REAL SALT LAKE
Real Salt Lake Suffer Defeat On Road Against Minnesota United
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Real Salt Lake are still yet to pick up any point, of any kind, in Minnesota after a 4-0 drumming Saturday evening. The loss drops the claret and cobalt back into eight positions after starting the weekend at number seven.
The match included a controversial no goal and two offsides that ended in goals. RSL was unfortunate to not end the night with at least one goal.
Brush this one off & on to the next pic.twitter.com/goizx69RkG
— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) September 7, 2020
Freddy Juarez opted to bring back the diamond formation for the first time since Jason Kreis in 2014 and it ultimately cost the team the first goal. One of the biggest issues with the diamond is that your defense can play too narrow, leaving plenty of room on the outside for opposing wing-backs to operate in.
That space was utilized by Chase Gasper in the 53rd minute when Justen Glad did everything he could to close down Gasper only for the shot to find the back of the net.
The goal came early in the second-half following a dominant first-half display by RSL in which the away team looked like the much better team on the night.
“We just got sloppy,” Onuoha said following the conclusion of the match.
Once Gasper scored the first goal, the RSL players ultimately lost confidence. It was almost as if the team was tired.
Which would explain the starting lineup and the many new faces that it had. Sam Johnson, Giussepe Rossi and Douglas Martinez all started. Remarkable.
“It wasn’t a good half from us,” Freddy Juarez said regarding the second-half collapse.
90' another goal
4-0 #MINvRSL pic.twitter.com/0tHlzw8C5j
— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) September 7, 2020
Robin Lod ended with a brace and Jacori Hayes scored for Minnesota. RSL has not looked so poor in a long time.
It just wasn’t RSL’s night.
Next Match
Real Salt Lake hosts LAFC on Wednesday evening at 7:30 p.m.
LAFC currently sits in the fifth position in the West after beating San Jose midweek 5-1.