Real Salt Lake score first for once, defeat Earthquakes

Jasper Loffelsend, Jefferson Savarino, and Andres Gomez each tallied a goal to lift Real Salt Lake to a 3-1 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes in Sandy, Utah, on Saturday night.

Salt Lake (3-5-0, 9 points) never trailed while notching its second straight victory at home. RSL has totaled six goals in those matches.

San Jose (4-3-2, 14 points) came up short in securing its first road win of the season. The Earthquakes have tallied just one point in four road matches.

Salt Lake pressed the attack throughout the first half, and it paid off just before halftime. The Utah club had a 7-1 advantage in total shots during the first 45 minutes and put three balls on frame.

RSL finally broke through in the 39th minute on Loffelsend's goal. Danny Musovski laid the ball off to him as he streaked toward the goal. Loffelsend blasted a right-footer from the right side of the box, bouncing the ball off the underside of the crossbar and into the net.

It marked the first time in eight matches this season that Salt Lake scored the game's first goal.

San Jose found an equalizer in the 49th minute on Cristian Espinoza's sixth goal of the season. Espinoza angled a free kick past a two-man wall toward the left post. Rubio Rubin slid over to try to poke the shot away but could not get his foot on the ball before it crossed the line.

Savarino put RSL back in front in the 54th minute. He split two defenders and blasted the ball from outside the box to give Salt Lake a 2-1 lead.

Gomez added an insurance goal in the 80th minute. He curled the ball into the far post from outside the top of the box. Gomez's shot pinged off the post and found the back of the net.

--Field Level Media