RSL Starting XI 9/1/18

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MATCH 28: REAL SALT LAKE at LA GALAXY (SEPTEMBER 1, 2018)

Starting XI: Nick Rimando; Brooks Lennon, Nick Besler, Justen Glad, Aaron Herrera; Sunny, Kyle Beckerman; Jefferson Savarino, Albert Rusnák, Joao Plata; Damir Kreilach.

Bench: Andrew Putna, Danilo Acosta, Adam Henley, Shawn Barry, Sebastian Saucedo, Corey Baird, Luis Silva.

Lineup notes:

• Returning the same starting lineup for the second consecutive match.
• RSL has the most players in the league with five or more goals with six players – Albert Rusnák, Joao Plata, Damir Kreilach, Corey Baird, Jefferson Savarino and Luis Silva.
• Injury list: Jordan Allen (knee), Tony Beltran (knee), David Horst (Achilles), Alex Horwath (Achilles), Ricky Lopez-Espin (knee), Luke Mulholland (back), Marcelo Silva (foot), Connor Sparrow (knee).

• GK Nick Rimando (USA/22 caps/39 years old/26 games, 26 starts (478, 478)/11-10-5 (207-160-111), 1.69 GAA/D.C. United) – Of Rimando’s 206 career wins, 13 have come against the LA Galaxy, third most of any Western Conference opponent in his 19 MLS seasons.
• RB Brooks Lennon (USA/0 caps/20 years old/26 games, 25 starts (51, 40)/0 goals, 4 assists (3, 8)/Liverpool (England)/HGP) – RSL is 12-8-4 in his 24 previous starts at right back with seven shutouts.  Second on RSL with 39 tackles and third with 39 interceptions.
• RCB Nick Besler (25 years old/17 games, 10 starts (17, 10)/0 goals, 0 assists (0, 0)/Real Monarchs) – Has nine starts this season as a center back, including each of the last four matches with RSL going 2-1-1 with a 1.00 goals against average.  Made one additional start in the midfield in a 2-1 win over the Houston Dynamo on May 30.  RSL is 5-3-2 in his 10 regular season starts.
• LCB Justen Glad (USA/0 caps/21 years old/27 games, 27 starts (80, 78)/0 goals, 0 assists (2, 1)/RSL Academy/HGP) – Only RSL player to start in all 27 matches this season.  Leads MLS with 81 interceptions.  Also ranks second in MLS with 23 blocks.  Ranks second on the team with 39 tackles.
• LB Aaron Herrera (21 years old/9 games, 7 starts (9, 7)/0 goals, 0 assists (0, 0)/University of New Mexico) – Making his eighth consecutive start after making his first on July 21 in a 2-2 draw with the Colorado Rapids.  RSL is 3-1-3 in his previous seven starts with a 1.00 goals against average.  Made his MLS debut on the road against Seattle Sounders FC in May.  Waited until July 7 in a 2-0 win over FC Dallas for his second appearance.
• CM Sunny (Nigeria/1 cap/29 years old/17 games, 11 starts (53, 44)/0 goals, 0 assists (1, 2)/Alanyaspor (Turkey)) – RSL is 6-4-1 in his 11 starts and 10-4-3 in his 16 appearances.
• CM Kyle Beckerman (USA/58 caps/36 years old/25 games, 23 starts (457, 426)/1 goal, 1 assist (41, 50)/Colorado Rapids) – Leads RSL and ranks fourth in MLS with 68 tackles, including 38 in his last 10 starts. With his 50^th career assist, he became the 22^nd player in MLS history to amass at least 40 goals and 50 assists, joining five former RSL players – Javier Morales, Jason Kreis, Jeff Cunningham, Chris Klein and Clint Mathis on that list.
• RW Jefferson Savarino (Venezuela/1 cap/21 years old/27 games, 27 starts (48, 45)/5 goals, 8 assists (11, 13)/Zulia (Venezuela)/DP) – Has three goals and six assists in nine matches since July 4.  Ranks fourth in MLS and first on RSL with 70 dribbles completed.  Also RSL’s most-fouled player, winning 59 fouls this season (ranking seventh in MLS).  Ranks third on RSL with 41 chances created. Called in to the Venezuelan National Team for matches against Colombia and Panama.
• CAM Albert Rusnák (Slovakia/12 caps, 1 goal/24 years old/25 games, 24 starts (55, 53)/8 goals, 6 assists (14, 20)/FC Groningen (Holland)/DP) – Has three goals in the last two matches.  Leads RSL and ranks fifth in MLS with 67 chances created.  Also ranks fifth with 47 chances created from open play. Called in to the Slovakian National Team for matches next week against Denmark and Ukraine.
• LW Joao Plata (Ecuador/4 caps, 2 goals/26 years old/19 games, 14 starts (188, 157)/8 goals, 5 assists (48, 45)/Toronto FC/TAM) – Has five goals and three assists in the last eight matches.  Ranks second on RSL with 43 chances created.
• FW Damir Kreilach (29 years old/26 games, 24 starts (26, 24)/7 goals, 6 assists (7, 6)/Union Berlin (Germany)/TAM) – Has four goals in his last five starts.  Ranks second on the team in fouls won with 39 and second in tackles with 39.

