first place, for the time being -- in the Western Conference. The Colorado Rapids are still atop the West, tied with FC Dallas, despite losing for the third time in four games in heartbreaking circumstances last weekend. Real Salt Lake put an end to their three-game winless run by defeating FC Dallas last Saturday, moving to within a point of the top spot in the division.
REFEREE: Abbey Okulaja. SAR (bench): Steven Taylor; JAR (opposite): Jose Corro; 4th: Edvin Jurisevic MLS Career: 75 games; FC/gm: 29.2; Y/gm: 3.6; R: 11; pens: 20
INJURY REPORT: COLORADO RAPIDS - OUT: DF Mike Petke (R foot); GK Justin Hughes (L groin); DOUBTFUL: FW Conor Casey (L knee); MF Nico Colaluca (L groin); MF John DiRaimondo (L ankle); PROBABLE: MF Terry Cooke (L hamstring); FW Jovan Kirovski (R groin) ... REAL SALT LAKE - OUT: MF Nathan Sturgis (L hamstring strain), MF Brennan Tennelle (R intercostal/rib strain); DOUBTFUL: DF Ian Joy (L ankle bone spur); QUESTIONABLE: MF Alex Nimo (R quad strain), MF Javier Morales (R adductor strain); PROBABLE: FW Fabian Espíndola (L hamstring strain)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
SUSPENDED: Tom McManus (through May 18)
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: none
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: none
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (12 meetings): Rapids 6 wins, 13 goals ... Real Salt Lake 4 wins, 11 goals ... Ties 2
AT COLORADO (6 meetings): Rapids 3 wins, 7 goals ... Real Salt Lake 2 wins, 7 goals ... Ties 1
• This is the first of three meetings for the Rocky Mountain Cup this season, the first of two to be played in Commerce City. The teams will next meet on Aug. 29, is what will likely be the final game to be played at Rice-Eccles Stadium, then they will conclude the regular season against each other on Oct. 25 in Colorado.
LAST YEAR (MLS):
4/30: RSL 0, COL 2 (R. Brown 71; Beckerman 75)
5/10: COL 1, RSL 1 (own goal 4 - own goal 15)
9/22: RSL 1, COL 0 (K. Brown 30)
10/20: COL 0, RSL 1 (Findley 87)
• A year ago, Real Salt Lake won the Rocky Mountain Cup, awarded by the supporters' groups of both teams, for the first time in series history. After Colorado won the first game, the teams played to a draw in the second, then RSL won the final two, claiming the trophy in a 1-0 win in the regular season finale at Dick's Sporting Goods Park.
&149; The 1-1 result, where both goals were scored through own goals, marked the eighth time in MLS history two own goals were scored in the same game. But it was the only time where all the scoring came through multiple own goals.
• Real haven't lost in their last three league trips to Colorado. RSL won for the first time on the Rapids' home ground in a 4-1 victory Aug. 9, 2006 at Invesco Field at Mile High, then came away with a draw and a victory in the two visits a year ago.
• The RSL victory in the Sept. 22 match at Rice-Eccles last year snapped a four-game home winless streak against the Rapids - five in all competitions. After defeating Colorado 1-0 on April 16, 2005 - the club's first-ever home game - the Rapids won three of the next four league games (with one tie), as well as a U.S. Open Cup match.
• Coaches record: Fernando Clavijo v RSL: P12 W6 L4 D2 ... Jason Kreis vs. COL: P3 W2 L0 D1
COLORADO RAPIDS
The Colorado Rapids went down to defeat for the third time in four matches, but this time in a more painful manner, conceding a late penalty kick for a 2-1 loss to the Houston Dynamo at Robertson Stadium last Saturday night. The Rapids still remain tied for the top spot in the Western Conference with nine points from seven matches, level with FC Dallas, a point ahead of the Los Angeles Galaxy and Real Salt Lake.
LAST MATCH
• The Dynamo had played to draws in four of their last five games while still searching for a first victory on the season, while the Rapids were coming off a win against D.C. United that put an end to a two-game losing skid.
• The Dynamo had their chances in the early going yet failed to hit the target, but finally broke through two minutes before the break. Stuart Holden sent in a bouncing ball behind the Colorado defense, and as goalkeeper Bouna Coundoul came off his line, his missed on his clearance attempt. Brian Ching raced past and turned the ball into the empty net for his first goal on the season.
• The Rapids came back into the game and pulled level midway through the second half. A perfect through ball from Christian Gomez allowed Omar Cummings to shield off his defender, and he stroked a bounding shot past Pat Onstad inside the left-hand post for his second goal.
• But with three minutes remaining, a flashpoint changed the game. A throw-in from the left bounced up and as Colorado defender Ugo Ihemelu went to chest it, the ball hit his outstretched arm. Referee Tim Weyland ruled it was a handball and pointed to the spot, and Dwayne De Rosario sent Coundoul the wrong way for his first goal of the season in sealing the Dynamo's first win.
• Rapids head coach Fernando Clavijo made no changes to the team that defeated D.C. United 2-0 at home the previous Sunday.
• Here's Clavijo's team (4-3-1-2): Bouna Coundoul - Kosuke Kimura, Facundo Erpen, Ugo Ihemelu, Jordan Harvey (Colin Clark 88) - Jacob Peterson, Pablo Mastroeni, Nick LaBrocca - Christian Gomez (Mehdi Ballouchy 80) - Tom McManus (Herculez Gomez 65), Omar Cummings. Substitutes Not Used: Jose Burciaga Jr., Rafael Gomes, Kelly Gray, Chris Sharpe
• "I thought we played hard. We came here to get three points. We worked extremely hard. It's unfortunate that someone else can dictate the end of the game," Clavijo said. " ... I thought we played well enough to at least deserve a point. In the second half, I thought there was one team there."
