ST. GEORGE, UT - Real Salt Lake MF Andy Williams scored from 25 yards out in the 35th minute and goalkeepers Chris Seitz and Kyle Reynish each registered 45 minutes of shutout soccer to help Real Salt Lake's reserve side to a 1-0 victory over the BYU Cougars of the USL Premier Development League in an exhibition contested at Hansen Stadium on the campus of Dixie State College in St. George, Utah. RSL's projected starting line-up sat out the match in preparation for Saturday's preseason finale against the Colorado Rapids, set to take place on Saturday, March 31 at a sold-out Peter Johann Memorial Field on the UNLV campus in Las Vegas (8:30 p.m. MT). With tonight's win, Real Salt Lake improved its winning streak to four straight contests as it heads into one last preseason tune-up against its Rocky Mountain Cup rival this weekend.
Unfortunately for Real Salt Lake, the first play of any note in tonight's match came in the 15th minute when defender Chris Lancos took a knee to the thigh and had to be removed from the contest, with fellow rookie Steven Curfman taking his space in right defense. The RSL attack showed its first signs of life three minutes later on a quick counter-attack that featured the one-touch stylings of midfielders Duke Hashimoto, Andy Williams and Kenny Cutler, the latter springing MF Atiba Harris into the left side of the area for a shot that bounced wide of the far post. BYU's first major threat come off a free kick in the 26th minute, but DF Morgan Gilliam's crack from just outside the right corner of the area hit the near side-netting.
Real Salt Lake would move the scoreboard 10 minutes from the half when Williams finished a quick attack up the right flank with a measured shot from distance. After collecting a long pass and having it temporarily poked away, Williams regathered the ball quickly and, after noticing Cougars GK Brandon Gilliam off his line, poked a right-footed shot from 25 yards out that Gilliam got a touch to but couldn't stop before hitting the back of the net to give RSL a 1-0 advantage it proved to keep throughout.
The two squads traded chances in the 41st minute, as BYU DF James Bindrup moved forward to pounce on a corner kick with a first-touch shot that was blocked before reaching goal, while RSL midfielder Kyle Brown's long run down the right flank ended with a shot that narrowly missed sneaking in the upper right corner. The half was an uneventful one for Seitz, who joined the team in St. George earlier this afternoon after going the full 90 minutes for the United States Under-20 National Team in its 2-1 victory over Haiti's senior squad just 24 hours eariler in Frisco, Texas.
BYU midfielder David Clark nearly drew the Cougars level just two minutes into the second half, as he slid around an RSL defender to hook a shot that sailed just wide of the right post. A dangerous free kick opportunity presented itself for the Cougars in the 53rd minute, but FW Jacob Cavanaugh saw his 24-yard effort whistle just over the crossbar.
Real Salt Lake's best chance of the second stanza came in the 58th minute when FW Chris Brown went after a 50-50 ball against a drawn out Brandon Gilliam and had the ball fall directly to him after the challenge, but the Cougar defense reacted quickly and made Brown force his looping shot from 15 yards sail wide right. BYU's two best chances to draw even came on back-to-back chances in the 77th minute, but Cavanaugh's shot from 15 yards was blocked by an RSL defender eight yards off the goalline, while a 20-yard shot off the rebound from Morgan Gilliam missed high by no more than a foot. Chris Brown had another chance to ice the game for RSL in a 50-50 situation against Brandon Gilliam, but the BYU 'keeper charged off his line to knock away through ball at the top of his area right as Brown was about to take a touch on the ball.
Scoring Summary
RSL - Andy Williams (unassisted) 35
Discipline Summary
BYU - Toni Nicoli (caution) 43
RSL - Jamie Watson (caution) 76
Real Salt Lake Line-up (4-5-1): GK-Chris Seitz (Kyle Reynish 45); D-Chris Lancos (Steven Curfman 15), D-Dustin Kirby, D-Nikolas Besagno, D-Jean-Martial Kipre, M-Kyle Brown (Jamie Watson 45), M-Kenny Cutler (Steve Magleby 45), M-Duke Hashimoto (Christian Jimenez 45), M-Andy Williams, M-Atiba Harris (Chris Brown 45); F-Jeff Rowland (Luis Tejada 45)
BYU Line-up (4-5-1): GK-Brandon Gilliam; D-Morgan Gilliam, D-James Bindrup (Justin Norton 45), D-Clay Christensen (James Bindrup 61) ,D-Richie Bindrup (David Clark 45) (Toni Nicoli 78); M-Toni Nicoli (Daniel McKinney 45), M-Curt Graham (Brit Osborne 37) (Connor Bassett 61), M-Hugh Van Wagenen, M-Brock Trejo, M-David Clark (Doug Clark 37); F-Jacob Cavanaugh (Tyson Miller 37) (Jacob Cavanaugh 45)
