After making a trade and acquiring Robbie Findley earlier this week, Real Salt Lake coach Jason Kreis looks like a master strategist.
After an iffy first training session with RSL on Friday, Findley made a big impression by scoring a pair of goals that gave Real their first league victory of the season and their first win in 15 outings, a 2-1 triumph Saturday against D.C. United at Rice-Eccles Stadium. To be sure, the result looks like a spectacular sunrise to the RSL players and faithful.
And for D.C. United, the loss likely feels like a punch in the gut after going seven games without a defeat.
Real came within inches in the first minute of play. Off a corner kick from Mehdi Ballouchy, Carey Talley put a dangerous header into the ground from within arms reach of the right post. United saved the ball off the line, but Real seemed to feel a boost of confidence from the near-miss so soon in the match.
Real showed some fine possession in the midfield through the opening minutes. Between Talley -- back on the field for the first time in a month -- Andy Williams, and an energized Ballouchy, Real were able to move the ball up to their forwards. A foul on Findley led to a free kick from Williams, and again, Talley got his head on it. Williams and Alecko Eskandarian also got shots off before the 20th minute.
D.C. had its chances too. In the 23rd minute, United's Fred beat Jean-Martial Kipre on the left flank. Kipre pulled Fred down from behind and was shown the yellow card; United took the free kick, but instead of making something happen, D.C. gave up a counterattack from Real that Findley could not finish.
Real, still controlling the run of play, saw no daylight again in the 30th minute when Findley took a shot from the left corner of the penalty area. A defender deflected the ball from the edge of the goal area directly to Ballouchy, who sent a streaker through the air towards D.C. goalkeeper Jay Nolly. Nolly got the save, but could only deflect the missile wide.
But RSL's pressure paid off in the 41st minute; Kipre played the ball long and high to Findley, who was kept onside by a pair of D.C. defenders. Findley accelerated past United's Bobby Boswell, then sent a rolling shot with his right foot past Nolly and inside the far left post to give RSL only their second lead of the season.
Just after the goal, United coach Tom Soehn replaced forward Rod Dyachenko with Guy-Roland Kpene. Before the end of the half, Kpene took down Jack Stewart and left him limping through the rest of the half. As a result, Real coach Jason Kreis replaced Stewart with Danny Torres at halftime.
Findley showed his worth again in the 50th minute. Sent in behind the United defense with a through ball from Eskandarian, Findley ran up to the top of the penalty area and shot a rocket under the arm of an on-rushing Nolly and hit the net for a 2-0 lead.
Real's strong possession in the midfield kept D.C. silent until the 59th minute, when Soehn replaced Facundo Erpen with Clyde Simms. The move allowed United to switch back to its once-familiar 3-5-2 formation.
With the extra man in the midfield, United started to possess the ball. It led to a free kick in the 68th minute from Christian Gomez, but the shot flew right to Real goalkeeper Nick Rimando.
In the 73rd minute, Kreis put Jamie Watson into the game as a replacement for Findley. Findley exited the game as the 11th player to record multiple goals in a debut with an MLS team. Moments later, Eddie Pope was whistled for a foul that gave United a free kick in the arc at the top of the penalty area. Gomez took the shot, and hit the wall. The rebound also hit the wall.
United's offense pushed hard as the game wore on. For a period of about five minutes, D.C. kept the ball inside RSL's defensive third, taking several shots and holding the ball in. Marshalled by Pope, the RSL defense was up to the task -- until the 87th minute.
Kipre failed to deal with a bouncing cross in the goalmouth, Fred fought hard for the ball and finally was able to poke it over to Emilio, who knocked in the ball from four yards away to make it the score 2-1. But that was as close as United were going to come, and for the first time on the league campaign, RSL could celebrate victory.
Peter Richins is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
