HOUSTON (ABC4 Sports) – After such a promising start to the 2024 Leagues Cup for Real Salt Lake, it all came to a surprising end Monday night.
The Houston Dynamo scored three first half goals in route to a 3-0 victory, which eliminated RSL from the Leagues Cup Tournament, despite a 2-1 victory over Atlas FC on Thursday.
All RSL had to do was lose by less than two goals and they would advance to the round of 32 for a second straight year. But Houston jumped out on top early and never looked back.
“Obviously, a real rough first half,” said RSL head coach Pablo Mastroeni. “A lot of it for me in football, as it is in life, is is is psychological. I think we were poor with the ball in the first half. A lot of loose passes that aren’t consistent with the kind of team we are that led to some poor defensive decisions. Typically if you can see one goal, it’s about mindset.”
Hector Herrera scored the first goal of the game in the seventh minute when his 35-yard blast bounced off the foot of RSL defender Bode Hidalgo and past Gavin Beavers for a 1-0 lead.
In the 24th minute, Herrera sent a perfect free kick that found the head of Micael, and Beavers had no chance to stop it, giving the Dynamo a commanding two-goal lead.
An RSL goal would have kept the team in position to advance, but instead Houston extended its lead when defender Justen Glad scored an own goal for Houston’s third goal.
“It’s about making sure you’re present,” Mastroeni said. “It’s about making sure the next play is done the right way. You can make all kinds of excuses, the heat, whatever it may be, but it wasn’t good enough tonight. Oftentimes in in these moments, you want to place blame, but the kind of person I am and the coach, the kind of coach I want to be, it starts with me.”
Chicho Arango didn’t start, but checked in midway through the second half coming off a four-game suspension, but didn’t pose a threat.
Real Salt Lake now returns to MLS action August 24th at home against San Jose.
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