Bench:

• GK Andrew Putna (23 years old/2 games, 1 start (2, 1)/1-0-0 (1-0-0), 0.67 GAA/Real Monarchs) – Signed with RSL in July.  Made his first MLS start on Saturday, making two saves and earning a 2-1 win over the Houston Dynamo.  Made his MLS debut last Wednesday, coming on at halftime in place of the injured Nick Rimando.  Made four saves while allowing no goals in the final 45 minutes against LAFC.  Has allowed three goals in two matches with Real Monarchs SLC this season, giving him six appearances in two seasons with the USL club.  Earned two clean sheets with the Monarchs last season.
• DF Danilo Acosta (USA/0 caps/20 years old/12 games, 10 starts (29, 26)/0 goals, 2 assists (0, 4)/Real Salt Lake Academy/HGP) – Came off the bench for his first appearance since July 14 as a second-half substitute last week in a 6-0 win over the Colorado Rapids.  Fifth on the club with 27 tackles.
• DF Shawn Barry (28 years old/3 games, 3 starts (3, 3)/0 goals, 0 assists (0, 0)/Korona Kielce (Poland)) – Called in to the Puerto Rican National Team for a match next week against Saint Kitts and Nevis.  It is his first international call up.  Came to RSL after playing his career in Austria, Germany and Poland.
• DF Adam Henley (Wales/2 caps/23 years old/5 games, 2 starts (5, 2)/0 goals, 0 assists (0, 0)/Blackburn Rovers (England)) – Appeared in three straight matches from 4/7-21 and then consecutive matches from 5/12-19.  RSL is 3-2-0 in his five matches, winning all three substitute appearances.  Came to RSL after seven seasons with Blackburn Rovers in England.
• FW Sebastian Saucedo (21 years old/22 games, 9 starts (51, 15)/2 goals, 4 assists (2, 6)/Real Salt Lake Academy) – Appeared off the bench in six of the last seven matches, also starting in the other match.  Assisted on the game-tying goal and earned the penalty that proved to be the game-winning goal last week against the Houston Dynamo.  Started in five straight matches for RSL before moving to the bench against Minnesota in July.
• FW Corey Baird (22 years old/25 games, 18 starts (25, 18)/6 goals, 4 assists (6, 4)/Stanford/HGP) – Leads all MLS rookies in scoring after scoring his sixth goal in a 6-0 win over the Colorado Rapids last week.
• FW Luis Silva (29 years old/18 games, 8 starts (156, 107)/5 goals, 0 assists (32, 16)/Tigres (Mexico)) – His last three goals have come in a substitute role, including stoppage-time goals in back-to-back home wins over Sporting Kansas City and FC Dallas in July.