Real Salt Lake will look to snap a four-match losing streak when it hosts Charlotte FC on Saturday night in the clubs’ first-ever MLS meeting.
Things have gone from bad to worse for Salt Lake (1-4-0, 3 points) over the last month. The Claret and Cobalt have failed to score in the last 248 minutes they’ve played, and only have one goal through this four-match slide.
And it’s been even worse recently on defense, where they’ve conceded eight goals in their last three halves of play. The result was back-to-back 4-0 defeats, two weekends ago at home to St. Louis City and then last weekend at Columbus.
Perhaps that leaky defense is linked to an attack that has been non-threatening. Center back Justen Glad leads the team with two goals. Veteran striker Damir Kreilach has the only other.
“It wasn’t a performance that we’re proud of,” Glad said of the loss in Columbus. “Obviously we knew it was going to be a tough game but to let in four again after last week is definitely a tough pill to swallow.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever had a four-game losing streak in my career, but adversity is all part of it and it’s going to make this group stronger, and we have the talent to be competitive and to win games. So I think that’s why this is so tough.”
Charlotte (1-3-2, 5 points) is trying to overcome its own slow start in the form of a modest three-match unbeaten run (1-0-2) that most recently includes a pair of draws.
The most recent 2-2 tie at Toronto FC was impressive for a few reasons. It came after Charlotte went down two goals to a Toronto side some have picked as a potential MLS Cup darkhorse. And it included a goal and assist from embattled Polish international Kamil Jozwiak.
It was the winger’s first goal in 24 total appearances for Charlotte, despite being the team’s second-highest-paid player last season, according to figures from the MLS Players Union.
“I understand why he has been criticized because of the numbers,” Charlotte manager Christian Lattanzio said this week. “But I thought that his contribution was always tangible in the team and I’m glad that we start to see the numbers as well.”
–Field Level Media
