SANDY, Utah. (Sat., Oct. 19, 2024) – Real Salt Lake (16-7-11, 59 Pts, 3rd West) finished the 2024 regular season with a 2-1 home victory over visiting Vancouver to clinch the West No. 3 seed in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs, qualification in the 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup and establish a new single-season points record (59).
In front of yet another standing-room only crowd at a sold-out America First Field (20,359), 21-year-old phenom Diego Luna scored for the second consecutive match, his eighth of the year, while a crafty ball from DF Alex Katranis created the second-half game-winner. The Utah side ended the MLS Decision Day weekend with a six-game unbeaten run (three wins, three draws) to move into an Audi MLS Cup Playoffs pairing with Minnesota United FC (schedule TBD) in the first-round, Best-of-Three postseason series.
RSL Captain Chicho Arango was held scoreless, winning the club’s 2024 Golden Boot with 17 goals, his historic goalscoring campaign matching the 17 goals scored by Álvaro Saborío in 2012, the duo now sharing the franchise single-season record.
Coming out for the first 45 under the lights on MLS Decision Day for the teams’ 33rd meeting all-time, it would be RSL that took control of the early play. After Chicho nearly broke the franchise scoring record with a volley in the box just 44 seconds into the contest, it would be all RSL. Through 15 minutes, RSL dominated with 61% possession, a 3-0 shots advantage and an 88%-60% passing disparity. Despite the early momentum, both teams would head to the locker rooms deadlocked at nil-nil.
Even with 6’6’’ center back Philip Quinton being forced to leave early with a muscle injury at the 22’ mark, the Salt Lake defense was suffocating - Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni’s unit finishing the first period of play without allowing a single shot on target. The early substitution shuffling him into the back line alongside All-Star Justen Glad, Alex Katranis and Javain Brown, 25-year-old defensive midfielder Emeka Eneli was the picture of consistency as he finished the clean first half with 23 passes completed at a 96% success rate and one chance created.
Coming out for the final 45 minutes of regular season play, Mastroeni’s side nearly saw its momentum stolen immediately, the center official awarding a controversial Vancouver penalty kick just 22 seconds into the second stanza. Following an extended VAR process, Whitecaps FW Fafà Picault stepped up to take the spot kick against Zac MacMath, a third consecutive clean sheet on the line for the veteran RSL goalkeeper. The right-footed Picault attempt soared over the bar to keep the affair level as the home crowd erupted. Getting back into the rhythm of play, it would be Vancouver that broke the stalemate with a 58’ strike, the Whitecaps’ Ryan Gauld snapping the RSL / MacMath shutout streak at 239 minutes, the Scottish international collecting a failed clearance and depositing a cross-body strike through a congested box and into the back of the net.
Just nearly missing out on a series of chances, RSL broke through to equalize with a stunning counterattack in the 73rd minute. Turning defense into offense, a clever intervention was sent deep by the always immense Braian Ojeda for Luna, whistling down the left wing. Controlling on the bounce with his chest and immediately turning to run at the defenders, Luna took two touches before cutting inside onto his right foot, the shifty move creating enough space for his right-footed shot to carve its way into the far corner.
Minutes later, ripping forward after Chicho nearly scored once again in the 80th and Luna hitting the crossbar in the 81st, RSL’s offensive work paid off at the 83’ mark with the game-winning goal. Ojeda once again started the play with a long diagonal ball to Luna on the left wing, the young phenom laying it off to an overlapping Katranis deep in Vancouver territory. Spotting Anderson Julio positioned in the box, Katranis delivered a ball that Vancouver’s Boehmer inadvertently knocked into his own net, RSL’s second own goal received of the season and the 20th credited all-time.
From there it would be smooth sailing for RSL, holding off the late pressure from the Whitecaps to secure the victory and conclude the 2024 regular season with a franchise-record 59 points.
At the final whistle, RSL led in nearly every statistical category: possession, shots (14-10), shots on goal (6-1), passing accuracy (79.4%-76.9%), corners (10-4) and expected goals. Playmaker Diogo Gonçalves was creative in his 66 minutes, leading the match with three key passes, while Ojeda and Eneli led the match in passing with 46 and 42, respectively. Brown was a standout defensively, finishing with a match-high 10 defensive actions and a team-high seven clearances in his demanding role. The stakes were evident for both teams as they combined to total 23 fouls and seven yellow cards, five of which were given to Vancouver players.
