Matt Van Oekel made his MLS debut against the New York Red Bulls. It was not an easy task playing on the road after a week of turmoil within the organization. He came through for RSL in a big way in spite of the odds.
Sure, the defense did their part to get the shutout, but Van Oekel commanded the box seamlessly. He was tested multiple times with what seemed like a more difficult task each time, but he passed with flying colors. He made three saves which were shots on goal, but he also made a couple stops that very well could have and probably should have led to goals from the home team.