The game in 100 words (or less): Look away, FC Dallas fans, because your six-week slide (winless in nine games, including five losses) has finally cost you one of the Western Conference’s top six places. If the season ended, and the playoffs started, today, the current Supporters’ Shield holders wouldn’t even be competing in the postseason. Currently taking their place, following Saturday’s 2-1 win over the second-place Portland Timbers, would be Real Salt Lake. With four wins from their last six games, Mike Petke’s team has settled on a system (4-2-3-1) and a lineup (Kyle Beckerman, flanked by Luke Mulholland, deep in midfield; Joao Plata and Jefferson Savarino either side of Albert Rusnak, the no. 10, and Luis Silva the lone striker leading the line) that’s picking up results and vaulting RSL up the standings on a weekly basis. Rusnak and Savarino (assisted by Rusnak) bagged the goals for RSL, nullifying Diego Valeri’s second-half equalizer, his eighth straight game with a goal scored to set a new MLS record.
[ MORE: MLS weekend preview — TFC’s Shield chase continues in LA ]
Three moments that mattered
14' — Rusnak takes it himself, hammers home for 1-0 — Someone should probably consider stepping up to Rusnak, at some point, any point. Anybody.
14' - Albert puts away the break away goal from distance pic.twitter.com/BhLhF6NUd1
— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) September 17, 2017
47' — Valeri heads his way into the record book — Of all 55 of Valeri’s regular-season goals, probably only two or three have been scored with his head, so of course he scores a record-breaking goal with his head.
The moment when #8 scored in his 8th straight match.
— Portland Timbers (@TimbersFC) September 17, 2017
Congrats on making history, @DiegoDv8. 💚 #RCTID pic.twitter.com/7FpB5RhupH
61' — Savarino sticks it upper-90 with authority — It’d be tough to hit one any more upper-90 than this one.
Pick. That. Out.
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) September 17, 2017
What a goal for @RealSaltLake. #RSLvPOR https://t.co/nYTGd3AiKn
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Man of the match: Albert Rusnak
Goalscorers: Rusnak (14'), Valeri (47'), Savarino (61')