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SANDY - Returning to Rio Tinto Saturday night after tallying consecutive losses after last weekend's loss in Kansas City, Real Salt Lake needed a win at home in front of their dedicated fans.
And that's just what they did, in front of 19,081 screaming fans.
"After giving away two games like we did to Columbus at home and Kansas City away, I think we got our heads down a little bit," defender Nat Borchers told the media. "We knew we had to come out with some energy tonight and we really just wanted to improve from how we've been playing, which wasn't hard to do with the way we played against Kansas City. I'm really happy with the result and the three points are so big at this point of the season."
And what a night for the young 17-year-old midfielder Luis Gil who scored his first MLS goal in the 44th minute sending RSL into the locker room at the half up 2-0.
"I thought, ‘I can't let this one go. Get it on target and we'll see what happens,' and I got the goal. It's finally done," Gil told the media following the match.
Head Coach Jason Kreis was excited to see his young midfielder get his first goal. "Anytime anyone scores their first goal for us we get a little bit emotional with the moment. Luis is a kid that has worked extremely hard for us for a year-and-a-half," said Kreis during the post game press conference. "
Kreis continued saying, "He's done a great job keeping his head down and not listening to other people around him telling him he should be playing all of the time."
Gil exited the match in the 67th minute to a standing ovation from the crowd after being subbed out for midfielder Collen Warner.
Borchers started RSL off with an early goal in the 13th and had quite the celebration by hopping the field fence and into the crowd seated in the ‘Salt Lake's Finest' section.
RSL's third goal came in the 77th minute from forward Alvaro Saborio off a penalty kick awarded to RSL off a foul in the box.
Saturday's match marked the final home game for this month and the beginning of a long three weeks of road games for RSL.
RSL's road month will begin in Toronto against the Toronto FC August 13. The following week, August 20, they will face the Chicago Dynamo in the Windy City before finishing off at the Home Depot Center against Chiva's USA on August 27.
