Real Salt Lake 4 vs. 0 Orlando City SC
July 08, 2023; America First Field; Sandy, Utah
Real Salt Lake (9-7-6, 33 points); Orlando City SC (9-6-7, 34 points)
Man of the Match: In 90 minutes played midfielder **Pablo Ruiz** could be found all over the pitch contributing to the attack and preventing Orlando City SC from penetrating the backline. Ruiz made excellent reads throughout the game picking out his teammates on the counter and in the final third with key passes leading to shots on target. Ruiz’s ability to find his teammates led to the central-midfielder notching three assists moving his season total to five, setting a career game high and matching his season high. His first assist came via a well placed freekick that connected with **Chicho Arango** for his first Club goal. Ruiz’s performance and workrate on the defensive side of the ball also allowed RSL to launch the counter attack from the midfield while helping the team claim their second shutout in a row.
Telling Stats: In their largest win of the season, Real Salt Lake claimed their second win all-time against Orlando City SC with both victories coming at the “fortress” of America First Field. Before tonight’s 4-0 win RSL had never scored more than two goals in a single match against Orlando. Real Salt Lake is now unbeaten in their last seven matches in Major League Soccer and eight across all competitions. RSL’s eight game unbeaten streak is the second longest of its kind in Club history, only behind the Claret-and-Cobalt’s 12 game unbeaten streak posted in 2014. Seventeen goals have been scored by nine different players in Real Salt Lake’s current eight game unbeaten streak including Arango who is only the fifth Club debutant to score.
What You Missed: Real Salt Lake scored first in the 23rd minute after being awarded a freekick on the wing. Ruiz lofted a cross into the box picking out debutant Arango for a header which he nailed into the bottom right corner, giving RSL the 1-0 advantage. The Claret-and-Cobalt would not settle for the nominal lead, finding another goal in the 41st minute when **Justen Glad** headed Ruiz’s corner past the ‘keeper for the 2-0 lead before halftime, setting a new personal season high with four goals. As play resumed in the second half neither team was able to create a fruitful chance as the match was drawn into a stalemate with both Real Salt Lake and Orlando City’s backline halting any opposition attack. RSL would break the stalemate in the 78th minute when **Bryan Oviedo** placed a perfect cross onto the chest of **Jefferson Savarino**. Savarino, with excellent first touch, tapped the ball off his chest to his dominant foot and struck a knuckleball into the bottom corner as the Claret-and-Cobalt took a commanding 3-0 lead. Real Salt Lake continued the onslaught scoring their fourth goal late into the match as substitute **Anderson Julio**;%20Orlando%20City%20SC%20(9-6-7,%2034%20points)%20%20%20%20%20%20%20Man%20of%20the%20Match:%20In%2090%20minutes%20played%20midfielder%20Pablo%20Ruiz%20could%20be%20found%20all%20over%20the%20pitch%20contributing%20to%20the%20attack%20and%20preventing%20Orlando%20City%20SC%20from%20penetrating%20the%20backline.%20Ruiz%20made%20excellent%20reads%20throughout%20the%20game%20picking%20out%20his%20teammates%20on%20the%20counter%20and%20in%20the%20final%20third%20with%20key%20passes%20leading%20to%20shots%20on%20target.%20Ruiz’s%20ability%20to%20find%20his%20teammates%20led%20to%20the%20central-midfielder%20notching%20three%20assists%20moving%20his%20season%20total%20to%20five,%20setting%20a%20career%20game%20high%20and%20matching%20his%20season%20high.%20His%20first%20assist%20came%20via%20a%20well%20placed%20freekick%20that%20connected%20with%20Chicho%20Arango%20for%20his%20first%20Club%20goal.%20Ruiz’s%20performance%20and%20workrate%20on%20the%20defensive%20side%20of%20the%20ball%20also%20allowed%20RSL%20to%20launch%20the%20counter%20attack%20from%20the%20midfield%20while%20helping%20the%20team%20claim%20their%20second%20shutout%20in%20a%20row.