Diego Luna, Chicho Arango lead RSL past Atlanta United 5-2 – Deseret News

SANDY, Utah (AP) — Christian “Chicho” Arango scored his MLS-high 17th goal of the season, Diego Luna added a goal and three assists and Real Salt Lake beat Atlanta United 5-2 on Saturday night.

Chicho’s header from a corner was blocked by defender Derrick Williams but Braian Ojeda was there to put the ball away, spinning as he whipped a volley into the net to give Real Salt Lake a 2-1 lead in the 59th minute.

Chicho headed in a perfectly placed free kick from Luna in the 68th minute and Alexandros Katranis played a one-touch shot from a Luna corner that found the back of the net in the 78th minute to make it 4-1.

Daniel Rios responded moments later, heading Brooks Lennon’s cross from the right towards the far post in the 80th minute, before Luna wrapped up the scoring in the 84th minute, when he scored from the centre of the area.

Atlanta (6-10-6), which had its four-game unbeaten streak snapped by a 2-1 loss to the New England Revolution last time out, has lost two straight games.

Salt Lake (12-3-7) has lost just once in its last 18 games, dating back to a 2-1 home loss to the Colorado Rapids on March 9.

Ojeda, running down the middle of the field, pushed a pass to Luna, who played a one-touch cross to the center of the box where Matt Crooks charged in with a half-volley to give Real Salt Lake a 1-0 lead just 43 seconds into the game – the fifth-fastest goal in franchise history.

Saba Lobjanidze scored in the 31st minute to make it 1-1. Lobjanidze, working from left to right, passed to Rios, who backheeled the ball to Lobjanidze for a throw-in from the center of the box in the 31st minute.