Real Salt Lake’s road woes continued with a 4-1 loss to the Philadelphia Union at Talen Energy Stadium Saturday.
The loss keeps RSL winless away from home this season at 0-5-1, the one tie being the season opener at FC Dallas. All five losses have been by at least two goals.
“You’ve got to have the right mentality, for sure, that’s No. 1,” RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando said. “I think we lost a little bit from our first game. I think the bite needs to be there. We need to kick a little bit more. I think we’ve got to know the time of the game and just control the game a little bit more.”
The Union (4-5-2) beat Real Salt Lake for the first time in franchise history.
Philadelphia struck first in the 21st minute. Fafa Picault ran down the left side with possession, dribbling into RSL’s penalty box before a pass to Marcus Epps was one-time past Rimando and into the goal.
The Union doubled their lead 13 minutes later. Midfielder Alejandro Bedoya took possession and then charged up the right side. Bedoya than found Borek Dockal calling for a pass in the box and delivered it right on time, and Dockal chipped Rimando, who had come off his line to pressure the shot. Philadelphia held the 2-0 lead into halftime.
RSL (4-6-1) created a glimmer of hope when Damir Kreilach scored in the 65th minute. He got the assist from Sebastian Saucedo, who fought to win possession on the goal line before putting it in front of the net for Kreilach.
However, whatever confidence the goal gave RSL was quickly squashed, even if it did not change the scoreboard.
Five Union players passed the ball around in the box in the 67th minute as if they were in the middle of a keepaway drill, until Epps turned to line a shot at Rimando’s chest. The RSL goalkeeper, who made six saves Saturday night, bobbled the shot. It bounced off his hands and behind him into the net. After a video review, Epps was determined to be offside and the goal was disallowed.
“It can go two ways,” Rimando said of the reaction to the goal being called back. “It could spark them as well, and that’s certainly what happened,” as Ilsinho and Keegan Rosenberry scored in the 74th and 81st minute, respectively.
“We knew they were a very good movement team,” RSL coach Mike Petke said. “We knew they were a very good possession team. We didn’t shift well enough, which created gaps, and they got a lot of opportunities coming through the middle.”