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SANDY — Real Salt Lake found a blend of fortune and fight Sunday to earn a 2-1 upset victory on the road against long-time rival Seattle Sounders.
"Luck is an important component in every result," head coach Pablo Mastroeni said. "As they always say, fortune favors the brave, and I thought the guys were really brave tonight."
The odds were not in favor for RSL heading to Seattle, with the Claret and Cobalt winless on the road against Western Conference teams this season and winning just twice in Seattle during the regular season in the past 10 years.
RSL nearly conceded a goal in the opening 15 minutes for the fourth-straight game, but VAR waved off the goal due to an offside call in the lead-up.
The road team was able to defend a pair of Seattle chances around the 30-minute mark and cleared the ball out for a quick counterattack, as Jefferson Savarino played a beautiful long ball to a surging Sergio Cordova, and the striker darted toward the goal.
His initial shot was a poke that was saved by the keeper, but Cordova was given a second chance and made it count, slotting one into the bottom-left corner off the rebound to give RSL a surprising 1-0 lead on the road.
Córdova gives #RSL the lead after a battle in the box! pic.twitter.com/KsiN2MW0mO
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 15, 2022
Jasper Loffelsend almost found Cordova again on a breakaway, but the Seattle keeper came out to clear it and play was stopped after the referee collided with Loffelsend following the pass.
Several RSL players went down for extended periods of time in a physical first half that Justin Meram called "a grind." Meram said the team would look to own more possession in the second half after letting Seattle have the ball for 64% of the first half.
Andrew Brody nearly had a goal of the week candidate as the 56th minute turned to the 57th when he got the ball at the top-left corner of the box and sent a shot curling toward the far post, but it went just wide of the goal.
RSL elected to add a defender and try to preserve the 1-0 lead in the 59th minute, switching Meram for Erik Holt, but it didn't keep former RSL man Albert Rusnak from bagging one against his previous team to equalize in the 62nd minute.
The road warriors responded immediately after watching their former teammate level the match when Savarino, once again, played a beautiful ball into the box and Brody got his second goal — and game-winner — of the season to take the lead in the 64th minute.
Aaaand Real Salt Lake has an answer almost immediately! pic.twitter.com/V0Xq8r9Nau
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 15, 2022
"He's a player that's transformed our group," Mastroeni said of Savarino. "Moving him inside and not only putting him in position to score goals but also facilitate plays like he did tonight. For me, he's one of the top attacking players in this league."
RSL subbed off Savarino and other several starters in the final 10 minutes, and the Sounders took the opportunity to pound the less-experienced players over the final stretch.
A ground cross from Seattle passed right in front of goal in the final minute of stoppage time, but it evaded both forwards in the box and bounced harmlessly out of bounds much to the relief of an RSL squad on the verge of just its third road win of the season.
The win keeps RSL in fifth place in the west – firmly in the middle of the playoff race – just two points behind FC Dallas for third place.
The Claret and Cobalt return home next week to take on Vancouver on Aug. 20 at 8 p.m. MDT.
