Diego Luna Gives Real Salt Lake 3 Points In Road Rock Fight With San Jose
Oct 5, 2024, 10:35 PM | Updated: 10:37 pm
RSL forward Diego Luna (Courtesy of Real Salt Lake)
(Courtesy of Real Salt Lake)
SAN JOSE, California – Real Salt Lake clinches a top-four seed in the upcoming MLS playoffs after a 1-0 road win against San Jose. Diego Luna scored the only goal of the match, while Zac MacMath earned a clean sheet on the back end.
The Earthquakes hosted Real Salt Lake at PayPal Park in each team’s penultimate 2024 MLS game.
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In similar fashion to last season, Diego Luna shows up when @realsaltlake needs him most. Scores a golazo to put the visitors up 1-0 #RSL | @kslsports pic.twitter.com/E8wTuZcMs3
— RSL Show on KSL 🎙️⚡️ (@rslshow) October 6, 2024
First Half
RSL came up empty in a couple of early scoring chances. With Chicho Arango not in the starting 11, Diego Luna used the opportunity to blast a ball from in close that San Jose keeper Daniel stopped.
Rotations in the line up at San Jose.
Julio, Luna, Palacio, Katranis, Brown get the starting nod. Quinton at CB with a suspended Vera.#RSL | @kslsports https://t.co/6ejPN5cRUq
— RSL Show on KSL 🎙️⚡️ (@rslshow) October 6, 2024
Real controlled the action, but neither team could break through in the first 25 minutes.
The Earthquakes’ first real scoring chance came in the 26th minute, but poor footing gave possession back to RSL.
With Real in control of possession, the visitors piled up eight corners in the opening half but couldn’t capitalize on the set pieces.
Not bad. But not good. Pretty much sums up the first half#RSL
— RSL Show on KSL 🎙️⚡️ (@rslshow) October 6, 2024
The half went scoreless.
Second Half
Anderson Julio earned RSL’s second yellow of the match after a bad foul in the 53rd minute. Chicho immediately entered for Julio as the first substitute of the night.
Moments later, an offside wiped away a Chicho goal and kept the game scoreless.
Chicho goal but it’s offsides 😫#RSL
— RSL Show on KSL 🎙️⚡️ (@rslshow) October 6, 2024
San Jose took advantage of a long build to earn its first corner of the match in the 61st minute. Back-to-back corners provided every opportunity, but the Earthquakes came up empty on their best chance of the night.
Marczuk set up a trailing Chicho in the 65th minute, but Daniel elevated enough to punch the ball away.
Matt Crooks and Emeka Eneli checked in in the 71st minute.
Following chance after chance through 70+ minutes, Diego Luna finally found the angle before pinging a ball off the post for his eighth goal of the season. RSL led 1-0 in the 78th minute.
GOLAZOOOOOOO WOW
DIEGO LUNA MAKES IT 1-0 #RSL | @kslsports— RSL Show on KSL 🎙️⚡️ (@rslshow) October 6, 2024
A last-gasp scoring chance for San Jose ended when MacMath stopped a shot from in close in the 90th minute.
Massive massive massive +3 on the road #RSL | @kslsports
— RSL Show on KSL 🎙️⚡️ (@rslshow) October 6, 2024
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How To Watch Real Salt Lake
RSL returns to America First Field on Saturday, October 19. The Claret & Cobalt close the 2024 regular season with a 7 p.m. MT kickoff against the Vancouver Whitecaps.
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.
For more Real Salt Lake coverage and analysis, subscribe to The RSL Show and follow them on Instagram.
You can find KSL Sports coverage of Real Salt Lake here.
