Sandy, Utah – A late season surging San Jose Earthquakes proved to be too much for Real Salt Lake bringing the Western Conference playoff race into an even tighter jumble. San Jose wins only their second road win of the year and it was also the team’s 200th win in MLS play. The RSL defense continues to show weakness with delayed and secondary runs unmarked and balls served in from outside. RSL needed a home win to secure a stronger position in the Supporters’ Shield race and the Western Conference standings but instead drops a 2-1 loss and gathers no points. This has left RSL vulnerable to the top five teams in the West, all within 5 points and all fighting for play-off positions.
In the 18th minute, FW Steven Lenhart snuck past the normally solid DF Nat Borchers to get a head on a crossing ball from Quakes’ MF Cordell Cato. Fans at Rio Tinto Stadium just got louder, having seen their team rally back for wins multiple times this season after giving up an early goal. RSL fans have been spoiled and surprised this year by a league leading 53 goals scored against MLS opponents, so the fans knew the chances would come.
They didn’t wait long; the opportunity came just a minute later when MF Javier Morales drove a dagger into the Earthquakes net. Morales, who has a history of scoring against the Quakes, scored his 8th of the season when he went completely unmarked on an RSL corner from MF Kyle Beckerman and making the Quakes pay for the mistake. No chance for GK Jon Busch to stop that one.
The joy of the equalizer was short lived though, in the 21st minute San Jose took a very quick kick on a foul from RSL. The set piece pass was taken quickly leaving the RSL defense unprepared. Once again, FW Lenhart found space and used his big frame to put a head on the ball and redirect it past RSL goal keeper Nick Rimando. After the match Coach Jason Kreis remarked about the defensive play, “When it comes to the two goals against us, I thought it was just a lack of focus to stay with marks in the box. Those balls were served into the box, and headed by the same player who was literally unmarked both times. It’s not good enough.”
In the second half despite offensive minded substitutions of Luis Gil and Olmes Garcia in the 59th minute and then later Robbie Findley in the 79th minute, RSL could not sufficiently break down the defensive posture of San Jose. The Quakes regularly dropped 10 men into the 18-yard box forcing RSL to begin bombing in crossing passes that were repeatedly sent right back out by San Jose. While RSL continues to dominate opponents with possession, earning 69% possession for 90 minutes, the shots on frame were hard to come by and GK Busch wasn’t challenged very often in the 2nd half. The execution in the attacking third has looked rusty for the last month or so.
Real Salt Lake now has 4 matches remaining, leaving them with a possible 12 points that could be added to their current total of 48. It is unclear if 60 points would be enough for the Supporters’ Shield or first place in the Western Conference. Current “Shield” race leading New York (51 pts) and RSL (48 pts) have each played 30 matches while the Seattle Sounders (50 pts) have only played 28. This leaves Seattle clearly in the driver’s seat for both the Conference Championship and the Supporters Shield but they have a tough schedule left to play. That schedule includes a matchup against the New York Red Bulls this coming Sunday. A draw in that match might be the best result for RSL. If RSL can run the table it would be the first time in team history that the team scored 60 points in a season.
For that to happen, RSL is in need of the team’s leading scorer from the past 3 seasons, FW Alvaro Saborio. Saborio scored 17 goals last year but has only played sparingly this season due to multiple injuries. The current calf strain injury was received during his time with the Costa Rican national team. Saborio has 10 goals this season with 1081 minutes of play which is less than half his playing time from last season. RSL continues to lead the league in goals scored with 53 goals spread out across 13 players. The team is searching for the form they had mid-season when they went to the top of the league standings and goals came from all over the pitch.
Real Salt Lake will travel to Vancouver to face the White Caps on September 28th. They also have an opportunity to win their way into the CONCACAF Champions’ League when they play in the US Open Cup Championship match on October 1st against DC United at Rio Tinto Stadium.
(image courtesy of goal.com)
