Lineker Rodrigues dos Santos marked his first appearance following the announcement of his new MLS contract by scoring his first goal for Real Salt Lake.
The Brazilian attacker started against Liga MX side FC Juárez in the Leagues Cup, just one day after Real Salt Lake announced that he had earned a permanent first-team deal.
With RSL already leading 2-0, Lineker completed the scoring in the 68th minute. Noel Caliskan released DeAndre Yedlin towards the right goal line, and Yedlin’s first-time ball across the box found Lineker, who finished with his left foot.
It was Lineker’s first goal for the Real Salt Lake first team and came in only his second start of the season.
The goal capped a strong individual performance. Leagues Cup named Lineker Real Salt Lake’s Player of the Match after he led the team with two shots on target and contributed to several dangerous attacking sequences.
The 3-0 victory was also significant for RSL. FC Juárez compete in Liga MX, the top division in Mexico, and entered the match unbeaten in the competition with six points. Real Salt Lake needed a victory to keep their hopes of reaching the Leagues Cup quarterfinals alive.
For Lineker, the timing could hardly have been better. He earned his MLS contract after recording seven goals and two assists for Real Monarchs in MLS NEXT Pro, and immediately followed the promotion with his first senior goal against top-flight Mexican opposition.
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