Real Salt Lake (1-1-1, 4 pts.) kicked off the home portion of its 2024 Major League Soccer campaign with a dominant 3-0 win over visiting Los Angeles Football Club (1-1-0, 3 pts.) in a weather-delayed home opener at America First Field.

With high winds, lightning and snow all affecting the kick time for the midday Wasatch Front kickoff, RSL eventually rode a dominant three-goal first half to earn its first victory of the 2024 campaign.

Winger Andres Gomez stole the show with a first-half brace inside the first 42 minutes and added an assist in first-half extra time to striker Chicho Arango.

Despite being out-shot and out-possessed by LAFC on the whole 90, Real Salt Lake capitalized on creativity of its wing players and a 150-plus pass advantage over the opposition to claim the full three points in emphatic fashion.

Scheduled to kick off at noon at America First Field, high winds pushed the start back to 2:10 p.m., but the play would be delayed once again in just the fourth minute of play, when nearby lightning strikes forced a 62-minute pause.

Returning to the field of play, RSL displayed its adaptability on a pitch increasingly under assault by snowfall.

The breakthrough came for the Claret-and-Cobalt in the 18th minute, as Diego Luna played an incisive ball to Chicho Arango up the left wing, creating the space for Arango to switch the play across for Andrés Gómez.

The ball was played short for Gómez at the edge of the box, when the Colombian cut across the face of his only marker to find himself one-on-one with LAFC’s World-Cup-winning goalkeeper Hugo Lloris in the box. He showed composure with a clean strike into the left corner for the first goal at America First Field to be scored this year.

Buzzing up and down the right wing with unrelenting pressure, Gómez nearly netted his second of the half just three minutes later.

His flair on full display, even in the adverse conditions, Gómez sliced through the LAFC defense with a combination of dribbles to find himself alone with Lloris once again, slotting it into the side netting before the goal was disallowed for offsides.

The second goal would eventually come through Gómez in the 42nd minute as Arango spotted Luna deep in the box, floating a lofted through-ball over the heads of both LA centerbacks and onto the 20-year-old’s feet directly in front of net.

Luna’s silky first touch drew the attention of Lloris and both Los Angeles centerbacks as he calmly played a regressive ball back to a charging Gomez, who promptly deposited his second goal of the match with a one-touch strike into the corner.

Taking advantage of an LAFC squad on its heels, Real Salt Lake all but cemented victory with a third of the half when, five minutes into extra time, the RSL attack launched itself forward once again.

This time, Luna and Gómez flew up the left wing and through the defense with a beautiful combination of one-two passes. The build-up play created space for Gómez to spot his streaking striker in the box, whipping a ball directly onto his feet.

Sliding between two LA defenders, Arango went for placement over power to slot a glancing blow past Lloris for his second goal in as many matches. He was just seven days removed from the celebration of his 100th professional goal, for which he was honored pre-game.

RSL’s defensive maturity was evident in the second half despite a few threatening moves by Los Angeles as the clock climbed ever-closer to 90 minutes of play.

Their most dangerous chance materialized in the 54th minute, as FW Denis Bouanga found himself one-on-one with Real Salt Lake’s Zac MacMath in the box, but could not convert the chance as his strike clattered off the post and back into play.

MacMath would go on to tally six saves en route to his first clean sheet of the year.

Keeping with tradition, Real Salt Lake’s victory makes it 6-1-0 (W-L-T) in matches requiring the usage of a high-visibility ball due to inclement weather.

RSL returns home again next Saturday, with a 7:30 p.m. MT kickoff at America First Field against Rocky Mountain Cup rival Colorado Rapids, in the first of three 2024 meetings in the fan-created rivalry, won by RSL in 13 of the last 16 years. Tickets are available at www.RSL.com/tickets.

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