Conrad Wallem, 51ºÚÁÏ City SC’s newest acquisition who joined the team late last week, set in motion the play that led to City SC’s only goal as it played to a 1-1 tie with Real Salt Lake in a preseason game Wednesday at Indio, California.
Wallem, a midfielder who had been playing with Slavia Prague in the Czech Republic, didn’t arrive in 51ºÚÁÏ until last Friday and had only a few days training with the team. In the 37th minute, he split defenders to dribble into the box and took a shot that hit the bottom of the crossbar. In the ensuing scramble for the rebound, an RSL player headed the ball into the net for an own goal.
RSL tied the game in the 70th minute.
Three City SC players made their first appearances in a preseason game as second-half substitutes. Celio Pompeu and Tomas Ostrak, who both suffered season-ending leg injuries last season, came on in the 55th minute, and Rasmus Alm, who has been taking it slow in camp to not aggravate the groin injury that has given him trouble the past two seasons, entered in the 72nd. This was a significant step if the three are going to be available for opening day Feb. 22.
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Next up for City SC is a game with Austin on Saturday at Indio. Game time is 1 p.m. and it will be broadcast on Matrix Midwest and on the City SC app.
Only a few players in City SC’s starting lineup Wednesday seem likely to be in the starting lineup when the season begins Feb. 22. Roman Burki started in goal; Joakim Nilsson was one of three center backs who started, in between Josh Yaro and Michael Wentzel; Indiana Vassilev in the midfield and Klauss up top, playing alongside Simon Becher. Burki and Nilsson came out at the half, and Vassilev and Klauss came out 10 minutes later.
Yaro and Wentzel were the only players to go the full 90 minutes as coach Olof Mellberg made frequent use of his bench.
