RSL defeated the Sacramento Republic FC 2-0 on Tuesday night in a friendly match, days after Sacrament won the USL Pro championship.
Team captain Justin Braun, a former RSL player and a native of Utah, led Sacramento.
Real Salt Lake is ranked fourth overall in the MLS and third in the west. RSL looks like it will make the play offs again for its seventh straight year.
During the first half, Sacramento and RSL were evenly matched, with RSL taking seven shots and Sacramento taking six. Salt Lake had three open shots but could not manage to score. Heavy rain began in the 40th minute of the first half that would make for soggy conditions throughout the rest of the game.
In the second half, RSL captain Robbie Findley was taken down inside the box. He was awarded a penalty kick in the 57th minute, when he put it in for a 1-0 lead for RSL. Findley would find another scoring opportunity in the 63rd minute, but his shot went wide. In the 91st minute, Sabastian Velsquez sent a zinger in from 15 yards out to put Sacramento away for the night.
“These games are huge for players like Sebastian,” said RSL coach Jeff Cassar. “To finish with a goal the way that he did just builds his confidence, and hopefully we can keep building on that moving forward.”
RSL left its superstars out of the game, being a lower-division team and a friendly match. Nick Rimando and Kyle Beckerman will be back on the field again on Oct. 5, when RSL takes on Chivas USA in Carson, California.
