Real Salt Lake Breaks Goal Drought With 4-0 Win Against Chivas USA

Real Salt Lake interjected center forward Pablo Campos and midfielder Andy Williams into the lineup in place of forward Robbie Findley and midfielder Javier Morales who was injured on Sunday. For Chivas USA. they started their two newcomers for the second match in a row, strikers Maicon Santos and Jesus Padilla.

First Half

It seemed to be a determined start by Real Salt Lake as they made a number of nice combinations in the midfield early on. Chivas USA appeared content to sit back and absorb the attack until it reached the final third, a sign that they may have been looking for a draw out of the match.

Real Salt Lake’s first opportunity came early in the match, with midfielder Will Johnson hitting a volley off of a high cross. The ball went directly across the goal mouth, with two attacking players in the area but they could not get on the end of it before it was deflected past the touchline.

In the ninth minute, Real Salt Lake had another dangerous opportunity as Campos flicked the ball over his head to himself. He caught up to the ball just before Chivas USA keeper Zach Thornton, but was only able to put the ball into the imposing keeper’s chest.

Chivas USA struggled to get anything going in the attack, as evidenced by their paltry two shots in the first half. They only allowed Real Salt Lake six shots in the half but most of them were dangerous.

In the 38^th minute, Real Salt Lake came close to capitalizing on one of those opportunities as wing-attacker Fabian Espindola intercepted a pass, and then nutmegged a Chivas USA defender with a pass to Williams, who played a nice diagonal ball back to the racing Espindola. He got a step on the defender but his outstretched shot went off of the keeper and past the touchline.

In the 43^rd minute, however, the home team would not be denied.  Real Salt Lake played swiftly up the field with zig-zagging passes. Beckerman made a final switch to the left side to Espindola who hit a cross into the penalty spot, where a wide-open Campos was waiting and connected with a directed header that gave the keeper no chance. 

As is often the case, the visiting Goats pressed hard for the equalizer just before half and nearly found it. Veteran midfielder Paulo Nagamura had the ball out on the left edge and eluded a two-footed tackle attempt by defender Jamison Olave. He was able to get off a laser-guided cross to fellow midfielder Sacha Kljestan, but two Real Salt Lake defenders arrived on the scene with the ball to break up the play.

Second Half

Chivas USA started the second half with two new players as striker Maykel Galindo and goalkeeper Lance Parker entered the pitch for defender Mariano Trujillo, and Thornton who reinjured his quadriceps, an injury that he picked up earlier in the month at Rio Tinto Stadium in the MLS All-Star game. The introduction of Galindo corresponded to a switch to a 3-5-2. 

While Chivas USA was able to push the ball forward more frequently into the final third, they failed to get shots off as they only managed four more shots in the second half for a total of six for the match. Their opponent weathered the initial storm and then made some pushes forward of their own.

In the 66^th minute, Findley came into the match for Campos and his pace gave the tired and depleted Chivas USA defense fits. 

However, his teammate, Espindola would put the next goal on the board. He received the ball into space on the left in the 75^th minute and had Chivas USA defender Carey Talley backpedalling. He faked inside and then setup to his left taking a blast from an unlikely angle but it went past the keeper and into the net. 

In the 85^th minute, Findley got his opportunity from a long diagonal pass from defender Chris Wingert that he caught right in stride. He sidestepped Talley who fell on the play bumping into Findley, but Findley was still able to put the off-balance shot past the keeper for goal number three.

Three minutes later Findley used his pace to get by Talley again but his blast went wide of the net. However in the 90^th minute Findley received the ball in space on the left and used his pace to get even with the last defender – Talley, again. Findley made a nifty sidestep move to the right and got off another off-balance shot that hit the right post and went into the goal. The goal was Findley’s tenth on the season putting him into a tie for second place in the MLS Golden Boot running behind Conor Casey.

The win gives RSL 30 points on the season with an 8-9-6 record. They are temporarily tied with Colorado for fifth place in the West, putting them in a four way tie for the final two playoff spots.  They next play at Kansas City on Saturday.

The loss keeps Chivas USA at 33 points, but they maintain two games in hand over Real Salt Lake. Their 10-8-3 record keeps them tied with Seattle for third in the West.  They play at Los Angeles on Saturday.

Randy Davis, Goal.com