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SANDY — Whether by fate, substance of the defending MLS Cup champions, or a lack of finishing, Real Salt Lake's five match unbeaten run across all competitions ended Saturday night on the club's home turf.
Kwadwo "Mahala" Opoku and Dénis Bouanga each scored a first-half goal, and LAFC added a late penalty kick to hand the hosts a 3-0 loss at America First Field.
LAFC were well-rested after sending mostly second-team prospects and academy players to Wednesday's mid-week U.S. Open Cup contest at second-division side Monterey Bay FC (and advancing on penalties). RSL, meanwhile, sent a strong lineup to Portland and came away with a wild 4-3 win win to advance in the Open Cup.
That led LAFC to a first-choice lineup Saturday in a series that the visitors had won in 10 of 11 meetings, including each of the past six. The defending MLS Cup champions' 10 wins over RSL are the most by any team in the league against a single opponent since the Black and Gold joined MLS in 2018.
Moreover, attacking talisman Damir Kreilach — who has scored five goals in nine appearances against LAFC — was left on the bench at kickoff after going the distance Wednesday night against the Timbers.
But Real Salt Lake were playing as well as anyone in the league, unbeaten in five across all competitions that include consecutive shutouts in league play.
That shutout streak ended at 230 minutes, when Ilie Sanchez sprung Opoku in the ninth minute to put the defending MLS Cup champions ahead 1-0.
After LAFC goalkeeper John McCarthy turned aside a pair of RSL chances — including a point-blank stare down from Rubio Rubin — Bouanga doubled the advantage in the 35th minute with a laser assisted by star forward Carlos Vela to go up 2-0.
A @BouangaDenis rocket to double the lead. 🚀 #LAFCpic.twitter.com/9tYQ0ARVVR
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 14, 2023
"Bouanga from 25-yards out, that's a shot you give up. That's the shot you want them to take," RSL coach Pablo Mastroeni said. "When they bury those, you just know."
RSL had chances, including second-half sub Kreilach's test from distance that sailed over the crossbar in the 83rd minute — mere moments after goalkeeper Zac MacMath saved Mateusz Bogusz's close-range attempt to keep the visitors' lead at two.
But Bouanga drew a penalty on an attempt in the box against RSL defender Brayan Vera, and Bogusz converted to push the Angelenos' lead to 3-0.
RSL put up 20 shots, but just five on target, while LAFC converted three goals out of four shots on frame. Sure, the defense could've been better.
"I think we let in some soft goals," RSL defender Justen Glad admitted after the match. "Any straight ball over the top is always tough to concede. … I give credit for the second strike; we could've closed down quicker, for sure, but off-foot, he puts his boot through it, and we just got a little unfortunate."
But for the third time at home, Salt Lake was held without a goal as the team degressed to a league-worst -10 goal differential and slipped to 11th in the Western Conference with a 3-6-2 record.
"I thought the performance overall was deserving of a result — if we could capitalize on some of the opportunities," Mastroeni said.
RSL returns home next Wednesday to host the Portland Timbers. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. MDT on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
