Anders Dreyer scored the tiebreaking goal in the first minute of second-half stoppage time and San Diego FC remained unbeaten with a 3-1 victory over Real Salt Lake on Saturday night at Sandy, Utah.
Marcus Ingvartsen added an insurance goal five minutes later and Franco Negri scored late in the first half for expansion San Diego FC (2-0-1, 7 points). Dreyer has scored three goals in three matches.
Ariath Piol scored for Real Salt Lake (1-2-0, 3 points), which had an early lead before succumbing.
San Diego FC played without star Chucky Lozano, who injured his left hamstring during last week’s home match against St. Louis City.
The winning goal was set up by Willy Kumado, who maneuvered around a defender on the right side before sending a cross toward the net.
The ball caromed off Ingvartsen and right toward the charging Dreyer, who delivered a hard left-footed bouncer that Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Rafael Cabral couldn’t react to as it went by him into the net.
Five minutes later, Ingvartsen sent a short left-footer past Cabral to provide insurance.
Both Cabral and San Diego counterpart CJ Dos Santos recorded five saves.
San Diego had a 16-14 edge in shots and placed eight on target to RSL’s six.
Real Salt Lake struck in the 17th minute when Dominik Marczuk chested down a long pass and then slid the ball over to Piol, who sent a right-footed shot into the left corner of the net.
Marczuk had a big chance to tack on a goal of his own but sent a left-footed shot just wide of the net in the 31st minute.
San Diego picked up the pace and Cabral was called on to make saves on a left-footer by Dreyer in the 36th minute and a close-range right-footer from Tomas Angel in the 40th minute.
San Diego knotted the score in the 43rd minute when Angel sent a pass to Negri, who headed the ball past Cabral into the left corner of the net.
Salt Lake had a huge opportunity in the 69th minute when Diogo Goncalves got behind the San Diego defense. Santos came out to cut down space and Goncalves fired a right-footed shot that was just wide right.
In the 86th minute, Ingvartsen was in close, but Cabral made a kick save of his right-footed shot.
–Field Level Media
