SANDY, Utah – Real Salt Lake sent their former boss packing with the comprehensive victory they’ve been searching for.
John Stertzer’s first MLS goal and a second-half header from Alvaro Saborio sent RSL to a 2-0 victory Saturday night over New York City FC and manager Jason Kreis, who was making his return to Rio Tinto Stadium after starring for RSL as a player (2005-2007) and then as head coach (2007-2013) before taking the reigns of the expansion club at the end of the 2013 season.
RSL switched back to their tried-and-true diamond formation, and it paid off as the Claret-and-Cobalt put six of their 12 shots on frame to bounce back from their ugly 4-1 loss last weekend to the Montreal Impact. The win puts RSL into a four-team tie for fourth place in the Western Conference with 17 points from 12 games.
New York City FC’s dreadful stretch, meanwhile, continues as they are now winless in their last 10 matches, leaving them at the basement of the Eastern Conference with seven points from 12 matches.
The opening goal came from Stertzer just 25 minutes into the match.
It all started when Kyle Beckerman got a touch to a pass, deflecting it toward the top of the box where Devon Sandoval was waiting. Sandoval nodded down a perfect pass into space where Stertzer was able to run onto it. The Maryland product curled a left-footed shot past NYCFC goalkeeper Josh Saunders and into the back of the net for his first professional goal in his third season.
The second half didn’t provide much in the way of relief for New York City, either. Four minutes after the break, RSL would double the lead.
Midfielder Luke Mulholland received a long pass from Jamison Olave far out on the wing and immediately got his head up and whipped in a beautiful ball right to the top of the six-yard box. Saborio was sandwiched between two defenders, but still was able to get his head to it, and Saunders could do nothing as it bundled off the goalkeeper and into the back of the net.
New York City FC nearly made things interesting in the 66th minute when Spanish striker David Villa skipped a pass from the middle of the box through several defenders to a wide-open Andrew Jacobson on the right corner. But Jacobson’s right-footed shot skimmed just wide of the far post.
In the end, RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando had a quiet night, forced into just one save on NYCFC’s 12 shots.
RSL nearly had a third in the 83rd minute when second-half substitute Javier Morales played a perfectly weighted through ball to Mulholland to put him one-on-one with Saunders. But Mulholland’s shot just missed the mark, rolling wide.
RSL have a quick turnaround for their next game, Wednesday at LA Galaxy (10:30 pm ET, MLS LIVE). NYCFC return home to play host to the Houston Dynamo in their next game Saturday (7 pm ET, MLS LIVE).
