Forster Ajago scored and Real Salt Lake was the recipient of an early own goal in a 2-0 MLS victory against the Seattle Sounders on Saturday afternoon in Sandy, Utah.

Ajago scored the clinching goal in the 79th minute. He took a goal kick from goalkeeper Rafael Cabral at midfield and played a give-and-go with Diogo Goncalves, sending Ajago on a breakaway. Ajago dribbled to the top of the penalty area and put a low, left-footed shot past charging Seattle goalie Stefan Frei and just inside the left post.

Cabral made three saves for RSL (1-1-0, 3 points) in keeping the clean sheet.

The Sounders (0-1-1, 1 point), who had two goals denied by offside calls, dropped to 1-13-4 at America First Field and have failed to score in their past six trips to Utah.

The Sounders appeared to take the lead in the sixth minute, as Georgi Minoungou headed the ball into the net after Albert Rusnak’s corner kick from the left wing was flicked on by Jordan Morris to the far post. But the assistant referee immediately raised his flag to call the play offside.

RSL opened the scoring two minutes later on an own goal. A seemingly innocent cross by Alexandros Katranis from the left wing took one bounce in the penalty area, with Frei coming off his line to catch the ball. But defender Nouhou Tolo apparently didn’t hear Frei call for the ball and headed it back to the spot the goalie previously occupied and into an open net.

Ariath Piol nearly put RSL up 2-0 in the 23rd minute but he redirected a pass just over the crossbar.

Cabral prevented a tying goal in the 37th minute, making a diving save on a shot by Seattle’s Obed Vargas.

Frei’s biggest save of the half was a diving stop on Javain Brown’s header off a corner kick in stoppage time.

Rusnak, who previously played for RSL, put the ball in the net in the 60th minute off a pass from Morris, but it was ruled Morris was offside when he received the ball.

–Field Level Media