Herediano eliminates Real Salt Lake from CONCACAF Champions Cup
Elías Aguilar scored a crucial away goal, and Randy Vega punctuated the match with a penalty kick to lift CS Herediano to a 2-1 win over Real Salt Lake on Wednesday night.
“My message was, if you don’t want to feel like shit on Saturday, then be better on Tuesday. I look at the scoresheet, and see 30 shots on goal but 18 shots inside the box.
“I don’t know how you come away with one goal in that game. You’ve got to be killers; you’ve got to get numbers inside the box. You’ve got to be clinical. That game should’ve been put away in the first half, even early in the second half. It’s a bit frustrating from that perspective,”
— Real Salt Lake manager Pablo Mastroeni after team’s 2-1 loss to CS Herediano in winner-take-all Leg 2 of CONCACAF Champions Cup opener.
Real Salt Lake’s first foray in CONCACAF play since 2016 came home Wednesday night in Sandy, Utah.
And it was short-lived.
Elías Aguilar scored a crucial away goal, and Randy Vega punctuated the match with a penalty kick in the ninth minute of second-half stoppage time as CS Herediano eliminated Salt Lake from CONCACAF Champions Cup play with a 2-1 loss in front of just over 9,000 fans at America First Field.
But RSL had this one in its grasp — until it didn’t.
Dominik Marczuk teed up the opening goal, taking a pass from Diogo Gonçalves and putting a goal for Forster Ajago on a platter in the 27th minute.
Real Salt Lake out-shot the visitors 9-1 en route to the 1-0 halftime lead — and it could’ve been more, with 57% of possession and four corner kicks.
About 15 minutes after Emerson Bravo’s goal was called back on VAR, Aguilar equalized the match with 70th-minute strike that would’ve sent the Costan Rican side through on away goals.
That left Salt Lake, which had 30 shots and 18 from inside the box, scrambling to pull back in front. When Herediano found space on a counter attack deep in stoppage time, RSL goalkeeper Rafael Cabral had no choice but to pull down his one-on-one visitor — and Vega ripped the match-winner from the penalty spot with authority to send Herediano past Real Salt Lake a year after falling in the Champions League quarterfinals to Liga MX side Pachuca.
“It means a lot, not just for the municipality of Heredia but for the entire country,” Herediano coach Alexander Vargas said after the match in Spanish.
Postmatch press conference (via X) | CS Herediano manager Alexander Vargas
Postmatch press conference (via X) | RSL manager Pablo Mastroeni
LINEUPS
Real Salt Lake (4-2-3-1): Rafael Cabral; Bode Hidalgo, Kobi Henry, Brayan Vera, Sam Junqua; Nelson Palacio (Zavier Gozo, 81’), Emeka Eneli © (Braian Ojeda, 70’); Dominik Marczuk (Tyler Wolff, 69’), Lachlan Brook (Diego Luna, 59’), Diogo Gonçalves (Pablo Ruiz, 69’); Forster Ajago
Subs not used: Max Kerkviiet, Mason Stajduhar, Justen Glad, Philip Quinton, Javain Brown, Alexandros Katranis
Head Coach: Pablo Mastroeni
CS Herediano (4-5-1) : Dany Carvajal; Haxzel Quiros, Keyner Brown, Juan Luis Perez, Darril Araya; Emerson Bravo, Allan Cruz (Aaron Murillo, 82’), Sergio Rodriguez (P. Santamaría, 90’+3’), A. Rodriguez (Randy Vega, 46’), Elias Aguilar © (Steven Williams, 87’); A. Hernandez (Eduardo Juarez, 82’)
Subs not used: Emmanuel Garita, Anthony Walker, Jose Rodriguez, Axel Amador
Head Coach: Alexander Vargas
Stats Summary: RSL / HER
Shots: 28 / 6
Shots on Goal: 5 / 3
Saves: 11 / 2
Corner Kicks: 10 / 2
Fouls: 16 / 14
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY:
RSL: Brayan Vera (Yellow Card – 73’)
HER: Sergio Rodriguez (Yellow Card – 86’)
RSL: Rafael Cabral (Yellow Card – 90’+8’)
HER: Randy Vega (Yellow Card – 90’+10’)