Played
September 28, 2011 9:05 PM EDT
Rio Tinto Stadium — Sandy, Utah
Referee: B. Toledo
Attendance: 20762
September 28, 2011 9:05 PM EDT
Rio Tinto Stadium — Sandy, Utah
Referee: B. Toledo
Attendance: 20762
Real Salt Lake 0-3 Chicago Fire: Marco Pappa hat-trick fuels Fire
After winning five straight, RSL has now lost two in a row. A Marco Pappa hat-trick did the business for Chicago's 3-0 win.
By Zac Lee Rigg
George Frey
Real Salt Lake welcomed back its starters against the Chicago Fire, but still lost by the same three-goal margin the reserves lost to D.C. United on the weekend. Marco Pappa scored a hat-trick to seal a 3-0 win.
"I'm really, really aggravated, I think is the best word," RSL coach Jason Kreis said. "I'm very worried. I won’t be sleeping tonight because, for me, to take two results like this in a row at this time of year could be critical. The questions now are in front of the players, how will they react."
Pappa scored his first with a gorgeous curling ball to the far post with his right foot. Daniel Paladini poked the ball through to Pappa after a throw-in.
Paladini influenced the game even more just minutes later. The 26-year-old clipped the heels of Kyle Beckerman in midfield after the RSL captain passed the ball along. Beckerman reacted angrily, turning and head-butting Paladini. A goal down, Real Salt Lake also found itself a man down after just a dozen minutes.
Pappa doubled the lead before the half, punishing Alvaro Saborio for spurning a good chance after springing the offside play. Pavel Pardo shimmied by a defender and sliced open the RSL backline with a pass, leaving Pappa to slot the ball home with his preferred left foot.
In the second half Javier Morales entered as a substitute, making his first appearance in four months, having missed 23 matches. But despite some nice touches, Pappa made sure Morales' return was hardly celebrated when he wriggled inside from the flank and sizzled a shot past Nick Rimando to notch his hat-trick.
"When this group doesn’t have its back against the wall it tends to relax, and I think that’s what you get when a group relaxes," Kreis said. "It loses focus, it loses the discipline to do all the little things it takes for our group to win."
The win, Chicago's fifth in six matches, bumps the Fire up to 36 points, just three shy of the last playoff spot.
"We're talking in the locker with our teammates that each game is a playoff for us right now," Pappa said. "We're still alive and we need to get points, and we know the next game is going to be hard."
"I'm really, really aggravated, I think is the best word," RSL coach Jason Kreis said. "I'm very worried. I won’t be sleeping tonight because, for me, to take two results like this in a row at this time of year could be critical. The questions now are in front of the players, how will they react."
Pappa scored his first with a gorgeous curling ball to the far post with his right foot. Daniel Paladini poked the ball through to Pappa after a throw-in.
Paladini influenced the game even more just minutes later. The 26-year-old clipped the heels of Kyle Beckerman in midfield after the RSL captain passed the ball along. Beckerman reacted angrily, turning and head-butting Paladini. A goal down, Real Salt Lake also found itself a man down after just a dozen minutes.
Pappa doubled the lead before the half, punishing Alvaro Saborio for spurning a good chance after springing the offside play. Pavel Pardo shimmied by a defender and sliced open the RSL backline with a pass, leaving Pappa to slot the ball home with his preferred left foot.
In the second half Javier Morales entered as a substitute, making his first appearance in four months, having missed 23 matches. But despite some nice touches, Pappa made sure Morales' return was hardly celebrated when he wriggled inside from the flank and sizzled a shot past Nick Rimando to notch his hat-trick.
"When this group doesn’t have its back against the wall it tends to relax, and I think that’s what you get when a group relaxes," Kreis said. "It loses focus, it loses the discipline to do all the little things it takes for our group to win."
The win, Chicago's fifth in six matches, bumps the Fire up to 36 points, just three shy of the last playoff spot.
"We're talking in the locker with our teammates that each game is a playoff for us right now," Pappa said. "We're still alive and we need to get points, and we know the next game is going to be hard."
Goal
Own Goal
Penalty
Penalty Missed
Yellow Card
Assist
Penalty Save
Penalty Shootout Goal
Penalty Shootout Miss
Yellow Card / Red Card
Red Card
Substitution IN
Substitution OUT
Injury
Goal.com Rating
Goal.com Man of the Match
Goal.com Flop of the Match
Top & Flop Global Ranking
Fans' Man of the Match
Fans' Flop of the Match
Results
Times In EST
Live
Final
scheduled
Suspended
Cancelled
Postponed
Top Scorers
| Player | Goals | Penalties | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Jack McInerney Striker Philadelphia Union |
8 | 0 |
|
Mike Magee Midfielder LA Galaxy |
6 | 1 |
|
Claudio Bieler Striker Sporting KC |
6 | 1 |
|
Marco Di Vaio Striker Montreal Impact |
6 | 0 |
|
Robert Earnshaw Striker Toronto FC |
5 | 2 |
