Rapids edge Real Salt Lake on late penalty kick

Cole Bassett’s penalty-shot goal in the 88th minute led the Colorado Rapids to a 3-2 win over Real Salt Lake in Commerce City, Colo., on Saturday night.

Jonathan Lewis and Sam Vines also scored for Colorado (12-9-5, 41 points), who secured the 2024 Rocky Mountain Cup with the victory. The Rapids have points in four of five matches (3-1-1).

The teams met twice previously, both in Sandy, Utah. Salt Lake won 5-3 on May 18, while the Rapids took the first match 2-1 on March 9.

Andres Gomez recorded a brace for Salt Lake (12-4-8, 44 points), which is 0-2-1 in its past three games.

The match was delayed nearly two hours as heavy rain and lightning rolled through following the first half.

Once the action resumed, Gomez quickly tied the match at 2-2 in the 49th minute, putting his left-footed strike past Zack Steffen for his second of the night and 13th of the season.

The Rapids were awarded a penalty in the 85th minute after defender Justin Glad was ruled to have played the ball with a handball in the area.

On the ensuing penalty kick, Bassett beat keeper Gavin Beavers for his third goal against RSL this season.

Despite controlling the first-half possession, RSL trailed 2-1 after 45 minutes of play.

Gomez opened the scoring in the ninth minute, bouncing his right-foot strike from outside the area past a diving Steffen for his 12th goal of the season.

Colorado then scored twice in four minutes to erase the deficit.

Lewis levelled it 1-1 in the 35th minute, one-timing a volley from Cole Bassett past Beavers for his second goal of the season.

The Rapids took their first lead of the night in the 39th minute as Lewis sent a cross for Vines, who one-timed it past Beavers for his first of the season.

RSL was again without the league’s leading scorer, Cristian Arango, who served the second of a four-match suspension for violating the league’s anti-harassment policy.

Following League’s Cup, Salt Lake returns to MLS action on Aug. 24 against San Jose, while Colorado travels to FC Dallas on Aug. 31.

–Field Level Media