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SANDY — Real Salt Lake is in third place in the West in MLS play and one of the final four teams in the U.S. Open Cup, but the Claret and Cobalt came out hungry for yet another trophy Saturday.
The new Leagues Cup competition between MLS and Liga MX teams kicked off in spectacular fashion with Lionel Messi's debut game-winner for Miami Friday. RSL got its first taste of the tournament against longtime rival Seattle Sounders Saturday at America First Field.
"It just feels like there's no quit in this team," RSL head coach Pablo Mastroeni said. "For me, the mindset is the most important. When the mindset is right, we have the quality to be a very good team in this league."
The home team marked its competitive intentions early with an all-starters lineup and lopsided possession in the opening minutes. Jefferson Savarino fired off a couple of test shots for goalkeeper Stefan Frei, and Chicho Arango had his fair share of complaints on foul no-calls, but the scoreline remained 0-0 after 45 minutes.
It didn't take long for that to change in the second half, though. Arango created a pair of chances in the first six minutes: first with a shot that was blocked and fell to Savarino for the opening goal in the 48th minute, and then a dazzling solo goal in the 51st to go up 2-0.
Chicho lulls Ragen Jackson to sleep and then hits it into the top netting for one of the best goals I've seen in person.
— Caleb Turner (@calebturner23) July 23, 2023
2-0 #RSL six minutes into the second half pic.twitter.com/C3TnmOZE75
Recently-returned Rubio Rubin picked up where he left off with the Guatemalan national team — who he scored twice for during the Gold Cup — by slotting home an impressive goal of his own in the 88th minute to seal the 3-0 win over Seattle and to take the lead in a group that also features Monterrey from Liga MX.
"With so many players that we have up front, it's just finding a good position for him," Mastroeni said of Rubin. "He did a really good job of defending in tough situations well, again, so it's really about the guys working hard for each other."
RSL takes on Monterrey Wednesday at America First Field at 7:30 p.m. MDT. The teams have a bit of history with each other, as Monterrey defeated RSL in the CONCACAF Champions League finals in 2011 in Sandy.
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Caleb Turner
