COLUMBUS - Real Salt Lake won a third consecutive league game for the first time in club history, coming back to snatch a 2-1 victory against the Columbus Crew on Wednesday evening at Crew Stadium, getting goals in the final quarter-hour from Chris Klein and Carey Talley.
Sebastian Rozental had given the Crew the lead in the first half through a penalty kick, but Real took the victory with the goals in the 75th and 90th minutes as they lengthened their unbeaten streak to four games and extended the Crew's winless streak to 13 games. Columbus last posted a victory on June 3.
Just minutes into the first half, the hosts threatened. Rozental received a pass from Joseph Ngwenya and sent a shot from 25 yards out, just wide left of the Crew goal.
Moments later, in the eighth minute, Ngwenya attempted to break free behind the Real Salt Lake backfield only to be hauled down by the club's sole remaining defender, Eddie Pope. The tackle earned Pope a yellow card and the Crew a free kick just outside the Salt Lake penalty area. On the resulting free kick, Rozental touched the ball to a patiently waiting Jacob Thomas, but he sent his shot harmlessly wide left.
Salt Lake crafted their first attack in the 20th minute. Talley raced forward out of the midfield while artfully holding off a defender. He then dropped a pass to a charging Mehdi Ballouchy, who squandered the opportunity as sent his shot wide left.
The Crew responded quickly. In the 23rd minute, Thomas rounded Willis Forko on the right before working his way on the endline toward Scott Garlick's goal. In an effort to prevent his progression, Forko got tangled up with Thomas, and after a discussion between referee Baldomero Toledo and assistant Greg Barkey, the referee pointed to the spot. Rozental claimed the opportunity and connected for his second goal of the season, sending right down the center of the goal as Garlick dove to his left.
Despite a number of opportunities in the latter half of opening 45 minutes, Real were unable to match Columbus with a goal of their own, outshot 7-6 over the half.
But Real began to take control early in the second half. In the 58th minute, Klein spotted Kreis alone inside the area and played the RSL captain a ball that could have found the net had Kreis been able to immediately pull the trigger.
On the rebound, Ngwenya took control of the ball in the middle third, cut behind the Salt Lake defense and challenged Garlick one-on-one. Garlick won the battle, deflecting Ngwenya's shot above and beyond his goal.
RSL again threatened in the 59th minute. A goal-starved Cunningham fired his third shot of the game from the right corner of Crew penalty area, only for it to sail harmlessly wide left.
Salt Lake finally hit the scoreboard and leveled the score in the 75th minute on a sharply fired blast by Klein. Andy Williams collected the ball in the center of the field and found Klein camped at the right corner of the Crew's penalty area with a clear view of the Crew goal. He raced in and hammered a low drive inside the far post for his fourth goal on the campaign.
Cunningham narrowly missed breaking the draw in the 89th minute, breaking through the Crew defense and bending a shot around Gaudette, only to miss wide right.
But Cunningham atoned for his miss barely a minute later. He skipped past a defender on the Crew right and sent a rolling cross into the heart of the Crew penalty area, finding Talley who sent a first-time shot into the back of the net for the game-winner.
With the win, Real now hold sole ownership of fifth place in the Western Conference, leaving the Los Angeles Galaxy alone in the cellar. Saturday, RSL will attempt to stretch their winning streak and maintain their playoff run at home in a match against Houston Dynamo.
Ryan D. Kuhn is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
