RSL downs DC 3-2, wins fourth straight at home

Real Salt Lake won their fourth straight home game tonight against last-place DC United, thanks to goals from Corey Baird, Albert Rusnak, and Jefferson Savarino as RSL found their way to a 3-2 victory over their opponents who played a man down for the majority of the game.

DC United wasted no time in opening the scoring as they went up 1-0 in the 9th minute, thanks to a goal from Paul Arriola who launched a left footed shot just past Rimando, leaving the home team and crowd stunned early in the game.

RSL answered back just over 10 minutes later when Plata sent a ball into the box that found youngster Corey Baird nearly unmarked. Baird made contact with his head and sent the ball sailing toward the goal. DC goalkeeper Steve Clark got a hand to it but it wasn’t enough to keep it out of the back of the net, awarding the equalizer to Baird.

Not long after, the referee utilized his VAR after a bad challenge from Joseph Mora on Jefferson Savarino. The ref initially issued a yellow card, but after video review, he saw that Mora went studs up into Savarino’s calf and changed his decision to a red card, leaving DC with 10 men on the field.

Immediately after, RSL took advantage of the situation as Rusnak fired off a shot from the top of the box and sent it into the back of the net, putting the good guys up 2-1 in the 26th minute.

Unfortunately, Joao Plata had to be subbed off due to injury near the end of the first half, and Adam Henley came on, pushing Pablo Ruiz up further as Henley slotted in at left back.

RSL went into the halftime break outshooting their opponents 9-3 and controlling possession by a commanding 67 percent.

RSL added to their lead again in the 56th minute, thanks to a goal from Savarino. Rusnak sent a through ball in on the ground to find Savarino open on the right side. With nobody around to block him, he went for a near-post shot that skipped right over Clark’s leg and into the net, setting tbe home side up sith a comfy 3-1 lead early in the second half.

DC pulled one back in the 83rd minute when the ball found its way to defender Steve Birnbaum’s head, who sent it in easily past Rimando to pull the score to 3-2 as the 10-man United began throwing everything they had into the attack.

It wasn’t enough for the Black-and-Red as RSL rolled on to the 3-2 victory, good for their fourth straight win at home on the season.