Real Salt Lake falls to Red Bulls in rare come-from-ahead loss

For just the fifth time in 18 meetings this season where Salt Lake has scored first, the visitors mounted a comeback in RSL's late 2-1 loss to the New York Red Bulls.

Real Salt Lake survived one comeback, but couldn’t hold off another in its first trip to New York in six years.

Zavier Gozo scored his third goal of the season, but Eric Choupo-Moting had two including the decisive penalty kick deep into second-half stoppage time to lift the New York Red Bulls to a 2-1 win Sunday at Sports Illustrated Stadium.

Gozo’s third-minute goal was the first by an RSL player in MLS play at Sports Illustrated Stadium/Red Bull Arena since July 27, 2013.

“Frankly, his goal was important for us confidence tonight and our team’s confidence,” RSL manager Pablo Mastroeni said of Gozo’s goal. “When we have two 10s that can play those balls, the onus is on our nines to really think and create that space between the back line and midfield line.

Of course, much of that is largely due to the imbalanced schedule of MLS, which has swelled to 30 teams.

The two cross-country/cross-conference foes have only met nine times since then, including the Red Bulls’ 4-0 win the last time Salt Lake visited Harrison, New Jersey back in 2019.

There was also the thrilling 0-0 draw of March 2017 and a 1-0 win to New York in 2015.

But Diego Luna found William Agada moments after kickoff, and the former Kansas City striker left a deft touch for Gozo to put Real Salt Lake ahead in, as some might say, a New York minute.

“That goal doesn’t happen if we don’t play with two forwards up front,” Mastroeni said. “It’s a great example of how good team defending will allow us to score goals in transition as well, which is something we’ve struggled to do this year.”

Still, for just the fifth time in 18 meetings this season where Salt Lake has scored first, the visitors mounted a comeback.

“We’ve got to keep defending all the game,” said RSL goalkeeper Rafael Cabral, who wore the captain’s armband, “and stop conceding goals in stoppage time.”

New York out-shot the visitors 14-3 in the first half, but put just two shots on target as RSL maintained the lead through the halftime break.

But the lead wouldn’t last much longer.

Choupo-Moting scored his 14th goal of the season, taking a pass from Emil Forsberg in the 52nd minute to equalize.

Diego Luna was sent off in the 85th minute when he took a second yellow card for a foul. Kevin Duncan was sent off for New York with a red card for violent conduct in the 90th minute.

Cabral saved one penalty kick, but couldn’t avoid another when Choupo-Moting earned a penalty in stoppage time before burying the go-ahead goal in the 99th minute to hand Salt Lake just its second defeat in the last eight matches.

“Those three huge events obviously turned the game on its head,” Mastroeni said.

Added Cabral: “It’s always hard to save a penalty. But it was disappointing (in the end).

“We’ve got to keep playing, though. We push each other, we are competitive, we want to win. Everyone is upset when we lose games. But we’ve got to keep going.”