D.C. United's road woes continued as they dropped their second road match of the season at the hands of Real Salt Lake. After putting four goals past Toronto FC in the nation's capital week ago, United had the same fate handed to them at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Saturday night, getting pounded 4-0 by the Utah side.
Kyle Beckerman scored twice and Fabian Espindola and Robbie Findley added goals as RSL won for the first time on the season.
While both sides were still feeling each other out, United fell behind on a strike from Beckerman in the 12th minute. From near the sideline Dema Kovalenko slipped a quick centering ball into Beckerman's path for the midfielder to run onto and slot home just as he entered the penalty area. There wasn't much power on the shot, but it caught United goalkeeper Jose Carvallo going the wrong way -- he was traveling to his right as the ball rolled just wide of his left foot.
Carvallo was making his MLS debut, and the damage was doubled by the home side before the match was even 20 minutes old. United's Gonzalo Peralta narrowly lost out on a foot race with Espindola who latched onto a high ball delivered from Kovalenko. The Salt Lake striker did well to volley the pass out of the air and under the diving Carvallo.
Dropping behind seemed to wake up the Black-and-Red as they began to string a serious number of passes together and advance their possession into Salt Lake's end of the field. As D.C. looked increasingly more dangerous Devon McTavish found himself on the end of a string of nifty passes with a prime chance to bring United within one.
McTavish received a penetrating ball into the penalty area from Rod Dyachenko in the 33rd minute and then cut back to put the ball on his left foot before firing a hard shot that required goalie Nick Rimando to go horizontal to make the save.
The missed opportunity did not reduce United's possession of the ball. The capital club controlled much of the game's tempo going into the intermission.
Halftime saw the visitors make a personnel change to bolster their attack. Midfielder Marc Burch made way for frontman Santino Quaranta, although it was the defense that kept United in match early on after the break.
Clyde Simms gave up a freekick about 35 yards from goal in the 58th minute, receiving an yellow card on the play. The resulting freekick, taken by Javier Morales, was a rocket heading for the inside of the post until Carvallo threw himself in front of its path, slapping it off the post and away from danger.
The D.C. goalkeeper's work wasn't done yet. In the same minute Salt Lake came bearing down on goal, whipping a dangerous cross into the back post. Carvallo was in prime position to smother a strong header from Espindola.
In attempts to surprise Rimando and perhaps catch him off his line, Jaime Moreno struck a low blast from long range in the 70th minute that made the Salt Lake goalkeeper scramble a bit.
United's hole grew deeper on a Beckerman blast in the 77th minute. Second-half substitute Robbie Findley received a pass from Nat Borchers with his back to the D.C. goal. Findley laid a soft pass back to a charging Beckerman who pounded a drive into the far side-netting from outside the area.
Findley added the fourth Salt Lake goal in the 87th minute, popping a header over Carvallo. Findley was able to outleap Peralta for the ball in the area as he tried to head it back toward Carvallo, sailing it over the 'keeper into the goal.
Scott McAllister is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
