Real Salt Lake vs. Vancouver Whitecaps | MLS Match Preview

#RSLvVAN: Two West favorites square off at the RioT | 9:30 pm, MLS LIVE

Real Salt Lake vs. Vancouver Whitecaps, April 18, 2015

REAL SALT LAKE vs VANCOUVER WHITECAPS
RIO TINTO STADIUM, Sandy, Utah
April 18, 2015 (WEEK 7, MLS Game #62)
9:30 p.m. ET (TSN1)

A meeting of early-season high-fliers in the Western Conference is ahead when Real Salt Lake play host to Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Saturday evening at Rio Tinto Stadium. Real are one of two undefeated teams still remaining in MLS, coming off a scoreless draw at Sporting Kansas City last week. Whitecaps FC still lead the MLS overall table, despite having had their five-game undefeated run put to an end last Saturday in a 1-0 loss at the San Jose Earthquakes.


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This match is blacked out in Canada.

  • Real remain one of two teams still undefeated in MLS this season, now with a 2-0-3 record following a scoreless draw at Sporting Kansas City on Saturday. RSL has recorded back-to-back shutouts and has not conceded a goal away from Rio Tinto Stadium in three games this season.
  • Whitecaps FC saw their five-game undefeated streak come to an end in a 1-0 defeat at the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday evening. It was the first game this year where Vancouver was shut out; it was also the first goal they had allowed on the road this season.
  • Whitecaps FC defeated Real Salt Lake 2-1 in the final meeting between the teams a year ago, Sept. 27 at BC Place, their first win in the series since Aug. 11, 2012. Real had won two of the six meetings in between, with four draws.
  • Whitecaps FC have never won at Rio Tinto Stadium; Real have won three of their six home matches in the series, with three draws. The only victory by a road team in the all-time series came in 2013, a 1-0 Real victory at BC Place.


REFEREE: Ted Unkel. AR1 (bench): Jeff Muschik; AR2 (opposite): Adam Garner; 4th: Tyler Ploeger MLS Career: 17 games; FC/gm: 25.4; Y/gm: 3.6; R: 4; pens: 6


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SUSPENDED: VAN: Pedro Morales (through April 19)
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: VAN: Kendall Waston
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: VAN: Gershon Koffie, Pa-Modou Kah
DISABLED LIST: none
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none


HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (11 meetings): Real 4 wins, 13 goals … Whitecaps FC 3 wins, 12 goals … Ties 4
AT SALT LAKE (6 meetings): Real 3 wins, 9 goals … Whitecaps FC 0 wins, 4 goals … Ties 3
RETURN MATCHES: 5/30: Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. Real Salt Lake, 3 p.m. PT; 8/8: Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. Real Salt Lake, 7 p.m. PT


Related content:
Real Salt Lake happy to grind out results until attack rounds into form: "Our mentality is right"
From sleeping on Honduran streets to MLS: The story of Vancouver Whitecaps teen Deybi Flores
Carl Robinson hopes Vancouver Whitecaps can re-discover final pass after scoreless outing
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CHECK OUT THE DISCIPLINARY REPORT HEADING INTO THE MATCH