MLS Real Salt Lake

Real Salt Lake Update

Published on July 28, 2014 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Real Salt Lake News Release


REAL SALT LAKE TO HOST NEW YORK RED BULLS ON WEDNESDAY AT RIO TINTO STADIUM

Real Salt Lake will finish out its three-game homestand on Wednesday night, when it hosts Eastern Conference foe New York Red Bulls at 7:00 p.m. MT at Rio Tinto Stadium in a nationally televised match. Wednesday's game will be broadcast live on ESPN 2, ESPN 700 AM and 102.3 La Gran D FM.

Real Salt Lake is coming off a 3-1 win over Montreal Impact last Thursday night in front of a sold-out Rio Tinto Stadium. RSL MF Luke Mulholland opened up the scoring early, giving the Claret-and-Cobalt a 1-0 lead in the third minute. Montreal was able to pull even before halftime with Impact DF Hassoun Camara providing the equalizing goal in the 31st minute. Montreal was then reduced to 10 men in the 65th, after Impact MF Issey Nakajima-Farran was issued a straight red card for a studs up challenge on RSL DF Chris Schuler. RSL was able to exploit the man advantage with substitute FW Olmes Garcia recording a brace with goals in the 70th and 93rd minutes to grab the win. Real Salt Lake now sits second in the Western Conference with an 8-4-8 record and total of 32 points, six points off of Western Conference leaders Seattle Sounders FC.

Wednesday's game will be the only 2014 regular season meeting between RSL and New York. The Utah side lost its last meeting against the Red Bulls in heartbreaking fashion, falling 4-3 at Red Bull Arena on July 27, 2013. The Claret-and-Cobalt went down 2-0 after NY notched goals in the 11th and 23rd minutes from Australian international Tim Cahill and former RSL and NY FW Fabian Espindola respectively. The Claret-and-Cobalt went on to stage an amazing comeback led by RSL's all-time leading scorer, FW Alvaro Saborio. The Costa Rican international went on to record a hat trick, scoring three unanswered goals in the 45th, 80th and 82nd minutes to give RSL the improbable lead. But the Claret-and-Cobalt was unable to finish out the match, conceding two goals in the 89th and 94th minutes to fall 3-4 on the road.

Real Salt Lake is 5-4-7 in MLS regular season play against the New York Red Bulls. The Claret-and-Cobalt is undefeated against the New York club at home, posting a 4-0-4 record in the Beehive state. Real Salt Lake has been very successful at home in recent years, winning its last four meetings against the Red Bulls at Rio Tinto Stadium.

New York enters Wednesday's match coming off a 1-0 win over English club Arsenal in an international friendly match at Red Bull Arena on July 26. The Red Bulls drew 1-1 with San Jose Earthquakes at home in its last MLS action on July 19. New York currently sits fifth in the Eastern Conference with a 5-6-9 record and total of 24 points.

A very limited number of tickets to the midweek match remain. Tickets can be purchased at the Rio Tinto Stadium box office, online at www.RealSaltLake.com/Tickets or over the phone at 801-727-2700.

REAL SALT LAKE DEFEATS MONTREAL IMPACT 3-1 AT RIO TINTO STADIUM

Real Salt Lake (8-4-8, 32 points, West #2), picked up a valuable three points last Thursday night, getting goals from RSL MF Luke Mulholland and FW Olmes Garcia to beat Montreal Impact (3-11-5, 14 points, East #10) 3-1 in front of a sold-out crowd at Rio Tinto Stadium.

RSL's Mulholland put the Claret-and-Cobalt up 1-0 just three minutes in to the game, but Montreal managed to pull even before halftime through DF Hassoun Camara in the 31st minute. The Impact then went down a man in the 65th minute and couldn't hold on with RSL substitute Garcia notching a brace with goals in the 70th and 93rd minutes to secure the win.

Real Salt Lake opened up the scoring early in the third minute through Mulholland. The play started with a corner taken by RSL MF Javier Morales who whipped a ball into the box that Montreal flicked on to the far side of the area. RSL DF Chris Schuler was there to head the ball back into the middle of the box where an open Mulholland half-volleyed a shot to the bottom left corner, beating Montreal GK Evan Bush.

