In his two seasons with Real Salt Lake, Croatian midfielder Damier Kreilach has become a staple for the club’s offense, recording 18 goals, which account for 17.8 percent of the teams total goals in the last two years.
More importantly, Kreilach has become the team’s secret weapon in the postseason, scoring four goals and adding one assist in four playoff games.
Kreilach made his first voyage into the Major League Soccer Playoffs last season in the opening round when RSL faced the heavy-hitting Los Angeles FC. The midfielder wasted no time making his mark in the postseason, netting a brace to help lift the team to a 3-2 victory, advancing to the Western Conference Semifinal.
The opening goal came in the 21st minute when Brooks Lennon sent a cross into the box which Kreilach chested down and then proceeded to volley in past LAFC goalkeeper Tyler Miller. Then in the 58th minute Kreilach became memorialized in MLS postseason history when he karate kicked the ball mid-air off the far post of goal and into the back of the net to level the score.
In the second round of the 2018 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs, Kreilach recorded his first assist of the post season. Albert Rusnak initiated a give and go, hitting a ball in towards the box where Kreilach was able to head back towards him where Rusnak then volleyed the ball into the net for the lead over Sporting Kansas City.
With the previous postseason format RSL met Sporting Kansas City in a second match during the Western Conference Semifinals, during which Kreilach once again found the back of the net when his head connected on a corner from Joao Plata.
In 2019, Kreilach’s postseason success has continued as he scored one of two goals against Portland Timbers FC last Saturday in the opening round of the 2019 Audi Cup Playoffs. Once again it was Kreilach’s head that aided in his scoring when he connected off a cross from Corey Baird to take the early lead for RSL.
On Wednesday the midfielder will have another chance to extend his offensive postseason success when Real Salt Lake travels to face Seattle Sounders FC on Wednesday, October 23 at 8:00 p.m. MT in the Western Conference Semifinals. The match will be televised live nationally on FS1.
