Arango, Gómez each score 2 goals, RSL rallies for 5-3 win over Rapids

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This article was published 18/05/2024 (852 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

SANDY, Utah (AP) — Cristian “Chicho” Arango and Andrés Gómez each scored two goal to help Real Salt Lake rally from a two-goal deficit and beat the Colorado Rapids 5-3 Saturday night.

Real Salt Lake (8-2-4) is unbeaten in 10 consecutive games since a 2-1 loss to the Rapids on March 9 and leads the Western Conference with 28 points.

Arango, who went into the game tied with Christian Benteke and Luis Suárez, leads MLS with 13 goals this season.

Chukwuemeka Eneli blasted a shot from just outside the area that ricocheted off the crossbar and bounced high off the ground before Chicho headed home the putback to make it 3-3 in the 85th minute and then fed Gómez for the go-ahead goal moments later. Gómez, on the right side, tapped a pass to Chicho and immediately darted toward the goal as Chicho played a one-touch pass back to Gómez for the finish from the corner of the 6-yard box to give Real Salt Lake the lead for good at 4-3 in the 88th minute.

Cole Bassett, a 22-year-old midfielder in his seventh MLS season, stole a pass near midfield and, with goalkeeper Zac MacMath off his line, scored from 45 yards out in the fifth minute and Rafael Navarro chipped a shot from 8 yards out that went over MacMath’s outstretched arm and slipped under the crossbar into the net to give Colorado a 2-0 lead in the 19th. Navarro has scored a goal in four consecutive games.

Arango put away a rebound of a shot by Braian Ojeda in the 23rd and Gómez scored on a volley off a corner kick played by Diego Luna to make it 2-2 in the 40th minute.

Djordje Mihailovic tapped in from point-blank range to give Colorado (6-5-3) a 3-2 lead in the 60th minute. Calvin Harris played an entry to Mihailovic, whose shot from near the penalty spot was parried by goalkeeper Zac MacMath. Omir Fernández then had his put-back attempt stopped by a lunging MacMath before Mihailovic slammed it home less than a yard out.

On the counter-attack, Real Salt Lake’s Anderson Julio cut inside to evade a defender and then ripped a shot from just outside the area that bounced off the post into the net to cap the scoring in the sixth minute of stoppage time.

MacMath had seven saves.

Zack Steffen stopped five shots for Colorado.

___ AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer