RSL teammates choose to rally around Saucedo after 1st loss of 2015


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SANDY — Park City native Sebastian Saucedo’s longest call to action at Rio Tinto Stadium didn’t go anything like he planned.

Barely 15 minutes after entering the match as a substitute for fellow home-grown Jordan Allen, Saucedo, who just turned 18 years old, went on an a tackle against Vancouver’s Mauro Rosales. The Whitecaps striker stayed down, grabbing his ankle, as Saucedo got up and looked around at his teammates.

Despite protests from almost every one of his field teammates at the time, including aggressive shouting from captain Kyle Beckerman and midfielder Luke Mulholland, Saucedo received a red card from referee Ted Unkel, ending the longest spell of his Major League Soccer career.

Less than five minutes later, Darren Mattocks’ glancing header off a cross by Russell Teibert gave Vancouver the only goal it would need to end RSL’s unbeaten start to the 2015 season.

But more impressively, he followed the match by addressing the media and opening up on the tackle, which he described as unintentional, though he didn’t try to argue with the referee’s decision.

“If it’s a red card, then it’s a red card,” said Saucedo, showing a maturity beyond his age. “I can’t argue about it or anything like that. I tried to get the ball and I tried to do it as cleanly as possible, but it led to something else.

“I can take the blame for getting a red card and obviously it led to their goal. It’s something that I have to overcome.”

Vancouver Whitecaps' Matias Laba and Real Salt Lake's Luis Gil reach for a header during in a soccer game at the Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy on Saturday, April 18, 2015. (Kristin Murphy/Deseret News)
Vancouver Whitecaps' Matias Laba and Real Salt Lake's Luis Gil reach for a header during in a soccer game at the Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy on Saturday, April 18, 2015. (Kristin Murphy/Deseret News)

Saucedo won’t be the only one overcoming the moment of youthful bite for RSL (2-1-3). His teammates immediately jumped to his defense, and his head coach said the card and subsequent one-game suspension from MLS play will serve as nothing more than a teaching moment for a player with a bright future ahead of him.

“Sometimes when you leave your feet like that, you leave yourself susceptible for a referee to leave an impact like he did,” said head coach Jeff Cassar, who didn’t agree with the call. “There are definitely some coaching points there. But that game isn’t about the officiating, that’s for sure.”

In the post-game locker room, Saucedo’s teammates were just as quick to jump to his defense.

If the player needs help getting over the rough outing from his rookie season, he can look no further than his own team’s starting right back. Tony Beltran recalled an experience during his first season when the team was playing at the then-Kansas City Wizards. With less than 10 minutes remaining, Beltran tried to defend his mark on a free kick — but the ball caromed off him and went the net for an own goal. RSL lost that match 1-0 — and Beltran was upset.

But the experience helped him grow both personally and professionally.

“Soccer’s about perspective,” Beltran said following the loss to Vancouver. “That’s not going to be the theme of (Saucedo’s) career. He’s going to go on and be a very good player in MLS. This will be just a learning opportunity for him, and that’s all.”

Saucedo's substitute appearance wasn't his only highlight of the evening for RSL, either. About five minutes after coming on, he attempted an audacious shot from the edge of the box that Vancouver goalkeeper David Ousted stepped in front of to collect a save.

That the Whitecaps capitalized such a short time after RSL was reduced to 10 men — on their only shot on goal of the evening — was “unfortunate,” Beltran added. But it’s a long season, and Vancouver is currently the top team in the Western Conference, with the most points in MLS.

“It’s early in the season,” Beltran said. “The goals will come — I have the utmost confidence in our forwards. We’ll just ride this out and get better.”

The loss stung several players in the locker room, and team officials were quick to point out the good in holding a club like Vancouver to one shot on goal and only allowing the one score.

Now RSL just has to rebound from its first setback of 2015.

“I see it as our one loss for the season; just don’t lose again at home,” Mulholland said. “Now we need to respond, and really take it to our next game.”

RSL’s next match won’t be easy, either. The club will take a cross-country flight to Boston on Thursday, preparing for a match against last year’s MLS Cup finalist, the New England Revolution (3-2-2). But Saturday’s disappointment gives them motivation going against the Revs, who are tied for the most points in the East — though as many as two more games than New York and D.C.

“We’re away, and we need to take it to them,” Mulholland said. “We’re going to go full blazing against them, and I’m expecting a win.

“That’s the best way to bounce back from a loss: win. It’s going to be a long week, but the sooner we get out there and get a win against New England, we can put this game behind us. Then we’ll have two home games where we can really rack some points up.”

Saucedo and defender Jamison Olave will both be ineligible for the New England match due to red card suspension, and center back Chris Schuler is unlikely to play on the artificial turf at Gillette Stadium. RSL will also be missing utility player Allen, who is off with the U.S. U-20 national team, as well as U.S. U-23 internationals Luis Gil and Boyd Okwuonu.

In other words, Cassar will have several choices to make ahead of Saturday’s 5:30 p.m. MT kickoff.

“We have to field a team,” he said. “We have to be smart and take care of what we’re doing here.”

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