March 10, 2024 – Major League Soccer (MLS) – Real Salt Lake News Release
SANDY, Utah – Real Salt Lake (1-2-1, 4 pts., 9th West MLS) continued the home portion of its 2024 Major League Soccer campaign with a disappointing home loss, squandering an early 1-0 lead and conceding two goals to Rocky Mountain Cup rivals Colorado. The Rapids win was the first on Utah soil since 2020, and just the fifth overall in 29 MLS regular season visits to the Beehive State since RSL’s inception in 2005.
Watch / Listen to RSL Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni, MF Emeka Eneli and DF Alexandros Katranis Post-Game Comments following 1-2 home loss to Colorado Rapids on Sat., March 9, 2024
RSL owns an early-season bye week next weekend – as the NWSL Utah Royals FC makes its triumphant return to Sandy – before resuming its 2024 MLS campaign on Saturday, March 23 in Vancouver against the Whitecaps and former Club captain Damir Kreilach. RSL then hosts St. Louis CITY SC on Saturday, March 30 (7:30p MT) in the return leg of the teams’ 1-1 draw on Feb. 24 at CITY Park a few weeks ago.
Tickets for both next week’s URFC match and the end-of-month St. Louis visit are available at www.RSL.com/tickets.
The Claret-and-Cobalt welcomed the Colorado Rapids for the first edition of the rivalry match in the 2024 Season. Real Salt Lake opened the match electrically with fast-paced passes, runs and strong defensive play.
The breakthrough goal came in the 21st minute from aggressive counterpressing from second-year MF Emeka Eneli. The ball fell to the feet of Captain Chicho Arango, who patiently distributed the ball out to a surging Andrés Gomez. After taking three touches and awaiting a runner, Gómez drove a ball across the mouth of the goal, finding the diving feet of Eneli. Eneli’s goal was the first of his professional career, and made him the 102nd all-time scorer in Real Salt Lake’s 618-game history in Major League Soccer.
Colorado equalized in the 43rd-minute courtesy of a Rafael Navarro penalty kick. Navarro was awarded the spot kick following an adjudged handball on Eneli, who was pushed in box and as he retained balance, saw the ball strike his outstretched arm. Navarro took the penalty to the right side of the goal, past GK Gavin Beavers. Colorado’s 70th-minute game-winner similarly came against the run of play, dominated by the home team. Colorado’s Cole Bassett picked up the rebound off a Brayan Vera backheel clearance from a Keegan Rosenberry cross, the Rapids captain firing a shot to the left…
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