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RSL dominates Atlanta United at home (5-2)

Theo

SANDY, Utah (Saturday, July 6, 2024) – The real salt lake (12-3-7 / 43 points / T-1st West) stormed into the game in front of a sellout crowd for the fifth straight time at America First Field (20,396), and its seventh in 11 home games this season. RSL needed just 43 seconds to take the lead over Atlanta, while MF Matt Crooks‘ early score with assists from Diego Luna And Braian Ojeda RSL claimed the fifth fastest goal in club history. After a disappointing first half, the final 45 minutes were dominant for RSL, matching their season high with another five-goal performance, improving their record to 8-2-1/25 points at home this season.

Twenty-year-old Diego Luna, who scored one goal and had three assists, was named RSL’s Man of the Match tonight. The hat-trick of assists marks just the fourth time in the club’s 636-game MLS history that an RSL player has scored three goals (Espindola, 2012; Ruiz, 2023; Luna, 3/3/24 and tonight). Luna’s four goals are the most of his professional career, tying the most by any RSL player in a game this season (Arango). Alongside Luna, the RSL captain was named MLS MVP and a frontrunner for the Golden Boot. Chicho ArangoThe Colombian forward scored his 17th goal of the season. Arango’s 17 goals are the most in MLS, while Luna’s 12 assists rank third in the league heading into Sunday’s game.

Midfielder Braian Ojeda also contributed to the result, his 59th-minute goal his second in as many games, having gone 66 consecutive RSL games without scoring, scoring in the last two. In addition to Ojeda, DF Alex Katranis He also stepped up from his natural position to get his name on the scoresheet, the former Greece youth international scoring for the third time in his inaugural season in the United States.

The win was a complete example of ball control for the manager Pablo Mastroeni Côté, his team is dominating 62% possession and outscoring Atlanta 650-383 in passing. RSL’s three points keep it tied with LAFC at 43 points atop the Western Conference standings, which now faces a three-game trip to Portland Timbers, LAFC and Colorado Rapids on July 13, 17 and 20, before the MLS All-Star break and then the Leagues Cup kicks off.

RSL – 1′ – Matt Crooks (Diego Luna, Braian Ojeda): As RSL took possession to open the game, calmly moving through midfield for the first touches of the night, Braian Ojeda took control in midfield. Seeing the green grass ahead of him, Ojeda launched himself forward, producing a devastating dribble to cut between the only two defenders incoming. Now drawing the attention of the entire ATL defence, he passed the ball to Diego Luna who was charging down the right side of the box. Without touching the ball, Luna fired the ball across goal with speed for the incoming run of Matt Crooks, his England teammate able to seize the goal-scoring opportunity from close range.

ATL – 31′ – Saba Lobjanidze (Daniel RiversBartosz Slisz): Despite Real dominating the ball and Atlanta doubling their pass completions, the Five Stripes equalized in the 31st minute. Controlling possession in the Claret-and-Cobalt zone, the ball found its way to the feet of Bartosz Slisz on the edge of the box. As his teammate moved towards the ball, Slisz sent a quick pass into the center of the box for Saba Lobjanidze with a defender behind him. Lobjanidze played a brilliant backheel with Daniel Ríos, popping up on the other side with just enough space to shoot – his right-footed effort rounding Gavin Beavers’ outstretched glove and inside the near post.

RSL – 59′ – Braian Ojeda (unassisted): Entering the second half with refreshed legs, it didn’t take Real Salt Lake long to regain control of the game. As Alex Katranis stood by the flag, preparing to take a corner in the 59th minute, his teammates swarmed the box. Katranis sent a high, arching ball into the center of the box when captain Chicho Arango rose and headed the ball toward goal. While Arango’s attempt was deflected by an ATL defender in mid-air, Braian Ojeda, with his back to goal, turned his hips and sent the ball into the side netting with a spinning shot. After failing to score in his first 66 RSL appearances, Ojeda has now scored in two consecutive games.

RSL – 68′ – Chicho Arango (Diego Luna): Pablo Mastroeni’s men kept up the pace and took a comfortable two-goal lead in the 68th minute. With Diego Luna standing over a free-kick opportunity on the edge of the attacking third, his teammates invaded the penalty area in a coordinated rush. As Luna’s cross flew over the crowd and towards the far post, Arango beat his only marker on the outside to get on the end of the ball, sending a thunderous header down against the keeper’s momentum and into the side netting at the far post.