%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20Telling%20Stats:%20In%20their%20largest%20win%20of%20the%20season,%20Real%20Salt%20Lake%20claimed%20their%20second%20win%20all-time%20against%20Orlando%20City%20SC%20with%20both%20victories%20coming%20at%20the%20“fortress”%20of%20America%20First%20Field.%20Before%20tonight’s%204-0%20win%20RSL%20had%20never%20scored%20more%20than%20two%20goals%20in%20a%20single%20match%20against%20Orlando.%20Real%20Salt%20Lake%20is%20now%20unbeaten%20in%20their%20last%20seven%20matches%20in%20Major%20League%20Soccer%20and%20eight%20across%20all%20competitions.%20RSL’s%20eight%20game%20unbeaten%20streak%20is%20the%20second%20longest%20of%20its%20kind%20in%20Club%20history,%20only%20behind%20the%20Claret-and-Cobalt’s%2012%20game%20unbeaten%20streak%20posted%20in%202014.%20Seventeen%20goals%20have%20been%20scored%20by%20nine%20different%20players%20in%20Real%20Salt%20Lake’s%20current%20eight%20game%20unbeaten%20streak%20including%20Arango%20who%20is%20only%20the%20fifth%20Club%20debutant%20to%20score.%20%20%20%20What%20You%20Missed:%20Real%20Salt%20Lake%20scored%20first%20in%20the%2023rd%20minute%20after%20being%20awarded%20a%20freekick%20on%20the%20wing.%20Ruiz%20lofted%20a%20cross%20into%20the%20box%20picking%20out%20debutant%20Arango%20for%20a%20header%20which%20he%20nailed%20into%20the%20bottom%20right%20corner,%20giving%20RSL%20the%201-0%20advantage.%20The%20Claret-and-Cobalt%20would%20not%20settle%20for%20the%20nominal%20lead,%20finding%20another%20goal%20in%20the%2041st%20minute%20when%20Justen%20Glad%20headed%20Ruiz’s%20corner%20past%20the%20‘keeper%20for%20the%202-0%20lead%20before%20halftime,%20setting%20a%20new%20personal%20season%20high%20with%20four%20goals.%20As%20play%20resumed%20in%20the%20second%20half%20neither%20team%20was%20able%20to%20create%20a%20fruitful%20chance%20as%20the%20match%20was%20drawn%20into%20a%20stalemate%20with%20both%20Real%20Salt%20Lake%20and%20Orlando%20City’s%20backline%20halting%20any%20opposition%20attack.%20RSL%20would%20break%20the%20stalemate%20in%20the%2078th%20minute%20when%20Bryan%20Oviedo%20placed%20a%20perfect%20cross%20onto%20the%20chest%20of%20Jefferson%20Savarino.%20Savarino,%20with%20excellent%20first%20touch,%20tapped%20the%20ball%20off%20his%20chest%20to%20his%20dominant%20foot%20and%20struck%20a%20knuckleball%20into%20the%20bottom%20corner%20as%20the%20Claret-and-Cobalt%20took%20a%20commanding%203-0%20lead.%20Real%20Salt%20Lake%20continued%20the%20onslaught%20scoring%20their%20fourth%20goal%20late%20into%20the%20match%20as%20substitute%20Anderson%20Julio%20slotted%20in%20Ruiz’s%20well-placed%20through%20ball%20in%20the%2089th%20minute%20to%20claim%20a%204-0%20win.%20%20%20%20%20What’s%20Next:%20Real%20Salt%20Lake%20is%20back%20on%20the%20road%20for%20a%20mid-week%20match%20on%20Wednesday,%20July%2012%20against%20Sporting%20Kansas%20City%20at%20Children’s%20Mercy%20Park.%20RSL%20holds%20the%20advantage%20in%20the%20series%20with%2017%20wins%20against%20their%20Kansas%20City%20rivals.%20In%20The%20Club’s%20last%20five%20matches%20against%20the%20Western%20Conference%20foe,%20Real%20Salt%20Lake%20has%20claimed%20four%20wins%20(4W-1L-0D),%20two%20of%20which%20have%20come%20on%20the%20road.%20Real%20Salt%20Lake%20will%20then%20return%20to%20the%20Beehive%20State%20to%20face%20Red%20Bull%20New%20York%20on%20Saturday,%20July%2015%20at%20America%20First%20Field.) slotted in Ruiz’s well-placed through ball in the 89th minute to claim a 4-0 win.
What’s Next: Real Salt Lake is back on the road for a mid-week match on Wednesday, July 12 against Sporting Kansas City at Children’s Mercy Park. RSL holds the advantage in the series with 17 wins against their Kansas City rivals. In The Club’s last five matches against the Western Conference foe, Real Salt Lake has claimed four wins (4W-1L-0D), two of which have come on the road. Real Salt Lake will then return to the Beehive State to face Red Bull New York on Saturday, July 15 at America First Field.
