A extra home-friendly schedule in July has Actual Salt Lake hoping it may well scramble into playoff place.
“Residence video games are at all times a possibility that you need to seize full drive, so we’re buzzing about it,” mentioned defender Justen Glad. “We all know we have to get factors, climb the desk after which get above that playoff line. So, yeah, we’re excited for the chance.”
They need to be, significantly with struggling St. Louis Metropolis making the journey west for a Saturday evening fixture at Sandy, Utah.
RSL (5-10-4, 19 factors) at present sits thirteenth within the West desk, seven factors behind Austin for the convention’s final playoff spot. Solely the highest 9 groups in every convention advance to the playoffs.
To leap again into the playoff image, RSL must benefit from taking part in 4 of its 5 video games this month at dwelling. And though its greatest participant, Diego Luna (team-high eight objectives), might be out as a result of he is taking part in for the USA in Sunday’s Gold Cup championship match, it has to financial institution three factors towards an opponent that has gained simply as soon as in three months.
Whereas RSL is coming off a 1-1 draw on June 28 at Sporting Kansas Metropolis, St. Louis (3-11-6, 15 factors) limps into city after a colorless 1-0 defeat the identical evening in Houston. The identical offensive woes which have haunted it many of the 12 months have been round for the most recent loss as St. Louis did not handle a shot on body till the eighth minute of stoppage time within the second half.
“If we’ll be a crew that tries to construct and play by way of opponents or round opponents, the tip goal is to at all times attempt to create the shot from it or not less than create the ball into the ultimate third,” mentioned St. Louis interim coach David Critchley. “We weren’t ok with our build-up.”
Since beginning 2-0-2, St. Louis is 1-11-4 in its final 16 matches. A protection that was holding it in video games early has misplaced its form over the past 11 matches, conceding a whopping 25 objectives.
Joao Klauss has a team-best six objectives, together with 4 over the previous three matches.
Veteran Johnny Russell has tallied prior to now two matches for Salt Lake.
–Area Stage Media
