Sergi Solans scored the go-ahead goal on a header in the 68th minute as Real Salt Lake claimed a 2-1 win over the Colorado Rapids on Saturday in Sandy, Utah.
Zavier Gozo also scored, and Solans and Juan Manuel Sanabria recorded assists for Real Salt Lake (8-4-1, 25 points) in the first leg of the Rocky Mountain Cup.
Wayne Frederick scored for Colorado (5-8-1, 16 points) in his second match back after a two-week absence due to a leg injury.
Salt Lake took a 2-1 lead when Sanabria’s pass from outside the box connected with Solans, who rose above a line of defenders and headed home the goal.
Colorado opened the scoring in the seventh minute when Connor Ronan drove a corner kick to the back post, where Paxten Aaronson settled it, shook a defender and slid a pass to Frederick, who popped a shot over RSL goalkeeper Rafael Cabral for a 1-0 advantage.
A Rapids turnover set up RSL’s equalizer in the 36th minute. Colorado defender Jackson Travis’ backward pass was intercepted by Solans, whose patient cross set up Gozo’s sliding goal.
Earlier in the match, Salt Lake’s attack began to build in the 29th minute, as Gozo’s shot from the corner of the box was covered up by Rapids goalie Nico Hansen.
Connor Ronan’s stretch pass from midfield connected with Rafael Navarro in stride in the 52nd minute. Cabral deflected Navarro’s shot from 10 yards out, then quickly turned toward the goal to secure the ball before it crossed the line.
The pace increased in the 72nd minute as Gozo forced Hansen to gather a shot ticketed for the lower-right corner. In quick transition at the other end, Georgi Minoungou’s pass found Navarro, whose header missed high and wide.
In the 84th minute, Solans had another chance with a header but couldn’t cleanly connect with Sanabria’s corner kick.
Real Salt Lake was active in its attacking third, as eight of its 17 shots were on frame, while Colorado placed four of its eight shots on target. Hansen finished with six saves, while Cabral had three.
–Field Level Media
