Real Salt Lake use balanced effort to edge Rapids

Updated: May 21, 2023, 05:05 am

Pablo Ruiz, Danny Musovski and Damir Kreilach all scored goals to help Real Salt Lake produce a 3-2 victory over the Colorado Rapids on Saturday night at Commerce City, Colo.

Ruiz scored in the 12th minute to halt Salt Lake's scoring drought at 381 minutes. The club was shut out in each of its last four matches.

Musovski and Kreilach also scored first-half goals for Real Salt Lake (4-6-3, 15 points). Zac MacMath made two saves.

Danny Wilson had a goal and an assist and Lalas Abubakar also had a goal for Colorado (2-6-6, 12 points), which lost its third straight game. William Yarbrough had two stops.

The Rapids pulled within 3-2 in the 74th minute on Abubakar's second goal of the season.

Wilson sent a long left-footed cross toward the net and Abubakar headed the ball, which tipped off MacMath's hand on its way into the net.

The Rapids were unable to mount a late charge.

Colorado had a 12-7 edge in shots but both teams put four on target.

Ruiz ended the scoring funk with a left-footed blast from outside the box. The ball clipped the lower leg of Colorado's Connor Ronan along the way and sped past Yarbrough for Ruiz's second goal of the season.

Nine minutes later, the Rapids failed to clear the ball out of their own end and Salt Lake took advantage.

Kreilach took a left-footed shot that was blocked by Wilson and also hit the body of Yarbrough. Musovski was in position for the rebound and kicked a left-footer past Yarbrough to make it 2-0. It was Musovski's first goal of the season.

Colorado got on the board in the 33rd minute when Ronan sent a cross toward the net. Wilson jumped high and snapped a header into the net to cut RSL's lead in half. It was Wilson's first MLS goal since Sept. 19, 2021.

RSL pushed the lead back to two 11 minutes later on a rush downfield. Rubio Rubin eventually had the ball in close proximity to the net and spotted a wide-open Kreilach, who booted a right-footer into the net for his second goal of the season.

RSL and Colorado play Wednesday night in Commerce City in U.S. Open Cup Round of 16 play.

--Field Level Media