Playoff hopes still alive, RSL defeats Seattle 2-0

Rio Tinto Stadium, Sandy, UT – Real Salt Lake kept there playoff hopes alive tonight at Rio Tinto Stadium as they defeated the red hot Seattle Sounders 2-0.  With a little help from loses from both FC Dallas and San Jose tonight RSL currently sits in 5th place in the West.  With only three more matches, less than every other team in the conference, every match is a must win for the Claret and Cobalt.

The first half started with a bang for Real Salt Lake, but after Jefferson Savarino banged one of the post it looked like the home town club took their foot off the gas, with just enough to leave both clubs scoreless as they left for the locker rooms.  The intensity came back quickly after the break and

Jefferson Savarino put RSL on the board first with a beautiful touch that put the ball just beyond Stefan Frei’s outstretched hands.  Just fourteen minutes later Savarino once again found himself the recipient of a Joao Plata long ball when he found Luke Mulholland with a low cross that went straight to the back of the net.

Seattle saw the end of a 13-match unbeaten streak and finds themselves in 4th place in the Western Conference just one slot above Real Salt Lake.  The only bright spot on the night may have been the play of Stefan Frei who played well enough to keep then in the match most of the night.  The Sounders only have four days to get ready for the current best club in the west, the Vancouver Whitecaps.

RSL, who struggled early in the season, have come on strong the last few months, and according to Luke Mulhollad, “We are turning Rio Tinto back into a fortress.”  Nick Rimando did his part with another clean sheet with a little help from Justen Glad who Coach Petke said “plays beyond his years”, and it showed.  Real Salt Lake continues it’s drive to make the playoffs next Saturday, September 30th when they pay a visit to the not playoff bound LA Galaxy at StubHub Center.

 

 

 

Goals by Period         1  2  F
Real Salt Lake                  0  2  2
Seattle Sounders               0  0  0

Scoring Summary:
RSL – Jefferson Savarino – 52′
RSL – Luke Mulholland – 66′

Misconduct Summary:
SEA – Kelvin Leerdame – 57′ – Unsporting behavior
SEA – Lamar Naegle – 90’+6” – Unsporting behavior

Officials
Referee: Sorin Stoica
Assistant Referee: Jeff Muschik
Assistant Referee: Oscar Mitchell-Carvalho
4th Official: Drew Fischer

Attendance: 19,876

Lineups:

Real Salt Lake: Nick Rimando; Danilo Acosta; Marcelo Silva; Justen Glad; Tony Beltran; Kyle Beckerman; Luke Mulholland; Albert Rusnak; Joao Plata (David Horst, 86′); Jefferson Savarino (Sebastian Saucedo, 90’+4′); Brooks Lennon (Sunny, 78′)

Substitutes Not Used: Matt VanOekel; Jose Fernandez; Yura Movsisyan; Chris Wingert

 

 

Seattle Sounders: Stefan Frei; Kelvin Leerdam; Roman Torrs; Gustav Svensson; Nouhou Tolo (Joevin Jones, 62′); Osvaldo Alonso; Christian Roldan; Nicolas Lodeiro (Chad Marshall, 86′); Victor Rodreiguez; Clint Dempsey; Will Bruin (Lemar Naegle, 72′)

Substitutes Not Used: Tyler Miller; Tony Alfaro; Jordy Delem; Aaron Kovar