Real Salt Lake Scores Two Goals In Three Minutes In Season Opener
Feb 25, 2023, 10:20 PM | Updated: 10:28 pm
Damir Kreilach after giving Real Salt Lake their first lead of the 2023 season. (Photo courtesy of Real Salt Lake)
(Photo courtesy of Real Salt Lake)
VANCOUVER – Defender Justen Glad and midfielder Damir Kreilach scored the first two goals of the season for Real Salt Lake in the season opener against Vancouver.
After going scoreless for the first 70 minutes, the two goals came within three minutes of each other.
70′ | WE ARE SO GLAD YOU’RE OURS
1-1 | #VANvRSL pic.twitter.com/zRLJyQq5zb
— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) February 26, 2023
Glad’s goal came off a cross-field assist from midfielder Maikel Chang.
Glad is in his tenth year with RSL, his season-opening goal was the 9th of his career.
The Lions tied the game, and then took the lead just minutes later. Damir Kreilach gave Real Salt Lake their first lead of the year.
73′ | THE KING!!! THE KID!!!!! THE CAPTAIN!!!!!
1-2 | #VANvRSL pic.twitter.com/CzOZo5jc3P
— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) February 26, 2023
Kreilach’s goal came off of a great delivery from Jefferson Savarino after penetrating the defense.
He ran down the middle of the field and put it in the right side of the net with a left-foot strike.
Glad sneaks one in at the far post off a beautiful cross from Chang. Moments later, Sava sets up Damir and just like that RSL come alive and lead 2-1 in Vancouver #RSL #DaleReal
— RSL Show (@rslshow) February 26, 2023
Unknown Questions To Be Answered Shortly
As is often the case with season openers, a lot of unknown questions remain unanswered for Real Salt Lake entering the 2023 season. How will the losses of Aaron Herrera, Sergio Córdova, and Bobby Wood impact results? Will Andrés Gómez live up to the expectation? How does Brayan Vera fit into the starting XI? Will Damir Kreilach overcome his injury and return to the form that granted him an MLS All-Star appearance?
All of those questions will begin to answer themselves as RSL travels north for the regular season opener against the Vancouver Whitecaps.
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Gómez will be available for selection while Vera will not. Vera is expected to join the team prior to the club’s home opener against Austin FC on March 11, according to a club statement.
Real Salt Lake enters the opening fixture in relatively good health. Zack Farnsworth and Axel Kei are out with thigh and ankle injuries respectively. Rubio Rubin is suspended following his second-half red card against Austin in the opening round of last year’s MLS playoffs.
The absence of Rubin and Kei suggests that manager Pablo Mastroeni will likely rely on the likes of Anderson Julio to solidify himself at the point of the attack this weekend. Julio, a natural winger, has endured a lot of minutes in the Claret and Cobalt as a central attacking option under Mastroeni, and with the abundance of wingers on the roster it is likely that Julio plays most of his football in 2023 at the point of the attack.
taking a trip up north#VANvRSL | @EnglandLogistic
— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) February 24, 2023
Chandler Holt is a Digital Sports Producer for sports.ksl.com, specializing in all things basketball and football. Follow Chandler on Twitter at @ChandlerHoltKSL.
