RSL burned by Fire 3-0
A goal allowed in the 9th minute. A red card for a headbutt in the 11th.
There were still 79 minutes to play but being down a goal and a man was too much for Real Salt Lake to overcome, as Chicago Fire midfielder Pavel Pardo had a hat-trick to hand RSL a 3-0 loss Wednesday, at Rio Tinto Stadium.
After a five-game win streak that propelled the team into an automatic playoff bid, Real Salt Lake has now lost two in a row, by a combined score of 7-0. Despite the automatic bid being secured, RSL head coach Jason Kreis is anything but pleased with his team’s recent dip in form.
“Absolutely, I’m concerned. I won’t be sleeping tonight,” Kreis said. “To take two results like this at this time in the year could be critical.”
It was a game, though, that looked to have all the makings of another RSL victory. The team was playing in front of a record crowd at Rio Tinto — 20,762 — and star midfielder Javier Morales was set to make his first appearance for the club since fracturing his ankle on May 7, against Chivas USA.
Indeed, Real Salt Lake did come out brightly and had a wonderful opportunity in the 8th minute. RSL midfielder Will Johnson found forward Alvaro Saborio making a run, in, behind the Fire defense and slotted a nice through ball to him, but Saborio hooked his shot, just wide.
It was all downhill from there for Real Salt Lake.
Chicago opened up the scoring just a minute after Saborio’s miss, completely against the run of play. Fire midfielder Marco Pappa received the ball off a throw-in and, with acres of space in front, took a dribble and curled a shot past the outstretched hands of RSL goalie Nick Rimando.
“I was very disappointed to see us give up a goal off of a throw-in,” said RSL defender Nat Borchers. “It’s something that we talk about every day, at training.”
Then, just two minutes after the goal, Real Salt Lake went down a man when RSL midfielder Kyle Beckerman was sent off. After getting his ankles clipped a couple times by Chicago midfielder Daniel Paladini, Beckerman turned and headbutted Paladini in the chest, not unlike
France’s Zenedine Zidane, in the 2006 World Cup Final. Referee Baldomero Toledo had no choice but to give Beckerman a straight red card.
“I’m really, really aggravated,” Kreis said. ” It was was complete lack of discipline.”
RSL responded well to the goal, while being a man down, and had a chance to bring things to level in the 28th minute, but once again RSL couldn’t put it away. Saborio found himself free, behind the Fire defense, after a great ball from RSL midfielder Andy Williams; but with just the goalie to beat, he again hooked his shot just wide of the post.
Minutes after the miss, Fire midfielder Pardo found Pappa with a slotted pass, and Pappa finished it nicely for his second goal of the game.
“We tried to cheat the play a little bit and got punished for it,” Kreis said. “Again, lack of discipline.”
RSL started out the second half on another good note, just as they’d done to start the game, but they still couldn’t find the net.
With 30 minutes to go, and RSL needing a bit of a boost, Kreis decided to put Morales in. It was his first appearance since breaking his ankle 23 games ago. The record crowd at Rio Tinto greeted this substitution was a rousing ovation. It was a special moment for Morales.
“It was wonderful. I got goosebumps,” Morales said. “It was one of the best feelings of my career.”
Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to turn the game around for RSL, and 15 minutes from time Pappa completed his hat-trick, after scoring his eighth goal of the season. He took it down the right side and was able to create a yard of space and finished it nicely past the diving Rimando.
RSL will have to pick itself up and get ready for this Saturday’s showdown against the Western Conference leader LA Galaxy.
Borchers said the game will be a test for the slumping Salt Lake team to go up against the likes of David Beckham and Landon Donovan.
“They’re not going to back down to us at all,” Borchers said. ” So we’re going to have to bring our A-game if we really want to finish the season strong.”
– eliason.wright3@aggiemail.usu.edu