Montréal, Quebec (Wednesday, May 29, 2019) – Real Salt Lake (6-7-1, 19 points) fought back from a late 2-0 deficit, but ultimately fell 2-1 to the Montreal Impact at Stade Saputo on Wednesday night.
FW Sam Johnson scored his fifth goal of the season and GK Nick Rimando made two saves as RSL Head Coach Mike Petke rotated his squad with five changes in a busy week of three matches in nine days.
Montreal controlled the match early, but was held off by a stingy RSL defense. In the opening minutes, the Impact had a pair of opportunities thwarted by a Rimando save and a block from RSL’s defense. By the end of the half, RSL had equaled Montreal with two shots on goal, however, the second for the Impact found the back of the net when Omar Browne netted his second of the year to make it 1-0 just before halftime.
RSL looked to have an equalizer in the 48th minute when FW Jefferson Savarino connected with Johnson for a diving header, but Johnson was flagged offside and the goal was waved off. Montreal took advantage of a second-half penalty by Saphir Taider to make it 2-0 in the 68th minute, but RSL battled back in the 84th minute when DF Erik Holt found MF Damir Kreilach in the box and he redirected the ball to Johnson who found the net for his fifth goal of the year to make it 2-1. RSL pressed for the equalizer in the waning moments of the match, highlighted by a dangerous free kick from FW Sebastian Saucedo missed just wide and the match ended 2-1.
UP NEXT: Real Salt Lake now travels to Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey to face the New York Red Bulls on Saturday, June 1 at 5:00p MT.
GOAL SCORING RUNDOWN:
MTL: Omar Browne (Shamit Shome, Bacary Sagna), 45th minute +2 - Montreal played up the right side of the field and Shamit Shome played the ball through traffic to Omar Browne on a run into the box. Browne took a touch and fired a left-footed shot inside the far post for his second goal of the season to make it 1-0 just before the halftime whistle.
MTL: Saphir Taider (PK), 68th minute – After Donny Toia was whistled for a foul on Bacary Sagna on a run into the box, Saphir Taider sent Nick Rimando the wrong way with his penalty for his fifth goal of the season and Montreal took a 2-0 lead.
RSL: Sam Johnson (Damir Kreilach, Erik Holt), 84th minute – Erik Holt sent a ball into the box from the right side and Damir Kreilach redirected it across the front of the goal where Sam Johnson connected for his fifth goal of the season to make it 2-1.
NOTES:
- Wednesday night’s start was GK Nick Rimando’s 350th career MLS regular season start in an RSL uniform.
- DF Tony Beltran (knee) and MF Kyle Beckerman (hamstring tightness) were out of action due to injury.
- RSL started an all-Homegrown backline of Brooks Lennon, Justen Glad, Erik Holt and Donny Toia, with each player plying their trade at the RSL Academy before signing professional contracts. It was the first time in club history RSL started four Academy products on the backline.
- With his second-half yellow card, MF Damir Kreilach will miss RSL’s match against the New York Red Bulls on Saturday, serving a one-game suspension for yellow-card accumulation.
- MF Albert Rusnák left the match in the 57th minute with an apparent ankle injury.
Match: Real Salt Lake at Montreal Impact
Date: May 29, 2019
Venue: Stade Saputo; Montreal, Quebec
Attendance: 11,966
Weather: Cloudy and 59 degrees
Scoring Summary:
1 2 F
Real Salt Lake: 0 1 1
Montreal Impact 1 1 2
MTL: Omar Browne (Shamit Shome, Bacary Sagna) 45’+2
MTL: Saphir Taider (PK) 68’
RSL: Sam Johnson (Damir Kreilach, Erik Holt) 84’
Lineups:
Real Salt Lake (4-2-3-1): Nick Rimando; Brooks Lennon, Justen Glad, Erik Holt, Donny Toia (Aaron Herrera 84’); Justin Portillo, Damir Kreilach; Jefferson Savarino, Albert Rusnák (Corey Baird 57’), Joao Plata (Sebastian Saucedo 69’); Sam Johnson.
Subs not used: Andrew Putna, Nedum Onuoha, Nick Besler, Everton Luiz.
Montreal Impact: (4-3-3): Evan Bush; Bacary Sagna, Rudy Camacho, Jukka Raitala, Daniel Lovitz; Shamit Shome, Samuel Piette, Saphir Taider; Omar Browne (Zachary Brault-Guillard 72’), Maxi Urruti (Zakaria Diallo 90’+4), Mathieu Choiniere (Ken Krolicki 76’).
Subs not used: Clement Diop, Micheal Azira, Harry Novillo, Anthony Jackson-Hamel.
Stats Summary: MTL / RSL
Shots: 15 / 8
Shots on Goal: 4 / 4
Saves: 3 / 2
Corner Kicks: 2 / 2
Fouls: 13 / 13
Offside: 1 / 2
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY:
MTL: Samuel Piette (caution) 36’
RSL: Damir Kreilach (caution) 59’
RSL: Justin Portillo (caution) 60’
MTL: Bacary Sagna (caution) 83’
OFFICIALS:
Referee: Fotis Bazakos
Assistant Referees: CJ Morgante, Claudiu Badea
4th Official: Pierre-Luc Lauziere
VAR: Jose Carlos Rivero
AVAR: Gianni Facchini
