Sergi Solans recorded two goals and one assist and Real Salt Lake scored twice in the game’s first six minutes en route to a stellar 4-2 victory over San Diego FC on Saturday night at Sandy, Utah.
Diego Luna had one goal and two assists and Morgan Guilavogui added one goal and one assist for Real Salt Lake (5-1-1, 16 points), who have a six-match unbeaten stretch (5-0-1).
The seven-game start matches the best of Salt Lake’s 22-season franchise history. The 2011 squad also started 5-1-1.
Marcus Ingvartsen and Anders Dreyer scored goals for San Diego FC (3-3-2, 11 points), who are winless in their past five matches (0-3-2). San Diego has lost its last three by a combined 9-3 score.
Duran Ferree had five saves for San Diego as Real Salt Lake held a 15-9 edge in shots. RSL placed nine on target to San Diego’s five.
Rafael Cabral made three saves for Salt Lake.
Real Salt Lake got the blowout started with goals in back-to-back minutes.
The first occurred on a massive mistake by Ferree, who lazily tried to pass the ball to his left to teammate Manu Duah. Luna timed it perfectly and dashed forward to intercept the pass and poke the ball with his right foot into the net in the fifth minute.
One minute later, Luna was on the right and sent a cross-field pass to Solans, who headed the ball inside the left post to make it 2-0.
San Diego displayed life in the 14th minute as Lewis Morgan’s run created a chance for Ingvartsen, who sent a left-footed shot into the right side of the net.
Salt Lake pushed its lead back to two in the 37th minute as Zavier Gozo sent a pass to Solans, who knocked a header past Ferree.
RSL made it 4-1 in the 45th minute when Solans fed Guilavogui, who booted a shot into the right corner.
San Diego trimmed its deficit to two just before the midway point of the second half. Dreyer and Salt Lake’s Justen Glad were battling for the ball in the 62nd minute and Dreyer fell to the turf.
After a review, a penalty kick was awarded. Dreyer stood at the spot in the 66th minute and easily booted a left-footed shot past Cabral.
Cabral made a big forearm save of Dreyer’s left-footed blast in the 88th minute. He also made a point-blank save of Amahl Pellegrino’s right-footer just before time was called in the eighth minute of second-half stoppage time.
–Field Level Media
