Thursday, June 20, 2024) – For the 10th occasion in the last 11 fixtures, first-place Real Salt Lake places at least one player – this week, winger Andrés Gómez – onto Major League Soccer’s Team of the Matchday, with the dynamic 21-year-old attacker honored in the fictional XI following Wednesday night’s brace at Kansas City, with teammate Diego Luna named to the bench selection.
First-place RSL extended its active 15-game MLS unbeaten streak with a dramatic 4-3 decision at Children’s Mercy Park against rival Sporting Kansas City on June 19. Gómez scored once in each half to give RSL both 1-0 and 3-1 leads, becoming the youngest player (20 years, 281 days) in RSL’s 20-year, 633-game and 210-player history to record 15+ goal contributions (now 10g / 6a) in a single season.
For young Colombian Gómez, now with 10 goals and six assists on the season heading into Saturday’s top-of-the-West-table clash with the LA Galaxy at America First Field in Sandy, the midweek performance marked his third brace of the season, Gómez also scoring two goals in the 3-0 win over LAFC in the March 2 home-opening “snowmageddon,” as well as fuelling the come-from-behind 5-3 home win over Colorado on May 18.
Luna’s pair of first-half assists to Gómez and FW Anderson Julio also made him the youngest player in RSL history to record 20 career goal contributions in the Utah side’s annals (20 years, 286 days old).
While not recognized in this week’s “Team of the Matchday” honors, RSL also saw 19-year-old GK Gavin Beavers pick up his third win in five MLS starts this year, while becoming the second-youngest ‘keeper in the 29-year history of MLS to save a penalty kick. RSL Captain Chicho Arango secured his fifth game-winning assist – in 10 RSL wins – with his 84th-minute cross that found Matt Crooks at the back post, Crooks scoring his first-ever MLS goal following two weeks away from the team to get married. Chicho extended his MLS goal contribution lead to 26 with the assist, now amassing 16 goals and 10 assists this season, also becoming the third player in RSL history with a 10g/10a campaign (Jeff Cunningham, 2006; Albert Rusnák, 2021).
With both Chicho (16 goals) and Gómez (10 goals) securing double-digit goal totals this season, RSL has a pair of 10+ scorers in a single season for the first time since 2021 (Kreilach, 16 goals; Rusnák, 11 goals). Should Julio (six goals) or another player reach double-digits, RSL would have a 10+ goal-scoring trio for the first time ever.
With the 4-3 win at Sporting Kansas City – where RSL has won six and drawn four against just two losses since the heartbreaking frozen shootout there in MLS Cup 2013 – RSL has extended its active MLS unbeaten run to 15 games, the longest single-season streak without a loss in MLS action in the Club’s 20-year history. Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni’s men have also secured 10 straight road results, last losing away on Feb. 21 in the MLS 2024 season opener at Miami. Overall this season, RSL boasts a 4-1-6 / 18-point road record, the best in the West and trailing only Miami & Cincinnati in the Eastern Conference.
First-place RSL (10-2-7, 37 points, 1st West) returns to action Saturday in the first of three consecutive home matches, hosting the LA Galaxy at America First Field in Sandy. RSL has returned the Riot to a veritable fortress this season, posting a 6-1-1 / 19-point mark on Utah soil in 2024, with the lone home loss coming back on March 9 against Colorado. Tickets are available at www.RSL.com/tickets for the upcoming June 22 (LA Galaxy), July 3 (Houston) and July 6 (Atlanta) home contests.
Recent Team of the Matchday selections have also recognized RSL MF Diego Luna (Matchday 15), DF Bryan Vera (Matchday 12), Alex Katranis (Matchdays 10 and 11) and Captain Chicho Arango (Matchdays 10, 11, 14, 16, 18) honored for their stellar performances, while RSL has also previously seen both Andrés Gómez (Matchdays 3 and 15) and teenage attacker Fidel Barajas (Matchday 5) honored in the League’s weekly recognitions.
Tickets for all home RSL and Utah Royals FC matches are available at www.RSL.com/tickets.
