The match on July 24, 2014 between Real Salt Lake and the Montreal Impact will be the first and only meeting between the two sides this season. It is also the third match between the two sides in history. The very first game happened at Rio Tinto Stadium

The match on Thursday between Real Salt Lake and the Montreal Impact will be the first and only meeting between the two sides this season. It is also the third match between the two sides in history. The very first game happened at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, UT on April 4th, 2012. Real Salt Lake won that game 1-0. The second time they played at Stade Saputo. Montreal won that game 3-2 in 2013. 

RSL will still be without its all-time leading scorer Alvaro Saborio due to injury. While one forward is still on the mend, one forward on the team has seemed to find his scoring touch again against another Canadian team, the Vancouver Whitecaps. Ecuadorian Joao Plata scored his first goal in 418 minutes, the first goal scored in play since the loss against the Portland Timbers on June 7th. 

Montreal enters the match on a three-game losing streak, their most recent loss coming against the Columbus Crew this past Saturday. Montreal's current record is 3-10-5. They are in last place in the Eastern Conference sitting nine points out of the final playoff spot all while scoring the lowest total of goals in league play with 18.

Their schedule does not give them any favors in the near future as they will have five matches over the course of the next 16 days including three matches at home between July 27th and August 5th against the Portland Timbers, Toronto FC and a CONCACAF Champions League match with Club Deportivo FAS of El Salvador.

Real Salt Lake, on the other hand, is in 3rd place in the West with seven wins, four losses, and eight draws. Salt Lake is coming off a 1-1 draw against the Vancouver Whitecaps. The Whitecaps struck first from a controversial penalty kick. Nat Borchers chased Whitecaps striker Darren Mattocks down, and slide tackled him from the side. He touched the ball, but the player still fell and got the penalty call from referee Edvin Jurisevic.

After they scored, Vancouver started a scuffle in the midfield, pushing RSL Striker Joao Plata. A few minutes after though Plata struck back, evening out the scoreline. Salt Lake pushed for a late-winning goal but couldn't find it. 

Nick Rimando, Kyle Beckerman and company have a great chance to climb back into the race for the Supporters’ Shield which they are currently nine points adrift of. RSL plays four of their next five matches at home including a huge match-up at the end of that stretch with the league-leading Seattle Sounders FC in a nationally-televised match from Rio Tinto Stadium.

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About the author
Stockton Mair
I have been RSLTID (Real Salt Lake Til I Die) ever since I knew about their existence. I follow their every move, and soccer is my life. I am super glad to be writing for VAVEL USA!