Real Salt Lake, Houston play to scoreless draw

Once a defensive struggle, RSL pitched a shutout for the second consecutive week and became the first club to take points off the Dynamo at home in 2023.

There’s something about Houston that is causing fits for teams around Major League Soccer.

Except, that is, Real Salt Lake.

RSL goalkeeper Zac MacMath made four saves and Houston counterpart Steve Clark had five as the two sides split the points in a 0-0 draw Saturday night at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston, Texas.

With the result, RSL extended its unbeaten run against the Dynamo to 11-straight matches, a five-win, six-draw run dating back to 2017 that is Houston’s longest winless drought against a single opponent.

The Dynamo (4-3-2) haven’t taken a win off RSL since May of 2017. RSL, meanwhile, became the first team in MLS play to take points off a Houston squad that started the year 4-0-0 at Shell Energy Stadium.

MacMath, for his part, earned back-to-back shutouts for the first time this year and helped Salt Lake (3-5-2) to its first clean sheet on the road for the first time since April 2022.

That it came on the road, where Houston has been historically good in not allowing a goal amid the heat and humidity of east Texas, means even more.

“You feel it as soon as you go out for warmups,” MacMath said of the heat. “You don’t stop sweating until you get back into the locker room. It’s hard for teams who aren’t used to that heat and humidity all year.

“I think we did a really good job of keeping the game tight early on, and trying to build into the game.” 

Houston out-shot RSL 7-6 in the first half, but had just two shots on goal while RSL put together three shots on target despite less than 40% of possession before the break.

RSL’s four corner kicks trumped the Dynamo’s one in the first 45 minutes. But neither side could break through, whether through Corey Baird’s blast in front of goal or Bertin Jacquesson’s half-volley attempt midway through the first half.

Emeka Eneli replaced Scott Caldwell at halftime, and provided immediate offense. Dito for Andres Gomez, who came on as a second-half sub around the hour mark for Maikel Chang.

Even when Damir Kreilach and Danny Musovski provided offensive reinforcements for starters Rubio Rubin and Jacquesson, the visitors looked to be going for it.

But no goal came, extending the Dynamo’s shutout run to the first five matches of the 2023 season at home. Houston, which out-shot RSL 16-13 but put just five on frame, entered the match as one of just three teams in MLS history to open a season with four consecutive shutouts at home.

But on Saturday, MacMath and a backline that played Bryan Oviedo and Brayan Vera at the same time while welcoming back Andrew Brody at right back were up to the challenge.

“There was a time in the season where we were conceding a lot of goals, and that’s obviously been a huge focus the last month,” RSL manager Pablo Mastroeni said. “I think the performance was a gutsy performance from the guys. This place is hot and it’s humid, and their attack is pretty dynamic. I thought the guys did a good job.”

Braian? Bryan? Brayan?

For the first time in club history, three variations of “Bryan” started Saturday night’s match when defenders Brayan Vera and Bryan Oviedo joined midfielder Braian Ojeda to form the trifecta.

The move was a late scratch as center back Marcelo Silva was pulled from the lineup due to ongoing back tightness. The injury is not expected to keep the 34-year-old Uruguayan out for an extended period time, team officials said.

It did leave RSL thin along the back line, with only Delentz Pierre and rookie Emeka Eneli available available as reserve subs in defense — and Eneli eventually entered the match in the midfield with Scott Caldwell coming off at halftime.

“There are little adjustments that he needs to make,” Mastroeni said of Vera, who replaced Silva after Wednesday. “But the one thing when we scouted Brayan, and he’s played in Italy and if there’s a place where you want to raise good, young defenders, there’s not a better place on the planet. The way he’s taken everything speaks volumes about his progression.”

Lineups

Real Salt Lake (4-4-2): Zac MacMath; Bryan Oviedo, Brayan Vera, Justen Glad, Andrew Brody; Scott Caldwell (Emeka Eneli 46’), Braian Ojeda, Maikel Chang (Andrés Goméz 62’), Jefferson Savarino (Diego Luna 84’); Rubio Rubin (Damir Kreilach 69’), Bertin Jacquesson (Danny Musovski 70’)

Subs not used: Gavin Beavers, Moses Nyeman, Ilijah Paul, Delentz Pierre

Houston Dynamo (4-3-3): Steve Clark; Franco Escobar (Brad Smith 88’), Ethan Bartlow, Daniel Steres, Micael dos Santos; Artur, Hector Herrera, Coco Carrasquilla; Ivan Franco (Sebastian Ferreira 69’), Amine Bassi (Nelson Quinones 81’), Corey Baird

Subs not used: Andrew Tarbell, Griffin Dorsey, Luis Caicedo, Chase Gasper, Thor Ulfarsson, Brooklyn Raines