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SANDY — Real Salt Lake defender Justen Glad might have known a few hours in advance that he would be getting a start against Club Tijuana in an international friendly Tuesday night.
The 17-year-old Homegrown player was less sure he’d play two positions. But he fared well at both spots.
“It was the best experience of my life, hand’s down,” said Glad, who started at center back then moved to right back at halftime. “It was an amazing atmosphere. To experience that for the first time was something that I don’t know will ever happen again. It was a good experience.”
Luis Gil scored one of the finest goals at Rio Tinto Stadium about two minutes before the final whistle to help RSL to a 1-1 tie with Liga MX side Xolos on a cold, rainy night in Sandy.
RSL went down 1-0 on a superb strike by Edgar Villegas in the 77th minute. Villegas ripped a shot from just off the corner of the penalty and bent it inside the far post to put the Mexican club on top.
But that didn’t stop Gil, who wore the captain’s armband in the second half. The 21-year-old U.S. international saw a shot go off the post, an attempt to chip the goalkeeper narrowly tipped out and another shot glance off Tijuana keeper Gibran Lajud’s gloves on the night.
But in the 88th minute, Gil found his shot. The attacking midfielder received a pass from substitute Abdoulie Mansally, flicked the ball over a Tijuana defender, then smashed the ball inside the far post.
“All I was thinking was just to hit it. Get some contact on it,” Gil said of the goal. “I created some space, and I had an opening. You’ve just got to take chances; that’s how you score.”
RSL coach Jeff Cassar said Gil’s contributions defensively were just as important in his box-to-box midfield role.
“He had a lot of great ideas attacking wise, but was committed on the defensive end as well,” Cassar said. “That goal was just fantastic. Both goals tonight were really good. The idea, his confidence to take that shot, were great.”
RSL played 17 players against Xolos, and switched from its usual 4-4-2 formation to a 4-3-3 in the second half. But Glad, who signed with the club in April, went the entire 90 minutes and moved into dangerous positions at right back while locking down Tijuana attackers Alejandro Guido, Henry Martin and U.S. youth international Paul Arriola in the first half at center back.
“I thought he was outstanding tonight,” Cassar said of Glad. “We’ve seen this before from Justen in all the reserve games. It seems like every time he gets an opportunity, he steps up and plays well.”
Glad has played in several defensive positions for RSL’s reserve team, and the move to right back came natural, he said.
It was the best experience of my life, hand's down. It was an amazing atmosphere. To experience that for the first time was something that I don't know will ever happen again. It was a good experience.
–Justen Glad, 17-year-old RSL defender
“It was a comfortable switch,” he added. “They gave me a good head’s up during halftime, so it was alright.”
The rain wasn’t the only downfall of the night for the 13,222 fans in attendance. Both teams combined for five yellow cards, and RSL midfielder John Stertzer collided with a Tijuana defender going for a ball around the 80th minute.
Both players were treated at length on the field, and Stertzer had to be carried away on a stretcher. Cassar said team doctors don’t think Stertzer broke any bones, but the 12th overall pick in the 2013 MLS SuperDraft will have an x-ray on his injured lower leg Wednesday.
Luke Mulholland also picked up a knock on a rough challenge, one for which Xolos coach Cesar Farias apologized profusely to Cassar at halftime. But morale remains high in the RSL locker room less than four days away from a clash with Western Conference leading Seattle at Rio Tinto Stadium.
“The spirits are good,” Cassar said. “That fantastic goal from Luis helps bring back up the morale. We changed formations in the second half, really due to substitutions. I felt the guys really did a great job of trying to adapt and deal with a difficult situation.”
Contributing: Jeremiah Jensen
