Real Salt Lake hosted in Rio Tinto Stadium the Portland Timbers in Round One of the Audi 2019 MLS Playoffs. Real Salt Lake are the number 3 seed in the Western Conference, faced the sixth-seeded Timbers.
The hosts dominated the game for much of the first half, with visitors’ goalkeeper Steve Clark making some magnificent saves, notably on the 13th minute running back from a block at the right corner, to clear a shot on target from Real.
Salt Lake did find a breakthrough half an hour in, with Damir Kreilach scoring a header from a cross by Corey Baird (28′). This was Kreliach’s fourth time to score in an MLS playoff game.
Photo Credit: Colter Peterson, Deseret News
Portland Timbers came back from halftime with a bang, and right at the beginning of the second half, Darion Asprilla equalized with a header from a corner kick (47’).
The game remained open for grabs for most of the second half, with Portland showing better ability and creating some great opportunities, to be denied by Salt Lake’s goalkeeper Nick Rimando. But eventually the hosts managed to double their lead with a late winner from Jefferson Savarino, curtesy of teammate Albert Rusnak making a deception and forgoing the pass (87’).
Real Salt Lake will travel to Seattle on Thursday, Oct. 24th to face the Seattle Sounders.