TEAM NEWS
• For the second match running, Clavijo started the tandem of Omar Cummings and Tom McManus in attack, after playing the majority of the campaign with a lone striker. Cummings found the back of the net for the first time since the season opener, but Clavijo felt his team could have scored more.
• "We couldn't get the ball in the net," Clavijo said. "We had a lot of chances. I thought we had a lot of energy with everyone. Coming into this game, we wanted to continue adding points. We are playing against a very good team -- a team that won a championship twice."
• Of course, the major talking point after the game was the handball called on Ihemelu three minutes from the end. But the Rapids felt the entire situation could have been avoided.
• "We can't put ourselves in those situations at the end of the game," Jacob Peterson said. "It doesn't matter what I thought or what anyone else thinks. It just matters what (the referee) calls. He thought it was a handball."
• Clavijo will not be able to run out the same strike pair against RSL, as McManus was sent off after the penalty call while on the bench, having been substituted for by Herculez Gomez after 65 minutes.
• Part of the changes too have been installing Jacob Peterson and Nick LaBrocca as the wide midfielders as Terry Cooke and Colin Clark went to the substitutes' bench. Cooke was not going to start in Houston, but ended up being unavailable entirely after suffering a hamstring injury in training before the match.
• "It was a much better second half for Jacob Peterson (in Houston), but he is still learning to play that position," Clavijo said.
REAL SALT LAKE
Real Salt Lake put an end to a three-game losing run and won for the second time on the season, getting a late goal from Kyle Beckerman for a 2-1 victory against FC Dallas on Saturday evening. With the victory, RSL now has eight points from seven matches and sit tied for third place in the Western Conference with the LA Galaxy, just a point off the lead held by the Colorado Rapids and FC Dallas.
LAST MATCH
• Both teams were looking to put an end to winless runs, Real Salt Lake with two losses and a draw in their last three, and FC Dallas with a loss and tie in their last two.
• RSL took advantage of a gift to open the scoring in the 28th minute. A long ball downfield was cleared by FCD goalkeeper Dario Sala -- but it bounced first off defender Drew Moor, then Andre Rocha. It fell to Javier Morales, who had only to roll it into the unguarded goal from close range.
• The Hoops pulled level 11 minutes after the halftime interval. Andre Rocha sent a long ball down the right flank for Kenny Cooper, and after the big striker controlled the pass and cut in toward goal, he hammered a drive that flew over Nick Rimando at the near post and off the underside of the crossbar for his fifth goal on the campaign.
• But Real went back ahead in the 73rd minute. Andy Williams sent a perfectly weighted chip over the FCD back three that came down just inside the area. Kyle Beckerman had raced past the defense and poked the floating ball first-time through Dario Sala's legs for the eventual game-winner.
• Real head coach Jason Kreis made one change to the team that played to a 2-2 draw with the Los Angeles Galaxy the previous weekend. Kreis changed his tactics for the visit of FC Dallas, bringing Matias Mantilla into a three-man back line as Andy Williams returned to the substitutes' bench.
• Here's Kreis's team (3-4-1-2): Nick Rimando - Jamison Olave (Andy Williams 40), Matias Mantilla, Nat Borchers - Tony Beltran, Kyle Beckerman, Dema Kovalenko, Chris Wingert - Javier Morales (Kenny Cutler 57) - Fabian Espindola (Robbie Findley 80), Kenny Deuchar. Substitutes Not Used: David Horst, Dustin Kirby, Yura Movsisyan, Chris Seitz
• "In the first half in particular, possession was just loose all over the place; it didn't seem like we could connect a 10-yard pass out there. It was an ugly soccer game to watch, for certain, and I think it continued in the second half," Kreis said. "We got a little bit sharper and brighter and created a couple of nice opportunities to put the game away. Again, we're in a spot where if we take one of those good chances inside their box early in the second half then maybe it gets a little prettier and we get to knock the ball around.
TEAM NEWS
• After his post-game comments regarding the refereeing following the 2-2 draw with the LA Galaxy, Kreis was suspended for the FC Dallas match, not allowed on the bench during the game. But he still had a good view of how his team played on the night.
• "I think that's probably one of the worst games we've played this season in my opinion," Kreis said. "In some ways, maybe that's a good thing because maybe we need to learn how to win ugly. I would say tonight was case in point for that. We won ugly."
• For the match, Kreis changed his tactics, starting with three center backs and moving Tony Beltran and Chris Wingert into wide midfield roles. But, expecting to face a 3-5-2 from FC Dallas, the Hoops instead ran out a 3-4-3 system, and RSL was forced to change before halftime, bringing on Andy Williams for Jamison Olave as Beltran and Wingert returned to their regular fullback roles in a back four.
• "The last time we played against a 3-5-2 was at D.C. United, and it felt like we were a little unclear with our matchups. If you play against a 3-5-2, the cleanest and easiest way to match up is to also play a 3-5-2, and I think we have the personnel to do it in that we have three physical center backs and two wide players that can get up and down the park," Kreis said. "But against a 3-4-3, it doesn't look so good to play three backs against the three forwards. Credit to Dallas, I thought they gave us trouble all night."
• The day before the match, RSL traded veteran midfielder Carey Talley to Chivas USA for a conditional draft pick. Talley had worn the captain's armband for the first two games in the season, but had not started since.
• "I think it was a win-win-win. It was not a decision to make us better right now, but in the long term I think it was a good decision for this club," Kreis said. "It was a good thing for Carey Talley because I think it's going to extend his career a little bit and get him into a fresh place. And it was a good decision for Chivas because they picked up a veteran and leader who I think is a very smart soccer player and a very good one. I think everybody wins in this one."
