Young players Aiden Hezarkhani and Ariath Piol scored and veteran goalkeeper Rafael Cabral made eight saves, as Real Salt Lake won its home opener 2-1 over the Seattle Sounders on Saturday night in Sandy, Utah.
Cabral’s last save was perhaps his biggest, as he stopped Snyder Brunell’s volley from about 8 yards out in the ninth of ten minutes of second-half stoppage time.
Real Salt Lake improved to 14-1-4 all-time at home against Seattle, with the lone loss coming in 2011.
Cristian Roldan scored for the Sounders (1-1-0, 3 points) in the opener of a five-game trip.
After a couple of close misses by the Sounders in the opening minutes, RSL (1-1-0, 3 points) opened the scoring in the 23rd.
Zavier Gozo dribbled between three Seattle defenders then attempted a pass to the top of the 18-yard box. That was knocked away by Hassani Dotson, but the ball fell to Luca Moisa, who sent a pass toward the top left of the penalty area to Juan Manuel Sanabria, making his MLS debut. Sanabria sent a cross back across to Hezarkhani on the right wing and his left-footed half-volley rocketed into the near upper corner of the net, leaving leaping goalkeeper Andrew Thomas no chance.
RSL doubled its advantage in the 47th minute as Philip Quinton sent a long ball down the right wing for Gozo. He dribbled into the penalty area before sending a low pass to Piol for a tap-in from 5 yards out.
The Sounders pulled within 2-1 in the 62nd minute as Rusnak’s corner kick from the left wing was sent to the near post, where Roldan put a glancing header into the far side of the net.
It appeared Seattle tied the score in the 77th minute when substitute Danny Musovski volleyed home a cross from Paul Rothrock, but it was ruled Rothrock was offside when he accepted a pass.
Cabral made a leaping save to punch a header from Yeimar Gomez Andrade off the goal line in the 8th minute following a Seattle free kick from the left wing.
In the 14th, Cabral leaped to tip a 35-yard free kick by Rusnak slotted for the upper left corner of the net out of bounds. Cabral crashed into the post and needed medical attention but was able to continue.
And in the 20th, Cabral came off his line to get a hand on a Rusnak header on a broken play after a deflected cross.
Cabral again thwarted Rusnak, a former RSL standout, in the 61st minute, tipping a free kick over the crossbar.
–Field Level Media
