Salt Lake 5-2 Atlanta Match Analysis (July 6, 2024)

Diego Luna scored a goal and had three assists in Real Salt Lake’s 5-2 win over Atlanta United on Saturday in Sandy, Utah.

Salt Lake is 11-1-6 in its last 18 games and improved to 8-2-1 at home this season. RSL (12-3-7, 43 points) has equal points with Los Angeles FC in the Western Conference, but Los Angeles holds the tiebreaker for the top spot.

Braian Ojeda scored a goal and an assist for Real Salt Lake. Matt Crooks scored in the first minute of the game, and Cristian Arango and Alexandros Katranis scored in a four-goal second-half run.

Saba Lobjanidze and Daniel Rios scored for the Five Stripes (6-10-6, 24 points), who have lost their last two games.

After Crooks’ early goal, Atlanta United bounced back and controlled most of the first half, including Lobjanidze’s equalizer in the 31st minute. Real Salt Lake was outshot 7-2 in the first 45 minutes, but its elite attack exploded after the break.

Ojeda hit the post with a beautiful curling shot in the 55th minute, but made up for it four minutes later. Off a Salt Lake corner, Arango’s header was deflected by defender Derrick Williams in front of the net. The ball went to Ojeda, who turned and fired in a right-footed shot for his second goal in as many games.

In the 68th minute, Luna’s free kick found Arango, inexplicably open, at the edge of Atlanta’s penalty area. Arango scored his 17th goal of the season, a league record.

Real Salt Lake’s next goal came on another free kick 10 minutes later. Luna sent a corner to Katranis, who fired a well-placed left-footed shot that may have been deflected by Rios before ending up in the back of the net.

Rios made up for his mistake by scoring himself two minutes later, but Luna ended any hopes of a comeback for Atlanta United by scoring RSL’s fifth goal. In the 84th minute, Luna impressively collected a clumsy pass in the box and then scored his fifth goal of the season.

–Field level media