in just over a month against Colorado and twice against San Jose, it keeps the unbeaten mark against West bottom-feeders alive as RSL continues to accumulate points and stay in the chase for the playoffs in the Western Conference.
