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Real Salt Lake Holds on for a 2-1 Win over Sporting Kansas City

April 2, 2016 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Real Salt Lake News Release


KANSAS CITY, Kansas - Real Salt Lake hadn't won in seven matches at Children's Mercy Park in Kansas City. Despite playing without 10 players because of injuries and suspensions, the Claret-and-Cobalt raced out to a first-half lead and held on for a 2-1 victory over Sporting Kansas City to extend the club's unbeaten run to start the season at 2-0-2.

DF Justen Glad scored his first career MLS goal and MF Luke Mulholland scored in the second half while FW Joao Plata extended his streak of four consecutive MLS matches with a goal or an assist by assisting on Glad's goal. GK Jeff Attinella made two saves to earn the victory in his first start of the season.

In the first five minutes of the match, Plata put two shots on goal - first at a low angled from the left side and then from the edge of the box just left of center - but both were saved by Sporting goalkeeper Tim Melia.

In the 29th minute, Plata instead assisted on the first goal of the match. After Mulholland was tripped up from behind from 30 yards out on the right side, Plata sent the free kick toward the back post where Glad was among a trio of RSL players left unmarked and he headed a shot back across the goal and into the side netting for his first career MLS goal to go up 1-0.

Salt Lake held Kansas City without a shot until the 35th minute and outshot the home side 7-4 in the first half, going into the intermission with that 1-0 advantage after enduring a late push from Sporting KC that prompted two saves from Attinella in the 45th minute.

In the 57th minute, FW Yura Movsisyan had a chance to extend the lead after Mulholland won possession in the midfield and played him in behind the defense. Movsisyan took a touch up the right side to round his defender and fired his shot past Melia, but it rung off the crossbar.

Later in the 79th minute, Mulholland scored a stellar goal to double the lead.

After an RSL corner kick, Kansas City cleared the ball, but the misplayed clearance landed at the feet of Mulholland and he sent the first-time shot past Melia and inside the post from 30 yards out for his first goal of the season and a 2-0 lead.

Sporting Kansas City would pull a goal back in stoppage time when a foul was ruled to be in the box and Kansas City was awarded a penalty. Benny Feilhaber converted in the fourth minute of stoppage time, but soon the referee would blow the final whistle and the match ended with RSL earning the 2-1 victory.

Real Salt Lake returns to Rio Tinto Stadium to face the Colorado Rapids in the first of three matchups in the Rocky Mountain Cup derby on Saturday, April 9.

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