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SALT LAKE CITY — Real Salt Lake can't wake up from its nightmare start to the season just yet.
The Claret and Cobalt made its first trip to Columbus since 2018 in search of an end to a three-game losing streak, but the Crew handed RSL a cruel and unfunny 4-0 loss on April Fools' Day.
"You've got to find the balance between scoring and defending," head coach Pablo Mastroeni said. "And if you find yourself defending, if you can't score the goal, the pressure just keeps mounting, especially when you're on a difficult run like we're on."
The odds were stacked against the visiting team from the start, with the last RSL win in Columbus coming in 2009, and a still incomplete roster searching for answers at nearly every position.
Star winger Jefferson Savarino stayed at home, and with defenders Marcelo Silva and Bryan Oviedo still returning from injury, Mastroeni decided to switch up the starting lineup for RSL.
Captain Damir Kreilach and forwards Anderson Julio and Andres Gomez were sent to the bench, along with goalkeeper Zac MacMath. Rookie Ilijah Paul and veteran Maikel Chang replaced the forwards, and 17-year-old Gavin Beavers made his MLS debut in goal — the third-youngest keeper to start in MLS history.
"We've given up a lot of goals in the previous three games," Mastroeni said. "And so that was the decision in (starting) Beavers."
Zac MacMath embraces Gavin Beavers as he comes off the field after a tough MLS debut. #RSLpic.twitter.com/7lqVJPPmxx
— Caleb Turner (@calebturner23) April 2, 2023
The changes did nothing to help RSL, however, as the Crew scored two goals in each half and dominated the visitors in nearly every statistical category, winning almost 60% of possession and outshooting RSL 18-8.
Aidan Morris had a brace for the Crew with a goal in each half, and Lucas Zelarayan and Yaw Yeboah grabbed the other two. The loss marked the second-straight 4-0 defeat for RSL after falling at home to St. Louis last week.
"It wasn't a performance that we're proud of," said Justen Glad, who acted as captain on Saturday. "Obviously, we knew it was going to be a tough game, but to let in four again after last week is definitely a tough pill to swallow. Now it's back to the lab and back to figuring it out again."
RSL returns home to America First Field next week to take on Charlotte at 7:30 p.m. MDT.
