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SEATTLE — There were moments when the Seattle Sounders were defending for their lives.
There were moments when Real Salt Lake had all the momentum, all the skill, and all the charge.
But in the end, there was only one moment that mattered when RSL went to the Puget Sound.
Nicolas Lodeiro scored the only goal of the match in the first 20 minutes, and Seattle defended out a 1-0 win over Real Salt Lake Saturday night at CenturyLink Field, to hand the Utah squad its fourth-straight loss.
"I'm getting sick and tired — and not faulting my players — of coming back after these games of saying we deserved more out of it," Mike Petke said after the game. "We all have to grow up a little bit. The days of saying we're a young team, which we are, have to be pushed in the past. We have to get a bit more savvy in situations, a bit more clinical."
Seattle (4-0-1, 13 points) jumped out on the front foot, out-shooting Salt Lake 5-1 before Lodeiro's left-footed blast found the top corner behind Nick Rimando.
Rimando lunged to his right and grazed the ball with his glove. But it was too late for the veteran netminder as the home side took a lead in the 18th minute and looked to snap a three-match losing streak to Real Salt Lake.
Lodeiro's strike was the Sounders' first goal against RSL during the skid.
The goal deficit pulled Salt Lake out of its shell for the rest of the half, out-shooting Seattle 6-3 through halftime. Sam Johnson, who made the first start of his RSL career Saturday, had a golden chance in the 44th minute that sailed just wide of the frame.
"I think we felt as the game went on that we started getting a little hold of it," RSL captain Kyle Beckerman told sideline reporter Samantha Yarock after the match. "We realized we had more time, and then we just had to stay in it. We were going to get another chance to get some points. We just didn't get it over the finish line.
"Seattle's a really good team, and we'll build off that."
Seattle wasn't without chances, like a ball on a platter for Jordan Morris midway through the second half that instead went for a field goal over the crossbar. But Real Salt Lake out-shot the Sounders, 13-11 over 90 minutes and stoppage time.
But the equalizer never came.
Johnson missed from distance seven minutes into the half. Jefferson Savarino struck off the post in the 73rd.
The final touch just wasn't there.
"We played. We didn't come in here just to defend," Beckerman said. "Maybe we didn't have as much possession, but the things we were trying to do were there. So I think it's something to build on."
RSL was playing without several usual fixtures, including forward Joao Plata and defender Justen Glad. The duo was on injury assignment, factoring into the second-division Real Monarchs' 3-1 win over Reno 1868 FC earlier Saturday at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman.
Plata scored a goal in the 15th minute for the Monarchs.
So there could be some additional options as RSL prepares for another chance to snap its losing streak.
"The next step is taking a look at everybody," Petke said. "I'll watch this game four times by the time I come in Monday. This is a team sport, but there are individual factors. What can we do individually a little bit better?"
The coach also plans to take a look at himself.
"Perhaps it's me. Every week, we prepare for every team we play, and almost every week it plays out how we scouted them. Tonight was no different. Where does it start? It starts with everyone looking individually. It's six games in; there is zero panic button being pressed. It's a competitive thing."
"Let's demand better from each other."
Next up
Real Salt Lake returns home Saturday, April 13 to host Orlando City SC (2-2-2, 8 points). Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. MT at Rio Tinto Stadium (KMYU, KSL.com).