Montreal was able to find the equalizer in the 31st minute. The Impact nicely switched the field of play, finding Montreal MF Calum Mallace open on the right flank just outside the penalty area. Mallace played a simple pass into the top of the box for oncoming Camara who one-timed a perfectly placed shot to the far post to draw the Impact even.

The Impact was dealt a severe blow in the 65th minute after Montreal MF Issey Nakajima-Farran was issued a straight red card for a dangerous tackle on RSL's Schuler. Able to take advantage of being up a man, Real Salt Lake retook the lead through a beautiful goal scored by substitute Olmes Garcia in the 70th minute. Morales started the play on the right side, sending in a wonderful cross into the box that Garcia fantastically headed to the far post for his first of the year.

Garcia made it two on the evening, giving the Claret-and-Cobalt an insurance goal in the 93rd minute. The play started with Morales deftly chipping a pass with the outside of the foot to Garcia at the top right corner of the box, who then sprung for goal and provided a sublime finish to the far post to end the night.

Real Salt Lake will finish its three-game homestand on Wednesday, when it hosts New York Red Bulls at Rio Tinto Stadium at 7:00 p.m. MT in a nationally televised match on ESPN 2. Tickets to the RSL-New York contest can be purchased at the Rio Tinto Stadium box office, online at http://www.realsaltlake.com/Tickets or over the phone at 801-727-2700.

REAL SALT LAKE RESERVES FALL 5-2 TO PITTSBURGH RIVERHOUNDS

The Real Salt Lake Reserves fell 5-2 to USL Pro side Pittsburgh Riverhounds on Friday at Rio Tinto Stadium, suffering its first loss of the MLS Reserve League season. The RSL Reserves now post a 1-1-3 record through its first five matches of 2014.

Real Salt Lake got off to a rough start early as it was reduced to ten men in the fourth minute after RSL DF Aaron Maund received a straight red card for a foul in the box. Pittsburgh went on to convert from the spot in the sixth minute through Riverhounds FW Jose Angulo. RSL responded well to the PK goal and went on to score two unanswered goals in the eighth and 28th minutes through RSL MF Sebastian Saucedo and FW Devon Sandoval respectively. But the PK action did not end there, with RSL conceding two more penalties in the 38th and 46th minutes. Pittsburgh then went on to secure the win with goals in the 80th and 84th minutes to finish the match 5-2.

Real Salt Lake got off to an unfortunate start after RSL's Maund was shown a straight red card in the fourth minute. Maund was whistled for a penalty after taking down a Pittsburgh player inside the area and then was subsequently shown the red card. Riverhounds striker Angulo converted from the spot, sending RSL GK Lalo Fernandez the wrong way to put the visiting side up by one in the sixth minute.

The lead did not last for long however, as newly signed Homegrown Player Saucedo pulled one back from the Claret-and-Cobalt in the eighth minute. RSL MF Luis Gil started the play, sending a nice through ball for Saucedo down the left side of the 18 yard box. The Utah native made no mistake with his shot, placing it perfectly to the far post to even the score at 1-1.

Real Salt Lake went on to take the lead in the 28th minute after a nice sequence of possession around the 18 yard box. RSL MF John Stertzer, moving to right back in place of Maund, received the ball on the right flank and whipped in a nice cross to the far post where an open Sandoval headed the ball past helpless Pittsburgh GK Mike Lisch.

Pittsburgh was on the receiving end of another controversial penalty call in the 37th minute. This time the penalty was called on RSL DF Kwame Watson-Siriboe who tracked Angulo to the touch line and lunged for the ball in an effort to kick it out from under the forward while appearing not to make contact with the player. The Riverhounds forward made the most of it however and went to ground, allowing the referee to make the penalty call. Angulo converted from the spot for a second time, going straight down the middle to beat Fernandez and draw even 2-2.

Things continued to go against the home side with the Claret-and-Cobalt being called for a third penalty in the 45th minute. This time it was RSL MF Sebastian Velasquez who was whistled for the foul after sticking out a leg in front of a sprinting Angulo inside the box sending the forward to ground. The referee pointed to the spot again and Angulo completed his penalty kick hat trick, converting in the 46th minute to put the Riverhounds up 3-2 heading into the halftime break.

