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SANDY — Danny Acosta wanted to score his first goal of the season for Real Salt Lake.
When Seattle goalkeeper Stefan Frei parried his shot in the 57th minute of a scoreless match, he sighed — until he saw teammate Corey Baird put back the rebound with one glancing blow off his forehead.
Surely, it was offside, though … right?
Not so much.
Baird scored his team-high fourth goal of the season, and Real Salt Lake went on to a 2-0 win over Seattle in front of 18,556 fans Saturday night at Rio Tinto Stadium.
Luis Silva added a goal for Real Salt Lake (7-6-1).
"It gives me a lot of confidence," Baird said of his fourth goal of the year. "I’m just looking to keep building on it."
But more important was the win, which came after three matches in eight days, including two against the Sounders (2-7-2).
"It's great, especially after not having the greatest start to the season," Baird said. "But now we’re on a roll, and just want to keep it going."
The rookie who played four years at Stanford broke a scoreless deadlock in the 57th minute and headed home a rebound with remarkable aim to give the home side a 1-0 lead it would never relinquish.
Nick Rimando earned the shutout for Real Salt Lake, the 141st of his career — extending a remarkable record previously unheard of in Major League Soccer.
But RSL coach Mike Petke wasn't just impressed by Rimando, as he has been countless times before. He wasn't most impressed by Baird, the young wunderkind breaking out in his first professional season.
He even skeptically spoke at length of Acosta, who has come into his own at left back for Sandy's pro soccer club.
Saturday night's win was a total team effort, Petke concluded multiple times during his post-match news conference. And what of three-straight wins?
That's an easier answer.
"It gives us confidence," Petke said. "To see them pressing in the second half was amazing to me.
"This is what we're capable of. This is the standard."
Real Salt Lake controlled Saturday night's match against the hapless Sounders, not allowing an official shot on goal en route to a win that at times seemed precarious — and other times easy.
Silva put the match away with a floater, an empty-net sitter in the opening minute of second-half stoppage time after Seattle goalkeeper Frei was caught well up the field to offer support on a late corner kick.
The club that opened the season with just one win in its first four matches — including a 5-1 drubbing to expansion side Los Angeles FC in the home opener — seems to have found a new gear.
That gear has come with Damir Kreilach taking the No. 10 attacking midfield role for back-to-back matches. The German midfielder took over the position when midfield standout Albert Rusnak reported to international duty with Slovakia.
But even for Kreilach, Saturday night was all about the team.
"It was very important for us to take nine points in three games," Kreilach said. "We have to keep going, though. We have a lot of confidence, but first of all, we need to focus on the cup game and then on Los Angeles for Saturday."
Next up:
Real Salt Lake begins its U.S. Open Cup play at home Wednesday against rival Sporting Kansas City. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m.
The team returns to MLS play next Saturday, June 9, at 8:30 p.m. MDT at the Los Angeles Galaxy.
Seattle, which has lost three-straight and four of its last six matches, plays at USL opponent Sacramento Republic FC in the fourth round of the Open Cup at 9 p.m. MDT Wednesday.
