Real Salt Lake falls just short of chance to make history
Real Salt lake lost 1-nil to Monterrey in the biggest game in North America.
It was the final game and second leg of the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) Champions League tournament, which featured the best club teams north of Panama. Had Real won, the squad would have been the first MLS team to earn an invitation to the FIFA Club World Cup, a tournament featuring the elite professional teams around the globe. Instead, Monterrey of Mexico will compete.
Salt Lake forward Fabian Espindola had a chance to take the early lead for Real, but his shot in the sixth minute was saved by Monterrey keeper Jonathan Orozco. Espindola had four other chances at a goal in the game, two passing just outside the goalposts.
In the 46th minute, Monterrey midfielder Sergio Santana intercepted a Salt Lake pass to set up forward Humberto Suazo for the only goal of the match. RSL keeper Nick Rimando found himself out of position as Suazo put a shot past scrambling Salt Lake defenders to take the lead for Monterrey, 1-0.
RSL head coach Jason Kreis said the game was lost from minutes 30 to 45 because Real was “under the gun for too long of a stretch.”
“I felt like it was never going to be easy,” Kreis said. “I just reminded the guys all we needed was one bit of extra something. One bit of extra effort. One bit of special play in their box and then we’re 1-1 and guess what, we get to wear the gold medals.”
The loss ended Real Salt Lake’s 37 home-game unbeaten streak in Rio Tinto stadium.
“When you play a team like Monterrey, if you fall asleep for one play they can punish you. Essentially that’s what happened,” Kreis said. “If we walked into this thinking this was going to be a stroll in the park for us here because we were at home and the result last week was favorable for us, we were mistaken.”
Real played without captain and midfielder Kyle Beckerman, suspended because of yellow-card accumulation.
“It was no fun, that’s for sure,” Beckerman said of sitting out the game. “I definitely wanted to be out there, but there’s nothing I could do and I felt the guys did a great job.”
Defender Tony Beltran, who came on as a substitute for Real at halftime, said the loss is difficult, but the team needs to pick themselves up for the coming championships they have to play for.
“All of us on the field believed (a goal) was going to come, but unfortunately it didn’t,” Beltran said. “We’ve been there so many times when we need a goal late. We keep pushing, the chances are there, and a goal comes. Unfortunately tonight that wasn’t the case.”
Real had several chances to tie the game in the second half. Forward Javier Morales sent five corner kicks into the box but each time the Monterrey defense cleared the ball away.
“Tomorrow we have to forget and keeping going forward,” Morales said. “We played the final against one of the best teams in Mexico. In the last five minutes we had a chance to tie the game.”
Real defender Chris Wingert said his teammates are “pretty bummed out” about taking the difficult loss.
“Goals certainly can change games,” Wingert said. “One goal was the difference and it was too much. We needed to be a little sharper at the end of the half. It wasn’t good enough today.”
Real will next travel to Portland, Ore., to face the Timbers in an MLS league match on Saturday, April 30. Kreis said he does not know how the team will achieve the difficult task to bounce back from the disappointing loss.
“It’s really an easy task to talk about how good everybody is and how happy we are when all sorts of things are going our way,” Kreis said. “It’s quite a foreign feeling to lose a match at our place. It’s been a long time. I’m confused at the moment.”
– tavin.stucki@aggiemail.usu.edu