Real Salt Lake started off strong and didn’t look back en route to a thrilling 2-0 win against Portland.
Real Salt Lake is back to winning ways, with a 2-0 win over the Portland Timbers at home. RSL was dominant from the start, needing only ten minutes to score, with Zavier Gozo finding the net. RSL would dominate, with a few more good chances that were saved by Timbers goalkeeper James Pantemis. RSL would find the important second goal in the 38th minute, with Diego Luna creating space and then firing a beauty into the net. RSL would have several other chances left begging, with Pantemis making key saves.
Goalkeeper Rafael Cabral had his fair share of moments, working tirelessly to keep Portland scoreless. RSL only allowed two shots on target for the Timbers, and Cabral had a lot of skill on the ball. Rafael was able to get in the path of several Portland crosses and make magic. RSL has their first clean sheet of the season, and they were on fire. Goals in the 10th minute (Gozo) and 28th minute (Luna) were the difference, and RSL had their first complete performance. It could have been much worse for Portland, but still, it’s good to win.
My Man of the Match is easily Diego Luna. He had a goal, a few shots, and a couple key passes. Luna was on fire, and was playing his heart out. Luna is trying to make a case for Mauricio Pochettino’s US World Cup squad. Luna was ready to go, and he was a thorn in the side of the Timbers’ defense. My Moment of the Match is the Gozo Golazo. A smooth pass across the box that landed right at the foot of Gozo, who struck it with power, and sent the America First Field crowd into a frenzy just ten minutes in.
RSL was down, but they found a way to bounce back. RSL had 15 shots on target on 25 total shots, and a final expected goals of 3.05. It was a full performance, and RSL’s best thus far. RSL has a lot to take away from this match, and they can build off of it, and improve. One-on-one finishing is still an issue, and the goalkeepers have had their way so far, but that can be fixed in training. Overall, a solid performance and a thrilling win.
Real Salt Lake will be back in action Saturday, May 9th at FC Dallas.
