Week 6 of the 2019 Major League Soccer is right around the corner as Real Salt Lake prepares to take on Seattle Sounders FC.
WHEN AND WHERE: Kickoff is at 8 p.m. MT at CenturyLink Field.
WHERE TO WATCH: The match will be broadcast live on KMYU and the KSL TV app.
WHERE TO LISTEN: The match will air on ESPN700 AM and 107.1 FM (Spanish).
2019 RECORDS AND STANDINGS: RSL: 1-3-1 (4 points, 8th West); Sounders: 3-0-1 (10 points, 2nd West)
FORM GUIDE (most recent first): Seattle: DWWW, Salt Lake: LLLWD
ALL-TIME HISTORY: RSL is 11-9-4 all-time against Seattle, including a 3-8-2 mark at CenturyLink Field.
LAST MEETING IN SEATTLE: On May 26, 2018, RSL claimed a 1-0 victory over the Sounders courtesy of a Sebastian Saucedo goal, his first in MLS. His curling effort from distance paired with a standout effort between the pipes from Nick Rimando helped secure the shutout and full three points away from Sandy.
PREVIOUS MEETING: RSL claimed a 2-0 victory over Seattle on June 2, 2018 at Rio Tinto Stadium to complete the season sweep of the Sounders. A pair of second half goals from Corey Baird and Luis Silva and yet another shutout performance from Nick Rimando helped see the Utah side go two for two against the Cascadia side in 2018 on consecutive weekends.
CENTURYLINK MEMORIES: Etched in RSL lore, CenturyLink Field in Seattle was the site of the club’s lone MLS Cup championship when in 2009, the club topped the LA Galaxy 5-4 in a penalty shootout. In the 14th edition of MLS Cup, RSL – the heavy underdog – frustrated a star-studded LA Galaxy side to win the coveted title on the Sounders home turf.
VETERAN SHOWCASE: Saturday’s match will see MLS royalty face each other yet again as RSL’s Kyle Beckerman and Nick Rimando clash with Seattle’s Chad Marshall. Beckerman and Marshall sit first and second atop the league’s all-time games played, games started, and minutes played lists. Beckerman leads all field players in those three categories with 468 matches played, 437 matches started to total 39,071 minutes played. Marshall sits second with 405 GP, 400 GS and 35,483 minutes played. Topping the charts across all match categories is Rimando who currently holds the record for games played and started (490) and minutes with 44,176.
SEATTLE’S HOT START: Sounders FC are not typically known for its hot start to a season but 2019 has shaped up a bit different through four matches for the Rave Green who have earned the best start to a season in its 11-year history. Seattle has yet to lose in 2019, earning a 3-0-1 (10 points) record through four matches. Unbeaten at home to begin the year, Sounders FC has earned a 2-0-0 (6 points) record on home soil thus far.
HOMEGROWN HEROES: RSL has continued a valuable trend in MLS through its first five matches of 2019, playing its Academy products in all five games. RSL currently leads the league in minutes played by its Academy products with 1,587 through five weeks, piggybacking on a 2018 campaign that saw RSL set a league-record 10,826 minutes played by its Academy products. In its March 23 match against LAFC Head Coach Mike Petke elected to start a now league record six Academy products, two of which were making their MLS debuts, Tate Schmitt and Erik Holt.
NOTABLE ABSENTEE: RSL will be without the services of Damir Kreilach on Saturday, as the versatile midfielder received a straight red card in the club’s 4-2 loss to FC Dallas last weekend.
GETTING HEALTHY: RSL has been without the services of defender Justen Glad through its first five matches of 2019 due to a broken toe suffered just days before the season opener. Forward Joao Plata has also been working back to full fitness after suffering an ankle injury in RSL’s season-opening match at the Houston Dynamo on March 2. With both players back in training, Saturday’s match could possibly see RSL carry nearly a full-strength side into Seattle.
G.O.A.T.: Legendary MLS goalkeeper Nick Rimando will make his final regular-season appearance at CenturyLink Field on Saturday, as the 39-year-old announced he would retire after the 2019 season. Rimando is first all-time in MLS in Games Played (490), Games Started (490), Minutes Played (44,176), Saves (1,642), Wins (210) and Shutouts (145).
