SANDY, Utah (Saturday, May 4, 2024) - Real Salt Lake (6-2-3, 21 points, 1st West) enjoyed a crucial late winner courtesy of its Captain Chicho Arangoto secure an important 1-0 victory against Sporting Kansas City (2-4-5, 11 points, 10th West) in a thrilling Major League Soccer encounter at America First Field on Saturday, May 4th, 2024. The win extends the Claret-and-Cobalt’s active unbeaten run to a league-high seven games and places the team clear now at the top of the MLS Western Conference standings, pending Sunday’s LA Galaxy result.
RSL opened the game with two near-miss chances in the first 10 minutes, first when a Justen Glad header off an Alex Katranis corner kick sailed just wide of the post. Minutes later, fleet-footed winger Andrés Gómez found himself in alone but shot just wide of the right post. The final 35 minutes of the half were mostly even, with neither team able to establish its dominance and truly impose itself on the match.
RSL’s new innovative and exciting tactical approach this season was on display throughout the encounter for all to see. The principle of the approach saw the team set up and start out in a 4-2-3-1 structure before morphing into a 3-2-4-1 formation in possession, with Alex Katranis logding up higher-up on the left wing and having the freedom of the entire left flank allowing Fidel Barajas to tuck inside as a second attacking midfielder, and Andrew Brody moving more central from right full-back to form a back three alongside Justen Glad and Brayan Vera.
The system allowed the Claret-and-Cobalt to dominate possession for the entirety of the contest, with the team accounting for over 60 percent of possession by halftime. However, despite its monopoly of possession, the team seemed to lack a crucial penetrative edge, struggling to breakdown a resolute Kansas City defense that looked content to mainly sit back and try to hit the hosts on the counter attack through its skillfull and powerful attackers.
RSL’s next best chance of the first half came in the 43rd minute when Andrés Gómez, receiving a through pass from Chicho Arango, cut inside from the byline before unleashing a fierce left footed effort which was only narrowly tipped over the bar by KC keeper John Pulskamp.
Sporting Kansas City’s best chance of the entire contest came midway through the first half and well against the run of play. A diagonal splitting throughball from the left caught the RSL defense vulnerable and found attacker Johnny Russell on the right, but the 34-year-old slipped in his attempt to control the pass and could only then blaze his effort well wide.
The second half sparked the game into life and brought about a change of fortunes for the Claret-and-Cobalt, with the team finally finding the penetrative spark that had evaded it throughout the first half. RSL this time created a barrage of clear chances after the break with Chicho Arango, Anderson Julio, and substitute Nelson Palacio all coming close, and Andrés Gómez even hitting the post in the 78th minute, but the pivotal finishing touch still seemed to elude the team in its desperate search for a winner.
Having controlled and dictated almost the entirety of the contest, RSL eventually got the goal from a perfectly-taken set piece in the 81st minute. A ball floated into the box from a Brayan Vera freekick found Chicho Arango at the far post and the striker guided a powerful header off the ground and beyond the reach of Pulskamp and into the back of the net to establish a Claret-and Cobalt lead on the Wasatch Front and send the home faithful into pure ecstasy.
Having taken the lead, the team fought back against a minor onslaught from its opponents as Sporting Kansas City tried desperately, with the clock ticking down towards full time, to find an equalizer. However, anchored by the impressive center back partnership of Justen Glad and Brayan Vera, RSL managed to keep its opponents at bay in the final minutes to record an important victory.
Tonight’s win brings the RSL season record to 6-2-3 and 21 points, and catapults the Claret-and-Cobalt clear at the top of the Western Conference league table. Next up for RSL is a trip to Albuquerque, New Mexico to take on New Mexico United in the Open Cup on Wednesday, May 8th at Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. MT.
RSL 1 : 0 SKC
GOAL-SCORING SUMMARY:
RSL - 81’ Chicho Arango (Brayan Vera): A ball floated into the box from a Vera freekick found Chicho at the far post and the striker guided a powerful header beyond the reach of Pulskamp and into the back of the net.
RSL v SKC NOTES:
Coach Pablo Mastroeni made two starting personnel changes from the team that won away against Philadelphia a week ago, with Andrew Brody and Anderson Julio coming in to replace Bode Hidalgo and Matt Crooks, the latter absent from today’s game due to a slight knock
Chicho Arango’s goal tonight marks his 9th goal and 16th goal contribution of the season, with RSL scoring 18 goals this year
RSL’s defense has allowed a league-low 9 goals through 11 games this season, including just one in the last 363 minutes, with goalkeepers Zac MacMath (273 min.) and Gavin Beavers (90 min) combining for three clean sheets in the last four matches
RSL’s active seven-game unbeaten run dating back to the March 9 home loss to Colorado is second only to last year’s 11-game unbeaten run through MLS, Open Cup and Leagues Cup play from early June to late July
LINEUPS:
Real Salt Lake (4-2-3-1): Zac MacMath; Andrew Brody, Justen Glad, Brayan Vera, Alex Katranis (Bode Hidalgo 59’); Braian Ojeda, Emeka Eneli, Andrés Gómez (Maikel Chang 92’), Fidel Barajas (Diego Luna 46’), Chicho Arango ©; Anderson Julio (Nelson Palacio 70’)
Subs not used: Philip Quinton, Bertin Jaquesson, Gavin Beavers, Tommy Silva
Sporting Kansas City (4-3-3): John Pulskamp; Jake Davis, Andreu Fontas, Robert Voloder, Tim Leibold; Marinos Tzionis (Felipe Hernandez 46’) , Memo Rodriguez, Erik Thommy; Johnny Russel (Alenis Vargas 61’) , Alan Pulido (Willy Agada 75’), Daniel Salloi (Khiry Shelton 89’)
Subs not used: Nemanja Radoja, Robert Castellanos, Zorhan Bassong, Kayden Pierre, Ryan Schew
Stats Summary: RSL / SKC
Shots: 14 / 10
Shots on Goal: 4 / 1
Saves: 1 / 3
Corner Kicks: 7 / 2
Fouls: 11 / 13
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY:
RSL: Yellow Card (Eneli 14’); Yellow Card (Vera 47’) Suspended for YC Accumulation vs LA 5/11; Yellow Card (Chicho 90’); 11 Total Fouls
SKC: Yellow Card (Rodriguez 90+4’); 13 Total Fouls
