SANDY, Utah (Wednesday, June 7, 2023) – Real Salt Lake (5-7-4, 19 points, 9th West) advance to the Lamar Hunt U.S Open Cup Semifinal behind a first-half brace from Captain **Damir Kreilach** and the second-half game-winner from **Jefferson Savarino** - with all three goals set up by weekend hero **Rubio Rubin** - in the 3-2 home victory over LA Galaxy, with 20,712 in attendance.
Looking to advance to its first Open Cup Semifinal since 2015, Real Salt Lake came out of the locker room aggressive, maintaining a majority of the possession, while creating a flurry of chances throughout the first quarter hour. The team’s pressure paid dividends in the 19th minute, when Homegrown defender **Justen Glad** picked up the ball and made his way up the field through a sea of players to find Savarino. Receiving the ball, the Venezuelan international one-timed a pass to Rubin, who dribbled his way towards the endline before crossing it towards an oncoming Kreilach. The Captain was able to easily slip his shot into a wide-open net, taking the 1-0 lead.
As the first half progressed, the Galaxy began to gain momentum, and nearly looked to have found the equalizer in the 30th minute, but a massive point-blank save from 18-year-old Homegrown goalkeeper **Gavin Beavers** kept the opponents at bay. Several minutes before the end of the first half, Kreilach had just about found himself a brace, but his long-range curling shot was saved by an outstretched Galaxy GK Jonathan Klinsmann. Then, in the final minute of regulation, RSL was inches away from a second goal, almost identical to the first, but **Andrés Goméz** was unable to run onto the ball, and Rubin’s cross skipped out of bounds just shy of the far post.
Real Salt Lake finally took the 2-0 lead into the halftime break after being awarded a penalty kick in first-half stoppage - a reversal of fortune from last Wednesday against the Galaxy - for a foul inside the box on Rubin. Kreilach stepped up to the spot and hammered his shot into the upper-left corner to secure the 2-0 lead and capture a brace for himself.
The Claret-and-Cobalt picked up right where they left off in the second half, scoring in the 51st minute when **Pablo Ruiz** stole the ball away from a Galaxy defender, laying it off for Rubin. Turning towards goal Rubin drove upfield, before splitting two defenders with a forward pass,
finding the feet of Savarino. RSL’s leading 2023 goalscorer shrugged off his defender and slipped a shot underneath the arms of the diving goalkeeper to take the 3-0 lead.
In the 82nd minute a disputed foul led to the Galaxy being awarded a penalty kick, which Gaston Brugman tucked into the far post. Just two minutes later, the Galaxy found the back of the net again, this time off a long-range shot from Douglas Costa, pulling his side within one.
Despite the two goals, the Galaxy were unable to string together enough to find the equalizer, giving RSL the 3-2 victory. With the win, Real Salt Lake is slated to face Houston Dynamo the week of August 25 in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Semifinals for a chance to compete for the team’s first trophy since 2013 and its first CONCACAF Champions League berth since 2016. The draw to determine hosting rights for both the Semifinals and Finals will be streamed live on CBS Sports GOLAZO.
UP NEXT: Real Salt Lake will remain at America First Field this weekend to host Eastern Conference foes New York City FC at 7:30 p.m. MT.
GOAL SCORING SUMMARY:
RSL: Damir Kreilach (Rubio Rubin, Jefferson Savarino) 19th minute: Near the 18-yard-box, Justen Glad found Savarino with a short pass, the winger then one-touched the ball through two Galaxy defenders to an overlapping Rubin. Rubin dribbled his way towards goal before crossing the ball towards an oncoming Kreilach who was able to easily slot his shot into the back of an unmarked net.
RSL: Damir Kreilach (PK) 45+6th minute: Real Salt Lake was awarded a penalty kick for a foul on Rubio Rubin inside the 18-yard-box. Captain Kreilach stepped up to the spot and pummeled his shot into the upper-left corner.
RSL: Jefferson Savarino (Rubio Rubin) 51st minute: After Pablo Ruiz stole the ball near the midfield line and laid it off for Rubin, the forward drove upfield before splitting two Galaxy defenders with a forward pass that landed at the feet of Savarino. Savarino calmly collected the ball, shrugged off his defender and slipped a shot underneath the arms of the diving ‘keeper.
LA: Gaston Brugman (PK) 82nd minute: Galaxy were awarded a penalty kick for a foul inside the box, which Brugman tucked into the far post.
LA: Douglas Costa (Daniel Aguirre) 84th minute: Aguirre laid off a short pass to Costa outside the 18-yard-box who rocketed a shot into the upper-left corner.
NOTES:
- Captain Damir Kreilach netted his third and fourth goal of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup play this year, his fifth and sixth across all competitions. Kreilach has now scored the most goals for RSL in the tournament, surpassing forward Danny Musovski.
- The penalty kick in the sixth minute of first-half stoppage time marked the first time this season RSL has been awarded a PK in any competition this year.
- This is the second time in Club history RSL has defeated LA Galaxy in the U.S. Open Cup Quarterfinal to advance to the semifinal, the first taking place in 2015. Ironically, that is also the last time RSL has earned a Semifinal berth in the tournament.
Lineups:
Real Salt Lake (4-4-2): Gavin Beavers; Andrew Brody, Justen Glad, Marcelo Silva, Bryan Oviedo (Braian Ojeda 67’); Andrés Goméz (Bode Hidalgo 83’), Emeka Eneli, Pablo Ruiz (Jasper Löffelsend 86’), Jefferson Savarino (Maikel Chang 67’); Rubio Rubin (Anderson Julio 67’), Damir Kreilach
Subs not used: Zac MacMath; Brayan Vera
LA Galaxy (4-2-3-1): Jonathan Klinsmann; Martin Caceres, Jalen Neal (Chris Mavinga 74’), Julian Aude (Raheem Edwards 62’), Lucas Calegari; Tyler Boyd, Gaston Brugman, Marco Delgado (Daniel Aguirre 62’), Riqui Puig, Gino Vivi (Douglas Costa 62’); Chicharito (Dejan Joveljic 27’)
Subs not used: Jonathan Bond, Kelvin Leerdam
Stats Summary: RSL / LAShots: 17 / 20
Shots on Goal: 10 / 6
Saves: 4 / 7
Corner Kicks: 6 / 7
Fouls: 14 / 12
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY:RSL: Justen Glad (caution) 32’
RSL: Damir Kreilach (caution) 56’
LA: Jalen Neal (caution) 59’
RSL: Emeka Eneli (caution) 62’
