Real Salt Lake recorded a 2-0 home win over San Jose on June 18 in the first meeting of the season between the sides. RSL last beat the Earthquakes twice in a single season in 2013, winning in March and June before losing in September.
San Jose has lost two straight matches, the first time its recorded the same result in consecutive matches since a two-match losing streak in March. The first of those losses, a 2-1 home defeat to Houston, is the Earthquakes’ only home defeat since opening the season with a 3-1 loss to the Red Bulls in February.
Real Salt Lake has won only one of its last nine away matches (D2 L6), including losing the last three in a row. All three matches in that losing run have come by one-goal margins.
Benji Kikanovic has been involved in five of the nine goals San Jose has scored in July (3 goals, 2 assists), including the lone goal in the defeat on Saturday. Kikanovic wasn’t involved in a goal in any of his first 12 games this season and had totaled five goal contributions in his first 29 MLS games (4 goals, 1 assist).
Five of Real Salt Lake’s last seven MLS goals have been headers, including two of three in their last win, against Kansas City on July 17. RSL has scored nine headed goals this season, two more than any other team in the league.
