Everything you need to know before the second meeting of the year between the Sounders FC and Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto Stadium.
Sounders FC @ Real Salt Lake
June 22, 2013, 6:30 pm PT; Rio Tinto Stadium; Sandy, Utah
TV/Radio: KONG 6/16; KIRO Radio 97.3 FM; KOMO2 (Spanish); La Gran D 99.3 FM (Spanish)
RSL’s Record: Salt Lake is second in the West at 8-5-3 (27 points). They are second in the league with 24 goals scored and hold a plus-eight goal differential.
All-time series: The Sounders are just 2-4-4 against Salt Lake in 10 all-time regular season meetings, but their record is 5-5-5 in all competitions, including a 2-1-1 record in the MLS Cup Playoffs and a win in a 2009 US Open Cup qualifier. This is the second meeting of the year between the two teams, with RSL winning the first 2-1 on March 30. The third and final meeting will be in Seattle on September 13.
Injury Report: Sounders FC – OUT: GK Josh Ford (R patella fracture); M Steve Zakuani (athletic pubalgia). QUESTIONABLE: M Osvaldo Alonso (L quad strain). Real Salt Lake – OUT: D Chris Schuler (L foot pain); D Rich Balchan (L shoulder surgery); D Kwame Watson-Siriboe (R ACL surgery); M John Stertzer (R shoulder surgery).
Key player: Since rejoining the starting lineup on April 13, Javier Morales has been a force to be reckoned with. The Argentine midfielder in his seventh MLS season has three goals and five assists in 10 starts this season, including four assists in their last four matches. In 139 career MLS matches, Morales has 23 goals and 48 assists.
Notes: Seattle will play Saturday without rightback DeAndre Yedlin and RSL doesn’t have midfielder Luis Gil as both are in Turkey with the US U20 National Team for the US U20 World Cup. … Both teams had two players with the US National Team for their 1-0 win over Honduras on Tuesday, however, Brad Evans played 90 minutes and Eddie Johnson played 87 minutes while neither Kyle Beckerman nor Nick Rimando appeared in the match. Additionally, Seattle midfielder Mario Martinez played 69 minutes for Honduras. … RSL forward Alvaro Saborio did play 90 minutes for Costa Rica on Tuesday in a 2-0 win over Panama. Saborio has four goals to share Salt Lake’s team lead, but has scored just once since March 16. … Seattle forward Lamar Neagle has four goals and three assists in his last four starts.
