June 15, 2024 – National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL)
Utah Royals FC News Release
Montréal, Quebec, Canada – Real Salt Lake (9-2-7 / 34 points / 1st West) extended its historic unbeaten streak to 14 matches with a 0-0 road draw at Montréal, matching the franchise record established in 2010. RSL has now earned points in the last nine matches away from America First Field, losing only the Feb. 21, 2024 opener away at Miami en route to a 3-1-6 / 15-point road record ahead of Wednesday’s trip to Kansas City.
The attack got off to a slow start for RSL, in stark contrast to the Club’s five-goal assault two weeks prior against Austin FC. Not only RSL though, as a quiet first 45 emanated for both squads on the ball, the two combining for just three shots on goal.
RSL’s first real chance of the match came as Bode Hidalgo blocked a 14th-minute Montréal attempt into the box, the ball falling to Andrés Gómez as RSL quickly jumped forward on the counter. Spotting the run of Anderson Julio into the attacking third, Gómez played a long, curling through-ball that Julio ran onto. Hesitating face-to-face with his lone defender in the box, Julio juked left and then right to create space before unleashing a rocket at the far post that narrowly missed.
Montréal then nearly got on the board in the 17th minute as Zac Macmath made an incredible save to keep the affair scoreless. The counterattacking home side quickly played the ball forward to former RSL Academy player Bryce Duke in the center of the attacking third, when he drew the attention of two RSL defenders before playing it to the left corner of the box for Joaquín Sosa promptly whipped a perfectly weighted ball to the near post for Dominic Yankov, as he lunged forward for the shot from point-blank range. MacMath miraculously read the play and swallowed it up to squelch the opportunity.
RSL threatened again in the 20th minute, as Julio found himself alone in space on the left wing thanks to a clever pass from Alex Katranis, launching himself forward before playing it into the center for RSL Captain Chicho Arango. Marked closely, Arango dove to connect with his left foot for the shot but it was deflected out of play for a corner.
Montréal put together a string of three opportunities with shots from distance, two in the 37th and again in the 39th by Nathan-Dylan Saliba, Duke and Sunusi Ibrahim, respectively, before the two teams hit the locker rooms for the break. RSL entered halftime with a remarkably…