PARK CITY, UTAH - The Colorado Rapids Reserves (2-0-0, 6 pts.) used early goals from midfielders Colin Clark and Nick LaBrocca to post a 2-1 victory over the Real Salt Lake Reserves (0-2-0, 0 pts.) in an MLS Reserve Division contest this morning at Quinn's Junction in Park City. A goal by RSL Reserves MF Chris Lancos midway through the second half brought the result within doubt, but despite gaining a man-advantage through the 81st minute ejection of Rapids DF Dan Gargan, RSL's late pushes towards goal went unanswered, giving the defending Reserve Division champion Rapids the full three points on the road.
The Rapids Reserves got off to a dream start, as they struck twice in quick succession to put the home side on its heels. In just the second minute, Clark and fellow midfielder Jose Cancela worked a give-and-go in the middle of the field that sprung Clark, who took Cancela's lofted pass and lashed it into the upper left corner to put Colorado up from the onset. The Rapids Reserves would find net again just two minutes later on a quick build-up out of the back, Clark again getting involved, this time by collecting a long distribution from GK Zach Thornton down the left flank. Clark's cross was furthered along into the right side of the area by FW Conor Casey into the path of LaBrocca, whose low shot to the far post snuck past RSL GK Nick Rimando to put the visitors up 2-0.
The Rapids would continue to dominate the first half and could have had more to show for it, but a deflected shot from Casey in the 36th minute and a 35-yard rocket by Cancela in the 43rd minute hit the right post and crossbar, respectively, to keep the score at 2-0 Colorado heading into halftime.
The Real Salt Lake Reserves began to show signs off life, if not fight, in the second half, starting with Lancos' tackle from behind on Cancela in the 63rd minute that earned the RSL midfielder a caution and started a scrum that also saw Gargan earn his first caution of the match. It would be Lancos that would put RSL on the board in the 65th minute, when he ran onto a laid off pass from FW Luis Tejada 25 yards straight out from goal and sent a solid effort into the left side-netting to cut the Rapids lead in half.
Lancos nearly drew RSL even in the 72nd minute with a looping shot from the outer right corner of the penalty area, but a leaping Thornton was able to leap and snare the shot in his six-yard box. Colorado nearly iced it six minutes later when FW Omar Cummings got behind the last RSL defender, but his rushed shot from 15 yards took two hops to a waiting Rimando.
The match became increasingly chippy in the second half, with five of the match's seven cautions issued in the second stanza. However, it was a delaying of a restart on Gargan in the 81st minute that resulted in his second caution and the RSL Reserves going a man up for the last portion of the match. Despite repeated forays towards goal, Real Salt Lake couldn't find the equalizer, resulting in a second straight defeat to start off 2007 Reserve Division play for the home side. Meanwhile, Colorado's win pushed the defending MLS Reserve Division champs into a first-place tie atop the single-table standings alongside the New York Red Bulls Reserves, both teams getting the full six points out of their first two contests.
Real Salt Lake will look to rebound quickly over the weekend, when it hosts the New York Red Bulls Reserves at Quinn's Junction this Sunday, May 6 at 10:00 a.m. MT. Colorado will also get back to Reserve action on Sunday when it hosts the Houston Dynamo Reserves at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colo.
MLS Reserve Division
Real Salt Lake 1 : 2 Colorado Rapids
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Scoring Summary
COL - Colin Clark 1 (Jose Cancela 1) 2
COL - Nick LaBrocca 1 (Conor Casey 1, Colin Clark 1) 4
RSL - Chris Lancos 1 (Luis Tejada 1) 65
Discipline Summary
RSL - Nik Besagno (caution) 25
RSL - Atiba Harris (caution) 29
COL - Conor Casey (caution) 60
RSL - Christian Jimenez (caution) 61
RSL - Chris Lancos (caution) 63
COL - Dan Gargan (caution) 63
RSL - Luis Tejada (caution) 70
COL - Dan Gargan (ejection; 2nd caution) 81
Real Salt Lake Reserves Line-up (4-4-2): GK-Nick Rimando, D-Jamie Watson, D-Dustin Kirby, D-Nik Besagno, D-Steve Curfman, M-Kyle Brown, M-Chris Lancos, M-Duke Hashimoto, M-Christian Jimenez (Luis Tejada 60), F-Chris Brown (Captain), F-Atiba Harris.
Colorado Rapids Reserves Line-up (4-4-2): GK-Zach Thornton, D-Dan Gargan, D-Chris Wingert, D-Stephen Keel (Captain), D-Jordan Harvey, M-Nick LaBrocca (Galen Thompson 76), M-Daniel Wasson, M-Jose Cancela (Kosuke Kimura 70), M-Colin Clark (John DiRaimondo 60), F-Omar Cummings, F-Conor Casey (Nico Colaluca 60).
Referee: Jeff Young
Referee's Assistants: Ephraim Amou-Berry, Schuyler Pack
4th Official: Brandon Major
Weather: Sunny and 74 degrees
