Sporting Kansas City 2-2 Real Salt Lake (Jul 12, 2023) Game Analysis
Real Salt Lake bounced back from a two-goal deficit at half-time to record a 2-2 draw against Sporting Kansas City in Kansas City, Kansas on Wednesday night in a game between two red-hot teams.
Daniel Salloi and Johnny Russell scored for the hosts in the first half before Danny Musovski struck early in the second half and Anderson Julio equalized for RSL.
Salt Lake (9-7-7, 34 points) extended their unbeaten streak to eight games and was 5-0-3 in their last eight MLS away games.
Kansas City (6-10-8, 26 points) failed to secure their second win of the month and take full advantage of 18-year-old Salt Lake goaltender Gavin Beavers, who was starting for the fifth time of his MLS career.
The Beavers had two saves, SKC’s Kendall McIntosh finished with seven saves and each goaltender made a crucial save in the final moments of the game to seal the score.
It was initially quiet until SKC broke through in the 30th minute. The Beavers’ attempt to clear from the end line was blocked by Kansas City and Russell dribbled down the left. His cross landed Salloi in the back corner of the 6-yard box, and Salloi scored his fifth goal of the season on one occasion.
In the 36th minute, SKC started to push upwards and Erik Thommy served Russell in the box. Russell made an attempt to go around defender Justen Glad and fired a right shot past the Beavers for his third goal of 2023.
Pablo Ruiz and Cristian “Chicho” Arango were among Salt Lake’s substitutes early in the second half and they met immediately to score an RSL goal. Ruiz’s long pass to Arango drew two defenders towards the former LAFC star and Arango tapped a pass to Musovski, who broke free, scoring his fifth goal of the year.
RSL kept attacking, but McIntosh made five saves between the 50th and 61st minutes, three times against Arango.
Then Julio came on as a substitute in the 69th minute and needed just three minutes to score. Julio took the ball from SKC defender Daniel Rosero Valencia, sprinted in and shot under McIntosh’s diving dive. It was Julio’s 15th MLS goal of his career – his 11th as a substitute – and his fourth of the season.
Julio had a chance to put RSL ahead in the 89th minute when he received a pass as he sprinted into the box, but McIntosh dived forward to parry it.
SKC had their chance in the first minute of second-half added time when Alan Pulido found Gadi Kinda with a cross into the penalty area. Somehow it tried a close-range header, but Beavers saved.
–Field level media