RSL 2 : 1 VAN
GOALSCORING SUMMARY:
VAN: Ryan Gauld (Unassisted) 58’: With Tristan Blackman lining up to take a long throw-in deep on the right side of RSL territory, Vancouver players buzzed through the box in a choreographed motion. Blackman’s throw reaching the heart of the box on the fly, his initial service was headed out towards the midfield, floating just over the head of another RSL defender when Ryan Gauld controlled it. Taking one touch to claim possession before winding up and taking a shot on the half-volley, Gauld’s low cross-body strike had enough power to beat a screened MacMath to the corner of the net.
RSL: Diego Luna (Braian Ojeda) 73’: After Dominik Marczuk stopped a Vancouver attack down the left wing with a perfectly-timed tackle, he shuffled it to Ojeda in the midfield as RSL launched into an attack of its own. Spotting Diego Luna whistling down the opposite wing, Ojeda unleashed a long through-ball over the top of the entire defense, Luna controlling it on the bounce with his chest. Immediately turning to run at the defense, Luna took two touches before cutting inside onto his right foot, the move creating just enough space for his shot to carve its way into the far corner.
RSL: Isaac Boehmer (OG) 83’: Ojeda once again started the play with a long diagonal ball to Luna on the left wing, the young phenom charging forward before laying off to Katranis on an overlapping run. Spotting Anderson Julio positioned in the box, Katranis delivered the ball as Vancouver’s Boehmer inadvertently knocked it backwards into his own net.
NOTES FROM RSL 2 : 1 VAN
- RSL secured the Club’s highest single-season point total in its 20-year MLS regular-season history, with 59 points, finishing in third place in the West with a final record of 16-7-11 (W-L-D). RSL finishes as one of six MLS teams with single-digit losses in 2024 and one of five teams with 65 or more goals scored.
- Captain Chicho Arango is held scoreless and finishes 2024 with 7 goals, now tied with Álvaro Saborio for the all-time RSL single-season franchise scoring record at 17 goals.
- RSL finishes in the West’s third place overall before embarking on a 14th postseason run in the last 17 years. The third-place finish also clinches a berth to the 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup, RSL’s first participation in continental competition since the 2015/16 CCL tourney.
- Midfielder Diego Luna’s second-half equalizer moves him up to eight goals in MLS this year, to go along with his 12 assists.
- Tonight’s win extends the Claret-and-Cobalt’s unbeaten streak to six games since its last loss, a 4-1 setback at Houston, on Sept. 14.
LINEUPS:
Real Salt Lake (4-2-3-1): Zac MacMath; Javain Brown, Justen Glad, Philip Quinton (Nelson Palacio, 22’), Alexandros Katranis (Andrew Brody, 87’); Emeka Eneli, Braian Ojeda; Diego Luna; Diogo Gonçalves (Dominik Marczuk, 66’); Matt Crooks (Anderson Julio, 66’); Chicho Arango © (Maikel Chang, 87’)
Subs not used: Lachlan Brook, Marcelo Silva, Gavin Beavers, Noel Caliskan
Vancouver Whitecaps (4-2-3-1): Isaac Boehmer; Ranko Veslinovic ©; Tristan Blackman; Bjørn Utvik; Sam Adekuygbe (Ryan Raposo, 81); Alessandro Schöpf (Stuart Armstrong, 81’); Ralph Priso (Andres Cubas, 57’); Sebastian Berhalter; Deiber Caicedo (Ryan Gauld, 57’); Fafà Picault (Ali Ahmed, 70’); Brian White
Subs not used: Yohei Takaoka, Mathias Laborda, Damir Kreilach, Pedro Vite
Stats Summary: RSL / VAN
Shots: 14 / 10
Shots on Goal: 6 / 1
Saves: 0 / 5
Corner Kicks: 10 / 4
Fouls: 9 / 14
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY:
VAN: Fafà Picault (Caution - 13’)
RSL: Javain Brown (Caution - 29’)
RSL: Alex Katranis (Caution - 33’)
VAN: Tristan Blackman (Caution - 70’)
VAN: Sam Adekuygbe (Caution - 72’)
VAN: Ali Ahmed (Caution - 85’)
VAN: Sebastian Berhalter (Caution - 90+2)
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