PORTLAND, Ore. (Wednesday, May 10, 2023) – Real Salt Lake wins a 4-3 thriller at the Portland Timbers to advance its 2023 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup journey Wednesday night. RSL MF Maikel Chang scored two goals – including the equalizer and game-winner – while adding one assist to lead Salt Lake, which will discover its 2023 Open Cup Round of 16 opponent in a draw from U.S. Soccer headquarters Thursday, May 11, at 12 noon MT, for a game to be played on May 23 or May 24.
Now unbeaten in five across all competitions, RSL now hosts defending MLS Cup champions LAFC on Saturday at America First Field in Sandy, Utah. Kickoff for that match is at 7:30p MT, with the Univ. of Utah Health Plaza opening at 5:30p MT; tickets remain at www.RSL.com/tickets for the expected sellout match.
After conceding an early fifth-minute goal to go down 1-0 to the hometown Timbers, RSL equalized at the half-hour mark, as Chang found FW Danny Musovski atop the six-yard box. Musovski deftly evaded his defender and slammed home the equalizer for his second goal in as many Open Cup contests this year for RSL.
RSL took a 2-1 lead into halftime, courtesy of heroics from both FW Andrés Gómez and GK Gavin Beavers, each of whom are club debutants in 2023. In the 41st minute, Gómez tracked down a ball deep in the Portland end, coming back into play from the right side, settling atop the corner of the box. After a cut to his left unbalanced the defender, Gómez put the ball back on his right foot and unleashed a looping shot far post, burying the ball spectacularly. RSL closed out the half with a series of scintillating Beavers saves.
Early in the second half, Portland took control and again assumed the lead. Halftime substitute Jaroslaw Niezgoda knotted the game at 2-2 with his first touch of the second half, in the 49th minute. The Timbers quickly grabbed the 3-2 lead when Justin Rasmussen slammed home an uncontested 18-yard shot following chaos in the box.
But RSL would not lay down, completing a four-goal, 10-minute span with two goals of its own, both courtesy of former Real Monarchs man Maikel Chang. Chang, a veteran of 86 MLS reg. season starts, notched his first-ever brace, taking assists from both Musovski and Gómez in quick succession to put RSL back on top with just 30 minutes remaining.
Despite danger from the Timbers’ Dairon Asprilla in the final 15 minutes, RSL rode a staunch defense led by homegrowns Justen Glad, Bode Hidalgo and Delentz Pierre to earn its first-ever road Open Cup victory over an MLS opponent, and advancement to this year’s Round of 16.
UP NEXT: Real Salt Lake returns home to America First Field to host defending MLS Cup champions LAFC this Saturday, May 13 at 7:30 p.m. MT.
GOAL SCORING SUMMARY:
POR: Sebastian Blanco 5th minute: RSL GK Gavin Beavers looking to play out of back on a goal kick, pings wide to Pierre and receives it back, finding Ruiz at top of box. Ruiz has trouble handling with a heavy touch, Blanco pounces on the turnover and nutmegs Beavers for the home side’s opening goal.
RSL: Danny Musovski (Maikel Chang) 30th minute: RSL DF Bryan Oviedo collects ball on left wing, his cross into box deflected by Portland. RSL MF Maikel Chang wins ball, centers cross to Musovski, who dekes Timbers defender and slams home equalizer from close range. This goal was Musovski’s second in as many Open Cup games this season for RSL.
RSL: Andrés Gómez 41st minute: Gómez corrals ball on right side, dribbles deep into attacking third. The Colombian cuts back to his left at corner of box, then flips ball to his right foot before sending a looping shot over the Timbers goalkeeper and into the far side netting to give RSL the come-from-behind lead.
POR: Justin Rasmussen 49th minute: Following a period of chaos in box, Portland finds Rasmussen atop the 18, he slams it home cleanly from distance for the equalizer.
POR: Juroslaw Niezgoda 52nd minute: A looping cross finds the chest of Fogaça, his intentional play finds the onrushing Niezgoda, whose first touch as a second-half substitute gives Portland the lead once again.
RSL: Maikel Chang (Andrés Gómez) 55th minute: Gomez begins the play streaking down the right side, his cross ends up on opposite side of box, where Maikel Chang buries a low line drive to even it up.
RSL Maikel Chang (Danny Musovski) 59th minute: A Kreilach ball finds an onrushing Musovski on right side of box, and his deftly played cross sends Chang in alone on goal, as he buries the close-range shot as RSL retakes the lead.
NOTES:
- Tonight’s starting lineup had a combined 604 MLS appearances, including 481 starts. 324 games played and 310 of those starts came from Justen Glad and Damir Kreilach alone. Meanwhile, four starters had earned just two or fewer MLS starts, including Bode Hidalgo (2), Emeka Eneli (2), Gavin Beavers (1) and Delentz Pierre (0).
- Costa Rican DF Bryan Oviedo owns 12 appearances since arriving at RSL, including 9 starts. Colombian FW Andrés Gómez with 10 games played / 6 starts in MLS this year.
- Rounding out the XI are veteran MLS players Pablo Ruiz (99 games/82 starts), Maikel Chang (86/51) and Danny Musovski (62/18).
- Defender Delentz Pierre made his second Real Salt Lake appearance, both in Open Cup play this year, the newly-signed Homegrown and former Univ. of Portland product out of the RSL Academy yet to make his Major League Soccer debut.
- The road wins at Las Vegas and Portland mark RSL’s first-ever road wins in the U.S. Open Cup - now 2-9-1 (W-L-T away) and first wins overall since an advancement on penalties at home in 2016
Lineups:
Real Salt Lake (3-5-2): Gavin Beavers; Bode Hidalgo, Justen Glad, Delentz Pierre; Emeka Eneli, Pablo Ruiz (Braian Ojeda 72), Andres Gomez (Bertin Jacquesson 63), Maikel Chang (Ilijah Paul 87), Bryan Oviedo (Andrew Brody 63); Damir Kreilach, Danny Musovski (Rubio Rubin 72)
Subs not used: Tomas Gomez, Brayan Vera
Portland Timbers (4-4-2): David Bingham; Pablo Bonilla, Larrys Mabiala, Tyler Clegg, Justin Rasmussen (Juan David Mosquera 86), Noel Caliskan, Cristhian Paredes (Victor Griffith 57), Marvin Loría, Diego Gutierrez (Santiago Moreno 73), Sebastian Blanco (Jaroslaw Niezgoda 46), Nathan Fogaca (Dairon Asprilla 73),
Subs not used: Aljaz Ivacic, Zac McGraw
Stats Summary: RSL/POR
Shots: 20/13
Shots on goal: 7/5
Saves: 4/1
Corner Kicks: 7/3
Fouls: 12/14
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY:
RSL: Andrés Gómez (caution) 51’
POR: Victor Griffith (caution) 62’
RSL: Delentz Pierre (caution) 70’
POR: Marvin Loría (caution) 72’
POR: Pablo Bonilla (caution) 88’
POR: Dairon Asprilla (caution) 92+
RSL: Braian Ojeda (caution) 96+
