Get to know the matchup in Keys to the Game, presented by Honda:
Going for Goals
New York’s offense has been on a run recently, scoring 10 of the club’s 21 goals this season in its last five matches.
On Saturday, the Red Bulls will be facing Western-Conference force Real Salt Lake, which has tallied 32 goals and 42 assists this season.
While RSL’s offense has been strong, holding fourth place in both the conference standings and Western Conference goals scored, the Claret and Cobalt have allowed 33 goals in their 23 matches this year.
With New York’s players like Omir Fernandez, who tallied a goal or an assist in each of New York’s last four matches, and Frankie Amaya, who has recorded three goals and an assist in the last four, will the Red Bulls’ offense be able to keep the momentum going against Salt Lake?
Stop the Streak
RSL is unbeaten in its last eight matches, posting a record of 9-7-7 on the season.
Despite Salt Lake’s recent success, they hold a better record away (6-3-3) than they do at home (3-4-4).
Still, RSL hasn’t spent much time in Salt Lake recently, only playing at home in four of its last eight matches.
How will the Claret and Cobalt fare when back at America First Field? And how will New York adapt to put a stop to Salt Lake’s winning ways and come back with three points?
Settling the Score
In New York and RSL’s history, the clubs are evenly matched, each holding a record of 7-7-10 over the other.
The two clubs haven’t faced each other in over three years, last coming to a 1-1 draw in Salt Lake on March 7, 2020.
Each team will be looking to come away from Saturday with the advantage in their history, with Salt Lake trying to continue its unbeaten streak and New York trying to capture a win on the road.
But at a higher altitude than they’re used to, facing a team they haven’t come across in three years, how will the Red Bulls plan their attack to come home from Utah with a result?
