William Agada scored in the 42nd minute and Real Salt Lake withstood a late push by Houston Dynamo to earn a 1-0 victory Saturday night in Sandy, Utah.
Real Salt Lake (7-10-4, 25 points) extended their season-best unbeaten streak to four games (3-0-1) after going winless in the previous seven contests.
Rafael Cabral made four saves for his fifth career MLS shutout and helped Real Salt Lake get the three points and survive 18 shot attempts by Houston.
The Dynamo (7-10-5, 26 points) conceded 14 shots in the opening half and 17 total to RSL, but they were unable to win three straight for the first time since March 16-30, 2024. Houston held possession for 56 percent of the contest.
Houston goalkeeper Jonathan Bond made four saves.
Real Salt Lake finally broke through late in a first half in which they attempted 14 shots. Bond made a leaping save on Diego Luna’s right-footed shot from slightly outside the box, but it resulted in the corner kick.
Following the corner kick by Pablo Ruiz, Agada had header initially blocked by Houston defender Franco Escobar. Agada regained possession with his right foot and put a shot from the middle of the box by defenders Pablo Ortiz and Brooklyn Raines and into the upper right corner for his second goal of the season.
Houston nearly tied the match twice in first-half stoppage time, but Cabral denied Ezequiel Ponce’s header from the center of the box before Jack McGlynn and Felipe Andrade’s shots missed the net.
Ponce clanged a shot off the crossbar after getting blocked by Noel Caliskan in the 54th minute, and on consecutive sequences Escobar and McGlynn missed the net. In the 66th, Escobar had a clean look but saw his slot carom off the right post, and three minutes later Andrade was denied by Cabral.
Real Salt Lake nearly got its second goal in second-half stoppage time, but Bond made a leaping save on a bicycle kick by Ariath Piol.
–Field Level Media
