RSL extends MLS unbeaten streak to 9 with 2-0 shutout over Seattle

SANDY — Real Salt Lake has now gone over two months in MLS play without losing a game, as the Claret and Cobalt cemented their spot at the top of the Western Conference.

Andres Gomez and Diego Luna were the heroes Wednesday in a 2-0 win over the Seattle Sounders at America First Field, scoring almost mirror-image goals in each half to open up a 4-point gap over Minnesota at the top of the conference standings.

"All the credit goes to the guys that are really playing some great stuff and, more importantly, just the cohesiveness, the camaraderie within the group," head coach Pablo Mastroeni said. "It's a real pleasure to work with these guys, and to be a part of the group. I think, for us, the biggest challenge isn't our opponents, it's us, to be better than we were the game before."

Gavin Beavers got his third MLS start of the season and his second straight shutout as RSL flipped the script from last season and, once again, established home-field advantage in Sandy.

Gomez got his fifth goal of the season in the 27th minute on a picture-perfect counterattack from RSL that went through Luna and Matt Crooks for a clinical finish from the 21-year-old Colombian winger.

Luna got a goal of his own almost exactly 30 minutes later as Brayan Vera lead another counter and the U.S. national team hopeful buried his second score of the season to seal the win in the 58th minute.

The win marked the fifth shutout of the season for RSL and helped the team to a +11 in goal differential, trailing just Inter Miami in MLS play at +15.

"What this group is growing is a hard mindset," Mastroeni said. "I think every game presents different challenges: sometimes coming from behind, sometimes holding the lead. What really excited me about this game was in the 85th minute they had the ball in our defensive third and we pressed out of that shape."

Mastroeni said the team is working to "make AFF a fortress" to play in and added that scoring first and playing solid defensively will put them in a position to do that.

The Claret and Cobalt stay at home to take on Rocky Mountain rival Colorado Rapids on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. MDT at AFF.

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