RSL – 78′ – Alex Katranis (Diego Luna): Real made a deep hole in front of their fans and extended the lead to three goals in the 78th minute. Another corner, this time from the left side, was taken by Luna who stood over the ball with menacing intentions. Pretending to send a traditional cross, Luna sent a through ball to Alex Katranis on the near side. Shuffling his feet as the ball approached, Katranis caught it with his left foot with a first-time shot, his attempt curled over Brad Guzan’s glove and into the back of the net.

ATL – 80′ – Daniel Rivers (Brooks Lennon): Against the run of play, Atlanta immediately reduced the deficit in the 80th minute. As Atlanta pressed desperately deep down the field, a long cross went untouched from the left side into the box, only to land at the feet of Brooks Lennon on the other side. Stopping play as his teammate ran, Lennon sent a precise ball towards the head of Daniel Ríos in the box, who was able to connect and send it into the back of the net.

RSL – 84′ – Diego Luna (Maikel Chang): To cap off an unreal flurry of attacking action, RSL scored again in the 84th minute. As Atlanta attempted to break out of their own half, an errant pass was intercepted by Maikel Chang and immediately converted into a counterattack. Running straight at the defenders, Chang reached the edge of the box when he sent a straight pass towards Luna’s chest in the box. Controlling him with a masterful first touch to set up the shot, Luna sent a half-volley into the ground that bounced perfectly into the corner.

RSL 5 NOTES: 2 ATLANTA UNITED

  • Chicho’s goal tonight is his 17thth this year, tying the single-season franchise record of 17 goals, set by Alvaro Saborio more than a decade ago in 2012. The RSL captain now needs just one more goal to break and claim sole possession of the all-time RSL single-season goalscoring record.
  • Matt Crooks’ goal after 43 seconds is now the fourth fastest goal scored in RSL Club history.
  • Gavin Beavers, 19, gets the win in goal, improving his season record to 4-1-1 (+9 goal differential) between the pipes.
  • Captain Chicho Arango extends his MLS Golden Boot lead to three goals with his 17th of the campaign, ahead of Christian Benteke (DCU) and Denis Bouanga (LAFC), with 14 goals each.
  • Diego Luna’s three assists now represent his second triple-assist game of the year, and just the fourth time a player has recorded multiple assists in a game in RSL’s 636 MLS games history (Fabian Espindola and Pablo Ruiz in 2012 and 2023); Luna’s 12 assists this season now ranks third in all of Major League Soccer.
  • RSL improves to 8-2-1/25 points at home in 2024. With one more win, RSL would match its 2023 home points total (6-7-4/22 points), with six home league games remaining, all in MLS’s final nine games after the Leagues Cup, which resumes Aug. 24.
  • MF Braian Ojeda scores for the second time in as many games, and the second MLS/RSL goal in his 68th game in all competitions since joining the Claret-and-Cobalts in September 2022.

The real Salt Lake (4-2-3-1): Gavin Castors; Brayan Vera (Bryan Oviedo, 67′); Bode Hidalgo; Philippe Quinton (Andrew Brody, 46′); Alex Katranis; Emeka Eneli (Nelson Palacio, 46′); Braian Ojeda; Andres Gomez (Maikel Chang, 79′); Diego Luna; Matt Crooks (Anderson Julio, 67′); Chicho Arango ©

Unused Subs: Zac MacMath, Tommy Silva, Zavier Gozo, Noel Caliskan

Atlanta United (4-2-3-1): Brad Guzan © ; Ronald Hernandez (Matthew Edwards, 89′); Derrick Williams; Brooks Lennon ; Noah Cobb; Caleb Wiley; Bartosz Slisz (Luke Brennan, 90′); Saba Lobjanidze (Jay Fortune, 69′); Dax McCarty (Tristan Muyumba, 60′); Xande Silva (Tyler Wolff, 60′); Daniel Rios

Unused Subs: Luis Abram, Efrain Morales, Josh Cohen, Nicolas Firmino

RSL: Diego Luna (Attention, 57′)

ATL: Derrick Williams (Attention, 67′)

ATL: Jay Fortune (Attention, 89′)

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