Barajas, Katranis take advantage of moments to rally RSL by Vancouver, 2-1
Barajas, Katranis take advantage of moments to rally RSL by Vancouver, 2-1
Anderson Julio and Alexandros Katranis each scored a second-half goal Saturday night to help RSL rally from a 1-0 halftime deficit — caused by Kreilach’s goal — for a 2-1 road win over the Vancouver W
Real Salt Lake’s reunion with former captain Damir Kreilach worked out well for both parties.
Anderson Julio and Alexandros Katranis each scored a second-half goal Saturday night to help RSL rally from a 1-0 halftime deficit — caused by Kreilach’s goal — for a 2-1 road win over the Vancouver Whitecaps.
Fidel Barajas assisted on both goals in his debut as an MLS starter, replacing Diego Luna following the Moon Boy’s departure to U.S. Olympic team camp earlier in the week.
The 17-year-old became the sixth player in MLS history to record a multi-assist game in league history in leading RSL (2-2-1, 7 points) to its first road win of the season.
The club was shorthanded, with international departures for Diego Luna (U.S. Olympic team camp) and Andrés Gómez to Colombia’s camp in London.
Luna’s departure left an opening for Barajas to play his most minutes in an RSL jersey since the former USL Championship young player of the year with Charleston joined Salt Lake in the offseason — and the youngster was more than ready for his big moment.
“The young man’s got a great future,” RSL manager Pablo Mastroeni said of Barajas. “He’s got a lot to learn, but I think it’s a great start for a young player who just joined our group and has really taken it upon himself.
“You’re always needing an opportunity,” he added. “Sometimes it’s from injury, sometimes it’s international duty. But the hardest thing to preach is to be ready when that opportunity comes. For us, we want to be a team that plays players on merit. It’s not a name, it’s production.”
Coming off a 2-1 loss to Colorado (and an early season bye week), the club needed a response — and got it, improving to 18-9-10 in games following a loss under Mastroeni. That’s just nine times in 105 matches under the third-year RSL manager that the club has suffered back-to-back losses.
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Of course, the first goal of the match had to go to Kreilach, just like he did several times during his six-year career with RSL. But this time, the former RSL utility forward gave the Whitecaps (2-1-1, 7 points) a 1-0 advantage, finishing a string of one-touch passes with the latest from Brian White to give the hosts the advantage in the 33rd minute.
Much like he promised before the match, the Croatian international didn’t celebrate against his former team. A few hand slaps met his on-rushing teammates as he ran toward the supporters’ section at BC Place.
But mostly, Kreilach simply raised his arms and silenced his lips as he quietly kept to himself amid the 1-0 advantage.
“He’s an individual that is pure class, as a footballer and a leader, as an ex-player from our group. The way he conducts himself for our group never ceases to amaze me,” Mastroeni said of Kreilach.
“That was an easy time to hang your head … But credit to the guys for hanging in there and finishing the first half strong. It’s not always easy, especially on the road to keep your way, especially when your former captain and club legend knocks the first one in the back of the net.”
It was the only shot on goal of the first half for both sides, and the difference on a scoresheet that favored Vancouver but a statistical breakdown that favored the visitors.
Salt Lake out-shot the ‘Caps 6-3 and poured in 16 crosses without a chance on target before the break.
But the visitors’ work paid off in the second half, when Fidel Barajas slipped a through-ball to Anderson Julio and the Ecuadorian striker buried the equalizer in the 70th minute.
“In training this week, we had a similar play like that. It didn’t quite work,” Barajas said. “But I saw that gap between Ando and the two center backs and when he got the ball at his foot, it was amazing.”
Six minutes later — and just two minutes after Kreilach was subbed off — Barajas did it again, this time pivoting a cross from Chicho Arango before finding Katranis on his preferred left foot to put RSL up 2-1 in the 76th minute.
Mastroeni complimented Katranis for his fight of the match, a fighter’s mentality that kept the team in it until the end — even when they were down 1-0 in the locker room at halftime.
“We were down 1-0 at halftime, but we saw the character we have as a team,” said the former 25-year-old Greek youth international with just one goal in his professional club career prior to Saturday. “We knew that nothing was over; we just had to score one, and then score another one. We were losing in the first half, and then we came back. It’s a great character and mentality we have. We need to keep doing this when those moments come.”
RSL returns home next Saturday to face St. Louis CITY SC. Kickoff at America First Field is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. MT.