Savarino's Open Cup debut sparks RSL to quarterfinals over Colorado
Savarino's Open Cup debut sparks RSL to quarterfinals over Colorado
Real Salt Lake are one of eight remaining sides in the 2023 U.S. Open Cup after Jefferson Savarino's goal in a 1-0 win over the Rapids.
It might be best to get used to Real Salt Lake and the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The club is taking quite the liking to it.
A year after being bounced early by lower-division side Northern Colorado, RSL advanced to the Open Cup quarterfinals with a 1-0 win Wednesday night over Rocky Mountain rival Colorado.
In the club’s first shutout of the 2023 edition of the Cup, Jefferson Savarino did all the scoring necessary midway through the first half to give Salt Lake its second win over the Rapids in five days — both on the road.
And now that they’re through to the Final 8? Well, might as well go for it.
“We want to win it,” said goalkeeper Gavin Beavers, who made three saves in his first Open Cup shutout. “That’s the main goal. That’s why we’re doing this.
“Everybody needs to step in when they need to.”
MLS clubs routinely misevaluate — or at least, misallocate — the importance of the U.S. Soccer’s version of the FA Cup.
But after winning their first road match in Cup history and advancing through three opponents on the road, RSL are keen on the competition that now features a path to CONCACAF Champions League, with next round’s opponent LA Galaxy alongside a last-eight standing that also includes USL sides Pittsburgh Riverhounds and Birmingham Legion, along with Chicago, Houston, Cincinnati and Miami from the top flight.
So even if the club hasn’t always put the necessary emphasis in the Open Cup in the past, what may matter the most now is the present. And at the moment, RSL smells an opportunity.
“It was a tough start to the campaign, and we wanted to prioritize the U.S. Open Cup,” RSL manager Pablo Mastroeni said. “You often times look at this Cup as a tough one to commit to, given the regular-season schedule. But what we’ve found with our group was giving the players an opportunity that weren’t getting the minutes has inspired them to better performances. And it feels so good to have so many people contribute.
“At the end of the day, it’s all about team.”
It took Savarino just 30 minutes into his Open Cup debut to make his mark, taking a pass after Anderson Julio recovered a turnover in midfield to drill a golazo inside the far post that gave RSL a 1-0 advantage.
It was the first goal for Savarino across all competitions since April 22, a span of eight matches across all competitions though he did not travel with the team to Open Cup dates in Las Vegas and Portland.
Julio’s high press also earned him an assist, his first match with a point since scoring in a 3-1 win over Charlotte back on April 8.
“That goal is all from their hard work and their defending,” Beavers said. “I feel like these last 6-7 games, we’ve had our heads down and collectively defended. They’ve done great, and I think he results have shown.”
Maikel Chang nearly doubled the advantage to open the second half, but the winger’s header smacked off the right post in the 50th minute for what would’ve been his third goal in as many Open Cup matches.
Instead, Beavers made three saves and his back line helped earn earn his first shutout in Open Cup play and send Salt Lake back home for the quarterfinal round against the LA Galaxy June 6 or 7 at 8 p.m. MT at America First Field in Sandy, Utah.
“Everyone plays with a great deal of pride on both sides of the ball,” Mastroeni said. “The guys in the back are going to be judged by defending back, but we’ve got a group of guys who play so hard for each other.
“Defending for me is always about team, and those guys in the back have made it very difficult for teams at times — and other times, not so difficult. But the most important thing is that they are so receptive to becoming better defenders.”
