Real Salt Lake Plays To Scoreless Draw Against Columbus Crew

Apr 13, 2024, 9:43 PM | Updated: Apr 14, 2024, 3:18 am

(Photo courtesy of Real Salt Lake)

KSL Sports

SALT LAKE CITY – Neither Real Salt Lake nor the Columbus Crew could get on the board at America First Field on Saturday.

RSL finished with 16 shots with eight on goal but couldn’t find the back of the net. Columbus had to sub in their backup goalkeeper due to an injury but the Crew still managed to put up eight saves.

points shared#RSLvCLB | @SelectHealth pic.twitter.com/PLF7sB0QDc

— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) April 14, 2024

First Half

Real Salt Lake came out of the gates aggressively with eyes on an early advantage.

Chicho Arango, coming off of four goals in the last two matches, took the first shot of the game in the 2nd minute.

The Crew put together a strong counterattack just after Arango’s attempt.

A great cross found the head of Columbus defender Will Sands but Zac MacMath was able to make the jumping save.

In the 7th minute, Real went back on the attack. Diego Luna found Arango who sent a through ball to Matt Crooks in the center of the box.

Crooks had to slide to reach the pass and nearly got there before the Crew sent it back toward midfield.

#RSL showing a lot of promise here early.

The ball is moving well and they have generated some decent scoring looks as a result. MacMath also made a jumping save on a header from inside the box.

12′#RSLvCLB #MLS pic.twitter.com/UhUHNh3mv6

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) April 14, 2024

In the 12th minute, MacMath sent a deep ball down the pitch to Andres Gomez who had an opening. After evading the trailing defender, Gomez sent a shot towards goal but missed to the left.

Crooks was shown a yellow card for a foul in the 13th minute.

A few minutes later, Gomez jumped the ball in the Columbus backfield and had nothing but green in front of him. He opted to pass to Arango in the center of the field but the cross was a bit slow and the Crew’s goalkeeper was able to make the stop.

RSL had another great scoring opportunity in the 20th minute.

Emeka Eneli got the ball down the left side and sent a cross towards the middle that was deflected into the goalkeeper’s hands.

A Columbus yellow card in the 23rd minute gave Real another look at goal. The free kick made its way to Arango whose header attempt was saved near the top of the goal.

Lots of action but no goals through the first 25.

Despite the deficit in time of possession, #RSL continues to create excellent scoring looks. Four shots (3 on goal) for the home side so far.#RSLvCLB #MLS pic.twitter.com/m5aPFRLXmK

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) April 14, 2024

Once again, America First Field rose in anticipation as Real Salt Lake nearly took a first-half lead.

Crooks found Gomez on the right side. The pass was a bit strong but Gomez was able to send a cross in front of the goal just before the ball passed over the baseline.

The cross was deflected and bounced off the right post to the middle of the six-yard box. Luna was there for a header attempt but a Crew defender got to it first.

Columbus goalkeeper Evan Bush was shaken up after the play and had to walk off the pitch.

Forward Jacen Russell-Rowe had the best look of the first half for Columbus in the 40th minute. He sent a rocket toward the center of the goal from the top left corner of the box. MacMath got in front of the shot and made his third save of the match.

In the 44th minute, Arango found Crooks streaking down the right side. Crooks had another great pass to Gomez in the middle but it slipped past him and went out of bounds.

Eight minutes of stoppage time was added to the first half.

hittin’ the half in eight minutes pic.twitter.com/SGf52nnnEE

— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) April 14, 2024

Neither Columbus nor RSL made much leeway with the extra time.

The teams went into the break still tied at 0.

Second Half

Real Salt Lake’s first scoring look of the second half came in the 49th minute.

Brayan Vera lobbed a deep pass to a streaking Arango. After the first bounce, Arango attempted to beat the goalie with a header but Nicholas Hagen was still able to get his hands on it.

Play was stopped for the next few minutes due to an injury.

In the 56th minute, Braian Ojeda tapped the ball over the head of the Columbus defender and went for a left-footed shot. It was on target on the right side of goal but Hagen made another save.

Brayan Vera was shown a yellow card for a foul in the 57th minute.

After conceding the Columbus attack, Luna sent a pass from midfield to the right corner. Gomez was able to get to the ball and found Arango in the middle. Arango went up for the header but missed to the right.

Columbus’ Aidan Morris sent a shot toward the left post from the right side but MacMath made the diving save.

On the other end, Gomez loaded up and fired a heater towards the center of the goal. Once again, Columbus made the save.

Second half playing out very similarly to the first.

Lots of scoring looks from both sides but none resulting in goals.
Five #RSL players with yellows currently. Need a breakthrough soon.#RSLvCLB #MLS

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) April 14, 2024

Arango was shown a yellow card for a foul in the 64th minute.

Columbus made four substitutions and RSL followed suit with two of their own.

Luna and Crooks subbed out in the 71st minute for Fidel Barajas and Anderson Julio.

Barajas nearly scored his first MLS goal in the 76th minute. Off a through pass from Eneli, Barajas used his left foot from the left side but Hagen made yet another save.

Arango took his sixth shot of the match in the 80th minute but it floated way over the goal.

Justen Glad, Vera, and MacMath combined for an excellent defensive stop on a Columbus breakaway just after Arango’s miss.

In the 84th minute, RSL almost got the break it was looking for. Columbus was called for a foul in the box but the replay showed that Julio was offside prior to the foul.

Anderson Julio called offside on what could’ve led to a winning PK. #RSL pic.twitter.com/rZBm5KFOd8

— RSL Show on KSL (@rslshow) April 14, 2024

Seven minutes of stoppage time was added to the second half.

In the 91st minute, Andrew Brody subbed out for Bode Hidalgo.

Neither side could make a last-minute statement and the match ended in a scoreless draw.

How To Watch Real Salt Lake

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All Real Salt Lake English-language radio coverage for the 2024 season and beyond will be carried on various KSL radio signals. KSL Sports Zone (97.5 FM/1280 AM) and KSL Newsradio (102.7 FM / 1160 AM) are both stations under the Bonneville International umbrella.

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Chandler Holt is a co-host for the Jazz Notes podcast and a Digital Sports Producer for KSLSports.com, specializing in all things basketball and football. Follow Chandler on Twitter @ChandlerHoltKSL or on Threads @chandlerho1t.