Solans brace, Marczuk rocket power RSL past St. Louis 3-0

SANDY — Coming off just its second road victory of the season, Real Salt Lake returned home looking to build momentum and steamrolled one of the hottest teams in Major League Soccer, defeating newly crowned U.S. Open Cup champion St. Louis City SC 3-0 Saturday night at America First Field.

Sergi Solans scored twice from close range, Dominik Marczuk supplied a spectacular strike from distance, and RSL limited St. Louis to just three shots in a dominant performance that kept its postseason ambitions alive.

St. Louis arrived three days removed from an Open Cup final against Columbus, which City won on penalties. But RSL was firmly in control even before Tomáš Ostrák’s dismissal late in the first half left the visitors with 10 men.

“I think in all phases, (we) played fantastic,” RSL head coach Pablo Mastroeni said. “We have no time to rest or celebrate. I think it’s really about getting back to work.”

Luc lights the fuse

RSL threatened early, with Marczuk finding room to shoot and Solans nearly capitalizing on a loose ball in the St. Louis penalty area.

The visitors survived a remarkable escape in the 39th minute when Noel Caliskan lifted the ball over goalkeeper Ben Lundt, only for Timo Baumgartl to produce an acrobatic bicycle-kick clearance off the goal line.

Two minutes later, there would be no escape.

Luc de Fougerolles read an attempted St. Louis backheel in midfield, stepped forward to steal possession and drove straight through the heart of City’s build-out formation.

The Canadian defender combined with Morgan Guilavogui, who carried the ball into the left side of the penalty area, then slipped it through a defender’s legs and across the face of goal for Solans to tap home.

It was the sort of attacking sequence Mastroeni has been seeking, with aggression from the back line creating opportunities for the players ahead of it.

“He’s a right side center back, and he’s receiving the ball in the box on the left side,” Mastroeni said of de Fougerolles’ penchant for popping up in unexpected attacking positions. “The last thing I wanna do is put up an electric fence on a guy that’s driving this group on both sides of the ball with his mentality.”

For Solans, the finish was the easy part.

“The first one I remember, Luc, massive intervention and going forward and then passing to Morgan,” Solans said. “And then of course, the quality that he has, I only have to put the foot in there.”

Ostrák sees red

De Fougerolles had already drawn a yellow card from Ostrák in the 29th minute when the St. Louis midfielder brought him down after falling victim to the centerback’s fancy footwork.

In the 43rd, de Fougerolles twisted and turned near the touchline, leaving Ostrák chasing shadows and falling to the deck. The midfielder jumped back up and clattered into de Fougerolles after he’d already passed the ball, earning a second yellow from referee Drew Fischer.

The dismissal sparked a confrontation before order was restored. Players from both sides bumped chests and shouted at each other, and RSL assistant coach Jamal Campbell-Ryce was yellow carded amidst the commotion, but Fischer meted out no further punishment to players. 

Noel Caliskan arrived to play peacemaker, putting an arm around Ostrák’s shoulder as he tried to defuse the confrontation. The two midfielders were teammates nearly a decade ago in the 1. FC Köln youth academy in Germany.

RSL went to the locker room up a goal and up a man at halftime, but Mastroeni cautioned his players against chasing a second goal at the expense of their organization.

“I didn’t want the game to get stretched because we were trying to get that second goal,” he said. “I wanted to be organized, and the guys executed wonderfully.”

Marczuk kills the spiders

RSL wasted little time extending its advantage after the restart.

Lundt denied Marczuk’s left-footed effort in the 52nd minute, but the ensuing clearance only delayed the inevitable.

De Fougerolles collected the ball and found Marczuk outside the penalty area. The Polish winger uncorked a swerving, right-footed rocket from roughly 25 yards, burying it in the upper near corner in the 53rd minute.

Marczuk celebrated with his teammates before turning towards the stands with his fingers in his ears and eyes closed.

Mastroeni praised the winger’s defensive contributions over recent matches, but acknowledged the attacking reward was special.

“He’s doing a great job of just staying in there,” Mastroeni said. “And now he gets to celebrate what could be one of the best goals of the season.”

Six minutes later, RSL struck again.

Guilavogui, operating centrally, picked out Saba Lobjanidze racing down the right channel. The Georgian bent a cross behind the St. Louis defense, where Solans arrived to bag his second goal of the night.

“The same great pass from Morgan. Saba, like a crazy cross, and easy goal for me,” Solans said.

The brace brought Solans to 14 league goals in his rookie MLS season.

A familiar face returns

With RSL leading 3-0, Justen Glad replaced Philip Quinton in the 60th minute, making his first competitive appearance in five months.

The veteran defender received a warm reception from the home crowd and helped see out the clean sheet.

“I was kind of smoking a cigar back there at the end,” Glad joked. “In terms of games to come back, that was about as well as it could have gone.”

Play was halted for several minutes in the 83rd minute following reports of an offensive fan chant, prompting a warning over the PA system and on the stadium video board. Mastroeni said he was given no further details.

The victory gave RSL 10 points from its last five matches and a second consecutive win as it prepares for road trips to Austin and San Jose.

“We’ve got to win out,” Mastroeni said. “I’ll back this group to be able to put their best foot forward, really against anyone given the way we’re playing and the mentality that the group has.”