Real Salt Lake Real vs San Jose Earthquakes Sj Picks and Predictions August 24th 2024

Real Salt Lake Aims for Top Spot Against Struggling San Jose Earthquakes

As the Major League Soccer (MLS) standard season enters its last stretch, Real Salt Lake (RSL) is ready to make a push for the highest point of the Western Conference. With nine matches left to play, RSL sits in third spot still up in the air to close the hole on the primary spot Los Angeles Galaxy. Their next challenge comes as the San Jose Earthquakes, a group grieving at the lower part of the standings. This match offers RSL a critical chance to make progress, particularly with the upside of playing on their home turf.

Step Up Your Soccer Game and Maximize Your Profits! Check out the latest Soccer Betting Tips for insights that can turn your bets into big wins.

Real Salt Lake’s Pursuit for the Best position

Real Salt Lake has had a strong season, right now holding a record of 12-5-8 and 44 focuses. They are only five focuses behind the conference leaders, the Los Angeles Galaxy, and have a game close by, which could demonstrate essential in the race for the best position. The group’s home structure has been a vital calculate their prosperity, flaunting a 8-2-1 record at their home ground. With six of their leftover nine matches at home, RSL is in major areas of strength for a to make a last push for the highest point of the table.

The group has not played since August 5, when they left the Leagues Cup after their second and last match. The break has permitted RSL to incorporate new signings made during the exchange window, and Saturday’s match could see the introduction of a portion of these new faces. Assailants Diogo Goncalves and Lachlan Stream are supposed to be accessible, adding new capability to the crew.

“My objective is to work hard, help the team and the club as much as possible, and obviously provide goals and assists to lift RSL to the highest level,” said Goncalves, expressing his eagerness to contribute to the team’s success.

On the defensive side, it remains uncertain whether new acquisition Javain Brown from the Vancouver Whitecaps will make his debut, while Polish midfielder Dominik Marczuk is not yet ready to feature.

RSL’s Recent Form and Challenges

Despite their strong position in the standings, Real Salt Lake enters this match on a three-game winless streak in MLS play, with a record of 0-2-1 over that stretch. During this period, they have been outscored 7-3, highlighting some defensive vulnerabilities that need addressing if they are to maintain their push for the top. Additionally, RSL will have to cope without their second-leading scorer, Andres Gomez, who has been transferred to Stade Rennais in France. With 13 goals this season, Gomez’s absence leaves a significant void in the attack.

Captain Cristian Arango remains the team’s leading scorer with 17 goals, but beyond him, the scoring contributions have been limited, with no other player scoring more than six goals. The arrival of new attackers like Goncalves and Brook could be crucial in filling this gap as RSL looks to rediscover its winning form.

San Jose Earthquakes: Fighting for Pride

On the far edge of the table, the San Jose Earthquakes are getting through a season to neglect. With a troubling record of 4-19-2 and only 14 focuses, the Earthquakes sit at the actual lower part of the MLS standings. The group is nine focuses loose of the following most minimal groups, the New Britain Upset and St. Louis City, making their possibilities keeping away from the wooden spoon thin.

Break mentor Ian Russell, who took over from Luchi Gonzalez in late June, faces a daunting struggle to turn the group’s fortunes around. Notwithstanding the critical circumstance, Russell has underscored the significance of self-inspiration among the players.

“You can’t always be the coach motivating them. This is their job; they get paid to do this and they’re playing for contracts as well. I think it’s self-motivation as well as the staff pushing them. And just pride – win games,” Russell remarked, highlighting the need for the players to find their own drive to improve.

San Jose has been particularly poor defensively, conceding a league-high 61 goals. They are on track to surpass the MLS record of 75 goals conceded in a season, set by FC Cincinnati in 2019. However, there has been some improvement since Russell took charge, with the team conceding 10 goals and keeping one clean sheet in his six matches as interim coach.

Conclusion

Saturday’s match presents a conflict of differentiating fortunes: Real Salt Lake is competing for a best position in the Western Conference, while the San Jose Earthquakes are fighting to rescue pride in a disheartening season. For RSL, this game is a valuable chance to get back to winning ways and close the hole on the pioneers, particularly with the additional increase in new signings. In the interim, San Jose will be hoping to expand on their protective upgrades under Russell and maybe spring an unexpected on their higher-positioned rivals.

As RSL looks to exploit their home benefit and new acquisitions, San Jose’s players should track down inspiration from inside to challenge one of the league’s top groups. The result of this match could have critical ramifications for the two groups as they explore the last phases of the MLS normal season.