setting a club record -- and extended its unbeaten streak to four.
Once again, it was a pair of late goals that gave Real the victory. In moving out of a tie for last place in the Western Conference with the Los Angeles Galaxy, RSL got goals from Chris Klein in the 75th minute and Carey Talley in the 90th, and now have a league-leading 13 goals in the final 15 minutes. RSL head coach John Ellinger attributed the late-game heroics to one thing -- conditioning.
"It was our top goal (coming into the season)," Ellinger said. "It has kicked in, and late in the game I think that's what's happening. D.C. has a reputation as being the fittest team in the league ... it was one of our goals to be as fit or moreso than they."
"It's no coincidence," added Klein. "We have worked from the very first day of preseason on our conditioning."
Despite the eventual victory, it wasn't an easy victory for Real. The Crew started much stronger and took the lead midway through the first half on a Sebastian Rozental penalty.
"I did think that someone stole my team the first half," Ellinger said. "We had 11 guys and I didn't know who they were."
Despite the lethargic first half, RSL rebounded and came out with a new attitude and fresh legs in the second.
"In the second half we played the way we played the last three games," said Ellinger. "Much better."
"We got in to each other a little bit in the locker room," Talley said. "That got us going and we came out and played a completely different ball game. We moved the ball the way we have been in the past few games."
The turnaround was remarkable. After taking just six shots in the opening 45 minutes, Real let fly with 18 after the break.
In the 75th minute, Klein ran onto a lofted ball from Andy Williams in the right side of the Crew penalty area. After two brief touches, he drove a low shot beyond the reach of Crew 'keeper Bill Gaudette and inside the far post for the equalizer.
"Andy did a very good job pushing the ball past their pressure and played it to me," Klein said. "That's one you just try to hit hard and put on goal."
RSL seemed to wasted their last chance in the 89th minute when Cunningham screwed a shot wide with the whole goal to shoot at. But he redeemed himself, pulling back a cross from the right that Talley gratefully accepted, driving it first-time into the back of the net to secure his club three points in the last minute.
"What goes around comes around," said Talley. "Hats off to us this time.
"I don't think that we believed for one minute that we were going to lose the game," he continued, "And, I don't think that [Columbus] believed for one minute that they were going to win the game."
Real Salt Lake will attempt to continue their winning streak Saturday at home against Houston. Another win could bring the club within a single point of fourth-place Chivas USA and put the final playoff spot within reach.
"It'll be a big game for us. They have a few injuries and we're riding high," Talley said. "I don't see why we can't get three points there."
Said Cunningham: "That's why we are going to make the playoffs. Our guys are stepping up left and right."
Ryan D. Kuhn is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
