COMMERCE CITY, Colorado (Saturday, October 21, 2023) – Real Salt Lake (14-12-8, 50 points, 5th West) finished the 2023 Major League Soccer regular season with a 1-0 victory at Colorado Rapids thanks to a second-half goal from 20-year-old **Diego Luna** and an incredible six-save performance in between the pipes from goalkeeper **Zac MacMath**.
With the victory, Real Salt Lake enters this year’s Audi 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs in fifth place in the Western Conference, slated to face Houston Dynamo in the Best-of-Three Round One series to kick off the postseason, RSL’s third consecutive playoff appearance and its fifth in the last six campaigns.
The Utah side’s third straight Decision Day win - also RSL’s 11th on the road across all competitions this year - gave the Claret-and-Cobalt three points, giving Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni’s team the 50-point milestone for just the second time since 2015.
Real Salt Lake looked to apply the pressure early, nearly taking the lead off a point-blank **Danny Musovski** shot in the fifth minute, but an impressive save from Abraham Rodriguez kept the ball out of the back of the net. Despite the early opportunity, MacMath was forced to make some massive saves in the opening 15 minutes, including a full-stretched block in the 14th minute and a breakaway stop just a minute later.
Through the remainder of the second half, the two sides traded half-chances, but neither team was able to create any real opportunities. Just before the end of the first half, a free kick set up a chance to take the lead, but a block by Colorado forced the Claret-and-Cobalt to head into the locker room scoreless.
Coming out of the halftime break, Real Salt Lake enjoyed the majority of the possession, but struggled to string together any shots on goal. Real Salt Lake finally broke through in the 74th minute, when Luna single-handedly smashed his shot into the back of the net after eluding his defender on the touchline, keeping the ball inbounds and creating a one-on-one chance on goal.
Colorado nearly found the equalizer in the 85th minute, but a miraculous kick-save from MacMath kept the ball out of the back of the net and the Claret-and-Cobalt in front.
UP NEXT: RSL will begin the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs next weekend against Houston Dynamo, the date and time for which will be announced Sunday, Oct. 22, with the entirety of this year’s postseason slate.
GOAL-SCORING SUMMARY:Â
RSL: Diego Luna, 74th minute: Besting his defender, Luna made a sideline save and drove towards goal to create an open opportunity, slamming his shot just under the crossbar.
NOTES:
- 20-year-old midfielder Diego Luna recorded his fifth goal of the season. His score tonight marked the second consecutive game in which Luna has scored.
- Goalkeeper Zac MacMath made six saves to earn his ninth clean sheet of the season and his 24th shutout as a member of Real Salt Lake.
- For just the second time since the 2015 season, Real Salt Lake ended its MLS campaign with 50 points (2019, 53 points). With a negative-two goal differential, RSL became the seventh team in MLS history to reach 50 points with a negative goal difference.
- The road result gives Real Salt Lake its eighth reg. season win away from home, adding to the Club record previously set with the result at LAFC on October 1, 2023.
- RSL’s win tonight marked the first time in its 19-year history that it defeated the same opponent four times in a single season, with three MLS regular-season wins over Rocky Mountain Cup rival Colorado, along with one Open Cup victory. Three of the four wins for RSL against the Rapids this year came at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.
- RSL’s all-time road mark at Colorado is now 11W-11L-6T, outscoring the Rapids 38-33. The 11 RSL wins in Commerce City is the highest victory road total in RSL’s 19-year history, four more than RSL has at LA Galaxy and five more than the Utah side has enjoyed at both San Jose and Chivas USA.
- RSL was missing four key players tonight, as FW Chicho Arango (hamstring) and DF Brayan Vera (ankle) did not travel. Two international players - FW Jefferson Savarino (Venezuela) and DF Marcelo Silva (Uruguay) attended to family situations in their respective home countries. All four players are expected to be back with the team for the upcoming postseason series.
- Now that the 2023 season has completed, Savarino’s 10 goals across all competitions leads the 2023 RSL Golden Boot lead by one goal over FW Danny Musovski’s nine. Savarino’s seven goals in MLS play are one ahead of Chicho Arango’s six, the Colombian newcomer one ahead of both Musovski, Justen Glad and Diego Luna (5 goals each) for League contributions
Lineups:
Real Salt Lake (3-5-2): Zac MacMath; Bode Davis, Justen Glad (Kevon Lambert 72’), Bryan Oviedo; Maikel Chang (Jasper Löffelsend 72’), Braian Ojeda, Diego Luna (Damir Kreilach 89’), Emeka Eneli, Andrew Brody; Anderson Julio (Andres Gomez 72’), Danny Musovski (Rubio Rubin 46’)
Subs not used: Gavin Beavers, Nelson Palacio, Zavier Gozo
Colorado Rapids (4-3-3): Abraham Rodriguez; Andreas Maxso, Andrew Gutman, Sebastian Anderson (Steven Beitashour 89’), Moise Bombito; Connor Ronan, Cole Bassett, Ralph Priso (Oliver Larraz 69’); Jonathan Lewis (Kevin Cabral 69’), Rafael Navarro, Calvin Harris (Darren Yapi 81’)
Subs not used: Marko Ilic, Keegan Rosenberry, Danny Wilson, Lalas Abubakar, Braian Galvan
Stats Summary: RSL / COL
Shots: 8/16
Shots on Goal: 5/5
Saves: 6/4
Corner Kicks: 4/8
Fouls: 10/8
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY:
COL: Cole Bassett (caution) 15’
RSL: Anderson Julio (caution) 24’
