I. OPENING UP SPACE
After a hot attacking start for MNUFC, Real Salt Lake slowed the game down — a pace that certainly benefitted the away side. RSL played a high press and forced turnovers that had the Loons chasing the game in the latter stages of the first half.
But Minnesota made the necessary modifications to its 3-5-2 shape at half, resulting in players like forward Darwin Quintero and midfielders Ibson and Miguel Ibarra finding space behind Real Salt Lake’s high line — which proved to be exactly what they needed to break the game open.