RSL Takes Early Lead With Highlight Header From Chicho Arango
May 11, 2024, 9:14 PM | Updated: Jun 5, 2024, 10:13 am
(Photo courtesy of Real Salt Lake)
(Photo courtesy of Real Salt Lake)
LOS ANGELES – Who else but Chicho?
Real Salt Lake was on its heels early against the LA Galaxy until Chicho Arango gave RSL some breathing room with a highlight goal in the 20th minute.
Chicho Arango picking up right where he left off ✌️
📺 #MLSSeasonPass: https://t.co/ArGn0Gh2TQ pic.twitter.com/HIFfbj4toR
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 12, 2024
Real Salt Lake pushed down the pitch in the 19th minute following a dangerous attack from the Galaxy.
Alexandros Katranis put a great cross in the center of the box and let MVP candidate Arango do the rest.
He rose up above the defense and redirected the pass to just inside the right post for his 10th goal of the season.
20′ | It was only a matter of time#LAvRSL | 0-1 pic.twitter.com/OYBJkwUn9R
— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) May 12, 2024
Los Angeles had nine shot attempts (three on goal) in the opening 20 minutes.
Despite playing excellent defense, the home side still appeared to have all of the momentum. All it took was putting the ball in Arango’s possession to change that.
Of Real Salt Lake’s 19 goals so far this season, Arango has scored or assisted on 17 of them.
Real Salt Lake Looks To Keep Top Spot In West On Back Of Chicho Arango
Real currently holds the top seed in the Western Conference with a record of 6-2-3.
Despite coming off of an early U.S. Open Cup loss to New Mexico United, Real Salt Lake is undefeated in its last seven MLS matches with five wins and two draws.
RSL’s last MLS loss came over two months ago to Colorado on March 9.
▪️ Colorado and Toronto enter the top ten
▪️ Miami maintains status as #1Where does your club stand?
Power Rankings pres. by @RBCWealth: https://t.co/AqoWw5KTj4 pic.twitter.com/PPuJTuPHGB
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 7, 2024
However, they won’t have an easy matchup as they aim to build on their three-game MLS win streak.
The LA Galaxy holds the third spot in the West with a record of 5-2-4.
The Galaxy haven’t been as hot as RSL as of late with a 2-2-1 record in its last five. However, they have yet to lose at home in four games with two wins and two draws.
scenes from training ☀️ pic.twitter.com/Bt8iVll2aT
— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) May 10, 2024
RSL and LA last met in October 2023. They played to a 2-2 draw in Los Angeles.
RELATED: Diego Luna’s 76th Minute Equalizer Gives Real Salt Lake Road Point
Both clubs look a lot different than they did last season though. The Galaxy was a bottom-five team in the MLS last season but has turned around to become a borderline contender in 2024.
The biggest difference for RSL this year has been the play of Chicho Arango. With nine goals and seven assists, Arango has become a serious threat for MVP.
Who poses the biggest threat to Messi in the MVP race? 🤔
More here: https://t.co/h1hcrBcZHZ pic.twitter.com/jAPL0NAIHI
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 8, 2024
Real Salt Lake will need Arango and the entire roster to step up this weekend as the game against LA could prove to have playoff implications.
The Galaxy sit just two points behind RSL in the standings. A loss would likely drop Real down to third in the West.
Real Salt Lake and LA face off one more time at America First Field on June 22. With both clubs competing for a playoff appearance, a win in at least one of the two matchups will be very important.
How To Watch Real Salt Lake
All Major League Soccer games are broadcasted on Apple TV with MLS Season Pass.
All Real Salt Lake English-language radio coverage for the 2024 season and beyond will be carried on various KSL radio signals. KSL Sports Zone (97.5 FM/1280 AM) and KSL Newsradio (102.7 FM / 1160 AM) are both stations under the Bonneville International umbrella.
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Chandler Holt is a co-host for the Jazz Notes podcast and a Digital Sports Producer for sports.ksl.com, specializing in all things basketball and football. Follow Chandler on Twitter @ChandlerHoltKSL or on Threads @chandlerho1t.
