Real Salt Lake will put a seven-match unbeaten streak on the line Wednesday when they visit Sporting Kansas City in Kansas City, Kan.
RSL (9-7-6, 33 points) have moved into a tie for third place in points in the Western Conference thanks to the streak (5-0-2). Since their last defeat May 31, they have outscored league opponents 14-5 with nine different players contributing at least one goal.
That group includes newcomer Cristian “Chicho” Arango, who signed a club-record deal for a Designated Player last month, then scored in the 23rd minute to open the floodgates in a 4-0 home win over Orlando City on Saturday. The former LAFC star forward was the fifth player in Salt Lake history to score in his team debut.
“Chicho was fantastic,” RSL coach Pablo Mastroeni said. “You just know something special is gonna happen when he’s out there. I think he brings a ton of confidence, and I think it really bolsters the guys to raise their level.”
Pablo Ruiz had a career-high three assists and Justen Glad, Jefferson Savarino and Anderson Julio found the back of the net. Goalkeeper Zac MacMath recorded his second straight shutout for RSL.
Unfortunately for Sporting Kansas City (6-10-7, 25 points), Salt Lake is the best road team in the league, with a 6-3-2 mark already.
SKC have earned points in three of their last four matches (1-1-2) and drew 2-2 with the Houston Dynamo on Saturday. Alan Pulido scored both goals for Kansas City, including on a penalty kick in the 62nd minute for a 2-1 lead, but Houston’s Ivan Franco scored the equalizer eight minutes into second-half stoppage time to ruin SKC’s chance at victory.
SKC coach Peter Vermes said the club gave away two points.
“(In) the second half, we went to put ourselves in a position to deal with those kind of balls coming into the box and for us not to be able to get on the end of that ball and be as timid as we were, it disappoints me,” Vermes said.
Pulido now has 10 goals on the year, tied for third-most in MLS. Nine have come since June 3.
Five players have at least four goals for RSL, led by Savarino’s five.
–Field Level Media
