LAUDERHILL, FL - In a preview of one of Major League Soccer's most heated rivalries, Real Salt Lake used goals from forwards Yura Movsisyan and Fabian Espíndola to reach a 2-2 draw against the Colorado Rapids in an exhibition match at the Central Broward Regional Park cricket stadium in Lauderhill, Fla. Real Salt Lake erased a deficit against its Rocky Mountain Cup rival in each half, countering goals scored by Rapids DF Facundo Erpen and MF Ciaran O'Brien.
The two squads would trade chances in the first quarter hour, with RSL FW Robbie Findley getting the first clear chance when he headed a Movsisyan cross towards goal that was blocked by Rapids DF Jose Burciaga Jr. in the 6-yard box. Colorado would have the first of several good dead ball opportunities in the first half in the 11th minute when FW Nicolas Hernandez got free from his mark on a corner kick, only to see his header miss high of goal. Five minutes later, Findley's flick on would slip MF Andy Williams behind the Rapids defense, but "Bomma" would send his shot right at Rapids 'keeper Justin Hughes.
The Rapids would get score first in the 19th minute on a free kick opportunity set up by an RSL foul on the right endline just outside the penalty area. Colorado MF Terry Cooke lofted a ball between the goal box and the penalty spot that Erpen met high in the air, his header looping over RSL GK Nick Rimando and into goal to give the Rapids a 1-0 advantage.
The Rapids would have two good chances to double the lead in the ensuing minutes, starting in the 22nd minute when FW Omar Cummings tracked down a long pass into the area and nearly poked a shot past an onrushing Rimando, only to see the ball skip a foot wide of the left post. Cummings got involved again just 30 seconds later by putting Hernandez into the area with a well-played through ball, but Rimando stood his ground to bat the 10-yard effort out of play. Around the half hour mark it was Rapids MF Colin Clark getting in on the act when he was played behind the RSL backline, only to send a bouncing shot just wide of the right post.
Real Salt Lake would find its first equalizer of the contest in the 40th minute on a play started with a brilliant diagonal ball out of the back by DF Matias Mantilla that was tracked down in the left side of the Rapids penalty area by DF Ian Joy. The RSL newcomer would play a ball towards the top of the area for MF Nathan Sturgis, who drew a pair of Rapids defenders before slipping Movsisyan into space 10 yards from goal. Movsisyan would calmly dance around Hughes before slotting into the vacant net to even up the game at 1-1 as the match approached halftime.
The Rapids would regain the lead on O'Brien's goal just seven minutes after the break. Veteran striker Jovan Kirovski set up the play, as his pinpoint cross from the right flank found O'Brien inside the area, the rookie taking two touches to set up a shot that RSL netminder Chris Seitz got a piece of but still found the right side of the goal, giving Colorado another lead, this time at 2-1.
The chances would be much fewer in the second half, with Real Salt Lake not getting a quality look until Espíndola found himself with one defender to beat on a breakaway in the 68th minute. The Argentine did well to shield his defender on his right shoulder until he got into the area, but ended up pushing his shot wide of the far right post. Espíndola found himself involved in some good old-fashioned Rocky Mountain Cup hard feelings minutes later, as he and Rapids DF Brandon Prideaux exchanged heated shoves right in front of the Real Salt Lake bench. However, the referee and his assistants quickly stopped the exchange from escalating, and cooler heads would prevail without cards being issued to either player.
As the match entered the final 10 minutes, Real Salt Lake would use a dead ball chance of its own to even up the proceedings, as trialist FW Indra Sahdan Daud was fouled just outside the arc on the edge of the Rapids penalty area. Espíndola would run onto MF Matias Cordoba's push restart, his low shot deflecting off a Rapids defender ten yards out and beating a crossed-up Rapids GK Bouna Coundoul to level things at 2-2. The Rapids would have the game's final quality chance on a corner kick in the 89th minute, but the crossed ball was left untouched as it traveled through the top of the RSL goal box, leaving the two rivals to end the exhibition all square.
RSL Training Camp Notes
• Of the 22 players to start the match, RSL MF Nathan Sturgis was the only player to see the full 90 minutes of action on the night.
