MADRID - Real Salt Lake tallied a pair of second half goals from MF Freddy Adu and MF Duke Hashimoto to draw 2-2 today with Spanish Segunda Division club Rayo Vallecano at the Spanish Soccer Federation campus know as Las Rozas. The draw improves RSL's preseason record to 3-3-2, with three Madrid-based games and three U.S. games remaining prior to the April 7 home opener at Rice-Eccles Stadium vs. FC Dallas.
On another stunningly beautiful day in the Spanish capital, RSL earned a 2-2 draw against Rayo Vallecano in a game featuring two very opposite halves. Rayo Vallecano pressed early and forged a two-goal lead by halftime, before RSL regrouped in the second half, dominated possession down the stretch and fought back with two goals in the final 14 minutes to earn the draw.
Rayo currently lead the Spanish Segunda B league and are headed towards a 16-team playoff with their sights set on one of four promotion spots to the Spanish Second Division. Their lineup featured several key players who have propelled their success this season, which has included knocking out defending champions Espanyol in the national King's Cup tournament. Rayo also nearly made headlines last month by pushing Sevilla to the brink of elimination in the same tournament, before losing a lead with 15 minutes to play before a hostile Sevilla crowd.
The game was played on the pristine stadium field at Las Rozas Football City, the home field of the Spanish Soccer Federation national teams. The complex where Raul, Cesc Fabregas, Xavi, Iniesta, Casillas and company train before every international match is about 30 minutes from downtown Madrid, and offers a beautiful view of the snow-capped Sierra de Madrid mountains.
RSL captain Jason Kreis was a late scratch for RSL due to a stomach virus, with MF Kenny Cutler was the only change from the lineup that played together in training on Wednesday. RSL struggled early with possession and consistent pressing by the Spanish side. RSL GK Nick Rimando was forced to make two saves in the first 10 minutes, but could not stop Rayo's Juan Jose Collantes from putting away a cross from Mauri just five minutes in.
RSL's timing was off early, with the team being caught offsides at least five times in the first half. Collantes found his way on to the end of another cross from the right flank, this time from Jonathan, in the 32nd minute to put RSL in a 2-0 hole. But RSL entered halftime with optimism as several combinations between Adu, MF Chris Klein and FW Jeff Cunningham created chances in the half's waning minutes.
Cunningham exited at halftime as he continues to nurse a slight groin injury, being replaced by MF Andy Williams, who immediately helped settle RSL's possession in the middle third of the field. GK Chris Seitz replaced Rimando and had no difficulty with several Rayo shots in the second half. RSL consistently applied better pressure and maintained possession, forcing six corners. Klein, Williams and Adu took turns peppering the Rayo 6-year box off the corners, with DF Eddie Pope (twice) and DF Jack Stewart each earning scoring chances off of headers.
The dual substitution of DF Chris Lancos and MF Duke Hashimoto (for Ivory Coast trialist DF Jean-Martial Kipre and MF Kenny Cutler) invigorated the RSL attack even further. Lancos nearly earned an assist on a great cross on his first touch. Hashimoto set up RSL's best scoring chance of the game in the 76th minute when he was dragged down at the top of the box on a quick dribble towards goal. When Klein blasted the free kick off the keeper's hands, Hashimoto pounced on the rebound and put RSL on the board.
Freddy Adu, having been pulled down on multiple touches throughout the contest by Rayo players, finally sprang free for a breakaway off of a beautiful pass from MF Carey Talley in the 83rd minute. Adu drew the keeper out of the goalmouth and placed it past him for the equalizer.
DF Danny Torres, Stewart, Pope, Talley, Adu and Klein all started and played the full 90 minutes. RSL returns to Real Madrid City on Friday for practices at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., when FW Atiba Harris and DF Willis Forko each arrived after completing visa paperwork and will train with their teammates on Spanish soil for the first time.
Rayo 2:2 RSL
Scoring Summary
RV: Collantes (from Mauri) - 5'
RV: Collantes (from Jonathan) - 32'
RSL: Hashimoto - 76'
RSL: Adu (Talley) - 83'
RSL Lineup:Nick Rimando (Chris Seitz 46); Jack Stewart, Eddie Pope, Danny Torres, Jean-Martial Kipre (Chris Lancos 63), Chris Klein, Kenny Cutler (Duke Hashimoto 63), Carey Talley, Freddy Adu, Jeff Cunningham (Andy Williams 46), Luis Tejada (Kyle Brown 73).
Rayo Vallecano Starting Lineup: Javi Munoz, Hugo, Amaya, Alba, Iznata, Yuma, Zazo, Jonathan, Collantes, Mauri, Azmentano.
