Late strikes help RSL beat NYCFC
Albert Rusnak blasted in a long goal in the 75th minute to break a 1-1 tie and Nick Rimando had six saves as Real Salt Lake rallied for a 3-1 victory over New York City FC on Saturday night in Sandy, Utah.
Jefferson Savarino and Nick Besler also scored for RSL (10-9-4, 34 points), which moved into sixth place in the Western Conference with the win while also improving to 6-0-1 in its last seven home contests.
Alexander Ring scored for NYCFC (9-4-8, 35 points), which had a two-game winning streak snapped. Sean Johnson had one save for the Cityzens.
NYCFC, which rested All-Star midfielder and top assists man Maxi Moralez, took a 1-0 lead in the fourth minute on Ring's fourth goal of the season, a left-footed shot from the top of the box that went inside the right post.
Savarino, who earlier failed to convert a one-on-one try from the middle of the box when he fired his shot wide, tied it in the 37th minute with his sixth goal of the season. The score, a left-footed strike from just outside the left edge of the six-yard box, came off a nice lead pass from Kyle Beckerman, who finished with two assists.
Johnson stopped Savarino on another one-on-one try in the 69th minute before Rusnak gave RSL a 2-1 lead six minutes later, curling a shot from five yards outside the left edge of the penalty box past a diving Johnson and inside the left post for the game-winner.
Besler then sealed the win for Real Salt Lake in the 88th minute with a nifty back-heal deflection near the right post off a Savarino shot. It was the first goal of the season and second of his career for the midfielder who left the contest a few minutes later with an eye injury.
RSL has now won four of the five meetings in history with New York City FC.
--Field Level Media
