Match Recap - Real Salt Lake 3-1 New York City FC

New York City FC traveled to Rio Tinto Stadium to take on Real Salt Lake, as they looked to continue climbing up the Eastern Conference table after wins over Colorado and Sporting Kansas City. 

Coming into the night Dome Torrent made three changes to his starting lineup. Maxi Moralez and Alex Callens were both resting for tonight’s match so Valentin Castellanos and Ben Sweat took over their respective roles. 

Ebenezer Ofori also found himself back in the Starting XI in place of Keaton Parks, who started the night off on the bench. 

As the Road Blues looked to bring home all three points they kicked the night off aggressively, working the ball through the lines, and threatening in the RSL final third. 

Alex Ring, who recorded two assists and a goal last week against Sporting Kansas City, continued to show why they call him The Ringleader. With the help of Anton Tinnerholm, Ring found the back of the net in the fourth minute.

The Ringleader received the ball with his back towards Nick Rimando, taking a touch and hammering the ball past the ‘keeper to take the lead, 1-0. 

In the 36th minute, the home team responded by scoring a goal of their own to level the score, 1-1, thanks to Jefferson Savarino's emphatic strike. 

With another 45 to play, the Boys in Blue came out of the locker room in search of the lead.

Unfortunately, Real Salt Lake was able to strike first in the second half. Albert Rusnák scored in the 75th minute with a thunderous strike to the near corner as the home team took the lead for the first time in the night, 2-1. 

With his last substitution, Torrent put Gary Mackay-Steven into the attack to bring the ball forward and to try to find the equalizer. 

However, it was Real Salt Lake who found the final decisive goal with two minutes remaining through Nick Besler.

City appealed for offside but Besler was adjudged to have been in front of the last defender when he flicked home a loose ball at the back post.

Although NYCFC’s night started brightly, they weren’t able to hold on to the lead and slipped to a fourth defeat of the season.