Real Salt Lake Keeps Unbeaten Streak Alive, Plays CF Montréal To Scoreless Draw
Jun 15, 2024, 7:37 PM | Updated: Jun 17, 2024, 2:25 pm
SALT LAKE CITY – Real Salt Lake kept its unbeaten streak alive by playing CF Montréal to a scoreless draw north of the border.
Real Salt Lake plays CF Montréal to scoreless draw
Montréal hosted RSL at Stade Saputo in Quebec, Canada on Saturday, June 15. It was their first meeting since May 2022.
Real Salt Lake and CF Montréal played 90-plus minutes of scoreless soccer in a 0-0 result.
Make that 14 unbeaten 😤#MTLvRSL | @SelectHealth pic.twitter.com/uN5cVdWMju
— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) June 16, 2024
With the draw, RSL tied a franchise record of 14 matches without suffering a defeat.
During the opening minutes of the contest, Montréal put pressure on the visitors from the Beehive State. CF Montréal had multiple presses in the finishing third of the field. However, RSL managed to avoid an early disaster and was able to clear the ball.
The game saw its first corner kick of the night when Real Salt Lake earned a set piece in the 11th minute. A ball was sent into the box before Montréal cleared it to near the midfield line.
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Anderson Julio missed the frame on a strike from the far side of the six-yard box in the 14th minute.
A minute later, Andres Gomez attempted a shot before ist was blocked by CF Montréal’s Jonathan Sirois.
In the 17th minute, Zac MacMath saved a close shot by the home side to keep the match scoreless.
A few minutes later, Chicho Arango attempted a shot after a pass by Gomez. However, the angle wasn’t in Arango’s favor and the shot went up and out for a goal kick.
Later in the half, Montréal’s attack showed its early prowess once again. The home team attempted multiple kicks but was unable to put the ball in the back of the net.
At the 45-minute mark, the officials added two minutes to the opening half.
Bode Hidalgo nearly gave Real Salt Lake a halftime lead but was unable to put his head on the ball as it sailed in the six-yard box near the break.
The two teams went into the locker room with a blank scoreboard.
Solid first half for #RSL. With 62% possession and 10 fouls on Montreal, all that’s missing is a goal in Stadium Saputo. Second 45’ up next.#MTLvRSL https://t.co/0VfV0sbsfP
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) June 16, 2024
RSL opened possession for 61.9 percent of the first 45 minutes. Real Salt Lake also had more shots than Montréal, 9-4, including two shots on goal to one by the home side.
The second half was a mirror image of the opening one. Both clubs had their opportunities to find the match’s first goal but were unable to do so.
In the 77th minute, Arango had another close look at the goal. The shot was blocked and Sirois’ sheet stayed clean.
Montréal pressed RSL during the final 15 minutes and had multiple shots at MacMath. The veteran goalkeeper blocked a few and a couple sailed over his head. Either way, MacMath’s sheet remained clean.
After three minutes of stoppage time at the end, the game ended in a scoreless draw.
In the end, Real Salt Lake controlled the ball for 59.8 percent of the contest and had eight more shots than the home side. RSL outshot the Canadian club, 19-11, including 6-2 in shots on goal. Real Salt Lake also had seven corner kicks. Montréal had zero corners.
With the result, RSL improved to a 9-7-2 record this season.
😐😠🙂😁
😠😠😠😐😐😠😐 pic.twitter.com/32iKFBWN4K— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) June 15, 2024
Real Salt Lake’s next match is on the road against Sporting Kansas City on Wednesday, June 19 at 6:30 p.m. (MT). The game will be broadcast via MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, KSL Sports Zone (97.5 FM), sports.ksl.com, and the KSL Sports app.
Real Salt Lake this season
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Real Salt Lake opened its 2024 schedule with a 2-0 loss to Inter Miami CF on February 21. The club followed up the season-opening loss by picking up a point in a 1-1 draw with St. Louis only three days later.
Following the draw with St. Louis, Real Salt Lake beat LAFC at home, 3-0.
After defeating Los Angeles, RSL fell at home to the Colorado Rapids, 2-1. Real Salt Lake has been unbeaten in MLS play since the home loss to Colorado.
Real Salt Lake got back on track with a 2-1 win over Vancouver on March 23 and a 3-1 victory over St. Louis on March 30.
The team’s two-game winning streak was snapped with a 1-1 draw with Minnesota United FC on April 6 at Allianz Field.
On April 13, RSL played the Columbus Crew to a scoreless draw before crushing the Chicago Fire, 4-0, a week later.
In the club’s last match, RSL picked up a 2-1 win over Philadelphia.
After beating Chicago, RSL picked up consecutive wins over the Philadelphia Union and Sporting Kansas City. After the back-to-back victories, Real Salt Lake fell to New Mexico United of the USL Championship in the U.S. Open Cup. Real Salt Lake rebounded in MLS play by earning a point after drawing with the LA Galaxy on May 11.
Then RSL picked up wins over Seattle and Colorado before consecutive draws with Seattle and Austin FC before playing CF Montréal.
Kyle Ireland is a Utah Hockey Club Insider for sports.ksl.com. Follow him on X (@kyleireland), Threads (@kyleirelandksl), and Instagram (@kyleirelandksl).
