New York City FC can end an eight-match winless run in all competitions Saturday when they travel to the high altitude of America First Field to face Real Salt Lake.
Claret and Cobalt ended a two-match winless run in MLS play last weekend with a 2-1 victory at Austin FC, while the Pigeons could only manage a 0-0 draw at home to the New England Revolution.
Match preview
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The 2023 campaign at RSL has gone back and forth from a positive performance in one game, often followed by a negative one immediately afterwards.
They began the month of June on a positive note, winning on the road for the second time in their last three regular-season affairs, bumping them up to ninth in the Western Conference, one point above the playoff line.
For Pablo Mastroeni, the formula has always been to keep the game close and find a way to grind out three points, and they have managed to pick up eight of them over their previous five league fixtures.
RSL have only lost one match all year domestically in which they have scored multiple times, while they have been defeated in all but one of their MLS affairs this year when conceding more than once.
On Wednesday they were as clinical as we have seen all season, putting three past the Los Angeles Galaxy but in the end nearly giving it away in a 3-2 triumph to advance into the semi-finals of the US Open Cup for only the second time in franchise history.
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It is nearing desperation time for Nick Cushing and New York City, who have picked up a mere two points from a possible 21 over their seven-match winless run in MLS play.
Even though this is a new team, many of whom did not have a pre-season with the Boys in Blue, 13th in the Eastern Conference after 16 games is not what anyone could have seen coming.
If they need a positive to look back at, there is the fact that NYCFC have blown out RSL in two of their previous three encounters, winning those two matches by a combined score of 10-0, though they have never done it in Utah, losing all three of their prior matches played there, the last one coming in 2019 (3-1).
NYCFC are one of only two teams in the Eastern Conference without a road victory on the current campaign, with the Pigeons coming back to earn a 1-1 draw in their previous away match in this competition at Orlando City, just their third point as the visitors in 2023.
It has been over a year since New York have claimed victory against a Western Conference opponent away from home in the regular season, blanking Minnesota United 1-0 at the end of May 2022.
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Team News
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RSL's Anderson Julio and Jefferson Savarino were called up to represent Ecuador and Venezuela respectively for their upcoming international fixtures, Zac MacMath is still recovering from a concussion, Erik Holt has a sore shoulder and Zack Farnsworth is dealing with a thigh injury.
A brace from Rubio Rubin was all they would need to get past Austin last weekend, as Gavin Beavers recorded his first career MLS victory between the sticks.
A brace from Damir Kreilach and an insurance marker courtesy of Savarino was just enough for them to see off the Galaxy at the US Open Cup in midweek.
The Pigeons' backline will be severely hampered this weekend as Maxime Chanot and Braian Cufre are out through suspension, while Thiago Martins could be sidelined for up to two months after undergoing knee surgery.
Luis Barraza reclaimed his place in goal for New York in their previous encounter after Matt Freese got the call in their 3-1 defeat at home to FC Cincinnati, while Gabriel Segal had the only goal in their last road outing when they drew Orlando City.
In their 6-0 thrashing at home to RSL the last time out, former striker Taty Castellanos found the back of the net four times, with Santiago Rodriguez setting him up twice.
Real Salt Lake possible starting lineup:
Beavers; Hidalgo, Glad, Vera, Oviedo; Ruiz, Loffelsend, Ojeda, Caldwell; Rubin, Savarino
New York City FC possible starting lineup:
Barraza; Ilenic, Sands, O'Toole; Turnbull, Parks, Morales, Pellegrini; Magno, Ledezma, Rodriguez
We say: Real Salt Lake 2-1 New York City FC
While RSL have only had a few days to rest between matches, they are facing a side where morale is at an all-time low right now, with players having to feature out of their natural positions, which should benefit the home team this weekend.
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