Rinse. Repeat. Monterrey runs wild, snaps RSL's unbeaten streak with Leagues Cup shutout
Rinse. Repeat. Monterrey runs wild, snaps RSL's unbeaten streak with Leagues Cup shutout
Twelve years since Humberto Suazo secured CONCACAF Champions League victory in the same venue, Germán Berterame notched a brace, and CF Monterrey took a 3-0 win over Real Salt Lake.
Rio Tinto Stadium or America First Field, there’s something about Monterrey that must like playing in Sandy, Utah.
Twelve years since Humberto Suazo secured CONCACAF Champions League victory in the same venue, Germán Berterame notched a brace, and CF Monterrey took a 3-0 win over Real Salt Lake in the Liga MX power’s Leagues Cup debut Wednesday night.
With the win, Los Rayados are tied on points and goal differential in Group B. Monterrey wraps up group play Sunday against the Seattle Sounders at Lumen Field in Seattle.
Salt Lake’s 11-match unbeaten run across all competitions was snapped by the result, a run that encompassed most of June and July across MLS, U.S. Open Cup and Leagues Cup by a Liga MX side that was unbeaten through the first three matches of its season before the league-wide pause in competition for Leagues Cup.
“We knew this was a tough place to play, and we prepared well for a tough battle,” Monterrey manager Fernando Ortiz said in Spanish, moments after shaking the hand and saluting every media member after the match. “That’s what we did.”
Maxi Meza sparked the opening goal in the eighth minute, finding space through the right channel and centering a ball that caromed off Justen Glad and past goalkeeper Gavin Beavers to give Rayados a 1-0 lead.
Five minutes later, Berterame doubled RSL’s pain, finishing a cross from Erick Aguirre to put the visitors in front, 2-0.
“I thought the run of play was good tonight. Generally speaking, we created some good moments,” RSL manager Pablo Mastroeni said.
“But tonight, they were killers in front of goal,” he added, referring to Monterrey. “We slipped up on two similar plays in the first half. And goals change games. Even at 2-0, I thought we had five good chances to get on the scoresheet. The result wasn’t good, but I thought the performance was good. If you don’t take advantage of your opportunities against a good team like Monterrey, you’re going to find yourself in that kind of situation.”
Berterame made it 3-0 in the 75th minute, capping a brace to lift the reigning Clausura champions to an easy victory.
Coming off Saturday’s 3-0 win over the Seattle Sounders to open Leagues Cup play, Mastroeni rotated heavily. Beavers started in goal for Zac MacMath, Marcelo Silva was suspended after earning a red card, and RSL carried just one center back on the bench.
Bode Hidalgo replaced Emeka Eneli at right back, Rubio Rubin replaced Danny Musovski alongside Chicho Arango in the XI. Damir Kreilach also was not available for RSL.
Squad rotation was to be expected, with matches just four days apart — and things could’ve been much worse than 2-0 before the 20th minute.
But Berterame’s finish with 15 minutes left in regulation sealed the win for Rayados, who need only a point Sunday to advance to the knockout stage of Leagues Cup.
Seattle can claim one of two knockout-round berths from the group with a 3-0 win (or greater) over Monterrey — and if the Sounders don’t receive a red card, per the Leagues Cup tiebreaker procedures.
“I’m happy for the players,” Ortiz said. “They’re the ones who did what they had to do to win this match.”
Added Mastroeni: “The hardest thing to do when you’re in a good run of form is to stay dialed in. For us, it’s just looking at the film … There have been some tough moments, but we’ve always found a way back.”