Real Salt Lake beat St. Louis City SC 3-2 on Saturday night in Sandy to extend its unbeaten steak to three games, but the win did not come easily.
RSL (6-10-4) twice took a two-goal lead, only to see St. Louis (3-12-6) score each time to keep the result in doubt.
Midfielder Diogo Gonçalves led Real Salt Lake to the win, scoring in the 43rd minute for a 2-0 lead, and later firing a pass that resulted in an own goal and gave RSL a 3-1 advantage. After his first-half goal, Gonçalves paid tribute to fellow Portuguese player Diogo Jota, who died in a car crash on Thursday.
Gonçalves’ goal in the 43rd minute — his second of the season — was assisted by William Agada and Justen Glad.
Midfielder Noel Caliskan scored in the sixth minute for his first Major League Soccer goal to give RSL a 1-0 lead.
With RSL leading 2-0, St. Louis’ João Klauss scored in the 51st minute with an assist from Marcel Hartel to make it 2-1.
In the 64th minute, Gonçalves fired a pass across the front of the goal, and St. Louis defender Josh Yaro knocked it into the net for an own goal, stretching RSL’s lead to 3-1.
Yaro scored for his own team in the 81st minute to cut the St. Louis’ deficit to 3-2, but RSL held on for the win.
St. Louis had a 17-15 edge in shots in the game, while both teams had six shots on goal.
RSL goalkeeper Rafael Cabral and his St. Louis counterpart, Roman Bürki, each had four saves.
RSL played without All-Star midfielder Diego Luna, who is with the U.S. men’s national team in the CONCACAF Gold Cup tournament.
The game began a stretch where RSL will play seven of eight matches at America First Field.
RSL is scheduled to return to action Saturday, July 12, at home against the Houston Dynamo (7:30 p.m., Apple TV).
