September 20, 2024 – Major League Soccer (MLS)
Real Salt Lake News Release
HERRIMAN, Utah – Real Salt Lake (14-7-8, 50 points, 2nd West MLS) continues its 2024 Major League Soccer slate Saturday night at home against Portland Timbers FC (12-10-7, 43 points, 8th West), the third and final match of three games in eight days from Sept. 14-21. Saturday’s match is available via Apple TV+ / MLS Season Pass, as Max Bretos & Brian Dunseth (ENG) provide the call, as will Francisco X. Rivera and Martin Zuniga (SPN).
A point captured Saturday would clinch an MLS Cup Playoff spot for the 14th time in the last 17 seasons, and for the fourth consecutive year under the guidance of Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni. Wednesday’s 3-2 home win over FC Dallas secured RSL’s eighth 50-point season in Club history – and its first since 2019 – while the 2024 edition of the Claret-and-Cobalt need just eight points in its final five matches to establish a new all-time high for points in a season, surpassing the 57 accrued in 2012.
Goals from FW Anderson Julio in each half along with an early penalty-kick conversion by DF Brayan Vera led RSL to the much-needed win. Teenage GK Gavin Beavers earned his sixth win of the year and became the youngest goalkeeper in MLS’ 29-year history to register an assist, his clearance finding Julio at midfield, with the Ecuadoran international taking one touch before unleashing a shot from nearly 58 yards out to give RSL a 2-0 lead. Newcomer Dominik Marczuk, a 20-year old Polish youth international winger making his first-ever RSL / MLS start, earned his first assist of the year, a game-winner in the 62nd minute that set up Julio for an easy tap-in.
RSL is one of seven Western Conference teams separated by just seven points currently occupying seeds 2 through 8 in the West race, chasing first-place LA Galaxy (16-7-7, 55 points / 30 games played). In pursuit of a top-four seed and home-field advantage in the first-round, best-of-three opening series of the MLS Cup Playoffs, as well as a Conference title and a berth in the 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup, the Utah side plays three of its remaining five contests of the 2024 regular season on home soil. America First Field in Sandy is where the Claret-and-Cobalt have excelled this season, with 10 wins and one draw against just three losses in MLS action, in addition to an 11th home win in the Leagues Cup tourney last month.
Following Saturday, RSL’s September run finishes with yet another Texas road trip at Austin FC…
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