3 Points: Did RSL's 2-2 draw with Toronto FC feel like a loss?
3 Points: Did RSL's 2-2 draw with Toronto FC feel like a loss?
The hosts were fantastic for 3/4 of a match, surrendering a controversial late goal to the Reds on Utah Jazz night (there's a joke in there, somewhere).
Let’s start with the elephant in the room: Real Salt Lake dropped two points Saturday night via 2-2 draw with Toronto FC in front of a sold-out crowd at Rio Tinto Stadium. The hosts held a lead until the 79th minute, when Jayden Nelson powered through Damir Kreilach, stripped him of possession, and ripped a shot from distance over an outstretched Zac MacMath to level the match for the final time.
In almost every facet of the game, RSL seemed the superior squad, out-shooting the Reds 16-7, limiting TFC to just three shots on goal, and taking eight corner kicks to just three allowed. But in the only stat that matters, the teams were even.
Take that, Team Analytics.
“We created enough opportunities. But the game doesn’t give you that,” RSL manager Pablo Mastroeni said. “You can create as much as you want. That’s why xGs don’t matter. There’s one stat in this game, and that’s goals.”
But what about the equalizing play? Should it have counted?
Under the rules of the match, yes. The play was reviewed by video review assistant Jon Freemon, confirmed by head referee Marcos de Oliveira, and counted despite the potential foul before the kick — much to the chagrin of the 20,000-plus fans in attendance.
But should it? Like, really — should it have counted?
“I’m going to be very biased here, but it seemed like there was contact to me,” Mastroeni said. “The moment of the game that we should assess is where we played that ball because that is something that we can control. The referee's decision is obviously out of our control. I was hoping he would overturn his own call, but it didn’t work in our favor tonight. Hopefully, in the future, we can get that break.”
So that’s where Mastroeni stands. Sure, it’s only seven games into the 2022 season, and RSL could have jumped to first place in the Western Conference with a win and a loss by LAFC in El Trafico against LA Galaxy.
But it’s also only seven games into the season, and Salt Lake is still 3-1-3 with 12 points, tied with the Galaxy for second and only one point behind the other Angelenos.
It can be disappointing — it should be disappointing — to drop points at home. But it’s also not worth raging and banging because you gave it up on an otherwise ridiculous equalizer that may have caught MacMath out of position, but how was Nelson in position to do that, in the first place?
It was just the second time since Toronto’s inaugural appearance on the Wasatch Front in 2007 that RSL has dropped points at home against the Reds. So if Saturday’s match felt like a loss, well — it kind of was.
“It’s a feeling that we lost two points, the way we created, the way we had the chances,” said team captain Damir Kreilach, who made his return to the starting lineup for the first time since March 19. “We played how we want to play. But heads’ up, and we’re moving forward now.”
If it’s any consolation, former RSL homegrown Carlos Salcedo was given the straight-boo treatment when he was sent off with a red card after high-sticking Sergio Cordova in the face. Maybe that helps dull the sting, judging by the chorus of boos that RSL fans rained down on the one-time Mexican international every time he touched the ball.
Kreilach added that he “respects the referee’s decision,” but the Croatian international is also one who doesn’t make many enemies (and probably doesn’t have one, to be honest).
Which brings us to our first point.
Ahoy, Captain
The team has found results while he recovers from injury and came off the bench briefly. But Kreilach showed just what Real Salt Lake has been missing since his last start Feb. 27 on a night that also brought the re-introduction of Aaron Herrera and Bobby Wood: poise, balance, and a heart of gold.
The 32-year-old Croatian international donned the captain’s armband once again on Utah Jazz night, when he entered the stadium wear the jersey of countryman and fellow Utahn Bojan Bogdanovic, and when RSL needed him most, he was there.
Kreilach scored the decisive goal with three minutes left in the half, giving Salt Lake a 2-1 lead it would never relinquish with a superb effort from Maikel Chang in the box. But what makes him truly special is what he did after the goal, sprinting to the newly named Kreilach’s Corner to celebrate with a group of fans who were in attendance largely because of him.
The unique celly, which should become a tradition, came during the captain’s pregame interview with KMYU, and it was suggested that Damir Kreilach should celebrate his goals in Kreilach’s Corner.
Why not, he thought.
“It’s all about emotions,” Kreilach said. “It doesn’t matter who scores, as long as you’re winning. Every goal gives you confidence and especially what I said before, I’m trying my best off and on the field to help the boys. We have to stay positive.
“In all seven games, we’ve shown our identity, we’ve shown who we are, hopefully we can keep showing everyone until October, even November, too.”
Prior to the season, Kreilach purchased a section of seats at Rio Tinto Stadium to distribute to underserved children in the community as a way to give back to a city and state that has embraced him since he arrived on the Wasatch Front five years ago.
A fan favorite ever since, Kreilach was the natural choice to don the armband full-time after the departure of Albert Rusnak to Seattle, and only injuries that keep him out of the lineup has forced him to give up the honor. So when Kreilach made his first start since the season opener at Houston, the armband was placed where it belongs — and when he scored, he celebrated where he belongs, as well.
“Being on the field is a privilege,” Kreilach said. “I was so happy to be back with the boys to help them as much as I can, but unfortunately, we can’t control the results, and the results didn’t go our way.
“All things considered, I think we did some great things tonight, but we were unlucky in front of the goal. Scoring a third goal was our priority after the first half, but unfortunately, we didn’t get it.”
Mr. 300
Justin Meram’s goal in the seventh minute — what may just go down as the greatest new child reveal in Utah history — was almost immediately countered by Kosi Thompson’s equalizer just 90 seconds later.
But with Meram’s goal, there was a lot to like. From the sideline dispossession by Maikel Chang to force a turnover to Sergio Cordova’s slight settle and dish to Meram, who cut through as many as four Toronto defenders before lacing a rope into the top shelf.
But the best moment was when Meram, the man of 301 career caps, gleefully ran to the sideline, placed a spare ball under his shirt, and blew kisses towards his wife Maxine and son Sebastian in the crowd.
Meram credits those two most for driving him during his 12-year MLS career since graduating from the University of Michigan.
“When you’re single and on your own things are different, you are competing for yourself,” Meram said earlier in the week. “But with a family, it’s different; you want to make them proud.”
It was also the first MLS assist of his career for Cordova, the Venezuelan striker on loan from FC Augsburg who it only seems is a matter of time before the 6-foot-2, 200-pound striker becomes a wrecking ball.
It just didn’t last, with Thompson pinging home a volley int the ninth minute to equalize a first half where RSL otherwise out-shot the Reds 8-1. Kreilach then put away Chang’s cross in the 43rd minute to retake the lead, and Nelson’s controversial goal settled the match for good.
Home sweet home
Real Salt Lake celebrated its only home match in a five-game span through April 30 with 20,136 of its closest friends and family. That’s right; the mid-April match was officially listed as a sellout, the third-straight sellout of the year for the Western Conference challengers.
It’s the first time since 2015 the club has woven three shutouts together to start the season.
And while it’s way-too-early to make bold predictions on the season, something feels different about the home crowd in the first year under new owners David Blitzer and Ryan Smith.
“This year is something special,” Kreilach said. “When you have the first few games back-to-back in a sold out stadium, it means that the expectations are high.
“We as a team will try to do our best to make them happy, and every single year, to do something special for this club, for the fans, for the community.”
