Djordje Mihailovic scored midway through the second half and the Colorado Rapids snapped a three-match losing streak with a 1-0 triumph over Real Salt Lake on Saturday night in the Rocky Mountain Cup at Commerce City, Colo.
Nico Hansen made four saves to record his first MLS shutout in his second career start for the Rapids, who halted a five-match winless stretch (0-3-2). Colorado (5-5-4, 19 points) was blanked in its previous two matches.
Real Salt Lake (4-8-2, 14 points) were shut out for the second straight match and sixth time this season. RSL are 0-2-2 over their last four matches.
Real Salt Lake had an 11-6 edge in shots and placed four on target to Colorado’s three. RSL star Diego Luna, who has seven of the team’s 13 goals, was quiet with two shots, one on target.
Rafael Cabral had two saves for Salt Lake.
Real Salt Lake were unable to clear the ball away from trouble in the 70th minute and Colorado’s Cole Bassett gained possession. He passed it over to Mihailovic, who sent a right-footed shot into the left corner of the net.
Mihailovic has scored six of the Rapids’ 16 goals this season.
Colorado had two stellar chances to take a two-goal lead over the next seven minutes.
Ted Ku-Dipietro ripped a close-range left-footed blast that barely cleared the crossbar in the 74th minute. Three minutes later, Bassett’s hard left-footed shot was saved by Cabral.
The contest with few good offensive chances was much different than last season’s three meetings when the teams combined for 16 goals. Colorado won two of the matches and Salt Lake took the other.
Real Salt Lake had a 6-2 edge in first-half shots.
Colorado had the best scoring opportunity in the first half when Oliver Larraz gained the ball in close range of the net in the fifth minute. Cabral came out and blocked Larraz’s right-footed shot to stymie the attempt.
–Field Level Media
