Early red card mars Real Salt Lake's 3-2 loss to rival Sporting Kansas City

“It was one of the more valiant efforts I’ve ever seen from a group of men,” RSL coach Pablo Mastroeni said after the club's regular-season home finale.

SANDY, Utah — Real Salt Lake’s final home game of the 2023 regular season was one of the strangest, but maybe that’s to be expected from a squad that will finish out with a 6-7-4 regular-season record at America First Field this year.

Saturday’s 3-2 loss to rival Sporting Kansas City was, if nothing else, an entertainment product.

After the second-earliest red card in MLS history, RSL fell behind 3-0 before rallying with two goals in the final 10 minutes prior to ultimately succumbing to their bitter rivals.

The loss drops Real Salt Lake to 13-12-7 on the season with 46 points and sixth place in the crowded Western Conference. The team is also five points behind LAFC for second place with two games remaining, including a game-in-hand over every time above it in the table.

But based off results from around the league in Matchday 37, RSL guaranteed itself at least one home playoff match. The club cannot fall below eighth place in the West.

That may come into play with final matches against Colorado and the LA Galaxy. But on this October weekend, it meant little for the announced crowd of 21,205 fans at America First Field, the fifth-largest crowd in the venue’s history.

But before every seat in the RioT’s first “red out” could be filled, Justen Glad’s tackle in the area was elevated to a red card for denial of a goal-scoring opportunity. Erik Thommy converted the ensuing free kick against the short-handed RSL, and Sporting took a 1-0 lead in the fourth minute.

Glad’s red-card offense at 37 seconds was the second-earliest in MLS history, behind only former Colorado goalkeeper Joe Nasco, who was sent off after just 34 seconds. It’s the third time in club history that RSL has seen a red card in the first 10 minutes of a match (Nat Borchers, 2011; Jack Stewart, 2006).

Suddenly, RSL’s game plan — whatever it would’ve been for head coach Pablo Mastroeni — was thrown out the window. Marcelo Silva replaced Diego Silva to supplement the defense, and Salt Lake was forced to play a man down in midfield the rest of the way.

Eventually, additional subs forced Mastroeni’s hand even more, with outside back Bode Hidalgo playing as a central defender in a three-back formation. Of course, that would come 25 minutes later.

“I think if it’s an even scoreline, it’s much easier to maintain a minus-one deficit on the field,” Mastroeni said. “When you have to push the game, you kind of throw caution to the wind. Two wing backs and two wing forwards, it’s not ideal. But that kind of drive is what’s been missing at home, and tonight showed the guys showed it in spades. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to get a result at home.”

Things went from bad to worse when Chicho Arango was subbed off before the half-hour mark with an apparent hamstring injury. Moments after the Designated Player striker gave up the captain’s armband and Rubio Rubin replaced him, Johnny Russell doubled the advantage and gave Kansas City all the scoring it needed.

Alan Pulido notched a third in the 78th minute. His penalty kick was stopped short of the goal by Zach MacMath, but the 32-year-old Mexican international returned the volley to put the visitors up, 3-0.

All wasn’t lost, though.

After Anderson Julio was called offside, Brayan Vera set off the goal-scoring celebration for real with a certifiable banger off his left foot into the upper 90 in the 81st minute.

Vera’s third goal of the season is tied for eighth on the team with Luna, the second defender (behind Glad) among RSL’s top goal-scorers who was disappointed by entirely understandable about his early removal.

“He’s always in the right place to help the team,” Mastroeni said of Vera. “He’s one of the most important players on this team.”

About eight minutes later, Jefferson Savarino doubled the tally, notching a goal SuperBall-inspired goal inside the far post, checking for the AR’s flag, then immediately jumping back in to celebrate with his trademark 🫶 🫶 🫶

Was it enough to secure a comeback point, or all three? No. But it showed life in a listless squad playing down a man for longer than any other in club history.

“It was one of the more valiant efforts I’ve ever seen from a group of men,” Mastroeni said. “I’ve been here for a few years now, and I’ve never heard the stadium as loud as it was pushing the group tonight.

“I think if we had five more minutes left in the game, we probably would’ve tied it up. Difficult circumstances, as it is in life. But it’s how you respond to those, and tonight, the guys put their best foot forward and gave their all to the group.”

Things won’t get any easier next week, either.

Yes, the Claret-and-Cobalt are facing the LA Galaxy, which was officially eliminated from MLS Cup playoff contention with a 5-2 loss to Minnesota United.

But RSL will likely be without Glad (red card suspension), Arango (injury) and four international players (Jefferson Savarino, Venezuela; Braian Ojeda, Paraguay; Rubio Rubin, Guatemala; Kevon Lambert, Jamaica) — and potentially Danny Musovski, who was pulled from the 18 after suffering a “tweak” to an ongoing quad contusion while warming up, for the Oct. 14 kickoff.

All four internationals are expected to return to Utah in time for the club’s Decision Day regular-season finale Oct. 21 at Colorado.