Real Salt Lake hand Union rare loss at home

Updated: Apr 28, 2024, 04:20 am

Defender Alexandros Katranis scored a stunning goal from outside the box in the 89th minute to propel Real Salt Lake to a 2-1 win over the host Philadelphia Union on Saturday in Chester, Pa.

RSL (5-2-3, 18 points) improved to 4-0-2 in their past six matches while ending the Union's run as the last unbeaten team in MLS. Philadelphia had not lost a regular-season match at home since March 25, 2023.

Andres Gomez also scored for Salt Lake, while Zac MacMath made five saves.

With time winding down, Braian Ojeda won a free kick for RSL within range of the net. His offering was headed away by a Philadelphia defender, but the ball went straight to Katranis, who rocketed a left-footed shot to the far side of the net that evaded Andre Blake's dive left.

It was Katranis' second goal in his first season in the league.

Daniel Gazdag scored for the Union (3-1-4, 13 points), while Blake made two saves. The Union lost despite outshooting RSL 15-9.

Jack McGlynn took an open shot on goal for the Union in the 33rd minute, but his ball hit teammate Alejandro Bedoya, who was called for offside anyway.

RSL capitalized on the ensuing sequence. Cristian Arango got a friendly bounce to surpass a defender and passed ahead to Gomez, who hit a right-footed shot toward the lower-right corner in the 34th minute. Blake parried it into the air, but it dropped behind him just past the goal line.

It marked Gomez's fourth goal of the year and his second in as many matches. Arango was credited with his MLS-leading seventh assist.

The Union equalized with an eye-catching goal in the 50th minute. A sequence in and around the box got the ball to Gazdag, but it ricocheted off his knee and out to the left side. Quinn Sullivan passed it back to the center for Gazdag, who back-heeled it past MacMath for his fifth goal of the year and his fourth in five matches.

Shortly after Mikkel Uhre subbed in for Sullivan in the 72nd, the Union made a nice challenge but came up wanting. McGlynn and Nathan Harriel executed a give-and-go with Harriel receiving a perfect through ball between defenders. But Harriel's pass to Uhre in front of the net went through his legs and out of play.

Jose Martinez tried a long-range shot for Philadelphia in the 84th minute but MacMath easily corralled it.

--Field Level Media