Big
rivalry between these two and recent encounters have been "spicy" and
are always very physical. To that end alone, I feel that SKC are at a
disadvantage given that they have played Saturday-Tuesday- Friday over
the last week and due to injury and international call ups, could barely
rotate for the midweek US Open Cup game and 13 of the 14 who played
against Houston in the last league game, also featured on Tuesday when
they took almost an hour to get on top of the ten men of Houston, in
what was an incredibly hard fought encounter. The way the match played
out meant that head coach Peter Vermes felt unable to make two
substitutions until injury time and this must be a team running on empty
right now and I doubt a battle against a bitter rival just three days
later and on the road is going to suit them. Having said that, there is
nothing wrong with the form of Sporting and their only loss in 14 starts
was here in Salt Lake just five weeks ago, but nine of those fixtures
were at home and of the five on the road they are 1-3-1 and that sole
victory aside, it is over a year since they won on the road without a
goal from Zusi or Opara who are both absent this evening.
RSL are
missing key players too, with Olave, Beckerman and Rimando unavailable,
but they have had a free midweek to prepare solely for this and have
only left Salt Lake once, for the short hop to play Colorado, in the
last month and will clearly be the fresher of the two squads. They felt
they played their best football of the season in the first half of the
last meeting, when they really took the game to SKC and could have been
2-3 up at the break, we might well see a similarly flying start from
them this evening and to be honest, I do not feel that the visitors
should be favourites for this. Hosts are very strong at home and have
lost just once in 26 home starts since early June last year, they pride
themselves on the Rio Tinto Stadium being a fortress and with two road
games up next and already six points adrift of a post season spot they
see as theirs by right, this is a fixture they have to get something
from.
Real Salt Lake level ball 2.02 asian line/Sportmarket.
Big
rivalry between these two and recent encounters have been "spicy" and
are always very physical. To that end alone, I feel that SKC are at a
disadvantage given that they have played Saturday-Tuesday- Friday over
the last week and due to injury and international call ups, could barely
rotate for the midweek US Open Cup game and 13 of the 14 who played
against Houston in the last league game, also featured on Tuesday when
they took almost an hour to get on top of the ten men of Houston, in
what was an incredibly hard fought encounter. The way the match played
out meant that head coach Peter Vermes felt unable to make two
substitutions until injury time and this must be a team running on empty
right now and I doubt a battle against a bitter rival just three days
later and on the road is going to suit them. Having said that, there is
nothing wrong with the form of Sporting and their only loss in 14 starts
was here in Salt Lake just five weeks ago, but nine of those fixtures
were at home and of the five on the road they are 1-3-1 and that sole
victory aside, it is over a year since they won on the road without a
goal from Zusi or Opara who are both absent this evening.
RSL are
missing key players too, with Olave, Beckerman and Rimando unavailable,
but they have had a free midweek to prepare solely for this and have
only left Salt Lake once, for the short hop to play Colorado, in the
last month and will clearly be the fresher of the two squads. They felt
they played their best football of the season in the first half of the
last meeting, when they really took the game to SKC and could have been
2-3 up at the break, we might well see a similarly flying start from
them this evening and to be honest, I do not feel that the visitors
should be favourites for this. Hosts are very strong at home and have
lost just once in 26 home starts since early June last year, they pride
themselves on the Rio Tinto Stadium being a fortress and with two road
games up next and already six points adrift of a post season spot they
see as theirs by right, this is a fixture they have to get something
from.
Real Salt Lake level ball 2.02 asian line/Sportmarket.
Excellent analysis. This could very well turn into a one-sided affair if RSL are able to pounce on SKC in the opening minutes as you suggested. Strikes me as a good match to bet on a RED card. Tired legs and minds in a bitter rivalry tend to produce violence and if SKC, a squad not used to losing, are in fact losing (possibly by 2) then I think a red is inevitable.
Will also play RSL PK or DNB or level ball as you say, for a draw IS always possible as RSL are not a goal-machine by an stretch. I do, however, think RSL will win 2-0 in a war.
Excellent analysis. This could very well turn into a one-sided affair if RSL are able to pounce on SKC in the opening minutes as you suggested. Strikes me as a good match to bet on a RED card. Tired legs and minds in a bitter rivalry tend to produce violence and if SKC, a squad not used to losing, are in fact losing (possibly by 2) then I think a red is inevitable.
Will also play RSL PK or DNB or level ball as you say, for a draw IS always possible as RSL are not a goal-machine by an stretch. I do, however, think RSL will win 2-0 in a war.
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