Palacio the Savior in Atlas Remontada!
The much-sidelined midfielder came up with the goods late in the game on a tense night in the 801 to help RSL record a much-needed win.
Real Salt Lake 2 : 1 Atlas F.C.
- Palacios nets stunning 40-yard winner
- Julio, Beavers continue to impress
- RSL face Houston Dynamo on Monday, August 5 in group stage decider
What Happened? An Opening Day Remontada!
Real Salt Lake overcame a nervy start and the ignominy of yet another opening concession with a grinding, hard-fought, come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Liga MX side Atlas FC in a feisty, nerve-wracking Leagues Cup curtain-raiser at America First Field on Thursday night.
Forward **Anderson Julio** steered in a header from close range in first-half injury time to cancel out Luis Reyes’ opener for the visitors, and **Nelson Palacio** scored the pick of the bunch of the goals on the night with an audacious, ferocious 40-yard screamer to seal all three points for RSL and place qualification from the group stage in its own hands.
The result marks a winning home return for the team in front of yet another sold-out, standing-room-only crowd of 20,956 at America First Field and snaps RSL’s previous three-game winless run in all competitions.
Player Spotlight: Supersub Palacio Screamer Settles the Contest
Nelson Palacio. Our one and savior
How do you steal the headlines as a substitute in a football match? Exhibit A - Nelson Palacio v Atlas FC, Leagues Cup 2024 Group H, 8/1/2024. A look at his performance would certainly be a good way to start.
The Colombian midfielder came off the bench late in the second half to provide the goalscoring magic and moment of brilliance his team needed, and delivered the ultimate sucker punch to RSL’s Liga MX rivals to place the Claret-and-Cobalt en route to Leagues Cup group stage qualification for a second consecutive season.
A highly technical, composed, and hardworking midfield conductor, Palacio’s preseason duties with Colombia’s Olympic qualifying efforts and the early season form of **Emeka Eneli** and **Braian Ojeda** in the double pivot has meant that the 23-year-old Palacio has spent much of the season as a reserve option to the aforementioned pair. Proving a consistent, reliable solution from the bench whilst biding his time and waiting patiently for his opportune moment, the 23-year-old saw the stars all magically align on a fairytale night for him at America First Field on Thursday.
Introduced as a late, 78th-minute replacement for Ojeda, the Colombian international wasted very little time in making his mark in a tense, evenly-matched encounter to split the difference between both sides.
In the 79th minute - barely a full minute after he’d been brought on - Palacio’s moment of destiny finally arrived, and not a moment sooner. The moment he’d been working towards and waiting for throughout his career, and all season. With the score deadlocked and both sides desperately fighting to go in front, the 23-year-old took matters into his own hands. Coming deeper in midfield to pick up a simple pass from Justen Glad, the Colombian took a second touch to open his body up and set himself before rocketing a ferocious thunderstrike of an effort from nearly 40 yards out that flew over the heads of everyone - at a blistering 78 miles per hour no less, according to Sportrac research - and nestled into the top left corner far beyond the reach of iconic netminder Camilo Vargas to send 20,956 at the Riot into sheer ecstasy and silence a stunned away support.
Such skill, such effrontery, such sheer audacity to even attempt a strike like that from so far out, and then make it. A goal from the heavens.
It represented a stunning effort and proved to be the winning goal of a tight contest to get RSL off to the perfect start in its Leagues Cup campaign. Throughout his nearly 20 minutes on the pitch, Palacio recorded 13 successful passes at 100% accuracy to accompany his one shot and wondergoal. A thoroughly, maximally efficient performance.
Palacio has certainly caught the eye this season with his efficient performances from the bench, now with two goals and an assist this season, and will be hoping his performance on Thursday can spur him on to greater heights and help him force his way into more minutes on Pablo’s starting XI.
Julio Shines in Chicho’s Absence; Beavers Impresses in Second Consecutive Start
Striker Anderson Julio also shone bright on Thursday night, starting as the team's No. 9 up top in the absence of Captain **Chicho Arango**, who served the final game of his four-match ban against Atlas.
With RSL a goal down early in the first half, the 28-year-old struck back first to dampen the visitors’ momentum and ensure the hosts went into the break on level terms. With halftime precariously looming, Julio reacted quickest in the box after some brilliant work down the right wing from Andrés Gómez, ghosting in unmarked at the near post with a bullet header to steer home a cross from his dynamic teammate to restore parity in the contest and give the team a solid foundation, with which to go on and seize victory at the end of the contest.
On a night rife with several solid performers, 19-year-old homegrown goalkeeper **Gavin Beavers** also provided a memorable performance with a multitude of impressive stops to help keep RSL in the contest, particularly in the first half.
With the team suffering from a few somewhat sluggish periods in the opening 45 minutes, the RSL shot-stopper was called into action a total of five times with top-drawer, impressive saves in the first half to keep the team in shouting distance before Julio’s eventual equalizer on the cusp of halftime, with Palacio’s late-winner to snatch all three points.
It represented yet another top-class performance from one of the country’s brightest goalkeeping prospects, who has been enjoying a run with the first team as of late with a series of fine performances, and from Julio as well who continues to show time and time again this season why he remains one of Pablo’s most trusted attacking lieutenants.
Did You Know?
Regarding the specific measurements and figures on Palacio’s goal, according to Sportec post-match analysis measurements, the exact yardage for Palacio’s Thursday night game-winner was from 38.2 yards out, with the ball traveling at a speed of 78.1 MPH. A lightning bolt!
What This Means/What Comes Next
With its opening 2024 Leagues Cup game now settled, RSL next travel to Houston to take on Houston Dynamo on Monday, August 5, at Shell Energy Stadium to round off West Group H with a chance to finish top of the group and secure a quarter-final berth. Kickoff is at 7:00 pm MT.
Barring a trip to the Leagues Cup final four and a semifinal/final opportunity, RSL return to MLS action on Saturday, August 24th, with a crucial clash against the San Jose Earthquakes at America First Field. Kickoff for this game is 7:30 pm.
Important Milestones
- MF Nelson Palacio launches a 40-yard strike to win the match, his second goal of 2024. His MLS goal was also a late point-clincher, a 98th-minute equalizer at FC Dallas on May 25.
- Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni puts on a substitution masterclass, sending Palacio onto the pitch just one minute before the midfielder scored the winning goal. Notably, the strike was just the second time Palacio touched the ball after entering play.
- RSL sells out America First Field for the eighth time in 12 matches this season, and for the sixth consecutive contest, with a standing-room-only attendance of 20,956. RSL improves to 9 wins, 2 losses, and 1 draw in Utah soil in 2024, a remarkable improvement from last year (9-8-4 / 31 pts).