Against the run of play, Pittsburgh managed to catch RSL on the counter in the 80th minute to double its advantage. Riverhounds MF Alfonso Motagalvan jumpstarted the attack, finding MF Rob Vincent streaking down the right side into the area. With just the keeper to beat, Vincent provided a lovely finish to the far post to put the visiting side up 4-2.

Pittsburgh put the nail in the coffin four minutes later, with DF Matt Dallman whipping in a cross into the box from the right side. Pittsburgh substitute FW Jason Johnson was able to beat a sluggish looking RSL back line and powered a header from close-range into the back of the net.

REAL SALT LAKE SIGNS FW SEBASTIAN SAUCEDO TO HOMEGROWN CONTRACT

Real Salt Lake signed 17-year-old RSL-Arizona Academy product Sebastian Saucedo as its eighth-ever Homegrown Player last Thursday. Saucedo, the first Utah native to join the Claret-and-Cobalt, comes to the first team after spending three years at the RSL-Arizona Academy residency program. Per league and club policy, further terms of the deal will not be disclosed.

The dynamic midfielder/forward joined the RSL-Arizona Academy in 2011 after playing for local Utah youth club La Roca. He was a major player on the RSL-AZ U-16 team that won the 2012-13 U.S. Soccer Developmental Academy National Championship and was essential in leading the U-16's to its second straight appearance in the USSDA U-16 final, before falling 2-0 to LA Galaxy in the 2013-14 Championship match. Saucedo was named to the USSDA West Conference "Starting XI" and named the U-16 West Conference Player of the Year in 2014.

The Utah native also played a paramount role in leading the RSL-AZ U-16's to the 2013-14 Generation adidas Cup final, which saw the Claret-and-Cobalt suffer a heartbreaking penalty kick shootout loss to English side Stoke City. Saucedo was awarded the Generation adidas Cup Golden Ball as the tournament's best player and the Golden Boot as its leading scorer. The 17-year-old finished his two full seasons at the RSL-AZ Academy with a total of 50 goals scored for the Claret-and-Cobalt.

"I've dreamed of becoming a professional soccer player my entire life and the opportunity to do that with Real Salt Lake is a dream come true," Saucedo said. "After moving to Utah as a young kid and attending RSL games at Rice-Eccles Stadium, and then joining the RSL Academy, I can't wait to jumpstart my professional career in my home state. The chance to play at Rio Tinto Stadium - one of the best soccer stadiums in the league - and the prospect of learning alongside some of the best players and coaches in MLS, especially those with World Cup experience, is just a dream come true."

Saucedo also has experience as a U.S. Youth International. He has become a United States Under-18 Men's National Team regular, most recently joining the U-18's for an international tournament in Lisbon, Portugal this past June.

Saucedo has two appearances with the Real Salt Lake Reserves this year, playing the final 19 minutes in RSL's 1-1 draw with Chivas USA Reserves on April 29, and starting and playing the full 90 in the Claret-and-Cobalt's 0-0 draw with Seattle Sounders FC Reserves on May 26.

Real Salt Lake has previously signed seven other players to Homegrown Player contracts including former RSL players DF Donny Toia and MF Nico Muñiz, and current squad members GK Lalo Fernandez, DF Carlos Salcedo, FW Benji Lopez, MF Jordan Allen and DF Justen Glad.

Name: Sebastian Saucedo

Position: Midfielder

Height: 5' 7''

Weight: 145 lbs.

Birthdate: January 22, 1997

Birthplace: San Fernando Valley, California

Hometown: Park City, Utah

Previous club: RSL-Arizona U-16 Academy Team 2011-2014

Acquired: Signed to a Homegrown Player contract on July 24, 2014

REAL SALT LAKE INJURY REPORT

OUT: MF Jordan Allen (R knee injury), FW Alvaro Saborio (R fifth metatarsal fracture), DF Rich Balchan (Adductor strain)

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Major League Soccer Stories from July 28, 2014


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