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SANDY — Real Salt Lake returned home to Rio Tinto Stadium as the only team in Major League Soccer without a loss Saturday night.
And the Salt Lake club emerged unbeaten still after the first leg of the Rocky Mountain Cup rivalry with Colorado.
Joao Plata scored the only goal of the match with eight minutes left in regulation to give RSL a 1-0 victory over the Rapids in front of 19,224 fans at Rio Tinto Stadium.
Nick Rimando made five saves to preserve the shutout for RSL, which moved to 3-0-2 on the season and 2-0 at home.
The Rapids (5-2-2) outshot RSL, 14-11, but the hosts put four shots on target — and took advantage of a defensive miscue by the Rapids in the final 10 minutes. Axel Sjoberg cleared a ball that looped over the head of Rapids goalkeeper Zac MacMath, and Plata raced onto the ball’s path to slot home the game’s only goal on an empty net.
With the win, RSL moves to second in the Western Conference, one point behind Sporting Kansas City (4-1-0).
