THIS WEEK AT RSL
Week of May 27 – June 2
Real Salt Lake
RSL ran its win-streak to three consecutive matches on Friday with a 2-1 win over defending MLS Cup champion Atlanta United FC. FW Sebastian Saucedo got the scoring started in the first half with a virtual replay of his Goal of the Week winning score from a week earlier against Toronto FC. Atlanta’s Josef Martinez equalized in the second half and just as it looked like the teams would split the points, FW Jefferson Savarino launched a 20-yard game-winner past Brad Guzan.
With the win, RSL moves to sixth in the Western Conference at 6-6-1 (19 points) and is now 4-1-0 against the Eastern Conference.
Up next is two more matches against Eastern Conference foes, this time coming on the road with a two-game road trip to face the Montreal Impact on Wednesday (5:30 p.m. MT) at Stade Saputo and the New York Red Bulls on Saturday (5:00 p.m. MT) from Red Bull Arena. Both matches will be broadcast locally on KMYU and streamed on the KSL TV app and KSLsports.com, with radio coverage on ESPN700.
On Monday, RSL announced that the club has mutually agreed to part ways with DF Adam Henley creating roster flexibility ahead of the summer transfer window.
On the international stage, GK David Ochoa is with the U.S. U-20 National Team in the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Poland. Along with Ochoa, RSL Academy products Sebastian Soto and Richard Ledezma were called in to the U-20 squad. After falling 1-0 in the tournament opener to Ukraine on Friday, the U.S. earned a 2-0 win over Nigeria on Monday, with Soto opening scoring in the 18th minute and adding another goal in the 46th minute.
Utah Royals FC
Royals FC scored a 2-0 win over the Orlando Pride at Rio Tinto Stadium on Saturday. FW Amy Rodriguez scored in her fourth consecutive match – the longest streak in the NWSL this season – on a first-half penalty and MF Makenzy Doniak added her first goal in a URFC uniform in the second half as GK Nicole Barnhart made three saves in her fourth shutout of the season. URFC currently sits atop the NWSL standings at 4-1-1 (13 points), even with the Washington Spirit with 13 points.
In a matchup of the top two teams in the NWSL, Royals FC takes to the road to face the Washington Spirit on Saturday (5 p.m. MT) at Maureen Hendricks Field at the Maryland SoccerPlex. The match will be streamed live on the KSL TV app and KSLsports.com.
In the final tune-up for the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France, URFC FW Christen Press scored a second-half goal in a 3-0 win over Mexico at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey. DF Becky Sauerbrunn and DF Kelley O’Hara both started the match as the U.S. put in its final preparations for the start of the World Cup on June 11 against Thailand. In addition, MF Desiree Scott and Canada played to a scoreless draw with Spain on Friday in its final warmup match before facing Cameroon on June 10 at the World Cup. Last week, Scott was named to the Canadian roster for the World Cup, giving URFC six representatives in the tournament. DF Katie Bowen will join New Zealand for matches against England (June 1) and Wales (June 4) ahead of its first World Cup match against the Netherlands on June 11. Finally, DF Rachel Corsie and Scotland will play a friendly against Jamaica on Tuesday in Glasgow in its final preparations for the World Cup, where it will face England on June 9.
Real Monarchs SLC
The Monarchs raced out to an early 2-0 lead, but four unanswered goals from Phoenix Rising FC saw the Monarchs drop to 3-5-3 (12 points). The USL Championship club featured four starters on loan from Real Salt Lake – GK Andrew Putna, DF Erik Holt, DF Marcelo Silva and FW Brooks Lennon. Additionally, MF Pablo Ruiz and MF Justin Portillo both appeared off the bench, but it wasn’t enough to overtake Phoenix. Silva scored the opener in the 10th minute and FW Douglas Martinez added the second in the 25th minute, but Phoenix evened the score by halftime and added two more in the second half for the win.
Real Monarchs will take on Portland Timbers 2 on Wednesday, May 29, from Providence Park in Portland. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. MT with a live stream on ESPN+.
RSL Academy
The RSL Academy teams are awaiting their playoff schedule after each finishing the regular season in playoff position. The U-19s finished the regular season at 13-5-5 (44 points), second in the Southwest Division. The U-17s were fifth in the Southwest Division at 12-8-3 (39 points) and holds the fifth Wild Card position in the postseason.
RSL Foundation
Last Tuesday, players from Real Salt Lake and Utah Royals FC answered phones for the KSL Give-A-Thon, benefiting Primary Children’s Hospital. During the hour that Luke Mulholland, Tate Schmitt, Amy Rodriguez and Katie Bowen worked the event, the RSL Foundation matched donations up to $10,000.
The RSL Unified team took on Atlanta United’s Unified team on Friday at Rio Tinto Stadium in the first match of the season, with RSL winning 3-0 in the Special Olympics Unified match.
Also on Friday night, GK Nick Rimando made two saves, contributing a total of $2,000 to the Sugarhouse Boys & Girls Club through the Every Save Makes a Difference program. Allstate and Univision Deportes contributed $500 for each save, while the RSL Foundation matched the donation.
