VANCOUVER (Saturday, June 4, 2022) – Real Salt Lake (7-4-4, 25 points) fell 2-1 on Saturday night at B.C. Place to the host Whitecaps in Major League Soccer’s lone match this weekend, the game’s deciding goal coming via a stoppage-time penalty kick from Ryan Gauld. Homegrown RSL defender Aaron Herrera saw a second yellow card for his tackle in the box, as Claret-and-Cobalt GK Zac MacMath was unable to save the penalty, the first he’s faced throughout 2022.
RSL enters the international break seeing its three-game win streak snapped, despite several bright moments in tonight’s match. Veteran M/F Justin Meram provided the early second-half equalizer, scoring his second goal of the season. Meram’s opportunity was created by a looping switch from MF Pablo Ruiz, whose offering was mishandled by Vancouver’s Ryan Raposo. Meram never broke stride in running onto the resultant loose ball, driving towards goal and slotting home in the 52nd minute.
Ruiz gathered the ball to initiate the sequence as Vancouver desperately cleared its lines following a possible goal from RSL FW Sergio Cordova. With service coming in from the right side by MF Maikel Chang, Cordova’s far post header appeared to cross the goal line as it was acrobatically saved by Vancouver GK Cody Cropper, the MLS pool goalkeeper. With no VAR or goal-line technology, play continued until Meram found the back of the net.
RSL conceded the lead to the Vancouver in the 29th minute, as a long throw in bounced in the penalty box between three Claret-and-Cobalt shirts, giving the opportunity for the Whitecaps’ Ranko Veselinovic to tap home the loose ball past a helpless MacMath. The goal conceded to create an 0-1 deficit marked the third time in the last four matches that RSL was forced to climb out of the hole, with the Club able to earn the full three points on May 14 vs. Austin and May 22 at Montreal.
UP NEXT: Real Salt Lake gets a week off during the remainder of the international break, prior to returning to MLS action on Saturday, June 18, when the team hosts San Jose Earthquakes at 7:30 p.m. MT. Tickets are available for purchase at www.rsl.com/tickets. The ‘Quakes match kicks off a run of three home games out of four at Rio Tinto Stadium for RSL, as well as five of the next seven in Sandy. With home games on June 18 and then June 25 against Columbus Crew, RSL is the 28th and final MLS team to host back-to-back home contests during the 2022 season.
GOAL SCORING RUNDOWN:
VAN: Ranko Veselinovic, 33rd minute: Virtually the entire RSL defense fell asleep on a long throw-in opportunity for Vancouver, as Ranko Veselinovic pounced on a bouncing ball inside the six to tap a touch past an exasperated Zac MacMath.
RSL: Justin Meram, 52nd minute: Following an apparent Sergio Cordova shot that crossed the goal line but was saved spectacularly by Vancouver’s Cody Cropper, RSL recycled possession with a long, looping switch from Pablo Ruiz. Veteran winger Justin Meram picked the pocket of the Whitecaps right wing Ryan Raposo, running onto a bad touch to slot the ball home from 10 yards out on the left for the early second-half equalizer, Meram’s second goal on the season (April 9 v TOR).
VAN: Ryan Gauld (PK), 92+ minute: “The Scottish Messi” stepped to the spot to bury the game-winner, curling a left-footed shot opposite of a diving Zac MacMath for Vancouver’s third post-90th minute goal of the season. Gauld received the opportunity minutes after RSL DF Aaron Herrera received a second caution for an unsuccessful tackle in the box.
NOTES:
- RSL’s Zack Farnsworth (right ankle), Bret Halsey (ankle), Erik Holt (left foot), Jonathan Menendez (adductor), Anderson Julio (hamstring) and Damir Kreilach (back) were unavailable due to injury.
- RSL Designated Player Jefferson Savarino replaced Maikel Chang in the 60th minute to make his second appearance of the season
- FW Anderson Julio replaced goal-scorer Justin Meram in the 80th minute to make his second appearance of the season, and his first since providing the game-winning assist on May 14 against Austin
- Newly-acquired MF Diego Luna became the 28th player to appear this year in RSL’s first 15 games, the 18-year-old becoming RSL’s 186th all-time player in MLS regular-season action
- No draws in the last 18 meetings between RSL and Vancouver, a streak dating back to 2014
- RSL falls to 2-4-3 on the road this year, and 2-11-1 all-time in British Columbia (RSL does have credit in MLS record books for a “road” win at Vancouver, in 2021 – when the Whitecaps called Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy home during the pandemic-affected season
- RSL, Vancouver, Portland & Kansas City have played 15 of their 34 games during the 2022 MLS Reg. season; all other Shield pursuers have played 14 or fewer
- Tonight’s loss drops RSL’s all-time MLS reg. season record to 212-212-137
- RSL’s Chris Kablan and Diego Luna each remain in Vancouver to join Real Monarchs for Sunday’s MLS NEXT Pro contest, which can be viewed at www.MLSNextPro.comat 6:00 p.m. MT
Match: Real Salt Lake at Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Date: Saturday, June 4, 2022
Venue: B.C. Place, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Weather: indoors
Attendance: 17,134
SCORING SUMMARY: 1 2 F
Vancouver Whitecaps 1 1 2
Real Salt Lake 0 1 1
VAN: Veselinovic 31’
RSL: Justin Meram 52’
VAN: Ryan Gault (penalty) 93+
LINEUPS:
Real Salt Lake (4-4-2): Zac MacMath; Aaron Herrera, Justen Glad, Marcelo Silva, Andrew Brody; Pablo Ruiz, Maikel Chang (Jefferson Savarino 60’), Jasper Löffelsend, Justin Meram (Anderson Julio 82’), Bobby Wood, Sergio Cordova (Diego Luna 88’)
Subs not used: Tomas Gomez, Johan Kappelhof, Chris Kablan, Scott Caldwell, Everton Luiz, Nick Besler
Vancouver Whitecaps (3-5-2): Cody Cropper; Cristian Gutierrez (Luis Martins 71’), Ranko Veselinovic, Erik Godoy; Jake Nerwinski ©, Sebastian Berhalter (Ryan Gauld 63’), Leonard Owusu (Caio Alexandre 75’), Florian Jungwirth, Ryan Raposo (Marcus Godinho 71’); Deiber Caicedo (Toussaint Ricketts 74’), Brian White
Subs not used: Isaac Boehmer; Tristan Blackmon, Michael Baldisimo, Pedro Vite
STATS SUMMARY: VAN / RSL
Shots: 6 / 10
Shots on Goal: 4 / 4
Saves: 3 / 2
Corner Kicks: 2 / 3
Fouls: 13 / 12
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY:
RSL: Aaron Herrera (caution) 28’
VAN: D. Caicedo (caution) 38’
RSL: Justin Meram (caution) 63’
RSL: Jasper Löffelsend (caution) 68’
VAN: Florian Jungwirth (caution) 76’
VAN: Caio Alexandre 90’
RSL: Aaron Herrera (second caution, ejection) 91+
OFFICIALS:
Referee: Jon Freemon
Assistant Referees: Andrew Bigelow, Jeff Hosking
4th Official: Filip Dujic
VAR: Edvin Jurisevic
