Real Salt Lake, Vancouver finish 1-1 in preseason

After controversy and excitement in Real Salt Lake’s last preseason match, it was perhaps fitting that the most recent one ended in a 1-1 draw against Vancouver Whitecaps, and it was a match that didn’t feature much worth fussing about.

Jordan Allen scored for RSL, while Yordy Reyna scored for the ‘Caps, capitalizing on some poor play from Luke Mulholland.

The first real opportunity for RSL came around the 28th minute, when Ricardo Velazco got his laces around a shot from outside the box; his shot skipped outside the post. He created another opportunity for himself later, when he attempted a curling far-post shot from the left side — that didn’t come off, either.

Omar Holness later tried to recreate his goal against Portland Timbers, zipping a shot near the ground from outside the box — this time, Vancouver goalkeeper Paolo Tornaghi managed to get a hand to the shot, pushing the ball out for an RSL corner.

A 54th minute opportunity again saw Velazco involved, but it was some hard work by Chad Barrett to break down the right side and beat his defender.

And in the 58th minute, Velazco was at the center of things again after he was smacked in the face — that prompted a yellow card, but only after video review confirmed what the referee hadn’t seen.

Real Salt Lake conceded the first goal of the night in the 70th minute, with Vancouver attacker Yordy Reyna capitalizing on a dismal giveaway — a tame backpass from RSL’s Luke Mulholland during a Vancouver attack that played right into the Whitecaps’ hands.

Jordan Allen later leveled the match, although it’s anyone’s guess how — the live stream of the match had trouble throughout, and I was unable to see it. But apparently it was a nice one — and we’ll update with more when it’s available.

UPDATE (the stream worked, so here’s your update):

Jordan Allen’s goal was a truly classy one, with the winger picking off a long pass from Joao Plata, bringing it softly to his feet, and sliding it home past the goalkeeper. I don’t know that he even blinked during that whole process.

And you know who started the play? None other than Luke Mulholland, who found Albert Rusnak in traffic. It was Rusnak’s pass to Plata that opened up the space, and Allen’s run cut right through a gaping hole in Vancouver’s defense.

RSL lineup: Rimando; Beltran, Horst, Schuler, Wingert; Holness, Adams*; Velazco, Silva, Brody*, (Hoffman* 45’); Barrett

RSL second lineup: Van Oekel; Phillips, Orozco, Maund, Lachowecki; Mulholland, Sunny; Allen, Rusnak, Plata; Movsisyan

*: Real Monarchs player