Real Salt Lake seeks best start in club history with win over Kansas City

Valentin Castellanos became New York City FC’s first player with a four-goal game, and Real Salt Lake was sent to its worst margin of defeat in a Major League Soccer match with a 6-0 rout Sunday. Photo: Cole Bagley

SALT LAKE CITY — Unbeaten in their first four matches, first-place Real Salt Lake (3-0-1) will hit the road this weekend in search of their fourth win of the season and first against Kansas City (1-3-0) on Saturday.

After what was a highly contested first half against Nashville SC with a goal apiece and several other chances for both squads, Real Salt Lake (RSL) recaptured the lead on a cross from the right side, which found the feet of Tate Schmitt, and he buried it into the opposite corner in the 54th minute.

.@MLS may we introduce Tate Schmitt. You can call him Taters. pic.twitter.com/7KYJjkRrVe

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— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) March 20, 2022

Following the victory, Real Salt Lake tied their best four-game start since the 2011 season, capturing 10 of 12 possible points and maintaining their first-place standing in the Western Conference.

“I couldn’t be more proud of the guys as I told them. I think that we are in the process of really trying to build a culture…when we talk about culture, it is something that is sustainable. From my perspective, all soccer aside, if you do not have the right character, the right mentality in those people that are on the pitch trying to get results, then you do not have a chance,” Manager Pablo Mastroeni said postgame.

RSL will now face a struggling Kansas City team with only one win in their first four games. However, with how deep this rivalry runs and the intensity levels that it can produce, RSL will need to remain on top of their game to secure a victory.

A win would mark RSL’s best five-game start in club history, surpassing the 2011 and 2014 seasons.

Saturday’s match will be broadcast nationally in Spanish on UniMás and locally on KMYU (2.2 over-the-air, 643/22 Comcast, 12 Satellite). The game is also available to stream via the KSL TV & KSL Sports apps and KSLSports.com. Fans can also follow via ESPN700 AM radio. Spanish-speaking fans can tune in on KBMG Latino 106.3 FM, La Gran D 102.3 FM, and KTUB 1600 AM for the local radio broadcast.