ST. LOUIS (AP) — Damir Kreilach scored two goals, teenager Gavin Beavers saved two shots and Real Salt Lake beat St. Louis CITY SC 3-1 on Wednesday night.
RSL (7-7-5) improved to 2-8-2 in 12 road matches against expansion teams — with the first victory knocking LAFC out of the 2018 playoffs. RSL lost to St. Louis 4-0 in March, tying its worst loss to an expansion team.
St. Louis (9-7-2) is winless in four straight matches, going 0-2-2. CITY won its first five matches but has since gone 4-7-2.
Diego Luna opened the scoring in the 15th minute for Real Salt Lake. Kreilach’s first goal gave RSL a 2-1 lead in the 48th after sending home Maikel Chang’s heel pass. Kreilach also scored in the 66th with a one-touch finish of Andrew Brody’s cross.
Beavers, who turned 18 on April 29, was making his fourth start and fifth appearance for RSL. Roman Bürki finished with five saves for St. Louis.
Nicholas Gioacchini scored his team-leading eighth goal of the season for St. Louis in the 21st. Gioacchini has scored the last four goals for St. Louis.
Real Salt Lake returns home to host Minnesota United on Saturday. St. Louis travels to play the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday.