RSL Tops Seattle 2–1 in a Surreal Affair

Nuts. It was just nuts. Real Salt Lake beat the Seattle Sounders 2–1 on Saturday, a fairly average-looking score for an extraordinary match. Should have seen it coming. It was weird from the beginning, played on artificial turf at 1:00 p.m. local time.

First was a wacky own goal by Seattle in the 13th minute. Fabian Espíndola bounced a cross in from the left corner of the box, and an on-rushing Álvaro Saborío watched as Sounders ’keeper Kasey Keller scooped the ball over his left shoulder into the net. “They had pressure, the ball checked up a little bit on the turf and I kind of overran it,” said Keller,” and unfortunately I got a little too close to the wrong side of the post.  So yeah, I’ve got to do better on that, and that’s it.” Not a goal for Espíndola as his cross wouldn’t have gone in but for Keller’s intervention.

Three minutes later came a controversial penalty call against RSL. Robbie Russell dove in and blocked Mike Fucito’s one-time effort from the top of the box with the outside of his right foot. Fucito’s momentum carried him into Russell, who, in falling, brought Fucito down in a tangle of legs. That the ball was yards from any potential Seattle attacker mattered little to referee Mark Kadlecik, who galloped directly to the endline after signaling a penalty.

Then came what happened next. Naturally. Mauro Rosales sent Rimando the wrong way on the penalty kick, but could only curse the heavens as he watched his shot scoot wide of the left post.

Next, RSL left back Tony Beltran was asked to leave long before the game was over. A yellow card in the 20th minute didn’t serve its cautionary purpose, and a late challenge in the 35^th earned him another. Seattle had to remind Kadlecik it was Beltran’s second, incidentally—not that a person sitting on a yellow should be disciplined differently. Even the official RSL Tweeter conceded, just a couple of minutes before the red card, that “Tony Beltran is not out there to make friends today.” RSL down to 10 men in the first half for the second time in two road games.

But Seattle’s power play would only last four minutes. Jhon Kennedy Hurtado won the ball from Saborío in the corner and raised his right arm to hold the RSL forward off as he dribbled upfield, but he did it at the wrong time, in the wrong place and near the wrong referee. While Hurtado’s blind arm found Saborío’s chin, the red carded Hurtado was given was a bigger surprise than Fucito’s penalty. It’s funny how often red cards come in pairs. 10 v. 10 for the final 50 minutes.

Montero leveled the score just before the halftime whistle, nimbly bringing down a deflected cross and knocking it in from six yards. Not strange. Vintage Fredy, really.

Then Saborío reestablished RSL’s lead with a similar play on the same goal ten minutes after the teams switched sides at half. He brought Espíndola’s cross down for a left-footed shot that rattled between himself and Seattle defender Tyson Wahl like a pinball. It fell nicely at his feet for a second chance and he buried a low drive with his left foot that would have his southpaw strike partner jealous.

The scoreline held with a handful of standout defensive plays from Andy Williams, Will Johnson, Jamison Olave and Nick Rimando’s face (you’ve got to watch this one, at 7:33—Wahl must’ve done something wrong to deserve his day’s worth of bad luck).

The victory leaves RSL one point behind Dallas, three points behind Seattle and ten points behind LA in the West, with two games in hand on each of those teams. It was a weird win, sure, but RSL fought hard and they’re getting results. Sporting Kansas City at home next Saturday. A comfortable 3–0 win would be nice, boys, for those of us with high blood pressure.

(image courtesy of realsaltlake.com)