SANDY, Utah (ABC4 Sports) – Real Salt Lake simply has no answer for LAFC.
RSL lost to the defending MLS Cup champions for the 11th time in 12 regular season matches with a dominating 3-0 victory Saturday night at America First Field.
First half goals from Kwadwo Opoku and Denis Bouanga propelled LAFC to its fourth straight regular season road win and seventh consecutive victory overall in the series.
LAFC (6-1-3, 21 points) converted on three of the four shots it put on goals. Overall, they rank second among Western Conference teams in scoring with 20 goals through 10 matches.
Real Salt Lake (3-6-2, 11 points) posted clean sheets in its previous two matches but it has not scored a goal in its last three.
Five different players generated a shot on goal for RSL, but none were able to finish those chances. Rubio Rubin led the way, generating five total shots before halftime. All of his attempts were off-target or blocked.
Los Angeles got on the board in the eighth minute with Opoku’s goal, which snapped Salt Lake’s streak of going 229 minutes without allowing a goal. Opoku settled a long through ball from Ilie Sanchez, beating a pair of RSL defenders to the punch, and blasted the ball into the top right corner after crossing into the box.
Bouanga doubled up LAFC’s lead in the 35th minute with his ninth goal of the season. Carlos Vela fed the ball to him outside the top of the box. Bouanga unleashed a rocket and buried a left-footed shot in the top right corner like Opoku did earlier in the half.
Mateusz Bogusz added an insurance goal by converting a penalty kick in the 87th minute.
Real Salt Lake’s lone regular season win over Los Angeles came back in 2020.
RSL next plays at Portland on Wednesday night.
