Real Salt Lake Lets Points Slip At Home Against DC United

SALT LAKE CITY – Real Salt Lake settled for a stalemate against D.C. United at America First Field in front of a frustrated sold-out crowd. The draw keeps RSL in the sixth position in the Western Conference.

Manager Pablo Mastroeni started his preferred starting XI as Justen Glad and Jasper Löffelsend both returned from yellow card suspensions. Sergio Córdova and Jefferson Savarino headlined the attack while Justin Meram and Maikel Chang accompanied on either flank.

😠😠😏😠😠
😠😠😠😄😠🙂 pic.twitter.com/XAaxsf09d8

— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) September 11, 2022

The match was a big occasion for the club in more ways than one. It marked the third last regular season game at home while the club announced a 15 year partnership with America First that will now call America First Field, formerly Rio Tinto Stadium, home.

It is believed that the deal is amongst the top three in the league.

The Riot is forever. pic.twitter.com/FyY0auLd6Y

— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) September 11, 2022

Furthermore, goalkeeper David Ochoa returned for the first time as a visitor as he started for Wayne Rooney and D.C. United. It was just his fourth start for United since being traded at the end of July.

Unfortunately, the opening half an hour was a methodical display of soccer from both teams. Neither side could manage to create any promising goal-scoring opportunities but that all changed 30 minutes into the contest. Córdova began making runs in behind the United backline and looked destined to find to test Ochoa.

Opportunities for RSL were also presenting themselves from corner kicks. At the half, RSL enjoyed six corner kicks to United’s one. All six corner kicks from RSL came with good deliveries and subsequently good looks at goal. But Benteke and the United defense stood tall to the challenge.

At the half, the match remained scoreless. However, RSL looked like the far more likely team to open the scoring.

The second half began in a similar fashion to how the game opened, with neither team taking control and allowing the ball to methodically bounce back and forth in the midfield.

Rooney and United made two moves at the main break and were quick to make another two substitutions shortly thereafter. Mastreoni waited until the 68th minute when he brought on Rubio Rubin, Anderson Julio, and Braian Ojeda who made his home debut.

Danny Musovski followed in Ojeda’s footsteps and debuted for the first time at America First Field in the 78th minute.

Frustration began to grow as the minutes ticked over, as United began to feel a sense of belief.

The best moment for either team came when United forward Ola Kamara’s shot from inside the box was saved by the diving legs of MacMath.

Musovski’s involvement sparked the home team and in the 79th minute, he nearly converted a header that was saved by Ochoa and then headered again by Julio forcing Ochoa to touch it over the bar for another RSL corner.

Next Real Salt Lake Fixture

Real Salt Lake will next travel to Austin, who currently holds the second spot in the West, for a midweek affair.

Kickoff is slated for 7:15 p.m. on Wednesday, September 14, and will be available to stream for free via the KSL Sports and KSL 5 TV apps or on KSL Sports dot com.