Recap: Sporting's five-game road trip ends with 2-0 defeat at Real Salt Lake

Sporting Kansas City (4-6-7, 11th place) concluded a five-game road trip in the month of June with a 2-0 loss to Real Salt Lake (7-8-2, 8th place) at Rio Tinto Stadium on Saturday. Liberian international Sam Johnson's first-half brace lifted the hosts to their third straight home win as both teams - who met in last year's Western Conference Semifinals -- reach the halfway-point of the regular season on the outside of the playoff race.

With the game time temperature at 89 degrees and playing at 4,500 feet above sea level, Sporting opened on the front foot with Daniel Salloi firing the game's first shot just 45 seconds after the opening whistle. Felipe Gutierrez tested Nick Rimando six minutes later with a dipping left-footed shot from 30 yards out that Rimando dove to his right to keep out.

However, it was Real Salt Lake that struck first by capitalizing on the team's only corner kick of the match in the 15th minute. Albert Rusnak's service was volleyed back into the mix by Damir Kreilach and flicked toward the goalmouth by Kyle Beckerman, setting up Johnson for a simple finish from close range.

Johnson would then score his second of the night and double Real Salt Lake's lead in the 29th minute with the final touch of a three-on-one counter attack that began at midfield and culminated with the Designated Player burying his team-leading seventh goal of the season.

Sporting, playing without Designated Player Johnny Russell due to injury, came close to cutting the 2-0 deficit in half on the cusp of halftime only to see Gerso Fernandes' left-footed effort carry inches wide of the post in the 42nd minute.

The uphill climb facing Sporting in the second half would have been steeper if not for superb saves from Tim Melia on three separate occasions. The former MLS Goalkeeper of the Year first got a glove to turn away Rusnak's sizzling volley less than a minute after play resumed, then made a point-blank kick save to deny second-half substitute Brooks Lennon in the 73rd minute. Finally, in the 80th minute, Melia reacted quickly to prevent an own goal from Matt Besler after the Sporting captain deflected a cross coming in from the right flank.

On the opposite end, Salloi recorded Sporting's first three shots of the second half. Seeking his first goal of the season after winning the team's Golden Boot award in 2018, the 22-year-old Homegrown Player had shots blocked and saved in back-to-back minutes early in the half, then sent a left-footed attempt narrowly wide of the post in the 83rd minute.

Sporting Kansas City will now face a quick turnaround with a long-awaited return to Children’s Mercy Park on Wednesday for a highly anticipated showdown with MLS Supporters’ Shield leaders LAFC. Tickets are available at SeatGeek.com, including a limited-time Americana ticket package for $45 that features a South Stand ticket, an all-inclusive food and drink pregame tailgate, and access to the pitch for the postgame fireworks show.

2019 MLS Regular Season
Game 17 of 34
Rio Tinto Stadium | Sandy, Utah
Attendance: 18,933
Weather: 89 degrees and partly cloudy

Sporting Kansas City: Tim Melia; Nicolas Hasler, Botond Barath (Andreu Fontas 62'), Matt Besler (C), Seth Sinovic; Ilie Sanchez (Benny Feilhaber 71'), Felipe Gutierrez,Gedion Zelalem; Gerso Fernandes, Krisztian Nemeth (Yohan Croizet 46'), Daniel Salloi
Subs Not Used: Adrian Zendejas, Kelyn Rowe, Graham Smith, Wan Kuzain Wan Kamal
Real Salt Lake: Nick Rimando; Aaron Herrera, Justen Glad, Nedum Onuoha, Donny Toia; Kyle Beckerman (C), Everton Luiz, Albert Rusnak (Tate Schmitt 91+), Damir Kreilach, Sebastian Saucedo (Brooks Lennon 61'); Sam Johnson (Corey Baird 67')
Subs Not Used: Andrew Putna, Marcelo Silva, Nick Besler, Joao Plata

Scoring Summary:
RSL - Sam Johnson 6 (Kyle Beckerman 1, Damir Kreilach 2) 15'
RSL - Sam Johnson 7 (Damir Kreilach 3, Albert Rusnak 3) 29' 

Misconduct Summary:
SKC - Ilie Sanchez (caution; unsporting behavior) 38'
RSL - Kyle Beckerman (caution; persistent infringement) 47+
SKC - Benny Feilhaber (caution; illegal entry) 66'
RSL - Everton Luiz (caution; unsporting behavior) 92+

Referee: Nima Saghafi
Assistant Referee: Ian Anderson
Assistant Referee: T.J. Zablocki
Fourth Official: Kevin Broadley
VAR: Alejandro Mariscal
AVAR: Craig Lowry