• Tonight's game was a homecoming of sorts for five members of the RSL contingent that played for Miami Fusion FC in nearby Ft. Lauderdale - MF Kyle Beckerman, GK Nick Rimando, MF Andy Williams, assistant coach Jeff Cassar, and General Manager Garth Lagerwey. In addition, RSL assistant coach Robin Fraser has roots in South Florida, having spent his All-American collegiate days at Florida International University.
• While Real Salt Lake will leave the Sunshine State tomorrow evening there is still some work to do, as the squad will take on Florida Atlantic University in a scrimmage on Saturday morning.
Real Salt Lake 2 : 2 Colorado Rapids
RSL Spring Exhibition #5
Friday, February 22, 2008
Central Broward Regional Park - Lauderhill, Fla.
Scoring Summary
COL - Facundo Erpen (Terry Cooke) 19
RSL - Yura Movsisyan 6 (Nathan Sturgis 1, Ian Joy 2) 40
COL - Ciaran O'Brien (Jovan Kirovski) 52
RSL - Fabian Espíndola 2 (Matias Cordoba 1) 81
Discipline Summary
COL - John DiRaimondo (caution) 16
RSL - Javier Morales (caution) 37
Real Salt Lake Line-up: GK-Nick Rimando (Chris Seitz 45); DF-Chris Wingert (Captain) (Craig Ziadie 60), DF-Matias Mantilla (Dustin Kirby 60), DF-Nat Borchers (David Horst 60), DF-Ian Joy (Tony Beltran 60); MF-Andy Williams (Alex Nimo 60), MF-Kenny Cutler (Matias Cordoba 60), MF-Javier Morales (Kevin Reiman 60), MF-Nathan Sturgis; FW-Robbie Findley (Fabian Espíndola 45), FW-Yura Movsisyan (Indra Sahdan Daud 45)
Colorado Rapids Line-up: GK-Justin Hughes (Bouna Coundoul 45), DF-Kosuke Kimura (Brandon Prideaux 45), DF-Facundo Erpen (Cesar Zambrano 45), DF-Stephen Keel (Jordan Harvey 45), DF-Jose Burciaga, Jr. (Chase Hilgenbrinck 45); MF-Terry Cooke (Captain) (Nico Colaluca 45), MF-John DiRaimondo (Ciaran O'Brien 45), MF-Nick LaBrocca (Brian Grazier 45), MF-Colin Clark (Scott Campbell 45) (Christian Gomez 60), FW-Nicolas Hernandez (Jovan Kirovski 45), FW-Omar Cummings (Jacob Peterson 45)
2008 Real Salt Lake Preseason Exhibition Results
Date Opponent Result Venue
2/08 Ventura County Fusion (PDL) 7-0 W Buena H.S. - Ventura, CA
2/09 Santa Barbara City College 4-1 W Oxnard College - Oxnard, CA
2/16 Florida International Univ. 3-1 W Sunrise, FL
2/19 Lynn University 1-2 L Central Broward Regional Park - Lauderhill, FL
2/22 Colorado Rapids 2-2 T Central Broward Regional Park - Lauderhill, FL
2008 Real Salt Lake Preseason Schedule
Feb. 14-23: Preseason Trip #2 - Sunrise, Fla.
- Saturday, Feb. 16: RSL 3 : 1 Florida Int'l Univ.<br>
- Tuesday, Feb. 19: RSL 1 : 2 Lynn Univ.<br>
- Friday, Feb. 22: RSL 2 : 2 Colorado Rapids<br>
- Saturday, Feb. 23: Scrimmage v. Florida Atlantic University - 10:00 a.m. ET<br><b>Feb. 24-25:</b> Off days<br><b>Feb. 26-28:</b> Training at New Park field house in Park City (Times TBA)<br><b>Feb. 29-March 12:</b> Preseason Trip #3 to Rosario, Argentina<br>
- Dates/times of 3 exhibitions TBD<br><b>March 22:</b> 2008 Saturn Challenge Cup - RSL v. K.C. Wizards in Norman, Okla. - 5:00 p.m. MT<br><b>March 24:</b> Kick-Off Cup - RSL v. Lobos PFC at Skyline H.S. in Salt Lake City - 7:00 p.m. MT<br><b>March 29:</b> MLS First Kick 2008 - RSL v. Chicago Fire at Rice-Eccles Stadium - 4:00 p.m. MT
