Real Salt Lake rout Fire behind Cristian Arango brace

Updated: Apr 21, 2024, 12:41 am

Cristian Arango scored twice, leading Real Salt Lake to a 4-0 victory over the host Chicago Fire on Saturday night.

Andres Gomez and Diego Luna had the other goals for RSL (4-2-3, 15 points), who have points in five straight games and five consecutive away matches. Salt Lake keeper Gavin Beavers made five saves for his first career clean sheet.

Chicago (2-4-3, 9 points) is without points in back-to-back games. Saturday was the first match between the two sides since a 1-0 Fire win during the 2021 season. The loss drops Chicago to 8-8-9 all-time against Salt Lake and snaps a three-match unbeaten streak at home versus RSL dating to the 2017 season.

Gomez got RSL on the sheet in the 24th minute, taking a cross from Alexandros Katranis and putting a left-footed strike from the top of the box, just inside the far post, for his third goal of the season.

Arango doubled Salt Lake's lead in the 33rd minute, capitalizing on a Federico Navarro turnover and putting a left-footed shot between the legs of keeper Chris Brady for his seventh goal.

Arango added his second of the night, heading in a Bryan Oviedo corner kick at the back post in the 37th minute for his MLS-leading eighth of the season.

Luna made it 4-0 in second-half stoppage time, taking an Arango pass and beating Brady for his first goal of the season.

Chicago suffered a pair of injuries to critical offensive threats on Saturday.

Fire leading scorer Brian Gutierrez sustained a hamstring injury during warmup and was replaced by Navarro in the starting lineup.

Then, midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri sustained an injury in the first half and was replaced by Georgios Koutsias in the 28th minute.

On Friday, RSL acquired center back Philip Quinton from the Columbus Crew. The 24-year-old defender made his Salt Lake debut on Saturday, subbing in for Katranis in the 74th minute.

--Field Level Media