Diego Luna scored two goals, Sam Junqua added one, and Real Salt Lake defeated host San Diego FC 3-1 on Saturday in a Major League Soccer game.
Luna opened the scoring one minute into first-half stoppage time, stealing the ball, getting into the box, and then drilling it between two defenders for the goal.
San Diego responded five minutes later with a penalty kick from Hirving “Chucky” Lozano to tie the game 1-1 at halftime.
In the 54th minute, Luna put RSL back in front with a penalty kick.
“I don’t think we can talk about Diego ‘developing’ anymore. He’s the guy,” RSL coach Pablo Mastroeni said. “He’s the guy that plays with a chip on his shoulder. I feel like he’s one of our best defenders, and he plays on the front line. He’s obviously the guy that’s putting the ball in the back of the net. He’s doing it all for our group, man.
“It’s really unusual for a player of his age to to kind of carry that type of burden for a group. But his shoulders are broad and his heart is big, man. He was beyond excellent. He was a man tonight.”
Junqua, a veteran defender in his first season with RSL, scored his first goal for the team, putting RSL in front 3-1 in the 66th minute.
“Sam has been an unbelievable addition to the group,” Mastroeni said. “We brought him in because he can play multiple positions and he’s just an absolute gem of a teammate. Does whatever the team needs. He always has an eye for goal. … And when you have your center back burying a shot like that, it opens up the door for just future success.”
Luna would have missed the game after picking up a red card against Toronto last week, but the Independent Review Panel — consisting of one representative from the U.S. Soccer Federation, one representative from the Canadian Soccer Association and one representative nominated by the Professional Referee Organization — rescinded the red card and one-game suspension on Tuesday.
Luna leads RSL with five goals this season.
Real Salt Lake’s Pablo Mastroeni earned his 100th career coaching win as RSL improved to 4-6-0 on the season.
Expansion team San Diego FC fell to 4-4-2.
San Diego had an 18-11 advantage in shots in the game, including a 7-5 edge in shots on goal.
RSL goalkeeper Rafael Cabral made six saves to earn the win.
“Defensively, as a whole, I think we did,” Junqua said. “Comparing and contrasting it to the game that we played at home against San Diego ... and they were breaking us down too easily. I think that collectively we were organized and I think disciplined with our defense tonight.”
Real Salt Lake will return to action Saturday, May 3, at Vancouver (7:30 p.m. MDT, Apple TV).
