The Best Road Team in MLS™ is just getting started after RSL's 3-1 win at St. Louis
The Best Road Team in MLS™ is just getting started after RSL's 3-1 win at St. Louis
Damir Kreilach notched his first brace in two years, and Diego Luna became the youngest player in Real Salt Lake history with a goal and an assist in a 3-1 win over St. Louis City SC.
Almost exactly three months ago, St. Louis City SC walked into America First Field in Sandy and walked out with a dominant 4-0 victory over Real Salt Lake, setting up the expansion side on a course toward the top spot in Major League Soccer’s Western Conference.
What a difference three months can make.
Damir Kreilach notched his first brace in two years, and Diego Luna became the youngest player in Real Salt Lake history with a goal and an assist as RSL extended St. Louis City SC’s winless skid to four-straight with a 3-1 win Wednesday at CITYPARK in St. Louis, Missouri.
Danny Musovski, Maikel Chang and Andrew Brody each added an assist for RSL (7-7-5, 26 points), which extended its road unbeaten streak to a franchise-record nine straight (7 wins, 2 draws) across all competitions and an MLS-best 5-3-2 away record.
After every goal, every pass or every mind-blowing dummy to set up the opening goal in the first half, Kreilach would run to his assist-man or the final goal scorer, celebrating their accomplishments even more than his own.
But to see the captain’s best game in an RSL uniform since returning from season-ending back surgery a year ago meant the world to those who know him best.
“He’s been a consummate pro going through a really difficult stretch in his career,” said RSL manager Pablo Mastroeni, whose team sits seventh in the west (and climbing). “He’s been so supportive of the group, coming into the games and then tonight playing what I thought was his most complete game of the season.
“Going on the road, you need experienced players that younger guys can look to and know what it takes. When he finishes, when he gets his brace, it doesn’t change who he is. He’s the same human being; that’s a testament to his character and his leadership ability.”
Post-match Media | MF Diego Luna
Post-match Media | HC Pablo Mastroeni
Post-match Media | FW Damir Kreilach
Winning for the club means a lot to Kreilach, who came to RSL in 2018 and quickly established himself as a fan favorite. Winning on the road, even more.
But winning in the way he did, with a total team effort? That’s what was most important to him.
“I’m just happy because of the team,” Kreilach said. “The team is the star, and without teammates, you can’t do anything. I appreciate every single teammate, and because of that, football is a team sport.”
St. Louis had trailed for just 52 of about 900 total minutes at home all season. But Luna put the hosts in an early hole at City Park, finishing a cross from Musovski dummied by Kreilach in the 15th minute to give RSL a 1-0 advantage.
It was a breakout moment for Luna, who started his third-straight match since returning from leading the U.S. national team to the quarterfinals of the U20 World Cup in Argentina.
In many ways, Luna’s 2023 season didn’t begin until June 10, after international competition. It’s not that that he wasn’t focused or trying with RSL; it’s just that being called away for camps, testing and other assignments every other week can take its toll on anybody — even a 19-year-old midfielder and soon-to-be father whose national team was hand-picked around him at the No. 10.
Now that he’s back, and able to focus consistently on RSL, Luna is ready to make up for lost time.
Boy, is he.
“Last year was me dipping my fingers in the water. This year was a difficult start, being away every month,” said Luna, who has played 207 of his 297 minutes this year since returning from Argentina. “It’s like my season did begin after coming back from the World Cup. I can solely focus on RSL.
“It is a beginning for me, and I’m feeling good.”
RSL, too, was feeling good after Luna gave the visitors an early lead. Of course, that lead didn’t last long.
Niko Gioacchini scored just five minutes later, equalizing with a vicious header to push St. Louis City back into the game.
With Designated Players Klauss and Eduard Lowen out with injuries, Gioacchini continued his run of form when City need him most. The 22-year-old forward who came over from Orlando City SC in the expansion draft scored his fifth goal in the last seven matches for St. Louis, his eighth total goal in 17 MLS matches in 2023.
Gioacchini’s goal was St. Louis’ only shot on target before halftime, but it was enough for a City side with 48% of possession to take the stalemate into the halftime break. RSL out-shot the hosts 6-5, including 4-1 in shots on goal — but couldn’t find the back of the net, save for Luna’s career milestone of a moment, his first goal in 21 MLS appearances.
But Salt Lake flipped the game on its head in the second half. And who else but Kreilach to do it?
The Captain opened his account less than three minutes after the break, passing the ball into the bottom corner to give the visitors 2-1 advantage.
Kreilach saved his best for last, though, finishing off Brody’s cross in the 66th minute for his first brace in two years. The 34-year-old native of Vukovar, Croatia handed St. Louis its largest deficit at home of the expansion side’s first season, and the shorthanded City couldn’t recover against the best road record in MLS.
“It was one of our best team performances this year, I thought,” Kreilach said. “We were very effective; I said before the game, we fight one for another, from the first to the last second. I think overall, we deserved these three points.”
Real Salt Lake returns home Saturday, June 24 to face Minnesota United at America First Field. Kickoff at the club’s annual Pride Night is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. MT.