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SANDY — If Real Salt Lake was disappointed by a disappointing, stoppage-time loss in last week’s 1-0 defeat at San Jose, the club didn’t show it in returning home Saturday night.
There was no such problem in the club’s return home, though.
Jefferson Savarino had two goals and an assist, and Albert Rusnak and Damir Kreilach added a goal apiece as Real Salt Lake rolled to a 4-0 win Saturday over the Philadelphia Union in front of an announced crowd of 18,925 fans at Rio Tinto Stadium.
The Venezuelan international's two-goal effort matched the two goals scored in July a year ago, marking a successful stint for Savarino since returning from representing his national team in the Copa America.
"Not just in June or July; it’s important to always try to get better and help your team with goals," Savarino said. "It's always important to do your best for your team.
“It’s just about doing the best I can to help my team, which is scoring goals."
Nick Rimando and the RSL backline held Philadelphia without a shot on goal in the win for Real Salt Lake (9-9-2, 29 points).
The hosts not only improved on their five-match home winning streak but also moved back above the playoff line in the Western Conference, inching ahead of seventh-place Houston with the valuable collection of three points.
Thanks to a stupendous effort by the Venezuelan international, who scored his fourth and fifth goals of the season.
Savarino has his second and @realsaltlake is in control! #RSLvPHIpic.twitter.com/s8IJKcBsoG
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) July 14, 2019
"This is the standard; that’s the message," RSL coach Mike Petke said. "Someone like Savarino, who was just at Copa America and there’s been some buzz about him, he’s come back reenergized. He’s putting in good work on both sides of the ball.
"I thought tonight was possibly his best game (this year) since we got him on loan."
Even when a play didn't go right for RSL, it still went wrong for the Union. Andrew Wooten appeared to pull one back for the Union (10-6-6, 36 points) with about 15 minutes left in regulation. But after video review, the goal was overturned by head official Silviu Petrescu.
Moments later, Rusnak collected a back-heel pass from Savarino and finished inside the top corner — and the rout was on, even before Kreilach’s 89th-minute strike.
The Union are now winless in four of their last five matches, but still lead the Eastern Conference by four points over second-place D.C. United.
With Sam Johnson not in the lineup with a quad injury, Petke moved Damir Kreilach to center forward and relied on the newly-bleach blond Rusnak along with Savarino and Bofo Saucedo to power the attack.
The move paid off early.
Savarino cruised to the end of a counter-attacking play from Aaron Herrera, then slipped a right-footed shot past Philly goalkeeper Andre Blake for the 1-0 lead in the 23rd minute. The Venezuelan international, fresh off an appearance in the Copa America, collected his fourth goal of the season while RSL out-shot the Union 4-1 in the opening 25 minutes, with more than 60 percent of possession against the Eastern Conference leaders.
Meanwhile, on the defensive end, Real Salt Lake held the Union without a shot on goal through the first half. And though the hosts were disappointed to only take a 1-0 lead into halftime, that trend continued in the second half.
RSL had a number of chances to double the advantage early in the second half, too. Damir Kreilach missed a chance off a corner kick, and Justen Glad pinged the crossbar with a header in the 58th minute.
A second goal was coming, and the dam finally broke in the 72nd minute. Savarino found space 20 yards from goal and fired home a rocket inside the far post to give RSL a 2-0 advantage it would never relinquish.
It was, in the words of Petke and several players afterward, a complete performance. Petke even said the game was won Monday through Friday in training, not Saturday night.
Rusnak respectfully disagreed — to a point.
"At the end of the day, it only counts what you do on Saturday," Rusnak said. "None of the fans or anyone sees the week of training. On the other side, we had a great week of training, and everybody put 100% in. In some ways, you can say the result tonight is the payoff."
Next up:
RSL stays home next Saturday to host Minnesota United. The match, which will kick off at 8 p.m. MDT on KMYU and KSL.com, will precede the annual Pioneer Day fireworks show at Rio Tinto Stadium.
