Ostrak's red card at 43 minutes left St. Louis City a man short

Real Salt Lake beat St. Louis City 3-0 at home, after the visitors lost a player before half-time and then lost the chances as well.

Two minutes before St. Louis City lost a man, Sergi Solans had already put Real Salt Lake in front. Tomas Ostrak, booked at 29 minutes, was shown a red card at 43, and the visitors spent the rest of the match a player short. That changes how every other figure here should be read.

Ball share is where the match first looks lopsided. Real Salt Lake held 60% of the ball, against the 46.8% they average at home this season, while St. Louis City had 40%, below the 56.3% they usually keep on the road. Possession only tells us who had the ball, not what they did with it, so the more telling figures come next.

Real Salt Lake took 19 shots, well above their home average of 12.4, while St. Louis City managed three against an away average of 11.8. Expected goals, or xG, scores each chance by how often a shot of that kind goes in, so a side can shoot often and still create little. Real Salt Lake's total came to 3.61, far above their own home average of 1.11 and the league norm of 1.47 per side, while St. Louis City's figure sat well beneath the 1.32 they usually produce away.

The goals followed the same pattern. Solans scored at 41 minutes, Dominik Marczuk added one at 52, and Solans struck again at 59 to complete the scoring. The first was made by Morgan Guilavogui, which shows the chance was built as well as finished.

Shot-stopping and set pieces point the same way. The visiting keeper made four saves, against two for the home keeper, and Real Salt Lake won seven corners to none. Those are the marks of a side that spent long spells pressing in the other half, though the numbers only show where the play ended up, not how it got there.

Individually, Solans had the strongest evening, with two goals and a match rating of 8.9 that reflects them. Marczuk scored too and was active at both ends of the pitch. Guilavogui's five key passes, the ones that lead directly to a shot, made him the most productive creator on the night.

The result leaves St. Louis City with a road record of 14 wins, 9 draws and 7 defeats, and Real Salt Lake with a home record that now includes a clean sheet against a side that had scored plenty away from home.

Player of the matchS. Solans2 goals8.9

D. Marczuk1 goal8.1

M. Guilavogui1 assist7.7

S. Lobzhanidze1 assist7.7