Cristian Arango, Real Salt Lake aim to hand Union first '24 loss

Real Salt Lake are riding high thanks to the red-hot Cristian "Chicho" Arango, but their next challenge is to face the only remaining unbeaten team in MLS, the host Philadelphia Union, on Saturday in Chester, Pa.

RSL (4-2-3, 15 points) are tied for third in the Western Conference entering the week thanks to a stellar 3-0-2 run in their last five outings. Arango has piled up six goals and three assists in that unbeaten run, and he has both coaches in Saturday's matchup discussing him as a Most Valuable Player candidate.

Arango had a hand in all four goals of RSL's 4-0 beatdown of the Chicago Fire last week. He and Alexandros Katranis set up Andres Gomez's opening goal before Arango netted a pair of his own in the 33rd and 37th minutes. Then, his centering pass in second-half stoppage time set up Diego Luna for an easy strike.

That performance lifted Arango to the league lead with eight goals -- one more than Lionel Messi -- and a tie with Messi and Dante Vanzeir for the league lead in assists (six).

RSL coach Pablo Mastroeni said his captain's leadership, defensive effort and goal-scoring ability make him the complete package.

"I think that's what makes an MVP player," Mastroeni said on KSL Sports Zone. "What makes Chicho unique is that he does all of it. Typically goal-scorers are guys that just kind of poach and they're killers in front of goal, which he is, but the second goal he scored against Chicago last week came off a pressing action. So then you become multi-dimensional."

Philadelphia coach Jim Curtin is well-aware of the task at hand. When the Union (3-0-4, 13 points) were off last week, Curtin traveled to Chicago to scout RSL in person.

"For me he's playing at an MVP level, and I've challenged our guys -- this is a guy, and I saw it live, he's in great, great form," said Curtin, whose club faced Arango in the 2022 MLS Cup final when he played for Los Angeles FC.

"... He's added assists to his game, I would say a lot more than maybe in L.A. He's confident right now. Pablo's getting the most out of him."

Philadelphia's last time out was a come-from-behind, 2-2 draw with Atlanta United on April 14. Mikael Uhre and Kai Wagner scored in the 73rd and 77th minutes, respectively, to level the score. Uhre has three goals this season, while Daniel Gazdag and Julian Carranza have four apiece.