Twice Real Salt Lake led the New York Red Bulls on Saturday night at Giants Stadium, but twice the home team fought back, eventually earning a 2-2 tie and eliminating RSL from playoff contention for a third consecutive year.
The Red Bulls came out on the offensive early in the first half. Star striker Juan Pablo Angel had three looks at goal in the opening quarter hour, but missed the target on a pair of shots and fired into keeper Nick Rimando's chest on the other.
Real had a marginal chance in the fifth minute but Red Bulls central defender Seth Stammler cut out a dangerous cross from the right wing before Alecko Eskandarian could stab it home past Ronald Waterreus.
Angel then had another, spectacular, chance in the 18th minute. Rookie right-winger Dane Richards' clever cross picked out the unmarked Colombian lurking on the left side, but Angel shanked his volley attempt.
Still, it was the visitors who struck first, against the run of play. After a Red Bulls turnover in midfield, Andy Williams found Chris Wingert on the right side. The former New York native sent a cross towards forward Chris Brown on the back post, and the veteran's shot bounced of the turf and into the roof of Waterreus' net. It was RSL's only shot on frame in the first half. The goal was Brown's fourth of the season, tying him for the team lead with Robbie Findley. William's secondary assist was struggling Real's first such helper this season.
RSL nearly doubled its advantage on a fluky play in the 36th minute. An errant Bulls clearing attempt bounced across the face of goal and was tracked down by an alert Yura Movsisyan, but he couldn't connect on his left-footed attempt and the ball bounced harmlessly over the end line.
Rimando made sure his team went into the locker room up at the half. First, he parried a point blank shot after some good combination play between Richards and Angel in the box. Then, off the ensuing corner kick, he came off his line and forced Dema Kovalenko to rush his shot, which rolled wide.
The home side pulled level three minutes after the break. Bulls defender Dave van den Bergh's long pass from the back took a deflection off a Salt Lake defender's head and fell to Liberian rookie Francis Doe, who showed some nifty footwork by dancing past Matias Mantilla before placing a low, left-footed drive into the far side-netting.
Doe again tormented Mantilla in the box moments later, beating the Argentine defender and getting a close-range shot off. But this time, Rimando was there to collect.
The keeper kept the score even again with a key save on van den Bergh twenty minutes from full time. The Dutchman pushed up from his left back spot and was on the end of some good possession play by the Bulls, but he fired his powerful kick right at Rimando.
Moments later, New York thought it had won a penalty when Willis Forko sent Richards to the ground inside the box, but referee Alex Prus allowed play to continue.
Real was unable to seriously threaten Waterreus for most of the second half, but managed to pull ahead once again with a beautiful sequence in the 75th minute. Eskandarian released substitute Fabian Espindola in the left flank, and Espindola out-paced Chris Leitch before cutting the ball back for Kyle Beckerman, who had set up near the penalty spot. Beckerman's first time, side-footed strike beat Waterreus to make the score 2-1.
However, the lead would be short-lived. Five minutes later, New York's pressure (which included a Clint Mathis shot that was cleared off the line) paid off when Stammler was judged to have taken down just inside the eighteen. This time, Prus pointed to the spot and Angel stepped up to slam home his 17th of the season.
The teams traded late chances, but Espindola was stoned by Waterreus and sub Jozy Altidore fired wide for New York. Then in stoppage time, the home fans thought Angel had stolen the three points when he beat Rimando from the doorstep, but the assistant referee signaled for offside.
With the tie, Salt Lake (5-13-9, 24 points) misses the post season for a third time in its three-year existence.
Last place RSL returns home to Rice-Eccles Stadium next Saturday to face the Western Conference pace-setters, Chivas USA.
Doug McIntyre is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
