Morgan Guilavogui and Saba Lobjanidze each found the net in a decisive six-minute span midway through the second half as Real Salt Lake moved into playoff position with a 2-1 win over host Austin FC on Wednesday.
RSL (12-13-6, 42 points) leapt over the idle Los Angeles Galaxy into eighth place in the West with two matches to play. After going 13 matches without a win, Real Salt Lake have four wins and a draw over their past six outings.
Austin (8-14-10, 34 points) was eliminated from postseason contention with the loss. The Verde played their eighth straight home match without a win dating back to July 22.
Guilavogui put Real Salt Lake in front for good in the 61st minute, taking a lateral pass from Sergi Solans after a long clearing pass and beating Austin goalkeeper Damian Las into the center of the net as the keeper dove at his feet.
Austin’s Myrto Uzuni was active in the match’s opening moments, producing a pair of high-percentage shots early on that RSL’s defense blocked before eventually unleashing a kick that goalkeeper Rafael Cabral saved in the third minute. Uzuni then missed wide on a shot with a 16% goal expectancy in the seventh minute.
RSL responded when Solans missed to the left of Las in the 30th minute and Las stopped a weak shot by Guilavogui four minutes later.
Austin found the net first in the 52nd minute as Jorge Alastuey ripped a left-footed shot from well outside the area into the bottom-right corner with Cabral caught flatfooted. Alastuey pounced on the rebound of a headed clearing attempt by RSL defender Philip Quinton and made short work of his opportunity.
But Salt Lake swung back in the 55th minute. Lobjanidze maneuvered the ball through the box after a pass from Juan Manuel Sanabria and unleashed a curving shot that found the upper-right corner of the goal to pull the visitors even. Stijn Spierings also got an assist on the tally.
–Field Level Media
